she could not eat.

Then the old woman was well wrapped up, and Lars Peter lifted them
into the cart. Granny was put on the seat by his side, while Ditte,
who was to have sat on the fodder-bag at the back, placed herself at
their feet, for company. Lars took up the reins, pulled them
tightly, and loosened them again; having done this several times,
the old nag started with a jerk, which almost upset their balance,
and off they went into the country.

It was glorious sunshine. Straight ahead the rolling downs lay
bathed in it--and beyond, the country with forest and hill. It all
looked so different from the cart, than when walking with bare feet
along the road; all seemed to curtsey to Ditte, hills and forests
and everything. She was not used to driving, and this was the first
time she had driven in state and looked down on things. All those
dreary hills that on other days stretched so heavily and
monotonously in front of her, and had often been too much for her
small feet, today lay down and said: "Yes, Ditte, you may drive over
us with pleasure!" Granny did not share in all this, but she could
feel the sun on her old back and was quite in holiday mood.

The old nag took its own time, and Lars Peter Hansen had no
objection. He sat the whole time lightly touching it with his whip,
a habit of his, and one without which the horse could not proceed.
Should he stop for one moment, while pointing with his whip at the
landscape, it would toss its head with impatience and look
back--greatly to Ditte's enjoyment.

"Can't it gallop at all?" asked she, propping herself up between his
knees.

"Rather, just you wait and see!" answered Lars Peter Hansen proudly.
He pulled in the reins, but the nag only stopped, turned round, and
looked at him with astonishment. For each lash of the whip, it threw
up its tail and sawed the air with its head. Ditte's little body
tingled with enjoyment.

"'Tisn't in the mood today," said Lars Peter Hansen, when he had at
last got it into its old trot again. "It thinks it's a fraud to
expect it to gallop, when it's been taking such long paces all the
time."

"Did it say that?" asked Ditte, her eyes traveling from the one to
the other.

"That's what it's supposed to mean. It's not far wrong."

Long paces it certainly did take--about that there was no
mistake--but never two of equal length, and the cart was rolling in
a zigzag all the time. What a funny horse it was. It looked as if it
was m