crammed it into his mouth and went on until all his face was thickly
covered and he lay powerless. Then they planted his star beside him in
the snow and began to turn and sing to the echo:

_A, a, a_--glory be to Him on high to-day!
_E, e, e_--upon earth peace there shall be!
_I, i, i_--come and see with your own eye!
_O, o, o_--His little bed of straw below!

Like a flash, Mad Wanne shot past, yelling and shrieking. Wulf flung his
stick against her legs. She waved her arms under her cloak and vanished
in the dark.

The three men sat down by the ditch and laughed full-throated. Then they
started for the village. Long it rang:

Three Kings came out of the East;
'Twas to comfort Mary ...

Great white flakes fell from the starry sky, wriggled and swarmed, one on
top of the other.

* * * * *

LOAFING

* * * * *

IV