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Show 88 Chapter 13 It was noon the next day when Gast came into the shop. "Is your master at home?" he asked me, acting like any ordinary customer. "I think so." "Go and tell him that I wish to speak to him." Hilde answered my knock. "Someone wishes to speak to your father," I told her. When she saw that the person was Gast, she broke into a smile and ran to get Master Hermann, following close behind him as he came into the shop. "Yes, what is it? Oh, it's you." Master Hermann sounded annoyed and a bit chagrined. "What is it you want?" "I have been asked to play at the tinworkers' festival tomorrow evening." Gast behaved quite pleasantly before Master Hermann, and even a bit humbly, which must have been pretense. "It occured to me that I have never rewarded the children of Hamelin for their help in ridding the town of rats. I would like to order eleven dozen sweet buns for them, which I will give out tomorrow at the festival." "Eleven dozen?" Master Hermann was suddenly amiable. "One for each child. Can you have them ready by tomorrow?" "I'm sure that can be arranged. I will need to buy extra flour from the miller, and some honey if they are to be sweet buns. You will have to pay me in advance." "How much?" "Three schillings." Three schillings! Did Master Hermann think Gast was a fool? |