buy more, and it is very bad altogether. Ah! I was sure
something bad would happen,"--and grandmother fairly grumbled herself
into bed.

In the morning all were awake early, you may be sure, and gazing
curiously at the new-comer, whom they had been almost too sleepy to see
perfectly before; and this is how she appeared to their wondering eyes.

She seemed about twelve years old, but no taller than Olga, who was
just ten. She had beautiful soft, brown eyes; and fair, flaxen hair,
which hung in rich, wavy locks far down her back. She wore a short
skirt of dark blue cloth, with yellow stripes around it; a blue apron,
embroidered with bright-colored threads; a little scarlet jacket; a
jaunty cap, also of scarlet cloth, with a silver tassel; and neat,
short boots of tanned reindeer-skin, embroidered with scarlet and
white.

Soon grandmother Ingeborg, who had been out milking the cow, came in,
and almost dropped her great basin of milk, in her anger.

"What!" cried she to Hansa, "all your Sunday clothes on? That will
never do!"

"But I have no others," said the little maid.

"Then you shall have others," said grandmother, and she took from a
great chest in the corner an old blue skirt of Olga's, a jacket which
Olaf had outgrown, and a pair of Erik's wooden shoes.

[Illustration: "HANSA'S GUARDIAN."]

Meekly, Hansa donned the strange jacket and skirt; but her tiny feet,
accustomed to the soft boots of reindeer-skin, could not endure the
hard, clumsy wooden shoes.

"Ah!" said grandmother, who was watching her. "Then must you wear my
old cloth slippers," which were better, though they would come off
continually.

"Now bring me my big scissors, that I may cut off this troublesome
hair," cried Dame Ingeborg. "I do not like that long mane; Olga's head
is far neater!"

And, in spite of poor Hansa's entreaties, all her long, beautiful,
shining locks were cut short off.

But Hansa proved herself a merry little maid, who, after all, did not
care for such trifles. Besides, this, she was so helpful in straining
the milk, preparing the breakfast, and bringing fresh twigs for the
beds, that Dame Ingeborg quite relented toward her, and said:

"You are very nice indeed--for a Lapp child. If you could only spin,
I'd really like to keep you."

Then Hansa moved quickly toward the great spinning-wheel which stood
near the open door, and, before a word could be spoken, began to spin
so swiftly, yet carefully, that grandmother,