sed the house yard he heard a door slam.

"That shed door has blown open again," he thought, and went over to
close it.

A moment later he stood by the shed and was just going to shut the door,
when he heard a rustling within.

The boy, who had watched his opportunity, had run directly to the shed,
where he left the animals, but they were no longer out in the rain: A
strong wind had long since thrown open the door and helped them to get a
roof over their heads. The patter which the master heard was occasioned
by the boy running into the shed.

By the light of the lantern the man could see into the shed. The whole
floor was covered with sleeping cattle. There was no human being to be
seen; the animals were not bound, but were lying, here and there, in the
straw.

He was enraged at the intrusion and began storming and shrieking to
rouse the sleepers and drive them out. But the creatures lay still and
would not let themselves be disturbed. The only one that rose was an old
horse that came slowly toward him.

All of a sudden the man became silent. He recognized the beast by its
gait. He raised the lantern, and the horse came over and laid its head
on his shoulder. The master patted and stroked it.

"My old horsy, my old horsy!" he said. "What have they done to you? Yes,
dear, I'll buy you back. You'll never again have to leave this place.
You shall do whatever you like, horsy mine! Those whom you have brought
with you may remain here, but you shall come with me to the stable. Now
I can give you all the oats you are able to eat, without having to
smuggle them. And you're not all used up, either! The handsomest horse
on the church knoll--that's what you shall be once more! There, there!
There, there!"

THE BREAKING UP OF THE ICE

_Thursday, April twenty-eighth_.

The following day the weather was clear and beautiful. There was a
strong west wind; people were glad of that, for it dried up the roads,
which had been soaked by the heavy rains of the day before.

Early in the morning the two Smaland children, Osa, the goose girl, and
little Mats, were out on the highway leading from Soermland to Naerke. The
road ran alongside the southern shore of Hjaelmar Lake and the children
were walking along looking at the ice, which covered the greater part of
it. The morning sun darted its clear rays upon the ice, which did not
look dark and forbidding, like most spring ice, but sparkled temptingly.
As far as they could se