you shall go with me on my journey, and you shall see a jolly
life.

LISA. You are traveling, you say--What is the object of your journey?

PEHR. I seek--like all the rest--happiness.

LISA. You seek happiness! That is a fleeting thing.

PEHR. Ah, say not so! I can have all that I wish for. Have we not
been given the most delightful summer in the middle of winter? See how
gloriously the sun shines up in the pines! You must know that all this
is new to me. Oh, look! [Picks up a few spruce-cones.] What are these?

LISA. The fruit of the trees.

PEHR. Then it is good to eat.

LISA. No; but children play with it.

PEHR. Play--that I have never done! Shall we play, Lisa?

LISA. Yes--but what? Shall we play a game of tag?

PEHR. How does it go?

LISA. Watch me! [She runs behind a tree and throws cones at Pehr.] Now
catch me!

PEHR. [Running after her.] But that's not so easily done! [Steps on a
cone and hurts his foot.] The damned spruce apples!

LISA. Mustn't curse the fruit of the trees!

PEHR. One can do without such fruit! I prefer the kind I saw on a
Christmas-tree. If this spruce could bear such fruit, then--[Instantly
spruce bears oranges.] Look, look! Let us taste. [They pick fruit and
eat.]

LISA. Well, what think you?

PEHR. Oh! it's rather good--but not quite what I had fancied.

LISA. So it is always--all through life.

PEHR. My dear girl, how wise you are! Lisa, may I put my arm around your
waist? [A bird in the tree begins to sing softly.]

LISA. Yes; but what for?

PEHR. May I kiss you also?

LISA. Yes--there's no harm in that, surely. [Bird sings louder.]

PEHR. I'm so warm after the play, Lisa! Shall we bathe in the brook?

LISA. [Covers her eyes with her hands.] Bathe!

PEHR. [Throws off coat.] Yes!

LISA. [Hides behind a tree.] No, no, no! [Bird sings.]

PEHR. Who is that screech-owl up in the tree?

LISA. It is a bird that sings.

PEHR. What does he sing about?

LISA. Hush! I understand bird language; that my godmother taught me.

PEHR. It will be fun hearing about it! [Bird sings.]

LISA. "Not so, not so!" he said just then. [Bird sings again.] Pehr, do
you know what he said then?

PEHR. No.

LISA. "Live guiltless! Mine eye seeth thee."

PEHR. Guiltless--what is that?

LISA. I don't know--but dress yourself!

PEHR. It's only nonsense; there's no one here to see us. [Cuckoo calls.]
Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

PEHR. What is that rogue calling?

LISA. [Imitates cuckoo.