er clothes were
shabby but bright in color. Red bands edged the striped skirt and
bright colored worsted fringes outlined the seams of her bodice.
Other young maidens resemble roses and lilies, but she was like the
heather, strong, gay and glowing.

The hunter watched with pleasure as the big, splendid woman danced
on the red heath among the playing grasshoppers and the fluttering
butterflies. While he looked at her he laughed so that his mouth
was drawn up towards his ears. But then she suddenly caught sight
of him and stood motionless.

"I suppose you think I am mad," was the first thing that occurred
to her to say. At the same time she wondered how she would get him
to hold his tongue about what he had seen. She did not care to hear
it told down in the village that she had danced with a fir root.

He was a man poor in words. Not a syllable could he utter. He was
so shy that he could think of nothing better than to run away,
although he longed to stay. Hastily he got his hat on his head and
his leather bag on his back. Then he ran away through the clumps of
heather.

She snatched up her bundle and ran after him. He was small, stiff
in his movements and evidently had very little strength. She soon
caught up with him and knocked his hat off to induce him to stop.
He really wished to do so, but he was confused with shyness and
fled with still greater speed. She ran after him and began to pull
at his game-bag. Then he had to stop to defend it. She fell upon
him with all her strength. They fought, and she threw him to the
ground. "Now he will not speak of it to any one," she thought, and
rejoiced.

At the same moment, however, she grew sick with fright, for the man
who lay on the ground turned livid and his eyes rolled inwards in
his head. He was not hurt in any way, however. He could not bear
emotion. Never before had so strong and conflicting feelings
stirred within that lonely forest dweller. He rejoiced over the
girl and was angry and ashamed and yet proud that she was so
strong. He was quite out of his head with it all.

The big, strong girl put her arm under his back and lifted him up.
She broke the heather and whipped his face with the stiff twigs
until the blood came back to it. When his little eyes again turned
towards the light of day, they shone with pleasure at the sight of
her. He was still silent; but he drew forward the hand which she
had placed about his waist and caressed it gently.

He was a ch