“The boy willingly assented, so the girl went with the reindeer to the mountains.

“The herd yearned for the good pastures there, and every day tramped long distances to feed on the moss.  There was not time to pitch tents.  The children had to lie on the snowy ground and sleep when the reindeer stopped to graze.  The girl often sighed and complained of being so tired that she must turn back to the valley.  Nevertheless she went along to avoid being left without human companionship.

“When they reached the highlands the boy pitched a tent for the girl on a pretty hill that sloped toward a mountain brook.

“In the evening he lassoed and milked the reindeer, and gave the girl milk to drink.  He brought forth dried reindeer meat and reindeer cheese, which his people had stowed away on the heights when they were there the summer before.

“Still the girl grumbled all the while, and was never satisfied.  She would eat neither reindeer meat nor reindeer cheese, nor would she drink reindeer milk.  She could not accustom herself to squatting in the tent or to lying on the ground with only a reindeer skin and some spruce twigs for a bed.

“The son of the mountains laughed at her woes and continued to treat her kindly.

“After a few days, the girl went up to the boy when he was milking and asked if she might help him.  She next undertook to make the fire under the kettle, in which the reindeer meat was to be cooked, then to carry water and to make cheese.  So the time passed pleasantly.  The weather was mild and food was easily procured.  Together they set snares for game, fished for salmon-trout in the rapids and picked cloud-berries in the swamp.

“When the summer was gone, they moved farther down the mountains, where pine and leaf forests meet.  There they pitched their tent.  They had to work hard every day, but fared better, for food was even more plentiful than in the summer because of the game.

“When the snow came and the lakes began to freeze, they drew farther east toward the dense pine forests.

“As soon as the tent was up, the winter’s work began.  The boy taught the girl to make twine from reindeer sinews, to treat skins, to make shoes and clothing of hides, to make combs and tools of reindeer horn, to travel on skis, and to drive a sledge drawn by reindeer.

“When they had lived through the dark winter and the sun began to shine all day and most of the night, the boy said to the girl that now he would accompany her southward, so that she might meet some of her own race.

“Then the girl looked at him astonished.

“‘Why do you want to send me away?’ she asked.  ’Do you long to be alone with your reindeer?’

“‘I thought that you were the one that longed to get away?’ said the boy.

“‘I have lived the life of the Samefolk almost a year now,’ replied the girl.  I can’t return to my people and live the shut-in life after having wandered freely on mountains and in forests.  Don’t drive me away, but let me stay here.  Your way of living is better than ours.’