beginning to think about going in again, when she heard a clatter on the pavement, and saw that the little mite of an elf came trotting along once more, carrying a burden in each hand, as he had done before.  That which he bore squealed and squirmed.  And now a light dawned on the old grandma.  She understood that the elf had hurried down to the hazel-grove and brought back the lady squirrel’s babies; and that he was carrying them to her so they shouldn’t starve to death.

The old grandma stood very still, so as not to disturb them; and it did not look as if the elf had noticed her.  He was just going to lay one of the babies on the ground so that he could swing himself up to the cage with the other one—­when he saw the house cat’s green eyes glisten close beside him.  He stood there, bewildered, with a young one in each hand.

He turned around and looked in all directions; then he became aware of the old grandma’s presence.  Then he did not hesitate long; but walked forward, stretched his arms as high as he could reach, for her to take one of the baby squirrels.

The old grandma did not wish to prove herself unworthy of the confidence, so she bent down and took the baby squirrel, and stood there and held it until the boy had swung himself up to the cage with the other one.  Then he came back for the one he had entrusted to her care.

The next morning, when the farm folk had gathered together for breakfast, it was impossible for the old woman to refrain from telling them of what she had seen the night before.  They all laughed at her, of course, and said that she had been only dreaming.  There were no baby squirrels this early in the year.

But she was sure of her ground, and begged them to take a look into the squirrel cage and this they did.  And there lay on the bed of leaves, four tiny half-naked, half blind baby squirrels, who were at least a couple of days old.

When the farmer himself saw the young ones, he said:  “Be it as it may with this; but one thing is certain, we, on this farm, have behaved in such a manner that we are shamed before both animals and human beings.”  And, thereupon, he took the mother squirrel and all her young ones from the cage, and laid them in the old grandma’s lap.  “Go thou out to the hazel-grove with them,” said he, “and let them have their freedom back again!”

It was this event that was so much talked about, and which even got into the newspapers, but which the majority would not credit because they were not able to explain how anything like that could have happened.

VITTSKOeVLE

Saturday, March twenty-sixth.

Two days later, another strange thing happened.  A flock of wild geese came flying one morning, and lit on a meadow down in Eastern Skane not very far from Vittskoevle manor.  In the flock were thirteen wild geese, of the usual gray variety, and one white goosey-gander, who carried on his back a tiny lad dressed in yellow leather breeches, green vest, and a white woollen toboggan hood.