ere was no
furniture but one old stool, I think; but Karl was in a sound sleep and
safe, perfectly safe.

Then I seated myself again on the door-step beside poor Helen. They had
always said at Goodfields that she had never in the world been known to
do any harm, so I was not really afraid of her. The twinkling stars
shone down upon us, and the forest trees waved noisily.

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Crazy Helen, slapping her knees.

Ugh! it wasn't exactly pleasant here; but sleep I would not; no, no, I
would not. I would just sit up and take care of Karl, but oh, how
unspeakably tired I was!

"Shall I dance a little for you?" asked Crazy Helen.

"Oh, no!" I answered.

Ugh! That would be horrible. On the lawn at Goodfields where, laughing
and joking, we all sat around together and watched Helen dance, it was
very jolly, but it wouldn't be so in the least here in the dark forest,
and alone with her. But if you'll believe it, she began to dance,
notwithstanding--such a queer dance!

She whirled herself about, hopped off slant-wise, then whirled again
like a spinning top, while the trees sighed in the wind, and the bright,
clear stars looked down on the little space before the hut and on Crazy
Helen dancing.

Never in my life had I seen anything so queer, so weird.

"Ho! Heigho!" she sang, as she spun round and round.

"Hi! Halloa!" some one answered from the forest.

I sprang up. "Halloa!" I shouted. It must be some one from Goodfields,
some one who was trying to find us, oh, thank God!

"Halloa!" "Hey there!"

The shouting was nearer; there were lights among the trees and now the
people came nearer still--now over the fence--oh! oh--it was Trond and
Lisbeth from Goodfields. Oh, oh! how glad I was! I flew in and began to
shake Karl.

"Karlie boy, wake up--get up--we're going to Mother." But Karl's eyes
would not open, he was so sound asleep. Trond, the farm man, came in and
took him in his arms. Oh, oh! it is impossible to say how glad I was!

They had been searching for us since four o'clock and now it was ten.
They had called and shouted, and not a sound had we heard.

Mother had been unspeakably anxious and terrified and wanted to go to
the forest herself, to search, but Mother Goodfields had said no to
that, "because Trond and Lisbeth know the forest better," she had told
Mother.

Crazy Helen sat herself down on the door-step again, and slapped her
knees and laughed, as before, out into the night.

Ju