Christmas
in Austria
or
Fritzl’s Friends
BY
FRANCES BARTLETT
ILLUSTRATED BY
BERTHA D. HOXIE
BOSTON
DANA ESTES & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1910
By Dana Estes & Company
All rights reserved
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA
Electrotyped and Printed by
THE COLONIAL PRESS
C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston, U.S.A.
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA
OR
FRITZL’S FRIENDS
CHAPTER I
On the snow covered stones of the Stephansplatz of Vienna,Fritzl and Tzandi danced joyously. The boy Fritzl becauseit was Christmas Eve. Because also in the rapid motionhis little body forgot how poorly it was clad. While Tzandi,the terrier of “Schottisch” or Scottish ancestry, danced becauseanything his small master did was pleasing in his sight, andto be copied, if possible. Under Fritzl’s chin was tucked aviolin; and as the boy danced he played snatches of melody:bits of Hungarian folk songs, and bars of the waltzes theViennese love, which set the feet of the passers-by movingmore swiftly. But not one kreutzer had been slipped into theboy’s hand, although it was Christmas Eve.
Now Fritzl and Tzandi had no home. For only that ChristmasEve, the cross old woman, of whose cellar they had made apitiful refuge, had warned them of what they might expect,if they came within her house again. Indeed, neither Fritzlnor Tzandi could remember any home save the cellar, andbefore that, the attic where they had lived with the blind musician,who, dying, had left his cherished violin to the little boy,whose heart and fingers were overflowing with music. “Itell you what, Tzandi,” cried Fritzl, as toward midnight boyand dog sought shelter in one doorway after another of theStephansplatz, only to be driven forth: “There’s a lovelycorner by the Riesenthor! I forgot all about it till now. Let’sgo there, it’s the very place! ’Course Santa Claus will go throughthat very door into the cathedral, and can hear us when wetell him we’re waiting for him. Why, just as easy, Tzandi!”
So they crept into one of the sculptured niches of the “Giant’sGate,” where the great wings of the angels announcing thebirth of the Christ Child made an insufficient shelter. Suddenlythe carved portals opened, and one of the sacristans of thecathedral