Pelle the Conqueror, Vol. 1

, and Pelle's companions had told him of all the delights of Christmas-roast meat and sweet drinks, Christmas games and ginger-nuts and cakes; it was one

rence being that those who were religious did not play cards, bu

ve, and it tasted good enough; but of all the rest there was nothing. There were a couple of bottles of brandy on the table for the men, that was all. The men were discontented and quarrelsome. They poured milk and boiled rice into the leg of the stocking that Karna was knittin

ustav was in a thoroughly bad humor, for Bodil was upstairs helping to wait. He had brought his concertina over, and was playing love-songs. It was putting them into better spirits, and the evil expression was leaving their eyes; one after another they started s

Pelle we

mas really for

his thigh r

And of course it's the night when the Child Jesus was born, too!" It took him a long time to produce this last reason, bu

le for music, sandwiches, and spirits in the middle of the night, and coffee toward morning. Gustav and Bodil were going. Pelle at any rate saw a little of Christmas as

his good clothes in a sad state. Bodil was not with him. "Then she's deceived him," said Lasse, as they helped him

the night. They laughed pityingly at Gustav, and for some time after he had to put up with their gibes at his ill-success; but there was only one opinion about Bodil. She was at liberty to come and go with who

e New Year the men did nothing after dark, and it was the custom everywhere to help the herdsman with his evening occupations. There was nothing of that here; Lasse was

. Pelle began to look forward to it as soon as he was up-he was up every day by half-pas

in the lower yard. The trough leaked, and Pelle had to pour water on the

asked Gustav. "Your eyes are sh

told

t get away!" said Ol

haff cut time enough

confoundedly hard to

er hadn't b

ars. "Handle-turner? W

ndstone, and slapped his th

ng you only need to put on to the grindstone, and it turns it by itself. They've got one

ice; everything depended upon the answe

ou could carry it quite well. Bu

very carefully." Pelle looked at them with a

it in. And you'll have to be as careful as t

dition for himself and Father Lasse. Gustav and Ole were good men! He would get back as quickly as possible, so that they should not have to toil any more at the grindstone. "What, are you back already?" they would say, and open t

not time. So they gave him a piece of cold apple out on the steps, so that he should not carry Christmas away. They all looked so pleasant, and every one came out whe

ce by leaning against a stone fence. When at last he staggered into the yard, every one came up to see the neighbor's new handle-turner; and Pelle was conscious of his own importance when Ole carefully lifted th

fear at the rubbish, looking as if he had just dropped from another planet; but when laughter broke out on all sides, he understood what it all meant, and, crouching down, hid his face in his hands. He would not cry-n

pt to bite. "Eh, and he bites, too, the little devil!" Gustav had to hold him firmly so as to manage him. He held him by the collar, pressing his knuckles against the boy's throat and making him gasp, while he spok

ately, he received a blow from a clenched fist between his shoulder-blades. Then the boy was released, and went over to the stable t

e shouldn't get away this evening, for he wouldn't do our work. And none of the others, either, for they all stick together like burrs. But you can do it yourself! I veri

nd greatly influenced his subsequent development. He had already found out that a person's word was not always to be relied upon, and he had made awkward attempts to get behind it. Now he would trust nobody straight away any more; and he had discovered how the secret was to be found out. You only had to look at people's eyes when they said anything. Bo

hrashing by telling a white lie. And to-day's misfortune had been the fault of his face; if you felt happy, you mustn't show it. He had disc

red unceasingly when they were by themselves; but this evening he was quieter. The event of

Per Olsen to buy in the town the day before, when he had been in to swear himself free. It had cost s

last. "Mayn't I car

oy? It's an expensive artic

Well, only hold it fo

r? Oh do

! Upon my word, I think you must be ill, you're getting so tiresome!" And Lasse

e very careful! And you mustn't move a

s hands, and pushed out his stomach as far as possible to support it. Lasse s

he said anxiously,

iringly, and went on contented

swear himself free?

d by a girl of being t

ou heard

n't he, then? Eve

the girl says it's him and no one else. Ah me! Girls are dangerous playthings! You mu

, then? Do you sa

ltar with the crucified Christ Himself upon it. On the altar lies a big, big book that's fastened to the wall with an iron chain, so that the devil can't carry it off in the night, and that's God's Holy Word. When a man swears, he lays his left h

asked Pelle, wi

oes on eating itself into his body. People lik

y go to he

es up and take their punishment, and then they escape

imself and punish them, when he can s

there's an agreement with Satan that he's to have all

ed on in silence beside his father; but when

Kalle's rich, isn

d that's not a little thing!" Lasse himself

o have a great big farm,"

ven proof of it-his brother, for instance, who had taken the fancy of a parson's wife. Then Pelle would have to make the most of his opportunity so that the family would be ashamed to oppose the match. And Pelle was good enough. He had that "cow's-lick" on his forehead, fine hair at the back of his neck, and a birth

h the thicket of blackthorn and juniper, behind which lay the rocks and "the Heath." They made their way right into the quarr

e, broad man, hammering away at the fragments. He worked with peculiar vivacity-struck three blows and pushed the stones to one side, another three blows, and again to one side

in a voice of surprise as great as if the meeting were a mir

-breaker

two greeted one another as if they had met only the day before. Kalle c

oo? Does that bring in

ay for beer, but we live anyhow. But it's awfully cold work; you can't keep warm at it, and you get so stiff with sitting fifteen hours on the cold stone

ose spirits were beginning to rise. "And, my word, what a sight the o

y devil that you were

ss

on be the only thing to b

to go up to it to feel it all over. It was most mysterious what there might be on

n where they bake the

here to mak

led from the kitchen to the cowshed. "Hi, Maria! You must put your

story, you old fool!" And the sound of

h time you did. You are keeping up much too long this year. Mind what you

e matches and dropped them again to light it at the fire, but the peat was burning badly. "O

id Lasse, admiringly. "A

ng himself up. "There's a cat belonging to the esta

athless, and looking in as

must put it off till another time. But these are important strangers, so

ut her hand. She was short, like her husband, was always smiling, and had bowed arms and leg

the window-two small ones at one end, and a long, twelve-year-old boy at the other, his black feet sticking out b

in to get something for his visitors to sit upon; everything was being used as b

r, with a washing-bench

seats round the table. "And you must really e

peated. "You must provide for your old age while you have the strength. We've made up the dozen, and started on the next. It wasn'

the room. "Let's hope it won't be twi

say of mother," he went on, "that when she's put the children to bed she has to count them t

rself on the edge of the turn-up bedstead to nurse it. "And this is the smalles

" he said softly; he

at's it

hen she came we thought that was to be

name!" exclaimed Lasse. "It sounds ex

that again is Tentius, and then Nina, and Otto. The ones before that weren't named in that way, for we hadn't thought then tha

thers have nothing to complain of either, as far as their names are concerned. Albert, Anna, Alfred, Albinus, Anton, Alma and Alvilda-let me see, yes, that's the lot. None of them c

No, but it's the first letter, you see,

been any good for anything of that sort. He wanted, indeed, to have the names both begin and end with A, but

to let it go. They objected to Dozena Endina too, but I put my foot down; for I can be angry if I'm irritated too long. I've always liked to have some connection and me

hesitatingly, "I don'

ead for that sort

actly the same. I'll just show you." He took down a child's slate that was hanging on the wall wit

"Does it really give the same both ways? The deuce! Tha

with the gaze of a thinker surveying the universe. "Otto, which can be read from both ends, means, of course, eight;

slate up and down

hat always comes down upon its feet, no matter how you drop it. Lord bless my

oked on a little when mother's been teaching the children th

ould-for it would be nice. But I don't suppose I've got the head for it, do you? N

e made up his mind that some day he would teach his fat

brought a Christmas bottle with us!"

ything better, brother; it'll come in handy for the christening-party. 'Black Currant Rum'-and with a gold border-how grand!" He h

o taste what they bro

ate laugh. "For they ought, of course. But if the cork's once drawn, you know h

e for the world. Was black-currant rum a thing for a poor begg

oming to the christen

elieved, putting the b

koo,' for there's a dr

I expect mother'l

ee on," answered h

You can never wish for anythin

ould not be back before "Knut." "But this fellow here's not to be despised," said Kalle, pointing to the long boy in the turn-up bed. "Shall we have a look at him?"

began to play; and then Kalle hit upon the idea of letting the other children share in the merry-making, and he and the two boys went round and tickled them awake, all the six. His wife protested, but only faintly; she was laughing all

they? Alma and Alvilda are twins, as you can see. And so are Alfred and Albinus, who are awa

the two eldest

t with a whaler just now. He's a fine fellow. He sent us

y to look for it, bu

d over again; but as no one heard what she said, she climbed up on to the

re's a pair of shoulders! He's not like our family; it

up," said Kalle

aid Lasse hesitatingly

's s

ed her over as he has done with so many. It w

o the other of them with a meaningles

hers. And he's good-so tremendously good." Maria came slowly up to him, leaned her arm upon his shoul

ssed he is too!"

, like his father; and he's not afraid of parting wit

out onto the threshold, feeling her way with her feet, and holding her hands be

r!" said Kalle. "I thoug

trangers here, and one likes to hear the new

ie. Here's some one come to court you, and that's much better. This is mother

ld lady, with a feeble attempt to enter into the gaiety. "We

g: "Do you think I don't know you, you fool?" She felt Lasse's and Pelle's hands for a l

son down from Stone Farm,"

ver the sea too! Well, here am I, an old body, going

Kalle, laughing. "There are two grown-ups and

ead now, and many others that I've seen grow up. Every week some one tha

, and made her sit down. "What's all that nonsense abou

es a year for keeping me," said the

st cheer up!" he said, touching her cup with his. "Where the pot boils for twelve, it boils for the thirteen

by it all. But with so little wish to live, it's hard that I should take the food out of the others' mouths. Th

has no head, and pity him w

nd have you?

but it's most

e to feed the

winter; and it's thrown us back a little. But dear me, it made the loft all the higher." Kalle la

grown up give a han

ing else to think about. Albert is good enough when he's at home on a visit; last time he gave us ten krones and a krone to each of the children. But when they're out, you know how the money goes if they don't want to look

ature," said her mother. "Sh

to play except the two smallest, who were really too little to grasp a card; Kalle wanted, indeed, to have them too, but

till went on among

ng for the farmer at S

ys out, or sleeping after a night on the loose. But he's nice eno

worse," said Kalle, "but there can't be m

concerned; but there's a little too much for us two to do, and then it's so miserable to h

as you can very well understand he might-he dursn't. He's

said Lasse, looking as if he expected

a little what that means. And the farmer's not all kindness either, even if he d

alle, "but other people have eyes too. What do you say

n Kongstrup came to the island as well as if it had been yesterday. He owned nothing more t

ant over here?

wild scenery, and nonsense like that, and behaving half like a man, instead of being kept at home and taught to spin and make porridge; but she was the only daughter, and was allowed to go on just as sh

eed!" sa

er over the pure, of course; but when these two had got to know one another, things went wrong with her too. He must have noticed it, and tried to get off, for they said that the old farmer of Stone Farm compelled him with his gun to take her for his wife; and he was a hard old d

l standing, and they sell the calves before they're born,

e run on and forgetting to look af

ry one laughed, both old and young, and grandmother laughed with them, saying it was a good thing she could not see it herself. "It's an ill wind," she said, "that blows nobody any good. But I should like to have my sight again," she went on, "if

lindness away over in Copenhag

t of money, wouldn'

krones at the very least,

ming thing, it would be funny if there wasn't a hundred kro

a large capital upon an old, worn-out thing like me, that has one foot in the grave! I couldn't wish for anything b

said Kalle. "We could very well

dy by way of changing the subject. "I've got it into my head that she'll

ned Kalle. "Is she failing now? There's been nothi

said the old woman positively. "Let one of

ood enough warning himself when he went and died.

imself?" asked

I should get up. We got no further than talking, and we were just dropping off again, when the knocking began again. I jumped up, put on a pair of trousers, and opened the door a

here was nothing either to be seen or heard. But in the morning there came

o his father in fear; but Lasse himself did not look particularly valia

ybody their due, what can they do to you?" said Kalle. The grand

table a jar of dripping an

th-knife into the loaf. "We haven't begun it yet. There a

went on talking, and Kalle made jokes to keep them a little longer. But suddenly he turned as grave as a judge; there was a low sound of crying out in the little

ed: "Why, it's Anna!" and quickly opened the door. Anna entered in tears, and was at

as time, and you come home crying! You are a nice one!" said K

the girl at last got

aimed Kalle, in change

stealing? Or b

ccused me of being to

ed from the girl's face to her fi

upon his good-natured face. At last the smile triumphed again. "Well, well, that's capital!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Shouldn't good children take the work off their parents' shoulders as they gr

two, and thanks for this visit and your present, Brother Lasse! Oh, yes!" he said suddenly at the outside door, and laughed delightedly; "it'll be something grand-brother-in-law to the fa

uld not understand how Uncle Kalle could seem so happy. "Ah, yes," said Lasse, as they stumbled

o get down to the high-road. At the cross-roads, the fourth arm of which led

re of a man before them on the ground. "The police have taken them by surprise!" said Lasse, and drew the boy with him out into the p

ey went up and saw a man lying face downward on the ground, kicking; his ha

r Olsen!" exc

per. "Can't you take him home with

y, and then back again. "A raving m

with you," said one of the men. They were quarrymen from the stone-quarry. "You'll go with them

dear!" groa

d Lasse. "And why have

alf off; and we had to beat him to make him stop." And they showed Lasse the man's thumb, which was bleeding. "Such an animal to begin

ief. It was his best handkerchief, and it had just been washed. The shopkeeper came with a bottle and poured spirit

, in case it should come to the ears of the magistrate. "Well, then, we two must do it with God's help," he

ng; in their eagerness to save his finger, they had

ce. "You know us, don't you, Per Olsen? We'll go home with you

over his body. "Oh dear, oh dear!" was all he said

with him already," he whispered. "But if he tries to do any harm, just you pull with all

arm, for he staggered and would have fallen at almost every

one whom he knew to be doomed to perdition! So those who became devils in the next world looked like Per Olsen? But he wasn't unkind! He was t