The shade had already begun to be green. Still Windekind did not come, no dove had settled near him, no little mouse had spoken to him. When he spoke to the flowers they merely nodded and never answered.
'My punishment is not yet ended,' thought he.
One sunny spring morning he went to the pond by the great house. The windows were all wide open. Had the people who lived there come back?
The bird-cherry which grew by the water-side was entirely covered with fresh leaves; every twig had a crop of delicate green winglets. On the grass by the tree lay a young girl; Johannes could only see that she had a light-blue dress and fair hair. A robin, sitting on her shoulder, fed out of her hand. She suddenly turned her head and looked at Johannes.
'Good-day, little man!' said she, with a friendly nod.
Johannes felt a glow from head to foot. Those were Windekind's eyes; that was Windekind's voice.
'Who are you?' he asked. His lips trembled with excitement.
'I am Robinetta, and this is my bird. He will not be afraid of you. Are you fond of birds?'
The Redbreast was not afraid of Johannes; it flew on to his arm. This was just as it used to be. The being in blue must be Windekind.
'And tell me what your name is, boy,' said Windekind's voice.
'Do you not know me? Do you not know that my name is Johannes?'
What did this mean? For it was the sweet familiar voice, and those were the same dark, heavenly-deep blue eyes.
'Why do you look at me so, Johannes? Have you ever seen me before?'
'Dreamed it?' thought Johannes. 'Can I have dreamed it? Or can I be dreaming now?'
'A long way from hence, in a great town.'
Robinetta laughed--it was Windekind's laugh. 'Why, I should think so. Were not you?'
'Do you object to that? Do you not like human beings?'
'Who?--Well, Johannes, you are a very strange little boy. Do you like beasts better?'
'So do I myself sometimes; just for once in a while. But it is not right. We ought to love our fellow-men, my father says.'
'Why is it not right? I love whom I choose, whether it is right or not.'
'Fie, Johannes! Have you no parents or any one to take care of you? And do you not love them?'
'Yes,' said Johannes thoughtfully, 'I love my father. But not because it is right--nor yet because he is a man.'