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Updated: June 12, 2025
Lieutenant Ekman talked with Erik's father, who, like many of the Lapps, could speak Swedish; but the children were all silent, and the dogs lay still in their corner, their gleaming eyes watching every motion of the strangers. When Gerda had finished drinking the coffee, which was very good, she took two small packages from her pocket and put them into her father's hand.
"And how about your treasures, Erik?" asked Lieutenant Ekman, after he had admired Gerda's. Erik put his hand into his coat pocket and took out a box of matches. "These are from Norrköping," he said. From another pocket he took another box of matches. "And these are from Söderköping," he added.
"He looks like Baldur, the god of the sun," Karen whispered in reply; and then forgot everything else in watching the gay company. "I have never seen so many people having such a good time before," she explained to Fru Ekman after a little while. "At the Sea-gull Light there was never anything like this. It is more like the stories of the gathering of the gods, than just plain Sweden.
"Perhaps she would not like to leave her father and mother for the sake of living with us," he said at last. "I think she would, if it would make her back well," persisted Gerda. Herr Ekman laughed. "If living with us would cure people's backs, we might have all the lame children in Sweden to care for," he said.
Gerda put on her fur coat and cap, Birger showed a fine new pair of skates which his father had given him, and Karen brought out a box of little cakes which her mother had sent for the party. But when the children formed in a long line and Fru Ekman led the way to the dining-room, their excitement knew no bounds. The table was a perfect bower of beautiful flowers.
Gerda and Birger stopped short and looked at their new friend. It was plain to be seen that she was not strong enough to take such a trip. Fru Ekman put her arm tenderly around the little lame girl. "Karen will visit me," she said kindly. So it was decided that the twins should go to Göteborg with their father by way of the Göta Canal.
"Here are pictures of the giant staircase of locks at Trollhättan, Lake Vener at sunset, the fortress at Karlsborg, the castle at Vettersborg, and the great iron works at Motala." While Herr Ekman was examining the cards and asking Birger all sorts of questions about them, Gerda was busy spreading out her souvenirs on one of the deck chairs; and such a variety as she had!
Lieutenant Ekman turned his son around in order to see the fit of the trim jacket. "When you get the gun to go with it," he told the lad, "you will be a second Gustavus Adolphus." "If I am to be as great a man as Gustavus Adolphus, I shall have to go to war," replied Birger; "and there seems to be little chance for a war now."
"If I could stand on the top of Mount Dundret and see the sun shining at midnight, I am sure I could understand about it without any geography," Gerda declared. "If you should go north with Herr Lighthouse-Inspector Ekman this summer, you might meet the little girl who receives this box," said Sigrid. "I should know her the minute I saw her," Gerda said decidedly.
But Nils Jorn caught sight of Gerda's merry smile, and nodded toward her. "Gerda Ekman has seen plenty of dancing in Stockholm," he said. "Let her be our queen." "Yes, yes!" shouted the others; and for a moment it looked as if Gerda would, indeed, have her wish to wear a crown.
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