Happy Times in Norway

7

LITTLE SIGNE'S STAY AT KREKKE SAETER TURNED OUT to be a great disappointment to Hans. She was not one bit impressed by the doll house. On the contrary, she made several rather unkind remarks about its past—a past that could not be concealed. On the other hand, she became utterly infatuated with Janna's sweater, which now had actually begun to take on lines that were rather stunning. The frank admiration of this little town girl was so stimulating to Janna that she would scarcely do anything but knit, knit, knit all day long. "Oh dear," said Little Signe, "how I wish I had some knitting." Mother said she had a sweater she rarely used, for she did not like it. It was made of variegated yarnpink and gray and blue—and it could be unraveled. "Oh, that'llmakeenough yarn for a sweater for me," cried Little Signe. "I'm so little compared to you." 208 7 S U M M E R VACATION "You can't knit a sweater," declared Mother. "Remember Janna is more than two years older than you. You had better knit just a scarf, and maybe a ski cap." But Little Signe sowanted to try knitting a sweater. Mother finally had to cast on the stitches and start the border for her. From that moment on, the two little girls sat on the bench outside the door and knitted all day long. Mother, watching them, did not see them exchange a word except when they held up their knitting toshow how much they had done. Little Signe did not do at all badly. When that youngster made up her mind to do something she nearly always managed to do it. "From now on," declared Hans in disgust, "Ulla is going to be my favorite cousin." He consoled himself, however, with visits to the cat at Nyplass saeter, and soon he was firmly ensconced at Ingrid's. Mother saw him there whenever she went walking that way. Hans carried in water and carried in wood, and obviouslyhe was a bosom friend of that old widow whom everybody considered "difficult." That meant she was well-nigh impossible to get along with, but people here in the valley never used strong words to express disapproval of any of their neighbors. "It's going to storm tonight," Hanna said one after209 H A P P Y TIMES IN N O R W A Y noon as she stood kneading the cheese. There was a thunder of hoofs on the road as a herd of horses came galloping down toward the saeters. And when horses that run loose in the mountains do that, it isa sure sign of a coming storm. Out on the plain from every direction came lowing and bellowing and a strange hush hung in the air. "I'll have to go for the cows today, I think," Hanna said and threw her knitted shawl over her head. In weather such as this the cows might come home earlier than usual by themselves, but if the stormbroke while they were deep in the mountains they would be just as likely to seek shelter under a crag up there and be out all night. Milkmaids from all the saeters began to appear on the road. They had all had the same thought. "Come on, come o-on, come o-o-on ..." came their call from all sides. The mountains to the north were lost in massesof dark clouds, The sunlight fell across the meadow dazzlingly yellow and all the colors out on the tableland became sharp and bright and clear. The green dwarf willow on the bogs turned bright green, and the red dwarf birch were pools ofblood. "Just so the cloudberries don't get ruined," sighed Johanne. Then, "We'd better take in the wash." 2 i o S U M M E R VACATION The first burst came as they were busy out by the clothesline. The sheet Johanne and Mother stood folding was torn from their fingers and went sailing far through the air before drifting down north of the hayfield . Aprons and cotton house dresses stood straight out from the line, orwrapped themselvestightly around it. Janna and Hans chased fugitive garments all over the field, and almost got blown away themselves. Before they had got in the last clothesbasketful, rain was spurting down from the skies and splashing up from...