CHAPTER II
LISBETH LONGFROCK AS SPINNING WOMAN
When Lisbeth found herself in the farm dooryard, with the differentbuildings all about her, she really had to stand still and gaze around.Oh, how large everything was!--quite on another scale from things athome. Why, the barn door was so broad and high that Peerout Castlecould easily go right through it, and each windowpane in the big housewas as large as their own whole window. And such a goat!--for just thenshe caught sight of Crookhorn, who had come warily up to the doorway,and who only saw fit to draw back as Bearhunter approached. Not thatCrookhorn was afraid of Bearhunter,--no, indeed!
The goat was larger than most goats,--about as large as a good-sizedcalf. If the cows belonging to Hoel Farm were as much larger thanordinary cows, thought Lisbeth, they would be able to eat grass fromthe roof of Peerout Castle while standing, just as usual, on theground.[5] She glanced searchingly at the cow-house door. No, it wasnot larger than such doors usually were, so the cows were evidently nobigger than other cows.
[5] Norwegian children in country districts are accustomed to see goats walking about on the roofs of turf-covered huts, nibbling the herbage; but the idea of a creature so large as to be able to eat from the roof while standing on the ground was very astonishing to Lisbeth.
Bearhunter had followed after Crookhorn until the latter was well outof the way; then he had come back again, and now stood wagging his tailand turning toward the house door as if coaxing Lisbeth to go in. Yes,she must attend to her errand and not stay out there staring ateverything.
So she followed after Bearhunter and went into the hall way. She liftedthe latch of the inner door, turned herself around carefully as shewent in so as to make room for her bundle, fastened the door behindher--and there she stood inside the big kitchen at Hoel!
THE BIG KITCHEN AT HOEL FARM]
There were only two people in the kitchen,--one a young servant maid inthe middle of the room spinning, and the other the mistress herself,Kjersti Hoel, over by the white wall of the big open fireplace,grinding coffee.
Both looked up when they heard the door open.
Lisbeth Longfrock stood still for a moment, then made a deep courtesyunder her long frock and said in a grown-up way, just as she had heardher mother say, "Good day, and God bless your work."
Kjersti Hoel had to smile when she saw the little roly-poly bundle overby the door, talking in such a grown-up fashion. But she answered assoberly as if she also were talking to a grown-up person: "Good day. Isthis a young stranger out for a walk?"
"Yes."
"And what is the stranger's name, and where is she from? I see that Ido not know her."
"No, you could not be expected to. My mother and Jacob call me LisbethLongfrock, and I am from Peerout Castle. Mother sent me here with thewoolen yarn she has spun for you. She told me to say that she could notcome with it before, for she did not get the last spool wound untillate last night."
"Indeed! Can it be a spinning woman we have here? And to think that Iwholly forgot to ask you to sit down after your long walk! You reallymust take off your things and stay awhile."
What a pleasant woman Kjersti Hoel was! She got up from her own chairand set one forward for Lisbeth.
"Thank you; I shall be glad to sit down," said Lisbeth.
She took off the pail and the bundle of wool and put them down by thedoor, and then began to walk across the floor over to the chair. Itseemed as if she would never get there, so far was it across the bigkitchen,--nearly as far as from their own door to the cow-house door atPeerout Castle. At last, however, she reached the chair; but it washigher than the seats she was accustomed to and she could barelyscramble up on one corner of it.
Kjersti Hoel came toward her.
"I really think I must open this roly-poly bundle and see what is init," said she; and she began to take off Lisbeth's red mittens and toundo the knitted shawls. Soon Lisbeth sat there stripped of all herouter toggery, but nevertheless looking almost as plump and roly-polyas ever; for not only did her long frock barely clear the ground at thebottom, but its band reached almost up under her arms.
Kjersti stood and looked at her a moment.
"That is just what I thought,--that I should find a nice little girlinside all those clothes. You look like your mother."
At this Lisbeth grew so shy that she forgot all about being a spinningwoman. She cast down her eyes and could not say a word.
"But what is the matter with Randi, your mother?" continued Kjersti."Why could she not come herself?"
"She was a little poorly to-day."
"Indeed! Randi not well? And her health is generally so good. What ailsher?"
"Oh, she thought that very likely drinking strong coffee without milkhad not been good for her."
"So you have no milk at your house. Perhaps that is why you havebrought a pail with you."
"Yes; what do you think! Bliros has stopped giving us milk thiswinter."
"Has she, indeed! That is rather inconvenient, isn't it? How longbefore she can be milked again?"
"Not until the beginning of summer, after she has had her calf."
"H'm," said Kjersti thoughtfully. By and by, as if to herself, shesaid: "I have often thought of going to see Randi, but have never doneso. Before this spring is over, I must surely pay her a visit."
* * * * *
Lisbeth Longfrock stayed a long time at Hoel that day. Although she hadcome in the important character of spinning woman, she had neverimagined that a great person like Kjersti Hoel would be so pleasant andkind to her. Kjersti treated her to coffee and cakes and milk and othergood things, just as if she had been an invited guest, and chatted withher in such a way that Lisbeth forgot all about being shy. And oh, howmany curious things Kjersti showed her!
The cow house was the finest of them all. There were so many cows thatLisbeth could scarcely count them. And then the pigs and sheep andgoats! and hens, too, inside a big latticework inclosure,--nearly asmany of them as there were crows in autumn up at Peerout!
And Kjersti wanted to know about _everything_,--whether Lisbeth couldread and write (she could do both, for Jacob had taught her), and howthey managed about food up at Peerout Castle, and how it went with thefarming.
Lisbeth could tell her that in the autumn they had gathered threebarrels of potatoes, and one barrel and three pecks of mixed grain; andthat they had stripped off so many birch leaves that they had fodderenough to carry Bliros through the winter,--in fact, much more thanenough.
When Kjersti had shown Lisbeth the sheep and the goats, she declaredthat she should certainly need a little girl to look after her flockswhen spring came; and then Lisbeth, before she knew what she wassaying, told Kjersti how she and Jacob used to look at the farms fromthe window at home, and how she had always chosen Hoel as the placewhere she should like to work when she was big enough.
"Should you really like to go out to work?" Kjersti inquired.
"Yes, indeed," Lisbeth said, "if it were not for leaving mother."
"Well, we will not think about that any more at present," said Kjersti,"but I will go up and talk with your mother about it some time in thespring. We certainly ought to go into the house now, so that you canhave time to take a little food before leaving. It is drawing towardevening and you will have to start for home soon."
So they went into the house again, and Lisbeth had another feast ofgood things. While she was eating she noticed that Kjersti brought fromthe cellar some butter and cheese and other things and packed them inthe dark cloth in which the wool had been tied. The milk pail she didnot touch at all; but Lisbeth saw that she said something about itsoftly to the servant maid, after which the maid left the room.
When Lisbeth had eaten and had said "Thanks and praise for both foodand drink," Kjersti remarked: "Now you must lift the bundle over thereand see if you can carry it."
The bundle _was_ rather heavy. Still, Lisbeth thought she could manageit. B
ut the pail! Not a word did Kjersti say, even now, about the pail!She only added, kindly, "Come, and I will help you put on your things."
She drew on Lisbeth's mittens, wrapped her up snugly in the two littleshawls, and, in a trice, there stood Lisbeth Longfrock looking exactlyas she did when she had come to Hoel that morning.
Slowly and reluctantly Lisbeth went toward the door, where the pailstill stood. How strange that Kjersti had not even yet said a singleword about it! Lisbeth stood for a moment in doubt. After receiving somuch, it would never do to remind Kjersti about the pail; but she wouldmuch rather have gone without the good things she herself had beentreated to than to go home without any milk for her mother's coffee.
She took up the bundle, drew her face with its turned-up nose tip backinto its little shawl as far as she could so that Kjersti should notsee the tears in her eyes, and then bent down and lifted the pail.
At that Kjersti said: "Oh, yes! the pail! I quite forgot it. Are youwilling to exchange pails with me if I give you one that will never getempty?"
Lisbeth dropped her pail plump on the floor. She had seen and heardmany curious things on this eventful day,--things she had never seen orthought of before; but that Kjersti, besides everything else, had apail that would never get empty! She stood and stared, open-mouthed.
"Yes, you must come and see it," said Kjersti. "It stands just outsidethe door."
Lisbeth was not slow in making her way out. Kjersti followed her. Therestood the servant maid, holding the big goat, Crookhorn, by a rope.
"The goat is used to being led," said Kjersti, "so you will have notrouble in taking it home. Give my greetings to your mother, and askher if she is satisfied with the exchange of pails."
Kjersti was not a bit displeased because Lisbeth Longfrock forgot toexpress her thanks as she started off with Crookhorn. Bearhunterfollowed the little girl and the goat a long distance up the road. Hedid not understand matters at all!
* * * * *
It is not to be wondered at that Randi, too, was greatly surprised whenshe saw Crookhorn following after Lisbeth as the little girl approachedthe castle.
There was not time for Lisbeth to tell about everything at the veryfirst, for her mother and she had to clear up the stall next to the oneBliros occupied, and put Crookhorn into it. When this was done theyfelt exactly as if they had two cows. The goat took her place in thestall with a self-important, superior air, quite as if she were a realcow and had never done anything else but stand in a cow stall. Blirosbecame offended at this remarkable newcomer, who was putting on suchairs in the cow house that had always belonged to herself alone, and soshe made a lunge with her head and tried to hook the goat with herhorns; but Crookhorn merely turned her own horns against those ofBliros in the most indifferent manner, as if quite accustomed to beinghooked by cows.
Bliros gazed at her in astonishment. Such a silly goat! She had neverseen such a silly goat. And with that she turned her head to the wallagain and did not give Crookhorn another look.
That evening Lisbeth Longfrock had so many things to tell her motherthat she talked herself fast asleep!