to
you about God and Holy Scripture. For he can preach too--like the
devil!"

Lars Peter stared hopelessly. "I've heard that he and his wife hold
some kind of meetings, but we've never been; we don't care much for
that sort of thing. Not that we're unbelievers, but so far we've
found it best to mind our own affairs, and leave the Lord to look
after His."

"We don't go either, but then Rasmus drinks--ay, ay, you'll go
through it all yourself. And here am I sitting gossiping instead of
getting home." She went home to get supper ready for the doddering
idiot.

They sat silent for a few minutes. Then Ditte said: "If only we'd
gone to some other place!"

"Oh, things are never as black as they're painted! And I don't feel
inclined to leave my money and everything behind me," answered Lars
Peter.

CHAPTER XI

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Now that the children were surrounded by people, they felt as if
they lived in an ant-hill. The day was full of happenings, all
equally exciting--and the most exciting of it all was their fear of
the "ogre." Suddenly, when they were playing hide-and-seek amongst
the boats, or sat riding on the roof of the engine-house, he would
appear, his long arms grasping the air, and if he caught hold of one
of them, they would get something else to add to their fear. His
breath smelt of raw meat, the children declared; they did not make
him out better than he was. To run away from him, with their hearts
thumping, gave zest to their existence.

And when they lay in bed at night listening, they heard sounds in
the house, which did not come from any of their people. Then came
steps in stocking-feet up in the attic, and they would look towards
Ditte. Kristian knew what it meant, and they buried their heads
underneath the bedclothes, whispering. It was Jacob, the fisherman,
creeping about upstairs, listening to what they said. He always
stole about, trying to find out from the talk a certain _word_ he
could use to drive the devil out of the inn-keeper. The children
worried over the question, because he had promised them sixpence if
they could discover the word. And from the other side of the wall,
they could hear the old grandmother's cough. She had dropsy, which
made her fatter and fatter outside, but was hollow within. She
coughed up her inside.

The son was on a long voyage, and seldom came home; but each time he
returned, he found one of the children dead and his wife with a new
baby to make