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SKETCHES. 387
disposed towards his step-mother, which she had hitherto in
vain tried to overcome by kindness.
Anders was in the house like a dark cloud; he was al-
ways dissatisfied, and rude in his language. This was a
great trouble to the mother. And especially this evening,
when she had determined, for the sake of the festival and
the children, to get rid of all anxious thoughts, just this
evening they crowded round her thickly, thickly as the
snow-flakes upon the pine-tree, and whenever she tried to
shake them off, look — they were there again, worse than
before, and seemed almost to crush her down.
But the children, little Pehr and Maja, they could not
think of any thing unpleasant, not they.
“ Oh, but look at the Kuse, Maja! see how he stares at
you with his large black eyes! take care, he will butt at
you if you touch him. He says: If you come near me, I
will butt you with my long, long horns!”
“Oh, do you think that he will butt? Do you think
that he really lives? Oh, how nice the soup smells! Is
it not soon ready, mother? And may we not soon go to
May-rose and Doll and let them look at the star and taste
of Christmas?”
Yes, all right; the soup was ready and lifted from the
fire. And the mother lit the candle in the lantern, and
round the candle was put a beautiful star made of yellow
paper, which was illuminated by the candle, and which
again illuminated the candle. And the children got each
a small loaf of bread, and the mother filled a large stone-
jar with new Christmas ale, and so they went off to the
cow-house to let the cattle know that it was Yule.
For it is the custom everywhere in the country, in
Sweden, to let the cattle also have the benefit of Christ-
mas, which is both right and good. For every creature
upon earth ought to rejoice at the birth of Him who gives
new life to the world, and who sent out His Apostles, say-
ing to them: “ Preach the gospel to all creatures.”
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