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diff --git a/old/69115-0.txt b/old/69115-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3faca92..0000000 --- a/old/69115-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2784 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Arne and the Christmas star, by Alta -Halverson Seymour - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Arne and the Christmas star - A story of Norway - -Author: Alta Halverson Seymour - -Illustrator: Frank Nicholas - -Release Date: October 8, 2022 [eBook #69115] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images - made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARNE AND THE CHRISTMAS -STAR *** - - - - - - -Arne and the Christmas Star - - -_Far out to sea, the freighter ~Stjerne~ fought the storm bravely. At -home in the little Norwegian fishing village, Arne and his family waited -and prayed. It was the Christmas season, and the ~Stjerne~ was the -Christmas ship this year, bearing Yuletide gifts and other good things -for the village._ - -_But more important than the gifts, the ~Stjerne~ carried her gallant -crew—and Arne’s brother Gustav, her first mate._ - -_How Arne does his part to help bring the Christmas ship safely into port -makes a thrilling tale._ - - By the author of THE CHRISTMAS STOVE. - - - - - Arne - and the - Christmas Star - - _a story of Norway_ - - Alta Halverson Seymour - - _illustrated by - Frank Nicholas_ - - _Wilcox and Follett Company_ CHICAGO - - ARNE AND THE CHRISTMAS STAR - _by_ ALTA HALVERSON SEYMOUR - _Copyright 1952, by Wilcox & Follett Co._ - _Manufactured in the United States of America_ - - - - - Arne and the Christmas Star - - _To Todd - who was the first to make friends - with Arne_ - - - - -[Illustration] - -1 - - -“Oh, Mother, I hear Uncle Jens’s folks are going up the mountain to the -saeter tomorrow. Can I go along this time, do you suppose?” Arne’s tongue -was flying as he burst into the kitchen, and his blue eyes looked eagerly -around for his mother. - -No one was in sight but his grandmother, busy with her mixing bowl at -the kitchen table. “Where’s Mother, Besta?” he asked. “Cousin Bergel -just told me they’re going to take the cows and goats up the mountain -tomorrow. Do you know who all are going? Do you suppose I can—” - -“For goodness’ sake, boy, you go on like a spinning wheel! It must be -that red hair of yours that drives you along so fast. Just be quiet a -minute, will you? I can only answer five or six questions at a time. Your -mother and sister Margret are over helping Aunt Tina get things ready for -the trip tomorrow.” - -[Illustration] - -“They’re going, then! Oh, I hope I get to go too. I think I will, don’t -you?” Arne helped himself to a bit of cooky dough from the sticky yellow -mass on his grandmother’s floured board, looking warily at her out of the -corner of his eye. Her hand was quick, and he might get a sharp rap on -the knuckles. - -But he didn’t this time. She merely moved her board away from him and -began adding flour to the dough. “Such a boy!” she exclaimed. “It would -be a rest to me if your mother let you stay up on the mountain all -summer.” - -Arne knew she didn’t mean that. The two were the best of friends. -Grandmother Dalen, whom everyone called Besta as a shortened form of the -dignified Norwegian _bedstemor_, seemed to enjoy his tricks and teasing. -She had even been heard to say, when she didn’t know Arne was around, “I -like naughty boys.” Then she had caught sight of him and added briskly, -“They give you something to work on.” - -Now she nipped off a piece of dough and molded it into a soft long roll -which she deftly tied into a bowknot. She filled her pan with rows of -similar bowknots and slipped it into the hot oven. - -“Who’s going, Besta, do you know?” asked Arne, watching the cooky-making -with interest but wishing she would hurry and answer his questions. “I -just wish we had a saeter of our own.” - -[Illustration] - -“Lots of use your father would have for such a thing!” scoffed Besta. - -Arne’s father was in the fish-packing business and owned just enough land -to grow a little hay and keep a cow or two and some goats. But Uncle -Jens was a real farmer; and, like most farmers in Norway, he had his own -skyland pastures high in the mountain valleys where the grass grew green -and lush. These were called saeters, and each had its little cabin where -some of the daughters of the family spent their summers. The girls milked -the cows and goats which were taken from the home farm to be pastured up -there, made the cheese, and churned the butter. Arne thought some of the -best fun of the summer was at the saeter. The day of moving up there was -especially jolly. - -“Cousin Signe will have to go, of course,” he said, “and Bergel, I -suppose.” - -“Yes, Bergel’s old enough to help this year—almost as old as you. She’s -eleven now. Your sister Margret will take our own cows and goats up and -tend to them. And of course Uncle Jens and Aunt Tina and little Knut will -take the housekeeping things and help get the girls settled. And Cousin -Evart—” - -“And me—did they say I’m going?” Arne asked eagerly, as she paused. - -Besta was something the shape of one of her own butterballs, but that -did not keep her from moving fast, or talking fast either, as a rule. -Now, however, she seemed intent on her work, and when she answered she -spoke almost reluctantly. “I haven’t heard anything about your going, -Arne. I did hear your father say he needed some extra help baling -_lutfisk_. He said he was glad school is out so you can help.” - -“Baling _lutfisk_!” said Arne despairingly. He had done that before, -plenty of times, especially when father had a shipment he wanted to get -off in a hurry. “That’s such a tiresome job, and so smelly! Do I have to -stay home for that stuff?” - -“You like _lutfisk_ as well as anyone when it comes to the table,” Besta -reminded him. “Don’t you know how good it is, with melted butter or nice -milk gravy?” - -Arne knew that well enough, but he certainly did not relish the idea of -staying home from the first saeter trip of the summer to bale _lutfisk_. -Part of the work connected with _lutfisk_ was all right. It was fun to -help unload the big cod from the fishing boats, to watch the men expertly -split and clean the fish and spread them to dry. Ole Berg, the old -fisherman who was father’s right-hand man, had showed Arne how it was -done, and even let him help. - -Father thought Arne was a little young to handle the big, sharp knives, -but Ole said the boy was very quick with his hands. So Herr Dalen gave -his son a good Norwegian hunting knife with a silver handle shaped like -a horse’s head and a neat leather sheath which fitted on his belt. Arne -was very proud of it and put it to good use under Ole’s directions. But -baling those bundles of dried fish was a very different matter. And -certainly tomorrow was no day to spend on the packing-house dock at a -tedious job like that. Then a hopeful thought struck him, and he asked, -“Well, then, is Gustav going to help bale _lutfisk_ too?” - -His big brother Gustav was at home just now between voyages to -sea—Gustav, who was going to be a ship’s captain some day. He would sail -as first mate the very next time the steamer _Laks_ came to port here in -Nordheim on its way up the fjord. - -“What’s that about Gustav?” called out a big voice; and a tall, dark-eyed -young man with curly black hair came into the kitchen. “Oh, good for you, -Besta! You’re making _kringler_! Are those for the trip to the saeter?” - -“Are you going to the saeter too, Gustav?” cried Arne accusingly. “And I -have to stay home and bale smelly old _lutfisk_!” - -Disappointment swept over him. It was worse than ever if Gustav was going -and he couldn’t. There was a lump in his throat, and it seemed to him -he could hardly breathe. All spring he had been looking forward to this -trip. He longed to be in the gay procession that would wind its way from -the little village up the mountain road. Up it would go until the road -became only a path, then still up and up. At last they would come to -the little log house right on the cliff overlooking the fjord, with the -pastures and valleys behind and mountains, gray with granite and green -with pines, rising above it all. - -First would go Suri, Uncle Jens’s fat, light tan fjord pony with its -black mane and tail. Arne was a great favorite of Suri’s, for he always -had a lump or two of sugar in his pocket, and she had learned to nuzzle -for it as he patted and talked to her. Suri would pull the light hay cart -piled with pots and kettles, milk pails and cans, chums and bedding, and -all the other housekeeping things. When they reached the place where the -road became no more than a trail, they would tether the pony and leave -her to spend a pleasant day cropping tender mountain grass. - -Aunt Tina would drive, and little Knut would ride beside her. The girls -would be in charge of the cows and goats. Uncle Jens and Evart and -Gustav would carry big packs, because they couldn’t burden fat little -Suri too heavily. No horse-loving Norwegian would think of it. - -There they would go, the bells on the pony’s harness jingling, the -cowbells ringing, little Knut tooting or whistling, everyone singing and -laughing. Even his cousin Bergel, just a girl and almost a year younger -than he was, would be in that jolly procession; and he couldn’t go. This -year it would be more fun than ever, for Gustav was going too, and there -was always a special lot of fun where Gustav was. It seemed to Arne he -would fairly burst with disappointment. - -He had hard work to keep from crying, but of course you couldn’t do that -when you were twelve years old—especially when there were people around. -But his nose pricked and his throat ached; he had to wink fast and turn -and walk over to the sink as if he wanted a drink of water—which he -didn’t. - -Gustav stood looking at Besta, and Besta stood looking back to him. - -“You’ll be going up later on in the summer, Arne,” said Besta -comfortingly. - -“I don’t care about going later,” said Arne, and his voice came out -something like a croak. “I want to go now, when Gustav’s going, and -everything getting ready—” - -“I was thinking,” said Gustav slowly. “They’re going to need all the help -they can get to carry the stuff from where we leave Suri. Arne’s a pretty -big boy now, and he could be a lot of help. I know that’s one of the -reasons they want me to go.” - -“They want you because everyone wants to have you around,” said Arne, -his voice still muffled. But the heavy feeling in his chest lightened -a little, and he turned half around, looking hopefully at his brother. -Gustav was pretty good at finding a way out of things. - -Gustav said, “_Lutfisk_ could be baled tonight as well as tomorrow. -Father wants to have the shipment ready to send off day after tomorrow, -that’s all. We can work down there tonight. It’s light on the dock till -nearly midnight, these June nights.” - -“We?” Arne’s grin began to break out. “Do you mean you’re going to help?” - -“Why not? I baled _lutfisk_ when I was smaller than you are, and helped -pack the kegs of pickled herring too, sampling as I packed. I used to -kind of like to hang around that packing house. And it’s fun to think -of fish from the little port of Nordheim going all over, even as far as -America. Come on, boy.” - -Arne dashed joyfully across the room. “Say, I like to hang around the -warehouse, too, but I can do that any time, and the saeter—well, that’s -different. And this year Uncle Jens is going to rig up an extra good kind -of special works to send the milk cans and hay from the top of the cliff -down to the level land. We’ve been talking a lot about it. I want to help -with that.” - -“Well, why not? You’re pretty good at that kind of thing. Now we’ll go -down to the packing house, and I’ll show you how to grab up those stiff -old _lutfisk_ and wind the wire around in a hurry. I’ve got a good -technique. We’ll work fast, and if we get enough done, maybe Father will -let you go tomorrow.” - -The two brothers did not have very far to go, although their white house -with its red roof and doors stood near the edge of the little harbor -town far up on the Norwegian coast, where a mighty fjord joins the sea. -They walked quickly along the narrow, cobbled street that twisted its -way down to the wharf, past the brightly-painted houses—orange, green, -and red—past the _stavkirke_ with its roofs and gables rising one above -another. - -Arne liked that old church. He liked the carved dragon heads which sprung -from the highest gables and rose above the small turret that topped the -whole edifice. - -“We’re lucky to have it, you know,” said Gustav. “There aren’t many of -those old churches around Norway, and none at all anywhere else. It’s -nearly a thousand years old; did you know that? It’s lasted since the -days the old Vikings used to have to carry spears or bows and arrows when -they went to church.” - -“I like those old Vikings. And those were good days, Gustav,” said Arne. -“They didn’t have to be sending _lutfisk_ to America in those days.” - -Gustav laughed. “Well, we do. So shake a leg.” - -The packing house stood at the edge of the fjord, handy for unloading the -fishing boats and for loading the ships that carried the kegs and cans -and bales of fish to far-off ports. - -Father was a little surprised to see them; and he was pleased, too, -though he didn’t say so. Usually he had to make it very clear when he -expected Arne to report for duty. And here the boy had come down himself -and offered to help. Here was Gustav, too, who was on a vacation and not -expected to do real work. - -Gustav did have a very quick way of handling that _lutfisk_. He picked -up several of the long stiff pieces of fish which Arne thought looked -exactly like pieces of wood. These he arranged neatly in a bundle, bound -it with wire, fastened and clipped it. As he worked, he sang some of the -rollicking folk songs Besta had taught them long ago; and that made the -job go even faster. Old Ole worked with them; he knew songs Arne had -never heard. Before long Father joined the group; and by the time they -stopped for supper, a good share of the work was out of the way. - -“There, now,” said Father with satisfaction. “We are going to see to -it that those poor folks in America do not starve for good Norwegian -_lutfisk_. Time to stop for supper. I wonder what Mother will have for us -to eat.” - -“Hope it won’t be _lutfisk_,” said Arne fervently, and they all laughed. - -When they entered the kitchen a few minutes later, they were pleased to -see that Mother was cooking a large pan of meat balls. - -Arne thought his mother was very pretty, with her coppery hair that shone -like one of her own brightly-polished pots, her deep blue eyes and quick -smile. And he knew very well she was the most comfortable person in the -world to be around. There was a capable air about her that made one feel -good inside. - -His mouth watered as she filled a large platter with meat balls while -Margret set big mugs of milk on the table and Besta brought a large bowl -of steaming hot potatoes. It was a favorite meal of Arne’s, but for once -he was the first to finish. He ran around the table to bow to his mother -and father with the customary Norwegian, “_Tak for mad_,” which meant, -“Thank you for the meal.” Then he said, “Now, let’s get back to that -_lutfisk_.” - -Father glanced at Mother, and his voice sounded as if he wanted to smile. -But all he said was, “I’m afraid Arne is working himself out of a job.” - -Mother had been talking to Besta, and now she answered soberly, though -her eyes twinkled. “It may be he will have to go along on that saeter -trip and help there, if he’s so eager to work.” - -Arne looked from one to the other. They sounded serious, but they often -joked that way. He grinned and brought his hands together in a noisy -clap. “Am I going to the saeter, then?” - -“Let’s see how we get along this evening with the work,” was all Father -would say. But Arne’s heart felt light as he went back to the dock with -the others. His fingers flew, and he sang louder than anyone. - - - - -[Illustration] - -2 - - -The sun was still high in that land of the midnight sun when Father said, -“Past nine o’clock. Time for a boy to be in bed if he’s to be up early to -start for the saeter.” - -“Oh, Father! I can go?” cried Arne. - -“Well, the _lutfisk’s_ nearly all baled. We don’t want you around here -tomorrow eating up all the pickled herring. Uncle Jens is going to need -help. See that you give it to him.” - -“Oh, I will! Oh yes, sir!” cried Arne joyfully. - -He wanted to say a special thank-you to Gustav for making it possible, -but he didn’t quite know how. Gustav was likely to make a joke of things, -and this wasn’t a joke at all. He did look up at his big brother, half -shyly, as they walked up the hill toward home, and say, “I’m glad I am -going. It was your doing, really.” - -“Oh that was just because I wanted you to carry the heaviest loads,” -said Gustav, with a wink. “I plan to take it easy. Don’t you loaf on the -job, boy.” - -He smiled and gave a friendly yank at a lock of Arne’s red hair, and the -boy felt so happy he ran and jumped nearly all the way home. - -It was still broad daylight when Arne tumbled into his feather bed and -pulled another feather bed over him for covering. June nights grew cold -along the fjord. - -It seemed to him he had hardly fallen asleep when his sister Margret was -calling, “Get up, lazybones, if you want to come with the rest of us.” - -Almost before Arne had finished his breakfast of mush and milk and -cheese, he heard a clatter on the upper road behind the house and dashed -out. - -There they all came, just as he had pictured it. His cousin Bergel ran to -meet him, her blue eyes shining. “Can you go, Arne?” she cried, and at -his nod, “Oh, good! I like it lots better if you’re along.” - -“So do I,” said Arne, and they both laughed. - -He adjusted his pack and fell in with Gustav and Uncle Jens and Evart. -Margret, flushed and pretty, ran around trying to persuade their two -cows and the goats to fall in with the others. Arne would have enjoyed -helping her with that, but cows and goats were definitely the province -of womenfolk. He knew very well that Margret didn’t want any interference -from him. Bergel and Signe came to her aid; and soon the procession was -on its way, bells ringing, everyone singing and waving and laughing, -while Mother and Father and Besta called out, “A pleasant trip!” “Good -luck!” “God be with you!” - -The road ran at first along the foot of the mountain. It was a good road, -though there were fences across it in many places, marking someone’s land -boundary. But each fence had a gate which was opened to let the little -cavalcade through, and then carefully closed. Before long they branched -off to a road which climbed the mountain ever more steeply and presently -turned into a trail. Here they tethered fat little Suri, and the cart’s -load was divided among them. The men would have to make more than one -trip down to get the rest of the goods. - -Arne had been here many times before, and he rushed ahead so fast that -Uncle Jens called him a mountain goat and told him not to fall into the -fjord if he got to the saeter before the others. - -[Illustration] - -They came at last to a log cabin with a sod roof. Pansies and bluebells -were growing on the roof, and even a few little bushes and a tiny birch -tree. The cabin stood in a wide clearing not far from the edge of the -cliff which overlooked the fjord. Little Knut had to be tethered to a -tall fir tree for safety. - -The older girls drove the cattle and goats into the pastures which sloped -through the valley up toward the mountain. - -Bergel wanted to go and gather wild flowers. “Come on, Arne,” she urged. -“There are foxgloves up here, and wild pansies and—” - -“Oh, let’s go fishing,” Arne answered. “You can get wild flowers any -time.” - -“That’s right, do that,” said Aunt Tina. “We could use some nice mountain -trout. But first get in some wood, you two. It’s high time for midmorning -coffee.” - -“Evart, let’s you and me get another load from the cart, and then go -fishing with Bergel and Arne as soon as we’ve had coffee,” said Gustav. -“All right with you?” - -“I’m always ready to go fishing,” replied Evart, with a grin. - -“I’ll help get the load up; then I must get busy fixing our milk-can -elevator,” said Uncle Jens. “I’ve arranged with my neighbor to see to the -end of it down at the bottom.” - -Arne was delighted to have the older boys in the fishing party. They were -really experts, and he liked to watch them. Also they knew the best -spots to fish. Up the trail a little way was a clear, deep stream, and -there they soon got all the mountain trout they could use. Arne himself -caught six, and Bergel four. - -“Oh, I wish we could stay all summer,” said Arne. “Don’t you, Gustav?” - -Gustav laughed. “This isn’t man’s work,” he declared. “This is just fun.” - -“You’re getting anxious to sail off,” said Evart. “When do you go?” - -“The _Laks_ arrives in a few days. Then it will go up the fjord with me -on it,” said Gustav. He sounded happy at the prospect, but Arne’s heart -sank. He didn’t like to think of Gustav going away again. - -“Wish I could go,” said Arne, with a gusty sigh. “I haven’t even been on -a boat and bicycle trip yet like some of the boys.” - -“You’re too young,” said Bergel in her practical way. “And you haven’t a -bicycle.” - -Gustav looked thoughtfully at his brother as they walked down to the -cabin. “Could be we might take you along on one trip on the _Laks_, Arne. -Put you to work, you know, swabbing the deck and peeling potatoes and all -kinds of things.” - -“Oh, boy!” cried Arne. “Do you think I could, Gustav? And say, if you’re -going to be going up and down the fjord, you can touch home every now and -then.” - -“That’s just for a few trips,” said Gustav. “Then I sail with Captain -Olsen on the _Stjerne_. He says that will be the Christmas boat this -year.” - -“Oh, good, the Christmas _Star_!” cried Bergel, for _Stjerne_ is the -Norwegian word for star. “That will be just right. It’ll be fun to have -you on the Christmas boat.” - -“First he goes clear to South America. Don’t you, Gustav?” said Arne -proudly. - -“Yes, to South American ports and others too. We’ll bring back meat and -fruit and grain and unload a lot of it at Oslo. Then we’ll take on more -cargo—mostly Christmas things—and make the Christmas trip up the coast.” - -“And bring in toys and candies and fruit and nuts and gifts and -everything nice,” said Arne, his eyes glowing. “And you’ll stay home for -Christmas, won’t you?” - -“Yes, Captain Olsen says the Christmas crew should be home for Christmas. -Nordheim is one of the last stops before Captain Olsen’s home at Tromsö, -where they’ll put in for a couple of weeks or more. One of the other boys -will take my place for that short pull.” - -“Everyone’s going to be glad to see that Christmas boat come in,” said -Evart. - -“And Mother’ll be glad right now to see these fish come in,” remarked -Bergel. - -Aunt Tina and the girls stopped their work of scrubbing every floor and -wall and stick of furniture in the cabin to admire the morning’s catch. -Bergel stayed to help with the cleaning, and the boys went to help Uncle -Jens, who was busy with wires and tools. - -Uncle Jens had had a wire elevator before this for use in sending down -milk cans and hay, but he felt it had been a somewhat makeshift affair. -This year he wanted it to be strong and secure enough for any reasonable -load, for his herd was an extra large one. - -Arne liked this kind of a job, and he felt proud to be working with Uncle -Jens and Gustav and Evart. Strong wires were fastened securely to trees -and firmly anchored below to posts driven at some distance from the foot -of the cliff. A milk can or a large bundle of hay could be sent down -those wires in a rope sling, easily and swiftly. - -When the little elevator was ready at last, Uncle Jens said they must -send down a large milk can to make sure everything was all right. They -filled one with water, tied it securely with a heavy rope, and watched as -it slid and swayed its way down. Then the wires were tightened again, -and they drew the milk can up and made more tests. - -“I think it will do,” Uncle Jens said at last. - -With all the outdoor air and work, Arne was getting hungry again. So were -the others, and every one was glad when Aunt Tina appeared with a large -white coffeepot. “Time for afternoon coffee,” she called. - -Gustav sat where he could look out over the fjord, as if he hoped he -might see the _Laks_ coming in ahead of time. Suddenly he gave an -exclamation and jerked his field glasses out of his pocket. “Some kid -down there has turned over in a sailboat!” he exclaimed, jumping up and -rushing to the cliff edge. The others followed. - -“Don’t believe that kid knows much about swimming,” Gustav said, taking -another quick look through his glasses. “He isn’t making for shore—just -trying to hang on to that capsized boat. That’s slippery business. The -water’s deep and cold.” - -“It’s Oscar Blessom’s boat!” cried Arne. “But Oscar’s on a bicycle trip. -Must be Torger! He isn’t very big, and I know he can’t swim much. And -there’s no one near enough to see or help him.” Arne looked at Gustav -hopelessly. Not even Gustav could help now. - -But Gustav’s lips were set, and he went quickly toward the wire elevator. - -“What are you going to do?” cried Margret anxiously. - -“Go down the wires,” said Gustav tersely. - -“Oh, you can’t! You can’t do that!” protested Aunt Tina and the girls. -“It isn’t strong enough! It wasn’t made for a man.” - -“Got to try it. Don’t see any other way. Got to get there fast or it will -be too late. Have you got some cloths, Aunt Tina? I have to wind them -around my hands, or they’ll be torn on the wires so I can’t use them.” - -Aunt Tina flew for cloths and wound them quickly around his hands while -Uncle Jens and Evart made a rope loop for Gustav to sit in. - -All this was speedily accomplished. Uncle Jens and Evart helped adjust -him in the loop while Arne watched, proud of Gustav, fearful he might get -hurt, afraid he might not get there in time. - -“Here I go,” said Gustav. “Hold onto that rope, Uncle Jens, tight as you -can.” - -The group at the top of the cliff watched breathlessly as Gustav went -down. At first the wires swayed dangerously under his weight. Arne’s -heart seemed to come right up into his throat. Gustav was a good deal -heavier than a full milk can. But he adjusted his weight to one side and -another and then shot down swiftly. - -The moment Gustav reached level ground, he jumped free of the rope. -Torger must have lost his hold now. They could see that the boat had -drifted away. Gustav knew that, too, for he was racing toward the water, -pulling off his coat as he ran. He snatched off his shoes and plunged in. - -[Illustration] - -Arne wished he had field glasses so that he could see every detail of -what was going on. He could tell that Gustav was moving fast. But would -he get there in time? - -“He’s making it,” said Uncle Jens, his voice full of relief. “He’s got -hold of whoever it is. Bringing him in to shore.” - -“It’s Torger Blessom, all right,” said Arne. Gustav had the little boy on -shore now. He laid him down on a large rock and bent over him, working -quickly. - -Arne looked at the wires and then at his uncle. Gustav could use some -help down there. If they’d pull the rope right back up, maybe he could -muster the courage to go down those wires as Gustav had done. - -But to his relief, Uncle Jens said, “See, he has Torger on his feet. -He’ll be all right now.” - -“We must be thinking of getting started, now,” said Aunt Tina. “We can’t -go down like Gustav. We have to take the long way around. I’ll be up in -a week or two, Signe, and give you a hand with making the cheese. And -Bergel can help. She’s eleven now, and it is time she learned.” - -Bergel smoothed her apron as they walked toward the cabin. She felt -pleased and proud that Arne had heard her mother say this. He sometimes -acted as if he didn’t think girls amounted to much. But she liked him -and longed for his good opinion. - -“Arne, you come again,” said Bergel. “We’ll go fishing.” - -“We’ll be up, all of us, from time to time,” said Aunt Tina, who loved -the mountain saeter as much as anyone. It made her feel like a girl -again to be up here, for in her younger days she too had had her turn at -tending cows and goats on the mountain in summer, at caring for the milk -and making the cheese. “Just for tonight I want to be the first to blow -the saeter horn. Run and get it, Bergel.” - -Bergel ran into the house and came out with a long wooden horn, which she -handed to her mother. The little girl longed to try it herself. They had -told her, other summers, that she was too little; but perhaps if she was -considered big enough to help with the cheese, she might be big enough to -blow the horn, too. - -She watched eagerly as her mother lifted it to her lips and blew a deep, -mellow blast to call the cows home. Then, to her delight, her mother -handed it to her and said, “You try it, Bergel. It will take more than -one blast to bring the cows home.” - -Perhaps Bergel would have blown a good blast the first time if Arne -had not stood mimicking her, pretending with great effort to lift an -imaginary horn to his lips, puffing out his cheeks, pursing his lips, and -bringing out a small squeak. - -Bergel had to laugh, and so did the others. But Margret gave her brother -a brisk shake and told him to try to behave himself for once. “Try again, -Bergel,” she said. This time the little girl managed to bring out, if not -as long and deep a blast as her mother had, at least a very creditable -sound. - -The girls would have to go out into the woods and valleys and up the -mountainside to get some of the goats and even some of the cows, for -the first few evenings at any rate. But before long, most of them would -answer the call of the saeter horn. - -The bells on the cows and goats were ringing over the valleys, and the -saeter horn sounded again and again through the clear mountain air as -they started down the path, Arne running ahead of everyone. - -It had been a wonderful day, but he was glad to be going home. He wanted -to hear all about the rescue of Torger Blessom, to see Torger himself -and make sure he was all right. And he wanted very much to find out how -Gustav felt going down those wires. - - - - -[Illustration] - -3 - - -Gustav only laughed when Arne asked him how it felt to go down those -wires. “You’ll really have to try it yourself to find out,” he said. “It -wasn’t much. Now you’d better run over and see Torger.” - -Torger was still a little pale and more than a little mortified over his -accident. “Gustav said he’d give me a lesson in handling a boat,” he told -Arne. “He said maybe we could go out tomorrow, the three of us.” - -“If Gustav teaches you, believe me, you’ll learn how,” said Arne. “He’s -the one who taught me to sail and swim. Wonder why your brother Oscar -didn’t teach you.” - -“They are too near of an age,” said Torger’s mother. “Gustav is quite a -bit older than you, and you are willing to learn from him. When Oscar -tries to show Torger how to do something, it generally ends up in a -fight.” - -The boys couldn’t help grinning, for they knew Fru Blessom was right. - -The next morning, Gustav took both boys out on the fjord. There was a -stiff wind blowing, and the sailboat was not easy to manage. He said it -would be good experience for Arne, and that if Torger learned in this -wind, he’d never be afraid of a sailboat. Gustav was thorough in his -instructions, and both boys worked manfully. - -“I’ve got the hang of it now,” Torger said confidently. “I bet I won’t -turn over in a boat again.” - -“I don’t believe you will, Torger,” said Gustav. “Now you two lads be -sure to get out on the fjord and sail every chance you have. The best -summer fun in the world is on a fjord.” - -“And the best thing to have fun with is a boat,” said Arne. - -“You’re right about that,” Gustav agreed heartily. Then he gave a sudden -exclamation, “Put her hard over to the left, Arne! We’re going in now as -fast as we can! Do you see what’s coming in from the sea? The _Laks_ is -almost in port.” - -Gustav sounded very happy, but Arne’s heart felt heavy as he steered -toward shore. It had been such fun to have his brother home, and the time -had gone all too quickly. Now it would be months before he would be here -for more than a short visit. - -But Gustav wouldn’t let anyone be gloomy today. No sooner had they tied -the little sailboat up at the warehouse dock than he was rushing toward -the big wharf, the younger boys beside him. - -“From the way Arne’s going, I’ll have to hurry to get there first. He’ll -be going as first mate in my place, or maybe skipper,” Gustav called out. - -He stopped to smooth his hair and shake his coat into place before he -talked to the captain. After that he hurried home to get his things, -which were ready packed. - -Besta and Mother came back with him, and Father, too, came down to -the wharf to see him off. Half the town was gathering there, indeed, -especially the boys and girls. They liked to watch the boat unload its -cargo of mail and freight and take on other cargo to go up through the -fjord. - -Arne and Torger watched as a bright new spinning wheel was unloaded. -“That’s for my grandmother,” said Torger, “and about time, too. She’s -been complaining that she wouldn’t have wool ready for the Christmas -knitting if that wheel didn’t come soon.” - -Crates of oranges from America were next, boxes of groceries and -drygoods, and windows for the new house going up at the edge of town. -There was not very much to load on the boat here. The fish from the -packing house went to ports farther away. Towns along the fjord could -catch their own fish. There was mail to go. A few passengers got on. Arne -saw a group of boys on board with sleeping bags and rucksacks. He knew -their bicycles were stowed away somewhere and that they were on a holiday -jaunt up the fjords and over the mountains. One of these days he’d be -going on such a jaunt, too. - -A little flutter of interest in the crowd made him turn quickly. To his -surprise, he saw Uncle Jens coming down the street, leading Suri. He went -straight over to the captain and said, “I want to send Suri up to Blegen -for a little while. My wife’s brother needs an extra pony to help with -some farm work, and I can spare Suri just now. So can you take her aboard -and make her comfortable?” - -“_Ja, Ja_, certainly we can take care of Suri,” the captain assured him. - -But Suri did not seem to care for such a trip in the least. A broad band -was securely fastened around her and a derrick swung over to lift her -aboard. But little Suri stamped and champed and lifted her head, her eyes -rolling in fright as she complained in loud whinnies. - -No one thought of such a thing as trying to force the little mare aboard. -Uncle Jens talked to her, and she quieted down a bit; but when the -derrick came toward her again, once more she backed and stamped and -whinnied nervously. - -The other loading was finished. The sailors were closing the holds. But -the _Laks_ could not weigh anchor because little Suri, in spite of all -wheedling, was flatly refusing to go aboard. - -Arne only wished he had the chance Suri was refusing, but nevertheless he -felt very sorry for the frightened little horse. Perhaps he could coax -her a bit—he had done it often enough before. - -He went over to try, fishing in his pockets as he went. Yes, there were -two lumps of sugar. He put an arm over Suri’s neck and offered her one, -talking to her softly the while. She nuzzled her soft brown nose into his -hand and seemed to feel comforted. - -“Go on, Arne,” Uncle Jens encouraged him. “She seems to listen to you.” - -So Arne stood there, coaxing little Suri, feeding her sugar, talking to -her, patting her, until she stopped trembling and champing and at last -let him fasten the big hook in the band which was fastened firmly about -her. Then he ran onto the boat and stood there talking to her from the -deck. Now at last she let them swing her aboard, and though she stamped -anxiously at first, she allowed Arne to take the band off and lead her -down into the hold. - -“Wish I could go along with you, Suri,” he said, putting his cheek -against her neck and giving her a pat. - -[Illustration] - -Gustav had come down to see that everything was in good order, and now he -gave his young brother an encouraging nod. “That was a pretty good job, -Arne; you saved the skipper a lot of time, and that may turn out to be a -good thing.” - -“Do you think he might let me go on the boat some time, Gustav?” asked -Arne eagerly. - -“I can’t promise a thing yet. You skip ashore now, and we’ll see. The -ship’s bell is ringing. They want to get started. And our captain -wouldn’t care for a stowaway aboard, I know that.” - -So it came about that Arne was laughing as he ran down the gangplank just -as they were about to pull it up. And instead of feeling sad as the boat -steamed away with Gustav aboard, he was thinking of the day when he might -be aboard too. - -He looked up to see his father standing there, smiling down at him. “I -thought for a minute there I was going to have two sons on that ship this -time,” he said. “Looked to me as if the captain could find a use for you.” - -“Oh, I wish I could be aboard, especially when the _Stjerne_ sails out,” -said Arne, heaving a great sigh. “That’s the life, isn’t it, Father?” - -His father laughed, a contented, good-natured laugh. “That’s the natural -way for a Norwegian boy to feel, I guess. I did my share of sailing, too, -in my early days. But I understand there’s such a thing as school. I -hear boys are expected to go to that in Norway.” - -Arne knew his father was joking; so he smiled back, though school never -seemed to him a very good subject for a joke. “I suppose so,” he said. -“But I like outdoor things so much better than schoolwork. I just wish it -were summer all the year around.” - -Arne was not the only one who wished it were summer all the year around. -Up at the saeter, the girls were having a merry time in spite of the -work of caring for the cows and goats, milking and making cheese. There -were berry-picking excursions through the woods and valleys to gather -blueberries, raspberries, and the lovely bright _multer_ berries which -grew thick and red on their low bushes. There were visits with girls in -neighboring saeters and fishing trips up the mountain. - -“Don’t forget I’m to learn to make cheese,” Bergel reminded Signe one day. - -“Oh, yes. Mother wouldn’t like it a bit if we didn’t get that tended to. -We’ll start with _gammelost_. That’s best, anyway.” - -Under Signe’s direction, Bergel warmed the milk and let it stand until -the curds and whey could be separated. Then she dried the curds, -crumbling them carefully with her hand, and set it all aside to ripen. -Signe even let her add the caraway seed and salt. - -When it was brought out some days later for inspection, Margret looked at -it with approval. “We should save that for company,” she said, sniffing -with appreciation. - -Bergel nodded, looking very grown-up as she tasted it with a businesslike -air and added a little more salt. Then she put it away in a covered jar -to ripen further. “I hope the company will be Arne and Evart and some -of the other boys,” she said, and though the other girls laughed, they -agreed with her. - -Down in the town, Arne was keeping busy, too. He had jobs of many kinds -at home, running errands and getting in the wood for the old cookstove -Besta preferred to Mother’s new electric range. And he had to help Besta -cut the hay in the little patch of ground that sloped from their house up -the mountain. It was fun to get in there with a scythe, and to help Besta -and Mother hang the hay over the wooden hay fences to dry before it could -mildew on the damp ground. - -He helped around the packing house, too. There were errands there as well -as at home, and there was cleaning to do, and packing. Sometimes he was -allowed to go out with the fishermen. He especially liked to go with -Ole to fish for _torsk_ and herring and halibut. Sometimes they took a -rowboat or a small sailboat up the fjord. Sometimes they took Ole’s big -boat and went out to sea. - -There was time for play, too, in the summer afternoons and long, light -evenings. More than once Arne went away on a day’s jaunt with Oscar and -Torger and half a dozen other boys. They sailed and swam and fished on -the fjord, and took long hikes up and down the fjord path and up the -mountainside. - -But Arne never let any of his activities keep him from being right on the -dock when the _Laks_ was due. Each time he hoped to hear the glad news -that he was to be on board when the ship weighed anchor. Each time he -asked Gustav eagerly if he was to go on this trip. - -When two or three weeks went by with no invitation for Arne, he began to -lose hope. But then one day Gustav jumped off the gangplank calling out, -“Where’s that Arne? You better go get some packing done, boy.” - -“Really, Gustav? Do I go this time?” cried Arne. - -“Looks that way,” answered Gustav. “The skipper says we’re bringing Suri -back this trip, and you’d be a good one to have aboard to help with that.” - -Arne gave a big, “Oh!” on a deep, blissful sigh, and was off up the hill -like a shot to tell Mother the good news and to see to that all-important -packing. He had a lot of things he wanted to take, and he had a feeling -Mother wouldn’t think half of them were necessary. - -“We’ll be here for a couple of hours, at least,” Gustav called after him. -“Tell Mother to put the coffeepot on.” - -Arne loved that journey up and down the fjord, stopping at each small -village with mail and freight. There were a few passengers, and he liked -to see them get off amid the joyful greetings of their friends. Often -they were met by a light boat which would take them aboard and then skim -swiftly and quietly off to some town across the fjord or to some nearby -farm. - -He made friends with a little party of English lads who had bicycles on -board and planned to leave the boat at the head of the fjord and go off -through the valleys and over the mountains which Arne taught them to call -by the Norwegian name of _fjelds_. He wished he had a sleeping bag like -theirs and that he could sleep out with them on deck, though they told -him it got pretty cold. - -They let him share some of the meals they cooked over their tiny portable -stove, and Gustav saw to it that he contributed fish balls or cheese or -some other delicacy. - -On the afternoon the _Laks_ neared the head of the fjord, Gustav was at -the wheel and Arne stood near him, watching the waterfalls dash violently -down the high, steep mountain walls. - -Suddenly he gave a shout, “Gustav, look out! Rocks falling! Big ones! -Right ahead!” - -Gustav gave one quick look, and his face was grim. Arne’s heart beat -fast. He knew it would be terribly dangerous to hit those rocks here -where the _Laks_ steamed between sheer mountain walls. But he saw that -his brother wasn’t losing his head for a moment. He was proud of the -resolute look on Gustav’s white face, the sure, firm way he managed to -turn the wheel and guide the boat to avoid the rocks. - -The captain came running up, his face as pale as Gustav’s. “Good work, -Gustav,” was all he said, but his relief was plain to see. - -At the head of the fjord, the English boys left them, though they stayed -on the dock to watch little Suri taken aboard. - -Arne kept a sharp lookout for falling rocks as they steamed homeward -between the steep rocky cliffs. He was glad when they came to the places -where the country flattened out a bit and there was room for a small -village or a few farms at the foot of the mountain. Often he caught a -glimpse of a saeter high above them. - -“Do you think we’re going to get up to the saeter again this summer?” he -asked Gustav, after one such glimpse. “I know the girls are counting on -it.” - -“I’ll have two or three days between my last trip on the _Laks_ and the -time the _Stjerne_ sails,” said Gustav. “That will be early in August. -Let’s go then.” - -“Shall I make a trip up and tell the girls?” asked Arne eagerly. “They’ll -have a lot of getting ready to do—a lot of baking and things.” - -“You hope,” said Gustav, laughing. “Well, I hope so too, Arne. So we’ll -figure out the time and you can hike up that mountain and tell them about -it.” - -Arne had made many pleasant journeys to the saeter, but there had never -been one as gay as the trip up there with Gustav and Evart and a dozen -other lads. - -“Look! Look what the girls are using for pasture!” cried Arne, as they -came in sight of the saeter. A shout of laughter went up, for Bergel had -tethered a small white kid to the tiny birch tree on the roof of the -cabin. - -[Illustration] - -The shout brought out the girls, gay in their special holiday dresses. -Arne thought they looked very pretty in their full, striped skirts with -crisp, lace-trimmed white aprons and bright laced bodices over white -blouses. A hand-made silver brooch fastened each blouse at the throat. -Margret’s brooch was handed down to her by Besta, Arne knew; and he -thought it was the prettiest one of all. These brooches were treasured -possessions in Norwegian families. - -Signe and Margret and Bergel had invited girls from neighboring saeters, -and a good thing, too, for Gustav had brought his accordion and Evart his -fiddle. There was dancing and singing and laughter under the trees. Arne -and Bergel joined in the fun, for they could do the old folk dances as -well as any of them. - -Then a feast was spread out on the long table—fish and cheese and _lefse_ -and big bowls of berries with whipped cream, and _kringler_ and cakes and -cookies of all kinds. Bergel’s _gammelost_ was praised enough to make the -young cheesemaker very proud. - -The fun stopped toward evening, but only long enough for the girls to -get in the cows and goats and do their milking, to make fresh coffee and -replenish the dishes on the table. Then the dancing started again and -went on far into the long summer evening. - -At last the party from the village started down the trail for home, -reluctantly, to be sure, but singing and laughing nevertheless. - -It was a sleepy Arne who tumbled into his feather bed at last. This had -been a long day, but a wonderful one. - - - - -[Illustration] - -4 - - -The _Stjerne_ came into port a few days later, and Gustav sailed away as -first mate. He was so happy about it that Arne couldn’t help feeling some -of that happiness too. He remembered what fun it had been to go up the -fjord on the _Laks_, and he didn’t blame anyone for wanting to go to sea. - -But Gustav was sailing far away this time, all the way to South America, -touching at many ports on the voyage. It would be a long time before he -returned. - -“Oh, Gustav!” The words fairly burst from Arne as he stood watching the -final packing. “I wish South America wasn’t so far away!” - -Perhaps Gustav knew how he would have felt if he had been in Arne’s -place. He put his arm around Arne’s shoulder and said, “Look here, -fellow, I’ve got something I want to leave with you. Father gave me new -field glasses as a parting gift. I want you to have my old ones.” - -“For keeps?” cried Arne. It would be wonderful to have those glasses. - -“For keeps,” said Gustav, and was fully rewarded by Arne’s shining face. - -“Now you can watch us till we get clear out to sea and turn down the -channel between the shore and the islands. In fact, if you go up on the -cliff, you can watch us farther than that.” - -“Oh, I will! Oh, Gustav! And I’ll be watching when the time comes for you -to come home, too, you can bet on that.” - -The gift took most of the sadness out of the parting, though Gustav would -be gone now until December when the _Stjerne_ would come in with its load -of Christmas goods. Then he would be home all through the holidays. That -was something to look forward to. - -The rest of the summer slipped quickly away. It was time for the girls to -come home from the saeter, and Arne went with Uncle Jens and the others -to help bring down the girls and the gear, the cows and the calves, the -goats and the kids and the cheeses. - -School was to start the next week, and he felt a little dismal about -it as he talked it over with Bergel. “I hear that new teacher is very -strict—Herr Professor Engstrand. Oscar said Pastor Beckstrom’s son told -him so.” - -Bergel nodded. “I heard so, too. But maybe we have to expect that, now -that we’re going to be in the upper room. Just think, Arne. We’ll start -learning English, and do a lot of things we couldn’t do before.” Bergel, -very quick at her lessons, was in the same grade as her cousin. - -“I’ll like being in the same room with Nels and Oscar and those boys -instead of a lot of little kids,” Arne admitted. - -“Yes, I think it’s wonderful we’re going to be in with the upper grades. -And a man teacher. Makes me feel pretty grown-up.” - -Arne was surprised when he entered school that first morning and got -his first glimpse of Herr Professor Engstrand. Somehow, from Oscar’s -remarks, he had expected to see an elderly gentleman. Herr Professor -didn’t look much older than Gustav. But he certainly was not like Gustav -in any other way. There was no laughter in those stern gray eyes, and his -mouth, straight and firm, didn’t look as if it ever even smiled. He stood -stiffly beside his desk, his shoulders squared. - -When the school was assembled, he made a short speech. “I am new here,” -he said, “but we shall soon get to know one another. If you do your -work well, we shall get along without trouble. I shall put up with no -laziness, no disobedience. You are old enough to know how to work, and -that is exactly what I expect you to do.” His words were clipped and -curt, and Arne was sure you could have heard a pin drop in that quiet -room. Lessons were assigned and classes were held in the most methodical -order. Any lack of attention, any slightest sign of disorder, was -promptly reprimanded or punished more severely. - -[Illustration] - -Arne very soon made up his mind about one thing. He would try to obey -orders to the letter. He could see there would be trouble ahead if he did -anything else. He didn’t know, of course, that this was Herr Professor -Engstrand’s first school and that he was desperately anxious to make a -good job of it. - -Winter set in early, and it was always a relief to Arne to get out of -school. He liked to get his skis and go flying down the steep slopes -behind the town with Nels and Oscar and Torger and some of the other -boys. Evart was away at school this year, and sometimes Arne took Bergel -with him coasting. She knew how to steer the long sled almost as well as -he did. - -He would stop at home in the kitchen first, for he was sure to find -Mother and Besta having a cup of afternoon coffee. Sometimes Aunt -Tina would be there, too, and Signe and Margret. Sometimes one of the -neighbors would come in. But whether there was company or not, there was -sure to be something good to go with the coffee—slices from a big, round -loaf of ryebread with _gjetost_, Besta’s special goats’ milk cheese, or -coffeecake, or _bakkelse_—crisp, delicious little cakes fried in deep -fat, or some other of their many specialties. Mother and Besta were as -good cooks as you’d find in all Norway, Father often said; and he added -that that was saying a lot, for Norway was famous for its good cooks. - -Sometimes as he came in, after skiing or skating or coasting, he would -hear Besta’s spinning wheel whirring comfortably away. She liked to -spin the wool for her knitting and weaving. Even Margret, up-to-date as -she considered herself, preferred the soft wool her grandmother spun to -any other. Besta never looked as contented as when her foot was on that -treadle, her practiced hand drawing out the fine strong woolen yarn. - -Arne usually came from school with a rush and a bang. But one day he came -into the kitchen without saying a word. Bergel was with him, and she too -was quiet. - -“Fresh _lefse_, Arne,” said his mother. - -Arne nodded, but for once he didn’t make a move to take any. - -Besta looked at him keenly. “Trouble in school, Arne?” she asked. - -Arne’s face darkened, and he doubled up his fists. “That Herr Professor!” -he exclaimed. “He’s just so mean and unreasonable. All I did was to ask -Sigurd, just behind me, how far we were to study. And I had to stand up -in front of the whole room for an hour.” He flushed as he thought of it. - -“Perhaps he thought you would have known how far to study if you had been -paying attention,” said Mother, shaking her head, though she felt sorry -for Arne. - -“Well, I was thinking of something more important than English grammar.” -In spite of himself, Arne’s face lighted a little. For right in the midst -of class, he had suddenly thought of a delightful plan—a surprise for -everyone for Christmas. Mother was exactly right, though he didn’t like -to admit it. He had been thinking out details of his project instead of -paying attention. - -“How do you get along with Herr Professor, Bergel?” asked Besta. - -“Oh, of course she gets along fine!” exploded Arne. “She always has her -lessons, and she behaves like a little lady.” The mincing tone he assumed -almost made Mother and Besta smile, though they realized very well that -this was no laughing matter. “Herr Professor likes Bergel, but he sure -doesn’t like me. I might just as well stop trying to please him.” - -“Oh, don’t do that, Arne,” urged Bergel. “You’ll get used to him. And -he does know a lot.” She wished from the bottom of her heart that Herr -Professor would say “well done” to Arne once in a while. He did do well -in his history and arithmetic. - -“Well, have some _lefse_ and some _ost_ and try harder tomorrow,” said -his mother sensibly. “You’ll get along all right if you pay attention and -study.” - -Arne took the _lefse_, but it didn’t taste as good as usual. It didn’t -seem to him he could ever learn to get along with Herr Professor -Engstrand. It certainly looked as if he were headed for trouble. And with -Christmas coming, too. - -But he did make an effort, and school went better for some time. - -Bergel mentioned it with pleasure as they walked home one afternoon. -“You’re really doing fine in school, Arne,” she said. “You haven’t been -in a bit of trouble lately. Herr Professor hasn’t even had to look your -way. I bet you could be right up at the head of the class if you’d try.” - -“There are so many things I like to do better than to have my nose in a -book,” said Arne carelessly. “I like to work out in the workshop for one -thing. Right now,” he added, his face brightening, “I’m working on—” Then -he broke off abruptly and laughed. “Can’t tell you what—it’s a surprise.” - -“Oh, go on, tell me,” coaxed Bergel, but Arne only shook his head -mysteriously. - -“You’ll see,” was all he would say. “I’d better be getting home to get -at it. There’s a lot left to do if I’m going to have it ready in time.” - -From early November, Arne had been spending every moment he could spare -in the little workshop out in back. He was making a number of small -ships, some with tiny sails, some with little oars, sawing and cutting -and gluing and painting with great care. They would be hung all over the -tree—red and green and yellow and blue. - -There was to be at least one special one for each member of the family—a -fishing boat for Father, the tiniest sailboat for Margret, a red rowboat -for Besta, and a blue one for Mother. There should be one for each of the -cousins, too, and Uncle Jens and Aunt Tina. And he wanted to make several -for Gustav. - -No one else in Nordheim or probably anywhere else would have a tree -trimmed like that. It would be a surprise for everyone. Arne almost -chuckled aloud whenever he thought of it. - -His face was bright today as he ran into the kitchen. There were Mother -and Besta, having their afternoon cup of coffee. The kitchen was filled -with the good smell of baking. _Rosettes_ were spread out on the -table—delicate, beautifully-shaped cakes fried in deep fat. There were -also crisp star-shaped cinnamon cookies. - -He pulled off his cap and asked eagerly, “Any broken pieces for me?” He -knew all the well-shaped cakes and cookies would be put away carefully -for Christmas. - -“Besta broke a few for you,” said his mother, with a twinkle. “And before -you go out to that workshop, get me some soap from the storeroom. I am -going to take down the curtains and put them to soak.” - -For weeks, now, the house had been in a bustle and flurry of Christmas -cleaning. Every spot was shining—floors and furniture, brass and copper. -The house fairly seemed to twinkle. - -He couldn’t see why they had to take down the lace-trimmed window -curtains to be washed and stiffly starched. Those curtains looked white -as snow to him. But when he said that to Mother, she laughed out loud. -“Not have clean curtains for Christmas!” she exclaimed. “What a boy you -are, Arne! If your mother did such a thing, _Julenissen_ would be so -horrified he would run right away from our house.” - -Arne laughed, too. You certainly wouldn’t want to scare away -_Julenissen_, the little elf with the pointed red cap and little red -suit. He was supposed to live in the attic and bring special good luck -at Christmas time, particularly if one always remembered to set out his -bowl of milk and give him his Christmas rice porridge. Arne had never -actually seen _Julenissen_, but he knew someone in the family always saw -to that milk and the porridge. - -“_Julenissen_ hates dirt,” said Besta. - -“I guess he’ll never get scared away from our house, then,” said Arne. -“And I should think he’d like the Christmas baking even better than the -cleaning.” - -“If he doesn’t, I know somebody else who does,” chuckled his mother. - -Arne knew there would be stacks of _flatbrod_, hard and crisp and round, -each piece larger than a plate. Besta baked these right on top of her -well-scrubbed cookstove. There would be heart-shaped waffles, and _lefse_ -and _bakkelse_ and _rosettes_ and all kinds of good coffeecakes. His -mouth watered at the thought. If a boy hung around the kitchen at the -right times, he was sure to come in for a good many samples, especially -broken bits. - -He knew there would also be a final scouring of the house just before -Christmas, that the windows and the copper flowerpots on the window sills -would be gleaming. The geraniums and begonias would be coaxed into bloom -for Christmas. - -And of course the womenfolk would be busy planning and preparing food to -last through the Christmas season, for no one wanted to do much work -during the two weeks of the holidays. And there would be a great deal of -company. - -Father would see to it that they had all the best kinds of fish—the -smoked and pickled herring. And the _lutfisk_—which he had so disliked to -bale in the summer—would be a favorite part of the Christmas feasting. -There would be cheeses, too, of many kinds, and pickled pigs’ feet and -headcheese, roasted meats and sausages. Mother always set out a good -_koltbord_—a table laden with all these good things and many others; -people could help themselves to suit their tastes. - -Arne thought of all this as he fortified himself with a substantial -snack. Then he went out to the workshop. He had almost enough little -ships now, ready for sandpapering and painting. His worries about school -were forgotten, and the time flew as he worked, his lips puckered in a -low, contented whistle. - -Suddenly he straightened with a start. It certainly couldn’t be supper -time yet. But Margret was coming down the path calling him. - -“Don’t come in! Don’t come in!” he shouted, throwing an old blanket over -his work. Then he ran out and closed the door behind him. - -“I wouldn’t come in, Arne. You know that,” she said. Her voice sounded -muffled and unnatural. In the light which streamed from the kitchen -window, he could see that her face looked as if she were trying not to -cry. - -“What is it? What is it, Margret?” he asked anxiously. “Is something -wrong?” - -“We heard something over the radio,” said Margret; and now, in spite of -her efforts, her voice broke into a sob. “Oh, Arne, there are storms at -sea—bad ones—sleet storms and ice storms right where the _Stjerne_ must -be now!” - -Arne’s heart seemed to turn right over. He knew very well the danger his -brother was in. All his life he had heard of those winter storms at sea. -He wished with all his might that Gustav’s ship was safe right here in -Nordheim harbor. - - - - -[Illustration] - -5 - - -A very quiet family gathered around the supper table that evening. Even -the thought of his little ships didn’t bring Arne any cheer. Indeed, he -could hardly bear even to think of ships. Mother tried to talk as usual, -and so did Father, but no one’s heart was in it. - -Arne could not settle down to anything. He wanted to ask questions, but -knew there could be no comforting answers. At last, without being told, -he wandered off to bed. - -It was hard for him to keep his mind on schoolwork the next morning. He -rushed home at the midday recess, bolted his meal, got his field glasses, -and went up to the cliff as fast as he could get there. Gustav’s ship -should be coming in soon, if it hadn’t run into trouble. You never knew -for sure when a freighter would be in. Father said it was always best to -allow a little extra time even in good weather. But Arne had been hoping -it might come in a little ahead of time. Perhaps he’d even catch sight -of it today. Then there would certainly be rejoicing! - -There was no sign of the ship as he looked out over the stormy waters, -but he lingered so long on the cliff that he barely got into the -schoolroom in time. Herr Engstrand looked at him severely, and though he -said nothing, Arne realized he had better not cut it so close again. - -He couldn’t keep away from the cliff at noon. But each day he stood -there, looking, only a short time and was careful to get to school before -the bell rang. - -[Illustration] - -At home, Mother was trying her best to keep everything normal, but she -looked more and more anxious as the news of storms continued. Even -Father, accustomed as he was to ships and storms at sea, looked anxious -as he listened to the reports over the radio. - -Christmas preparations went on, but there wasn’t much laughing or singing -over them now. - -“Why don’t we hear something?” Arne asked his father in desperation. -“Couldn’t they let someone know if they’re in trouble? Couldn’t help go -to them?” - -“We hear the names of some of the ships in trouble. But no word comes -of the _Stjerne_,” his father said, and paused. “I hope it is just that -their radio has gone bad. Yes, that must be it.” He spoke as if he wanted -to reassure himself as much as Arne. - -That day the bell had rung before Arne slid into his seat at school. He -got a sharp reprimand from the teacher, but for once he didn’t care. He -could only think of Gustav, out there on the stormy sea. - -But Bergel _did_ care. She knew Christmas plans were afoot in school, and -she could not bear to have him get into trouble now. The next noon Bergel -was watching for her cousin, and when she saw him start toward the cliff, -she seized her sled and ran after him. - -“Arne! Arne!” she called over and over as she neared the cliff, but the -wind was strong, and he did not hear her. She hurried on, faster than -ever, looking anxious but determined. If they didn’t look out, they’d -both be late for school. - -Yes, there he was, high up on the very peak of the cliff, looking out to -sea through his field glasses. She called and shouted, waving her arm in -a frantic signal. This time he heard, put his glasses away, and started -down. - -“Look here, Bergel, you didn’t need to come—” he began, slightly annoyed. - -“I know,” interrupted Bergel. “But today I think Herr Professor is going -to announce the trip up the mountain for Christmas greens. You don’t want -to be late and maybe have to stay home from that. I think my sled will -get us there on time.” - -“So!” said Arne. Bergel was a pretty good kid. “Hop on, then. We’ll beat -that school bell. We’ll take the short cut, shall we? That’ll get us -there all right.” - -“Well,” said Bergel, hesitating a little. “It’s dangerous, but—” - -“Not with your cousin Arne as navigator! Come on!” - -Arne was daring, Bergel knew that, but he was skillful, too. And she -certainly didn’t want to be late today. Herr Professor might punish -latecomers by refusing to let them go on that expedition up the mountain -for the Christmas greens. She got on the sled and shut her eyes tight as -they went flying down the steep hill toward the schoolgrounds. She was a -little frightened, it is true, but almost too excited to realize it. If -they avoided that big rock now, they’d be all right. - -[Illustration] - -Arne’s face was grim as they whizzed downward. This was a dangerous hill. -He had to give all his attention to steering and braking. Bergel had -risked her own good record and the chance of going up the mountain in -order to warn him. He just had to get her back safely and on time. - -It was a triumphant moment when the breathless ride was accomplished -safely, and the cousins jumped off the sled. Then they made a dash across -the schoolground. - -Arne’s thoughts were racing as fast as his feet. Where was that ship, -anyway? It was really overdue now, several days. Maybe something had -happened to Captain Olsen. Maybe Gustav had to bring in the ship. What -if he had had to take command and had failed to bring it safely to port? -Arne couldn’t bear to think of such a thing. - -He looked so anxious that Bergel, glancing at him as they pulled off -their coats, said softly, “Don’t forget—it’s the Christmas _Star_ we’re -waiting for. And remember, that’s always come in safe and sure.” - -Arne nodded and hurried across the schoolroom and slid into his seat just -as the bell rang. His spirits, never down for very long, rose a little. -He and Bergel had made port safely, anyhow, and in time, too. - -But Herr Professor Engstrand looked at him gravely for a moment and said, -“Tardiness is a fault I do not wish my pupils to develop. Arne Dalen, -you have come in once this week just after the bell rang, and you have -repeatedly got in barely on time. I shall have to take strong measures if -you are tardy again.” - -Arne’s face flushed, and he looked down in embarrassment. If he could -only explain! But you couldn’t explain things to Herr Professor. - -He was heartily glad when the teacher went on in an entirely different -tone, “I have a pleasant announcement to make. On Friday afternoon, -all you older pupils are to go up the mountain for greens to decorate -the schoolhouse for the Christmas program. All bring flashlights and -sandwiches. We shall make a campfire and have a picnic. Froken Utvig -promises we shall practice some of our Christmas songs there.” - -There was a stir of delight throughout the room. The trip up the mountain -for Christmas greens was a favorite yearly event. Getting the greens and -decorating was even more fun than the Christmas program itself. This -was the first time Arne and Bergel’s class had been included in the -expedition. Arne’s eyes glowed as he thought of the picnic supper, the -campfire up there on the dark mountain, the singing that would float all -up and down the mountainside. - -But some of the girls looked a little perturbed, and the teacher almost -smiled as he said, “We shall not stand out there in the snow eating our -supper. Froken Utvig says we can find shelter in her father’s saeter -cabin.” - -The Utvig saeter! Oh, that would be something, Arne thought. Everyone -said the Utvig cabin was the finest on the mountain. Arne had never been -there, and he almost forgot about the _Stjerne_ in his excitement. It was -wonderful fun to go up to a saeter in summer, but in winter it would be -a real adventure. He resolved to be on time for the rest of the week. He -certainly could not run the chance of being left out of that trip up the -mountain. - -Arne could hardly keep his feet from taking the familiar cliff path the -next noon. If only there were just a little daylight after school. Then -he’d hurry as fast as he could up the cliff, get out those field glasses, -and stand looking as long as he liked. But it would be dark by that time. -And tomorrow was the day of the trip up the mountain. No, he couldn’t run -the risk of being late. - -With a mighty effort he managed to trudge straight to school. He even -got there a little early. He was too anxious and miserable to stay out -playing, so he earned the pleased surprise of Herr Professor by going -straight into the schoolroom, opening his book, and settling down. But -his thoughts were not on his Norwegian history, though that was a subject -he really liked, full as it was of stirring events. His thoughts were -with the freighter _Stjerne_, in peril out there on the stormy sea. - -Arne hurried home right after school, hoping better news had come in. His -mother was in a perfect fury of baking. She was making _lefse_, and he -usually liked to watch her doing that. But today he didn’t care much, for -one look at her face told him that the news was not good. - -She whisked the kettle of potatoes off the fire, mashed them violently, -mixed in flour and salt and cream. Then she rolled out the dough into -large, thin, round cakes, and Besta baked them on the top of the -cookstove. - -Both of them nodded a greeting to him, but no one seemed to feel like -talking. Presently Besta buttered a piece of warm _lefse_, spread it with -brown sugar, rolled it, and handed it to Arne. Even now he did not forget -the polite Norwegian “_Mange tak_,” “Many thanks.” - -He took his _lefse_ and wandered off to the workshop, but there was a -lump in his throat as he drew the covering back and looked at his little -ships. It didn’t seem to him he could work at them today, and he started -to cover them again. Then he stopped and said fiercely right out loud, -“Look here, Arne Dalen! Gustav wouldn’t do that. He’s a great one to -stick at something until he gets it done.” - -Somehow that idea comforted Arne. Wherever Gustav was, even if he was in -serious difficulties, he’d be doing something to try to put things right. -He remembered how quick and sure his brother had been last summer on the -_Laks_ when the rocks had fallen. And Gustav had weathered bad storms -before this. Captain Olsen, too. They were two good men, Father said. -And they had a good crew of Norwegian sailors. Arne picked up one of the -little ships and began a careful job of sandpapering. Even after supper -he came out and found comfort in working. When Gustav came home, the -surprise would be ready. - -He lingered in the kitchen next morning for a few minutes after the -others had gone about their various duties. He wanted to talk to Mother -about preparations for that trip up the mountain. But more than that, he -wanted very much to say something encouraging to her. - -It was hard to know just what to say. The Dalens came from a long line -of seafaring people, and no one talked much about it when there were -storms and ships were overdue. But Arne couldn’t bear that bleak look on -his mother’s face. It was not at all like her. She was a cheerful, busy -person, almost as full of lively plans and ideas as Arne himself. - -It didn’t take long to settle about the lunch. Mother promised to make -him some extra nice _smörbröd_, or sandwiches. At a picnic like that, all -the sandwiches would be spread out and shared, and hers must do both Arne -and herself credit. She promised to decorate them in all kinds of fancy -patterns. She would put in some of the _bakkelse_, too, and other cakes. - -Arne was well pleased with this, but he didn’t quite know how to go on to -the next subject. Then Bergel’s words of comfort came back to him. They -had made him feel better. Maybe Mother would like them too. He cleared -his throat and said gruffly, “Gustav’s ship is the Christmas _Star_, you -know, Mother. It’ll come in safe, I’m just sure it will.” - -Tears sprang into his mother’s eyes and brimmed over, and Arne wished -earnestly that he had not spoken at all. He didn’t know whether to keep -still now or to try again, so he just put his arm around her and gave her -a quick, fervent hug. - -She swallowed hard, shook herself, and wiped her eyes fiercely. “There -now, Arne,” she said, hustling the dishes off the table. “Of course it -will come in.” And somehow she managed to smile. “Run to school now, boy. -Don’t be late.” - -When Arne came home at noon, a lunch was ready packed for him to take up -the mountain. He got out his flashlight and skis and put all the things -together. His mother tried to talk cheerfully of all these preparations -as they ate their lunch, but her sentences trailed off in a way not at -all like her. - -The boy’s heart was heavy as he left the house. He started for school, -then stopped and swung swiftly around. He’d go like lightning up the -cliff, and maybe he’d see Gustav’s ship. Then he’d ski down the slope and -tell his mother. He’d have time. He was starting back to school earlier -than usual. - -He hesitated just an instant. This was no day to be late. Then he set off -at full speed toward the cliff. - -He caught his breath in exultation as his glasses swept the angry, -heaving waves. It was beginning to snow, but in spite of that he could -see there was a ship far out—a ship that could be the _Stjerne_! But it -was much too far away for him to make sure. And yet he couldn’t bear to -leave in uncertainty. The minutes flew by as he stood there, too intent -on watching to think of anything else. - -Suddenly a bell far down below brought him up with a jerk. That was the -school bell. First bell, only. If he skied like mad, he might make it. - -But though he felt as if he were actually flying down the slope, the last -bell sounded loud and clear through the wintry air before he even reached -the schoolground. - -With all his heart Arne wished he didn’t have to go into that schoolroom. -But he knew he did. He paused for an instant at the door. Then he braced -himself and entered, his head erect but his cheeks crimson as he walked -quickly and quietly to his desk. - -There was an air of excitement in the room, and Herr Engstrand had -evidently been talking, for no books were open. Now he paused and waited -till Arne took his seat. - -“I am very sorry you chose to be late this noon, Arne,” he said, and -though his tone was stern, it did sound a little regretful, too. “I -dislike very much to keep you in today of all days, but you have been -warned and spoken to more than once. Get out your English grammar and do -the exercises on pages 63 and 64. Have them on my desk before you leave -the schoolroom. And now the rest of you may get your wraps and skis. -As I was beginning to explain, it has been decided on account of the -threatening snow that we start at once and get back before too late. The -afternoon session is excused.” - -Arne sent a stunned glance at Bergel. They were actually going to have a -half-holiday and go up the mountain. And they were leaving him out of -it. Her face, sorrowful and reproachful, didn’t make him feel any better. -In the flurry of leaving, she seemed very busy with one or two papers. -Then she gave him a long look and rose to go with the others. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -6 - - -As the other children trooped out, Arne pretended to be deep in his work. -Let them go then, and have a good time. What did they care about his -troubles? They didn’t have a brother out on the stormy sea and a worried -family at home. Let them go, and see if he cared! But he did care, -tremendously. There was a lump in his throat he couldn’t swallow. - -Bergel passed his seat and touched his shoulder gently. He shrugged off -her hand, but she slid it down toward his and left a piece of paper -there. He acted as if he didn’t see it, for he was hurt and disappointed -and angry. Probably just a note saying he should have been more careful. -He wouldn’t even look at it. - -The shouting and laughter died away at last, and Arne looked gloomily -down at his books. He felt more like crying than doing exercises. But of -course he was too big to do a thing like that. If only Herr Engstrand -had given him anything but English grammar to do! He must know how Arne -disliked that. Arithmetic, now—he could have got that done in a hurry and -maybe he could have caught up with the others. But English grammar! And -two long exercises! He’d never get those done. - -Suddenly he remembered another trip up the mountain—the summer trip, -when he had thought he would have to stay home to bale _lutfisk_. With -Gustav’s help, he had got that job done in time to go with the others. -No one was here to help him now, but perhaps he could get this job done -himself and follow the others. His usual hopefulness began to come to his -rescue. Herr Engstrand hadn’t said he couldn’t come on the trip. He had -only said he must finish the exercises before he left. - -Arne turned to his books in earnest, now. He knew how to do that first -sentence, anyway. Maybe this wasn’t such a hard exercise, after all. He -was half through it, his spirits rising as he worked, when his hopes fell -again. He didn’t know the way to the Utvig saeter, and he was well enough -acquainted with mountains to realize that a snowy day in December was no -time to strike out on unfamiliar ways. - -He gave a deep sigh and turned back to his work. No use to try to get it -done fast. It didn’t matter when he finished. But he went doggedly on, -and a sudden thought came to him. Bergel had certainly looked as if she -wanted to tell him something. He picked up the note, his face brightening -as he read: “Utvig saeter is above ours. Go up the Ahlness trail, then -take the left fork where there are three saeter cabins.” She had even -scrawled a little map. With fresh energy, Arne bent to his lesson. - -The schoolroom clock had ticked an hour away when the boy laid his -exercises on Herr Professor’s desk. He put on his skis, settled his -knapsack on his back, and set off on his trip up the mountain through the -falling snow. - -The boy felt confident and light-hearted as he hastened up toward his -uncle’s saeter. Though the familiar landmarks looked different in their -winter dress, he could recognize them without difficulty. He knew he was -making better time alone than the others could in a large company. As he -sped along he began to hope he might overtake them, or at least get there -in time to help bring in the greens. - -The snow, which fell heavily at first, began to slacken a little. He -managed to go along at a steady pace, but it seemed a long time before he -came out where Uncle Jens’s cabin faced the fjord. The little log house -looked forlorn with all its windows boarded over for winter, and Arne -was anxious to hurry on. Far out at sea he could detect the faint light -of a ship. He wondered if it could possibly be the _Stjerne_. - -The snow had stopped now, and strong winds blew in steadily from the -sea. Dusk had closed in, and Arne shivered as he stood there, not sure -how to go ahead. “Take the Ahlness trail,” Bergel’s note had said. There -was more than one path zigzagging about up here, he knew, but as far as -he could remember, there was only one good trail that led way up the -mountain. That must be the one. Those folks up there ahead must have left -plenty of tracks. But he had difficulty in finding them because of the -drifting snow. At last, however, with the aid of his flashlight, he did -manage to find some traces. - -If only Bergel had said how far it was! It seemed to Arne that the way -was much longer than he had expected it to be. Though he got out his -flashlight often, he didn’t see anything of three saeter cabins in a -cluster, to say nothing of a fork in the trail. The way was very steep in -places, and he did wish those tracks were plainer. - -And now he had come to a place where the snow was so drifted he couldn’t -see any tracks at all. He was uncertain what to do, which way to take, -and almost wished he had never started on this difficult journey alone. - -Then he looked up toward the mountain top, and just above it, where -the wind had ripped the clouds apart, he saw one bright star shining. -Christmas star again, thought Arne, and felt a little better. He pressed -on and at last came to the three small houses. Now for the fork in the -trail! - -But he could not make out any tracks in the drifted snow, and there -didn’t seem to be any real trail, though there was a break in the bushes -here. He’d start that way. But he hadn’t gone far when he was brought -up short by a great boulder in the way. This certainly could not be the -trail. He went back and started again, but this time a thicket of bushes -blocked the path. Perhaps, after all, he had come the wrong way. Perhaps -those three cabins were not the ones Bergel had meant. His heart was -thumping. What if he was lost in these mountains? - -He stood there straining his eyes in the gray darkness. If only he could -catch some gleam of the campfire! He could see no sign of light on the -dark mountain, but as he stood, trying to think of something he could do, -a familiar sound came down to him—a long-drawn blast that could only -come from a saeter horn. Someone was certainly sending him a signal, and -he felt sure it was Bergel. - -Arne stood still, trying to determine just where that call had come from. -As he waited, it came again, over and over. The star would be a good -guide now, for the horn’s blast had come from exactly that direction. -Now, a little to the left, he found a way through the thicket; with the -help of the horn and of his bright star, he forged steadily ahead. - -At last, to his great relief and delight, he caught sight of a glimmer of -light above him. Soon he began to hear voices in the distance—faint at -first, then louder. Now he could hear calls and shouts and laughter and -bits of song, and above all, the sound of the horn. - -In a few moments the full brightness of the campfire burst upon him. He -saw people scurrying about; but one small, valiant figure caught his eye -and warmed his heart. It was Bergel, standing in the firelight, the long -saeter horn at her lips. She blew a blast that Arne felt must be heard -clear down at Nordheim, and he almost felt like giving her a hug. Instead -he skied silently to her side and stood there grinning. “Calling someone, -Bergel?” he asked. - -“Arne!” she cried, and threw both arms around him. “Oh, I was so worried! -I knew you’d try to come, and then it snowed so hard for a while, and -drifted so, and you didn’t know the way. How did you ever manage to find -it?” Her tone showed plainly that she considered that quite a feat. - -[Illustration] - -“Well, you helped,” said Arne. He slipped away from her embrace, but his -voice was gentle. “And then I guess the Christmas star helped, too.” He -nodded to where the bright star shone among drifting clouds. - -“You see! Isn’t that a good sign?” said Bergel triumphantly. “And now -you’re in time to help with the greens, Arne. The boys have gone up there -just a little ways. Got your hunting knife?” - -“Do you suppose I’d come up here without it?” asked Arne. But he smiled -at her, and she smiled back before she turned to help with the supper. - -Everyone was glad to see Arne, though nobody said much about it. He -pulled his silver-handled hunting knife from the sheath at his belt and -was soon in the thick of the work, helping cut branches and put them in -bundles. - -In spite of himself, his respect for Herr Professor Engstrand increased -as he watched him directing and helping. The teacher had obtained -permission to take what they needed, and seemed to know exactly how to go -about getting it. When he climbed easily up a big tree, Arne could hardly -believe his eyes. Was this the same dignified man who didn’t seem to be -interested in anything but books and lessons and keeping order? - -Eager to do his part now that he was here, Arne went right up to a -treetop to get some specially fine branches with clusters of cones. When -he came nimbly down, he saw, with some dismay, that the other boys had -gone on and that only Herr Engstrand was at hand. He was probably in for -a good scolding now, but surely Herr Professor wouldn’t send him home -when he had toiled so hard to get up here alone. - -Arne started to run after the other boys, but the teacher took two or -three long strides, laid a hand on his shoulder, and turned him around. -“Just a minute, my boy,” he said. “I have something to say to you.” - -Arne’s heart seemed to go right down into his boots. “Yes, sir,” he -managed to mumble. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come, but I—well, I did -my exercises first, and I didn’t think you said—” His voice trailed -miserably off. - -“I didn’t say you shouldn’t come,” said the teacher in a matter-of-fact -tone. “In fact, I hoped you would, though I didn’t feel I could encourage -you to do so, in view of the weather and the distance. Of course I know -it takes more than a snowstorm to keep a Norwegian boy off a mountain. In -fact, people say mountains and snow are all a Norwegian needs for fun. -But I didn’t think you knew the way here.” - -“I didn’t really, but—” Arne began and then stopped short, uncertain and -embarrassed. He certainly could not tell Herr Professor about Bergel’s -note. How could he explain? - -Herr Engstrand was going on, “But your cousin told me—” He stopped so -long that Arne looked up and, to his great surprise, saw that his teacher -was smiling a little. “She is a conscientious little girl, as well as a -good pupil, and I think she felt she might not have done right. And then, -too, I think she began to get worried about you. So she told me about -leaving you the note. And I’ll admit we were all a little anxious when -you did not arrive.” - -“Those grammar exercises,” said Arne, with a gusty sigh. “They took quite -a while. But who thought of the saeter horn? That was a life-saver.” - -“It was Bergel who thought of that, and Froken Utvig found it for her. -Bergel told me something else, Arne. She told me why you had been late -those times. I should have been glad if you had told me yourself.” - -“You would?” exclaimed Arne in astonishment, and added, with complete -honesty, “I never thought of that.” - -Herr Engstrand dropped his hand from Arne’s shoulder. “I see,” was all he -said, but his voice made Arne think of the way he himself sometimes felt -when he tried very hard to do something and did not succeed. - -That tone made Arne want to mend matters, and he hurried on, “I didn’t -know you’d be interested, but I guess you are. So I want to tell you why -I was late this noon. Bergel didn’t know about that. I saw a ship way out -in the storm and I thought it might be Gustav’s. And from Uncle Jens’s -saeter I could still see the lights of a ship a good ways out.” - -“I see,” Herr Engstrand said again. But this time his tone was quite -different. “A ship would have a hard time making port in a sea like this.” - -Arne looked up at him in alarm. “Oh, Herr Professor Engstrand!” he -exclaimed. “Do you suppose—what if Gustav’s ship got nearly home only to -be dashed to pieces on the rocks?” - -“Of course the chances are it was not the _Stjerne_ at all,” said Herr -Engstrand. His voice was thoughtful. - -“Oh, I wish that wind would go down,” said Arne fervently. “There aren’t -even any stars out, now.” - -“Well, Arne, these Norwegian skippers know our coast pretty well, don’t -forget that. And from what I hear, Captain Olsen is a fine navigator. -Come, Bergel is blowing the horn again. That is the signal for supper.” - -Arne gathered with the others around the great fire piled high in the -kitchen fireplace. Froken Utvig and the girls had scrubbed a long -table, laid a bright cloth over it, and spread it with gaily-decorated -sandwiches and cakes. Everyone was hungry and ready for the good food and -the singing. - -There were Christmas songs first, and folk songs followed. Then everyone -stood to sing the national anthem: - - “_Yes, we love with fond devotion_ - _Norway’s mountain domes,_ - _Rising storm-lashed o’er the ocean_ - _With their thousand homes._” - -“‘Storm-lashed’ is right,” thought Arne. But he loved the fine old -anthem, just as the others did, and joined in the singing with all his -heart. - -“I think those songs all but lifted the roof,” said Froken Utvig, -smiling. “But now, as it is still snowy and drifting, and the wind is -strong, we had better start home.” - -Everyone hurried about—putting out the fire, getting things in order. -Arne was as busy as anyone, but he couldn’t help thinking about the -_Stjerne_. What if she was tossing about out there, very close to the -rocky shore, driven by the wind? What if Gustav should be almost in port, -only to have his ship go down tonight? - -His face was troubled as he bent to fasten his skis, but he looked up -quickly as Herr Professor came over to him and said, “Arne, I want you -to help me with some of these greens. Can you carry a load as big as -this, do you think? We’ll fasten it on your back if you can.” - -Ordinarily Arne would have been proud of such a request, for the load -was a large one. But tonight he had planned to rush ahead with all speed -and see if it could be possible that his brother’s ship had come in. He -couldn’t make much time with such a load. But he could do nothing but -answer, “Yes, sir, I can.” - -“Good boy,” said Herr Engstrand. “Now, Arne, I want you to stay behind -with me just a little. I have one or two things to do.” - -“Yes, sir,” said Arne, but his disappointment showed so plainly that Herr -Professor said, “What is it, boy?” - -“It’s my brother’s ship, sir,” said Arne, in a low tone. “I thought she -might have come in. I wanted to—” - -“Yes, yes, I see. Well, Arne, that’s why I want you to stay behind. An -idea has occurred to me—a way you and I may be able to help your brother. -I have told Froken Utvig to let some of the big boys guide the party.” - -“Yes, sir,” said Arne again, but this time he was thoroughly puzzled. How -could he and Herr Engstrand up here on the mountain possibly be of any -help to Gustav out there on the stormy sea? - - - - -[Illustration] - -7 - - -There was a good deal of laughter as the boys divided the greens and -arranged the loads on their backs. Then away they went, singing and -shouting, the girls insisting on carrying some of the smaller branches -with especially fine cones. - -How Arne wished that he could be a member of the merry group! He wanted -to get down to Nordheim fast, and it seemed to him that Herr Engstrand -was taking a good deal of time over things that were not necessary. - -But once the others were out of sight, the teacher said, “Now, Arne, full -speed ahead down to your uncle’s saeter. The wind is getting higher. It -feels to me as if it’s going to snow again, and we’ve got work to do, you -and I.” - -Arne was more puzzled than ever. What work could they possibly have to do -up here? But Herr Engstrand was skiing down the mountain with a speed -that Arne found hard to follow. When he reached Uncle Jens’s saeter, Herr -Engstrand was already there, playing his flashlight all around the little -clearing. - -From the high point near the cliff, the boy could see lights moving out -on the open sea leading to the fjord. “Looks as if a ship’s in trouble -out there,” he said anxiously. “Are we going on down, sir?” - -“No, here’s where we stop, Arne. Let us make a big fire, you and I, and -keep it going to give a signal to that ship. They can tell from the -height that this is the cliff, and if I’m not mistaken, they’ll know the -harbor is below here.” - -“Oh, that’s the plan!” exclaimed Arne. It was such a good one, and yet so -simple, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it himself. Neither of them -said much; but they worked fast, and a fire was soon started near the -edge of the cliff. - -“Now, Arne,” said Herr Engstrand, “we will pile our boughs on this and -make a big blaze right away while we collect more.” - -“So that’s why you wanted me to take such a big load!” said Arne. “And -you took a lot more than I did, even.” - -“I wanted to get this thing going right away. There!” He threw his bundle -on the fire. “Pitch yours on, Arne.” - -Arne threw his pine boughs on and watched with satisfaction as they burst -into a great blaze. - -“Now we must collect plenty of fuel, Arne. I have my small hatchet, of -course. And you have your hunting knife. We must keep this fire burning -high and bright. Then we’ll watch to see what happens out there.” - -Arne did a good deal of thinking as he dragged in branches and twigs. -This wasn’t a bit like the Herr Professor who had been so stern and -strict and had seemed interested only in lessons. This was really -smart—like something Gustav himself might have thought of. He’d like -to tell Herr Professor so, but even now he could not quite get up his -courage to do that. But when they had collected a large pile of wood and -were standing by the fire watching those lights out at sea, he did manage -to ask, “Herr Professor, how did you happen to think of doing this?” - -“Well, Arne, I was a commando in the war,” Herr Engstrand said quietly. - -“A commando!” gasped Arne. - -“Yes. We learned to think of all sorts of ways to do things in -emergencies. More than once we guided a vessel safely to port just this -way.” - -“A commando! That’s what Gustav wanted to be. But he wasn’t quite old -enough. He says they learned everything, just about.” - -“Well, we did learn a lot of things. For one thing, we learned to obey -orders fast and to the letter.” He paused for a moment and went on, -more as if he were thinking aloud than speaking to his companion, “But -schoolboys aren’t commandos, and I don’t suppose you can expect—” He -broke off and looked at Arne with a quizzical expression. - -Arne was standing very straight, his eyes eager and alert as he looked -back at Herr Engstrand. “Oh, sir, but I think you can expect us to—” He -stopped as if he had just remembered something. “From now on,” he said -emphatically, “I’m sure you can expect that.” - -“I believe I can, Arne,” said Herr Professor. - -His voice was serious; but it was friendly, too, and now Arne did not -find it very hard to muster courage to say, “All the boys would like to -know about your being a commando. The girls, too. Couldn’t you—wouldn’t -you tell them about that? We’d all be interested.” - -“You would?” In the firelight, Arne could see that his teacher was -smiling a little. “I had an idea school was for lessons. But maybe there -are several kinds of lessons. And now, Arne, up and at ’em. More wood!” - -Arne rushed off, but this time he had new hope. He was working with -a commando! And the commandos had got out of all sorts of dangerous -situations. Herr Engstrand seemed confident that Captain Olsen and Gustav -would do the same thing and bring the _Stjerne_ in safely. - -Each time they returned to the fire, they stopped to watch the ship -struggling out there against the wind. Then they dashed back to work -harder than ever. It was not easy to collect enough fuel in the snow, but -both of them worked with a will. - -At last Arne said hopefully, “I think she’s making progress out there, -sir.” - -“Yes, looks as if she’s making for the channel. Come on, Arne. We have to -keep the fire high and bright now.” - -When they returned the next time, Arne gave a great shout. “She’s coming -in! She’s coming in! Oh, if she can just hold her course, she’ll be safe.” - -“Yes, she’s making headway all right. Looks as if it could be the -_Stjerne_, Arne.” - -Arne fairly flew off to get more wood, his heart beating so hard he -couldn’t even talk. This time, when they came back to the fire, there -was no doubt about it. “She’s past the barrier now, and moving into the -channel,” said Herr Professor. - -“Oh, Herr Professor!” Arne shouted, and in his exuberance he snatched -off his cap and threw it so high it almost came down in the fire. “It’s -Gustav’s ship! It’s Gustav’s ship, safe and sound. I know it is.” - -“How would you like to start down, Arne, and be there on the dock to -greet your brother? Everybody will be there, and I know you’d like to be -on hand with the others.” - -“Oh, boy!” cried Arne joyfully. “Oh, boy!” But then he looked quickly at -the teacher. “But we couldn’t leave the fire, could we? They still need -it, don’t they? This is about as important a time as any, isn’t it?” - -“Yes, we have to keep it going till we’re sure they’re safe. But I could -manage to tend it alone now, if you’d like to get started down.” - -Arne hesitated just a moment. He wanted dreadfully to be right down there -on the dock when the _Stjerne_ came in. But then he shook his head. “No,” -he said. “One commando would never walk out on another. I’m going to help -keep this fire going.” - -“Good boy, Arne. I think your brother would like that,” said Herr -Professor. There was an expression of such approval and pleasure on his -face that Arne’s cheeks flamed and he looked away, feeling very happy. -“We’ll both work hard, then; and we’re pretty fast on our skis. We’ll go -down a lot faster than we came up. The ship won’t beat us in by much.” - -In the very midst of gathering his next load of wood, Arne stopped and -laughed right out loud. “I’ve thought of something, Herr Professor!” -he cried. “I’ve thought of how I can get down there fast—just like a -commando. We can keep the fire going as long as necessary, and I can -still beat the ship to the dock.” - -“And how are you going to do that, Arne?” - -“I can go right down the wires Uncle Jens arranged to let the milk and -stuff down the cliff. Gustav did that last summer when he saw Torger -Blessom’s boat overturned.” He hesitated a moment. “I was wishing then I -had the nerve to do it.” - -“And now you have!” said Herr Professor with a nod. “You’ll need rope for -that, Arne.” - -“Yes, there’s one up here. I know where it’s kept. And can’t we sort of -bundle me up in greens, a little?” - -“Yes, and you’ll need something more than mittens to put on your hands -to keep them from getting cut.” - -“Yes, Gustav wound a lot of cloth around his, I remember that. And I know -where Aunt Tina keeps some rags we can use. One good thing—there’s plenty -of snow at the foot of the cliff; so I should make a good landing.” - -Herr Engstrand laughed. “Arne, I see plainly you’ve got the makings of -a first-rate commando!” he said. “You’ve got good Viking blood. Your -brother is going to be proud of you. We’ll send you right down those -wires to welcome him, all right.” - -“She’s coming in! She’s coming in, Herr Professor! Here she comes, the -Christmas _Star_! She doesn’t look very big, way down there!” - -“No, we usually think of a Christmas star high above us in the heavens, -instead of far below us on the water,” said Herr Professor. - -“I guess a Christmas star isn’t out of place anywhere, is it?” said Arne. -“The _Stjerne_ is sure going to look good to us in that harbor. We won’t -need to bring in many more loads now, will we?” - -The fire on the cliff blazed high, and the two worked fast to keep it -replenished. The ship came closer and closer to port; and at last Herr -Engstrand said, “They don’t need our fire any more, Arne. The lights of -the town will be enough. Now we’ll get you ready, and down you go!” - -Both of them worked fast to get Arne ready for his journey down. Herr -Engstrand made sure the rope was safe and strong before he tied the loop -in which Arne was to sit. Soon the boy was bundled up in greens, his -hands well wrapped. Herr Professor settled him securely in the rope sling. - -“I’ll hold as tight as I can at first,” he said. “But once you get going, -you’ll have a fast ride. Ready now? Here you go, down the wires to meet -the Christmas _Star_!” - -“Ready!” Arne managed to say, but his mouth was dry, and when he tried to -swallow it seemed to him his heart was right up in his throat. The lights -of Nordheim looked far, far below him. - -Then Herr Professor gave him a little push and started him downward. Arne -knew his teacher was holding the rope as firmly as possible, but the -sling went in jerks along the wires. Probably they were rusty. What if -they should break? The rope, too! It had been used all summer long. It -might be a little frayed. What if it should break, with all this jerking? - -Then he remembered how Gustav had thrown his weight first one way and -then another to steady his progress. He tried to do the same now, and he -began to go faster and more smoothly. - -Once fairly started, it was a swift, breathless ride Arne had down those -wires. Fast as he was used to going on skis and sleds, he had never had -such a ride as this. The blood pounded in his ears as he rushed through -the air toward the foot of the cliff. - -He hoped fervently that there would be a good, deep snowdrift where he -landed. There was! In another instant, Arne, encased in greens, his hands -bound with rags, plumped right into the midst of a great drift. - -He heard the deep, throaty blast of the ship and a loud cheer from the -people who had gathered on the dock. He struggled and pushed, trying to -get free. After all he had gone through, here he was stuck in a drift. -And the _Stjerne_ was almost in port. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -8 - - -Arne managed to struggle out of the snowdrift at last, and to get free of -the rope, but even then he could not rid himself of the greens nor the -rags so firmly tied about his hands. But he was determined not to miss -meeting that ship, even if he had to roll all the way to the dock. Once -he got there, someone would help him out of his strange trimmings. What -if he did look like a combination snowdrift and walking Christmas tree? - -It was Bergel who saw him coming. She gave a scream of alarm and then -burst into laughter as Arne shouted, “It’s just me—Arne!” - -She flew to his rescue, and Mother hurried to him too, and Margret and -Besta. He soon stood free of his greens and rags, explaining a little in -quick, eager sentences. But there was scant time for explanation, for the -_Stjerne’s_ bells were ringing, her whistle was blowing, and she was in -port. - -All of them rushed to be right there when Gustav came down the gangplank. -Then there was excitement and joy, talk and laughter, and even happy -tears. - -“I want to hear everything, Gustav—what happened—tell us all about it!” -cried Arne, rushing at his brother. - -“Wait now,” said his mother. “Gustav, we have such a supper for you! -Uncle Jens and all are coming over. It is enough now we have you safe -home. We will hear the story at supper.” - -[Illustration] - -What a story Gustav had to tell—a story of storms, of a ship for a time -fairly sheeted with ice. He told of the injury to the engines, of the -radio going bad, of a struggling trip home, then another storm when they -were almost there. - -“It was a big fire on the cliff that helped us—perhaps really saved us,” -he said. “We were trying to stay away from shore, the winds out there -were so violent. Then this fire guided us in. I wonder who made that -fire.” - -“Arne did that,” said Bergel proudly. “Arne and Herr Professor Engstrand.” - -“Of course it was his idea,” Arne said modestly. And the little company -listened in wonder as he explained how Herr Engstrand had thought of the -plan and they had worked together to carry it out. - -“That was smart, Arne, really smart!” said Gustav. “I want to know this -Herr Professor of yours. He must have had confidence in you, too, to have -you help like that. It was a big job, and a good one.” - -Arne hadn’t thought of that idea, and it pleased him enormously. - -“Do you like our Herr Engstrand better now, Arne?” asked Bergel. - -“Like him!” cried Arne. “A commando like that—someone who knew just -the right thing to do? Of course I like him. Not many boys have such a -teacher!” - -His mother smiled at him. She had a feeling there wouldn’t be much -trouble about school from now on. “I think we must ask Herr Professor -here to share our Christmas Eve,” she said. “I believe he is far from his -home.” - -Christmas preparations were redoubled now. There were only a few days -left, and work had lagged a little of late. Mother and Besta and Margret -cleaned and baked and cooked from morning till night. - -Arne was very thankful he had stuck at his shipmaking in spite of -everything. Those ships would all be ready in time. He had only a little -more painting to finish. His big problem now was how to get them on the -Christmas tree without having everyone find out about them. - -Mother and Besta and Margret always trimmed the tree. It stood in the -best room; the door was shut, and Mother kept her eye on it. Arne -certainly didn’t see how he was going to get those ships hung. - -This year Uncle Jens’s family was to share Christmas Eve with them. Arne -knew Signe and Bergel were bringing some new tree ornaments they had -made—little straw goats, such as _Julenissen_ was supposed to ride. -These would be entrusted to Mother. But Arne couldn’t do that with his -ships. They were to be a surprise for everyone. - -The night before Christmas Eve he was still turning the problem over in -his mind when he went to bed, and he stayed awake at least ten minutes, -thinking it over. When he awoke the next morning, the solution had come -to him. It was so simple he laughed out loud. He should have thought of -that right away. He would take Gustav into his confidence, and after the -tree was trimmed they would somehow smuggle in the little ships and hang -them all over the tree. - -Gustav agreed readily to this plan. “Say, I want to see those ships,” he -said, and to Arne’s pleasure insisted on going out to the workshop then -and there. “These are good, Arne,” he said, picking up one and another. -“Really good.” - -Arne was pleased yet a little shy, too, at the praise. “I did them mostly -for you,” he said, “and when you were so late coming it was awfully hard -to keep at them.” - -Gustav nodded. “I can believe that all right, boy, but I’m glad you -stuck,” he said, and his dark eyes were softer than usual. “You -practically built Norway a new merchant fleet here.” - -“Now how are we going to get them in there, Gustav?” asked Arne. - -“We’ll smuggle them in while the womenfolk are busy about supper. You’ll -have them all bundled up ready, won’t you? We may have to make a foray in -through the parlor window.” - -“Commando raid!” said Arne with a grin. - -Gustav grinned back and rumpled Arne’s hair so that it stuck up even more -than usual. “That’s right. And on defenseless womenfolk at that. Now I’d -say late this afternoon would be about right. How does that strike you?” - -Arne chuckled. “About the time Father fires off the gun that tells us -it’s Christmas Eve. You and I will be putting up the sheaves of grain for -the birds, and it will give us a good chance to get away.” - -“You’ve got the idea, boy! And there’s lots to do between then and now.” - -There was plenty to do indeed. Mother was calling Arne even as he came -out of the workshop. She had many errands for him, but her voice was so -happy Arne felt he wouldn’t mind running his legs off. Anyway, Christmas -errands were always fun. - -There were baskets of good things to be carried to half a dozen houses. -Mother delighted especially in remembering anyone less fortunate than -themselves at Christmas time. And Arne went with Father to get the smoked -and pickled herring that was a favorite part of the _koltbord_ feast. - -It was fun, too, to dash in and out of the kitchen where mutton was -roasting for the Christmas Eve supper, where the _lutfisk_ was soaking -ready to be simmered and drenched with butter, where everything was in -the most delightful bustle of preparation. - -But whatever he was doing, his mind was not far from those ships he must -get ready to smuggle into the parlor. It was well into the afternoon -before he could find an opportunity to get out to the workshop. He worked -fast yet carefully, grinning to himself as he bundled up the little ships. - -Gustav was busy with affairs of his own, back and forth to the dock -many times. Once Arne saw him whisk around the corner of the house with -a large crated affair that made the boy’s hopes go way up. Could it be -possible that the _Stjerne_ had brought him his longed-for bicycle? That -might mean he could take a holiday jaunt next summer, up the fjords and -through the mountain valleys with some of the other boys. Herr Professor -Engstrand was planning to conduct such a trip, he knew, and wouldn’t it -be wonderful if he could go along? - -His work was done now, and a good thing, too, for Mother was calling him -to scrub himself thoroughly and get into his new Christmas clothes. - -He was just ready when it was time for Father to fire that Christmas -salute. Then Gustav was calling him, and together they went to the barn -to get the two sheaves of grain that were ready to be put up on poles for -the birds. To Arne’s annoyance, Margret for once insisted on helping with -that. She ought to know it was men’s work. Perhaps it was because she was -so glad to have Gustav safe home that she wanted to be with him more than -usual. Arne looked at his brother in despair. How could they manage about -those ships if Margret stuck with them? - -But he could see Gustav wasn’t worried, just amused; so he dropped his -own worries and enjoyed the little ceremony as much as the others did. - -“I think Mother’s looking for you, Margret,” said Gustav, when the birds -were swooping down on their feast. Margret picked up her full holiday -skirts and ran to the house, while Gustav winked at Arne. - -“It was all right, Arne. I did see Mother looking out and beckoning,” -he said, as they hurried off to the workshop. “Now, boy, we work fast. -You’ve got the bundle ready, I see. Good!” - -In a twinkling he was around the house, Arne at his heels, and through -the parlor window, taking care not to muss those stiff white curtains. -Without a word he brought out a very small pocket flashlight, and Arne -had hard work not to giggle as they hung the little ships all around the -tree. - -It was done so fast that Arne could hardly believe they had finished the -job, but in another moment they were safely around the corner of the -house and sauntering in at the kitchen door. - -“Just in time,” said Besta. “Light the candles, you two. I see the folks -coming, Herr Engstrand from one direction and Uncle Jens and his family -from the other.” - -Soon the Christmas greeting of “_God Jul_” sounded through the house, and -the guests assembled at that bountiful Christmas Eve table. - -Christmas Eve supper was a wonderful meal, but Arne and Bergel could -hardly wait for the parlor doors to open. Bergel was thinking of the -straw goats she had helped Signe make, and Arne was anxious to hear what -the others would say when they saw the boats. Perhaps some of them found -it almost as hard to wait as Bergel and Arne did. When little Knut -slipped down from the table and went straight to that mysterious door, -Mother and Father rose from the table. - -That was the signal for everybody to stand up. Father went over to throw -the door open. - -There stood the tree in the lovely glow of candlelight—straw goats, -ships, and all. - -Arne was sure they had never had a prettier tree. There were all sorts of -delighted comments. But Mother said, “Why, look at those ships! Where did -those lovely things come from? Did you bring them, Gustav?” - -“Arne’s the lad who gets the credit for those. He made them all by -himself—one for every person here, from Knut up. How’s that for a good -surprise!” - -Arne stood there, his cheeks red, his eyes shining. No one could quite -believe he had done it, and everyone was even more surprised than he had -hoped. - -“That took patience as well as skill,” said Herr Engstrand. And perhaps -that quiet comment was the one that pleased Arne most of all. - -The straw goats were admired, too, and the other ornaments the girls had -made. Then it was time for the gifts. - -There was a beautiful hand-knit blue and red sweater for Arne, with -mittens to match and fine socks for skiing. But when Father trundled a -bicycle out from behind the tree straight toward him, Arne could hardly -see anything else. - -Bergel was exclaiming in delight over a small and lovely tea set. And all -the others were just as pleased with their gifts. - -In the excitement, Gustav went quietly out of the room, and even Arne did -not notice him. He was eagerly examining his bicycle, turning the wheels, -feeling the pedals, noting every detail of handlebar and seat, headlight -and horn and luggage carrier. - -“Herr Professor, do you think I might be big enough to go on that trip -you’re going to conduct next summer?” he asked eagerly. “Now that I have -my bicycle?” - -“You’re big enough to suit me. But let’s see what your father says.” - -“We will wait to hear what _Julenissen_ says,” answered Herr Dalen, his -eyes twinkling. “If he seems to think you’re a good boy—” He broke off as -a great noise was heard in the hallway and a pair of astonishing figures -burst in. - -Everyone laughed and clapped, for here was _Julenissen_ himself, with -his pointed red cap and long whiskers. He was larger than _Julenissen_ -really should be, for his feet touched the ground as he bestrode the -straw-trimmed goat, _Julebuken_. But no one minded that, and everyone -screamed and laughed and tried to get out of his way. - -There seemed to be no bad children in the Dalen relationship, for -_Julebuken_ stamped about the room without bumping anyone. He went so -fast, _Julenissen_ had hard work to keep up with him, and soon the lively -pair were on their way again, _Julenissen_ explaining, in a voice very -like Gustav’s, that this was a busy night. - -“I didn’t get bumped, Father!” cried Arne. - -“Must be _Julenissen_ thinks you are a good boy, then,” said his father -gravely, though his eyes twinkled. “I guess that means there’s a summer -trip ahead for you, Arne.” - -[Illustration] - -And now Mother and Besta brought out the special treat of Yule porridge—a -delicate rice pudding made with spices and milk. Gustav, his hair -somewhat rumpled, was there eating with the others. - -“We mustn’t forget the bowl for _Julenissen_,” said Arne, with a sidewise -grin at his brother. - -“No, he likes that,” said Gustav soberly, and took another helping. - -There would be Christmas songs and games to follow, but first Father read -the Christmas story. At the beginning, Arne’s mind was so full of his -bicycle he could scarcely pay attention. But then a few of the beautiful, -familiar words caught his ear. - -“‘When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy,’” -Father was reading. - -Why, that’s exactly what they had done, right up here in Nordheim. - -Arne thought of the star that had helped guide him to safety on the -mountain. And he remembered what Bergel had said when he was so worried -about Gustav. “The Christmas _Star_ has always come in safe and sure,” -she had said. - -Why, of course. The Christmas star was always safe and sure. And wherever -you saw it, it brought “exceeding great joy.” Arne drew a sigh of deep -content and settled to listen. This was really Christmas. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ARNE AND THE CHRISTMAS -STAR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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