romping, gazing fixedly with his large, wondering eyes upon the floor.

"What see'st thou, little one?"

The child pointed to the door and Crescimir saw two small streams of
white, foamy water pouring in from each side, and the floor was covered.
Crescimir quickly placed the Christchild on the table and started to
open the door, but before he reached it, the house trembled as if in an
earthquake shock and the door fell back into the room with a loud crash,
while a volume of seething water washed over it almost throwing him down
with its terrible force. The water poured in little jets through the
cracks in the walls and rushing into the fireplace put out the flames
and left the room in total darkness.

The water rose rapidly and by the time that Crescimir had grasped the
form of his little guest and opening one of the windows had drawn
himself with his charge upon the roof, the flood had reached the upper
sashes.

The cabin swayed to and fro and every moment seemed about to be carried
from its foundations. The Christchild made no sound of fear and
Crescimir could not see his face, yet he held the long hemlock branch
tightly in his little hand.

The roof was firmly built of logs and planks so in case the house fell
it could be used as a raft and Crescimir exerting all his strength
pulled from the sides the flat boards which held it fixed to the cabin.

As the flood rose higher, he took the Christchild and lying down in the
middle of the roof held on firmly.