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Updated: May 18, 2025
"No one in Sweden forgets the birds on Christmas day. You should see the big bundles of grain that they hang up in Rättvik." "Come, Birger," called his father from the living-room, "we must set up the tree so that it can be trimmed; and then we will see about the dinner for the birds." Gerda and Karen helped decorate the tree, and such fun as it was!
"Yes," he said, after a moment; "if you will give up the furs, we will see what can be done. On the way home we will stop at the lighthouse and ask Hans Klasson to lend Karen to us for a little while." Gerda clapped her hands. "Oh, a promise! A promise!" she cried joyously. "What a good souvenir of Polcirkel!" and she ran to tell Birger the news.
As Birger sprang to open the door, a little mob of happy boys and girls burst into the room with a shout of heartiest greeting. Their eyes were sparkling with fun, their cheeks rosy from a run in the fresh spring air, and their arms were filled with bundles of all sizes and shapes. "Ho, Birger!
She had often seen the northern lights, but never any so brilliant as these. Everyone seemed charged with the electricity, and little Karen said softly, "I never felt so strange before. The lights go up and down my back to the tip of my toes." "It is the elves of light dancing round the room," said Birger with a laugh. "No," said Gerda, "it is the Tomtar playing with the electric wires."
Ger-da!" the old clock in the corner ticked patiently, just as it had been ticking for eleven long years. But who could listen to it now? There were flowers and berries to pick, chickens to feed, and games to play, through all the long summer days in Dalarne. Surely, Gerda and Birger had no time to listen to the clock.
"I suppose Birger is going to try for a skating prize some day," she added rather wistfully. Fru Ekman bent and kissed the little girl. "Yes," she answered, "that is why he puts on his skates every day and practices figure-skating on the ice in the canals. But keep a brave heart, little Karen. You, too, shall wear skates some day."
As far as the eye could reach, there was nothing but low hills, bare and rocky, with dark forests of fir and birch. It was cold and the wind blew in strong gusts. Tiny rills and brooks, formed by the melted snow and the frequent rains, chattered among the rocks; and in the deepest hollows there were still small patches of snow. Birger gathered up some of the snow and made a snowball.
See that you take home some treasures from your journey, something that will remind you of the towns we visit and the sights we see," and he put his hand into his pocket and took out three coins. "The Vikings had a fashion of taking what they wanted without paying for it," suggested Birger. "You'd better not try it now, my son," replied Herr Ekman; and he gave each one of the children a krona.
"That is because the wind is blowing over an ice-floe," said her father, pointing to a large field of ice which seemed to be drifting slowly toward them. "Look, look, Birger!" cried Gerda, "there are some seals on the ice." "Yes," said Birger, "and there is a seal-boat sailing up to catch them."
"And there's the stone house in Mora over the cellar where Margit Larsson hid him when the Danish soldiers were close on his track," added Birger. "The inscription says:
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