w that there is not a more
beautiful garden to be found in all Skane, and it is not befitting that
you, who live in the wild forest all the year around, should find fault
with his work."

"I don't wish to make myself the judge of either him or you," said Robber
Mother. "I'm only saying that if you could see the garden of which I am
thinking you would uproot all the flowers planted here and cast them away
like weeds."

But the Abbot's assistant was hardly less proud of the flowers than the
Abbot himself, and after hearing her remarks he laughed derisively. "I can
understand that you only talk like this to tease us. It must be a pretty
garden that you have made for yourself amongst the pines in Goeinge forest!
I'd be willing to wager my soul's salvation that you have never before
been within the walls of an herb garden."

Robber Mother grew crimson with rage to think that her word was doubted,
and she cried out: "It may be true that until to-day I had never been
within the walls of an herb garden; but you monks, who are holy men,
certainly must know that on every Christmas Eve the great Goeinge forest is
transformed into a beautiful garden, to commemorate the hour of our Lord's
birth. We who live in the forest have seen this happen every year. And in
that garden I have seen flowers so lovely that I dared not lift my hand to
pluck them."

The lay brother wanted to continue the argument, but Abbot Hans gave him a
sign to be silent. For, ever since his childhood, Abbot Hans had heard it
said that on every Christmas Eve the forest was dressed in holiday glory.
He had often longed to see it, but he had never had the good fortune.
Eagerly he begged and implored Robber Mother that he might come up to the
Robbers' Cave on Christmas Eve. If she would only send one of her children
to show him the way, he could ride up there alone, and he would never
betray them--on the contrary, he would reward them, in so far as it lay
in his power.

Robber Mother said no at first, for she was thinking of Robber Father and
of the peril which might befall him should she permit Abbot Hans to ride
up to their cave. At the same time the desire to prove to the monk that
the garden which she knew was more beautiful than his got the better of
her, and she gave in.

"But more than one follower you cannot take with you," said she, "and you
are not to waylay us or trap us, as sure as you are a holy man."

This Abbot Hans promised, and then Robber M