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Updated: September 5, 2025
"Now, you mustn't fight," repeated Ditte every minute, but it did no good. When darkness fell, they had only half finished. Ditte fetched the little lamp, in which they used half oil and half petroleum, and went on working; she cried despairingly when she found that they could not finish by the time her parents would return.
I don't know I used to do hundreds of errands without forgetting one. Maybe 'tis with your mother. And then belike a man gets old. Grandfather, he could remember like a printed book, to the very last." Ditte got up quickly and shook out her frock. "There!" said she with a yawn. They put the rags in sacks and tied them up.
All those dreary hills that on other days stretched so heavily and monotonously in front of her, and had often been too much for her small feet, today lay down and said: "Yes, Ditte, you may drive over us with pleasure!" Granny did not share in all this, but she could feel the sun on her old back and was quite in holiday mood. The old nag took its own time, and Lars Peter Hansen had no objection.
Ditte came out from the kitchen door with a basket on her arm. "Now, you're thinking again, father," said she laughingly, "take care you don't step on the children." Lars Peter pulled himself together and tenderly stroked the rough little heads. "Where are you off to?" asked he. "Oh, to the shop. I want some things for the house." "Let Kristian go, you've quite enough to do without that."
Neither Sörine herself nor Lars Peter heard a word of these rumors. Ditte heard it at school through the other children, but did not repeat it. When her mother was more than usually considerate, her hate would seethe up in her "Devil!" it whispered inside her, and suddenly she would feel an overwhelming desire to shout to her father: "Mother stifled Granny with the eiderdown!"
"I don't like to see children hanging about after they've been confirmed," said he. "The sooner they get out the quicker they learn to look after themselves." "Poor people learn that soon enough whether they are at home or out at service," answered Lars Peter. "We couldn't do without our little housekeeper." "They'd like to have Ditte at the hill-farm next May it's a good place.
Ditte listened to her in amazement; she could not make out how her mother could look so undisturbed when telling such untruths. Ditte, to help herself, now began acting a lie too. Each morning she seized the opportunity of putting the little Swiss clock a quarter of an hour forward. It worked quite well in the morning, so that she was in time for school; but she would be late in arriving home.
Sörine looked as if she would have liked to use a parent's privilege and punish the child then and there. Her husband came between by snatching the child from her and placing her on the back of the horse. "Pat the kind horse and say thank you for the nice drive," said he. Thus he quieted Ditte, and carried her to Sörine. "Kiss mother," he said, and Ditte put forth her little mouth invitingly.
Old folks can't live on forever, being a burden to others. And when Granny dies we'll get a new dwelling-house." "No, 'cause Granny says, what comes from the house is to be divided equally. And the rest " Ditte broke off suddenly. "What rest?" Sörine bent forward with distended nostrils. But Ditte closed her lips firmly.
Have you nothing at all to put on your feet?" "Bogie-man," burst out Ditte, laughing roguishly. She was tired now of answering all their questions. However, they dragged out of her that she had a pair of wooden shoes, which were being kept for winter. "Then with the help of God she shall have a pair of my cloth ones," said the old lady. "Give her a pair, Asta; and take a fairly good pair."
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