It was summer time, when the pea shells grew long and green in
the garden. Little Lasse crept into the pea bed where the pea
stalks rose high above his cap, and he picked seventeen large
shells, the longest and straightest he could find.

Little Lasse thought, perhaps, that no one saw him; but that was
foolish, for God sees everywhere.

Then the gardener came with his gun over his shoulder, and he
heard something rustling in the pea bed.

'I think that must be a sparrow,' he said. 'Ras! Ras!' but no
sparrows flew out, for Little Lasse had no wings, only two small
legs. 'Wait! I will load my gun and shoot the sparrows,' said the
gardener.

Then Little Lasse was frightened, and crept out on to the path.

'Forgive me, dear gardener!' he said. 'I wanted to get some fine
boats.'

'Well, I will this time,' said the gardener. 'But another time
Little Lasse must ask leave to go and look for boats in the pea
bed.'

'I will,' answered Lasse; and he went off to the shore. Then he
opened the shells with a pin, split them carefully in two, and
broke small little bits of sticks for the rowers' seats. Then he
took the peas which were in the shells and put them in the boats
for cargo. Some of the shells got broken, some remained whole,