"Well answered, my girl!" said the soldier-teacher. "It's lucky for
you sexton pupils there was one among you could reply; for, with
all your cock-sureness, you were about to lose the game."

And such peals of laughter as went up from the children of both
schools and from the grown folk as well, the two schoolmasters had
never heard. Some of the youngsters had to stand up to have their
laugh out, while others doubled in their seats, and shrieked. That
put an end to all order.

"Now I think we'd better remove the benches and take a swing round
the Christmas trees," said old man Tyberg.

And never before had they had such fun in the schoolhouse, and
never since, either.


FISHING

It would hardly have been possible for any one to be as fond of the
little girl as her father was; but it may be truly said that she
had a very good friend in old seine-maker Ola.

This is the way they came to be friends: Glory Goldie had taken to
setting out fishing-poles in the brook for the small salmon-trout
that abounded there. She had better luck with her fishing than any
one would have expected, and the very first day she brought home a
couple of spindly fishes.

She was elated over her success, as can be imagined, and received