"Yes," said one of the girls, "when he was a colt our horse used to put
his head through the door to get pieces of potatoes and apples. We love
him!"

The ladder was fetched and put into the chimney. There was no trouble
about that, for the chimney was so wide. The shovels were brought in.
There were three of them. Then Nils ascended the ladder, and afterwards
crept to the top. This was a hard job. Erik followed, and succeeded also
in reaching the roof. Then we heard voices coming down the chimney.

"Father," called the boys, "tie the shovels to the cord we drop." They
had taken the precaution of carrying a cord with them. The shovels were
hauled up.

[Illustration: "The boys got hold of my hands and pulled me through."]

Then my turn came to go through. I got into the chimney first, and saw
the faces of Nils and Erik peeping down. "It is all right. Come on, Herr
Paul." I ascended the ladder, then crept up the rest of the chimney. The
boys got hold of my hands and pulled me through. What a sight! I was
black with soot. Nils and Erik were likewise. We gave three great
hurrahs. We shouted through the chimney to the folks with great glee,
"Be patient, you will get out by and by."

We worked with a will, and succeeded in clearing the trench leading to
the door, and there was a great shout of joy when it opened. Then the
girls came out and joined us in making the way clear to the barn, to the
two horses, five cows, and twelve sheep. When we opened the door of the
barn the horses neighed, the cows lowed, and the sheep baaed. It was a
fine concert of voices. They were glad to see us. It was their way of
bidding us welcome.

Returning to the house we cleared the windows, then the well, of snow.
The well was surrounded by a mass of ice. We drew water and gave a good
drink to the horses and the other animals. The girls milked the cows,
and gave fresh fodder to all.

When our work was done we were all as hungry as the wolves are in
winter, when they have had no food for days.

In the mean time the mother had prepared a big meal for us, and we
entered the house. We were ready to do justice to the food. The potatoes
and the bacon quickly disappeared. After the meal we cleared the other
windows of snow, and made passages to them, so that light might come
through. It was a hard day's work all round!

When supper time came we seated ourselves before a big wooden bowl of
porridge called "groed," made from barley meal. On e