In the little German town where the boys lived he became a sort of small leader, older boys quite giving way before his manly assertion of authority. Among others, Scrap played with some young German Princes, whose rank in their own country entitled them to rule in all the games. This puzzled and bothered Scrap. One day he withdrew from a game, calmly remarking: "Perhaps you didn't know--I am a 'Merikan Prince."
After that Scrap's power never was contested. All that winter he went on writing his funny little stories, or telling them to the other boys. I do not know just whence Scrap's stories came, nor how they were made up, but I will quote from one which lies before me.
"William and Billy were two brothers, and they lived with their father and mother. Their father was named Mr. Holloway. He had been a very rich man, but now he had lost most of his money. He lost it through a chink in the wall. After that he kept his money on ice.
"'Come,' said William to Billy. 'Let us go down to the brook and fish.'
"'Hi-i!' said Billy, 'I've found a penny.'
"He then found a very large smooth rock to lay it on before they began to fish.
"They meant to catch a whale, but they tried for little fishes first. William caught one little one, and laid it on the rock. Presently they heard the fish screaming and yelling, and they went to the rock, and saw the penny was gone. They knew the fish had swallowed it, for he kept on screeching so. They took him up and jiggled him by the tail, and the penny dropped out. At last they caught a whale, and carried him home with the little fish. Mr. and Mrs. Holloway thought they would like to go to that same brook and fish. So, early the next morning, they went. They worked all day, and William and Billy had two pieces of pie for dinner all alone. And what do you think? When Mr. and Mrs. Holloway came home they had only caught one skinny, miserable little thing, and William and Billy sat down and roared laughing."
Scrap asked Mary if she thought any one would like to publish this story. He said it wasn't truly true, but he had it in his head just as if it was true. He said the German boys liked it; but he knew they were sorry William and Billy were Americans.