shewastheboatman'sdaughter,gracefulanddelicateasthechildofagentleman;hadshebeendresseddifferently,noonewouldhavebelievedthatshelivedinahutontheneighboringheathwithherfather.hewasawidower,andearnedhislivingbycarryingfirewoodinhislargeboatfromtheforesttotheeel-pondandeel-weir,ontheestateofsilkborg,andsometimeseventothedistanttownofranders.therewasnooneunderwhosecarehecouldleavelittlechristina;soshewasalmostalwayswithhiminhisboat,orplayinginthewoodamongtheblossomingheath,orpickingtheripewildberries.sometimes,whenherfatherhadtogoasfarasthetown,hewouldtakelittlechristina,whowasayearyoungerthanib,acrosstheheathtothecottageofjeppejans,andleaveherthere.ibandchristinaagreedtogetherineverything;theydividedtheirbreadandberrieswhentheywerehungry;theywerepartnersindiggingtheirlittlegardens;theyran,andcrept,andplayedabouteverywhere.oncetheywanderedalongwayintotheforest,andevenventuredtogethertoclimbthehighridge.anothertimetheyfoundafewsnipes'eggsinthewood,whichwasagreatevent.ibhadneverbeenontheheathwherechristina'sfatherlived,norontheriver;butatlastcameanristina'sfatherinvitedhimtogoforasailinhisboat;andtheeveningbefore,heaccompaniedtheboatmanacrosstheheathtohishouse.thenextmorningearly,thetwochildrenwereplacedonthetopofahighpileoffirewoodintheboat,andsateatingbreadandwildstrawberries,whilechristina'sfatherandhismandrovetheboatforwardwithpoles.theyfloatedonswiftly,forthetidewasintheirfavor,passingoverlakes,formedbythestreaminitscourse;sometimestheyseemedquiteenclosedbyreedsandwater-plants,yettherewasalwaysroomforthemtopassout,althoughtheoldtreesoverhungthewaterandtheoldoaksstretchedouttheirbarebranches,asiftheyhadturneduptheirsleevesandwishedtoshowtheirknotty,nakedarms.oldalder-trees,whoserootswereloosenedfromthebanks,clungwiththeirfibrestothebottomofthestream,andthetopsofthebranchesabovethewaterlookedlikelittlewoodyislands.thewater-lilieswavedthemselvestoandfroontheriver,everythingmadetheexcursionbeautiful,andatlasttheycametothegreateel-weir,wherethewaterrushedthroughtheflood-gates;andthechildrenthoughtthisabeautifulsight.inthosedaystherewasnofactorynoranytownhouse,nothingbutthegreatfarm,withitsscanty-bearingfields,inwhichcouldbeseenafewherdofcattle,andoneortwofarmlaborers.therushingofthewaterthroughthesluices,andthescreamofthewildducks,werealmosttheonlysignsofactivelifeatsilkborg.afterthefirewoodhadbeenunloaded,christina'sfatherboughtawholebundleofeelsandasucking-pig,whichwereallplacedinabasketinthesternoftheboat.thentheyreturnedagainupthestream;andasthewindwasfavorable,twosailswerehoisted,whichcarriedtheboatonaswellasiftwohorseshadbeenharnessedtoit.astheysailedon,theycamebychancetotheplacewheretheboatman'sassistantlived,atalittledistancefromthebankoftheriver.theboatwasmoored;andthetwomen,afterdesiringthechildrentositstill,bothwentonshore.theyobeyedthisorderforaveryshorttime,andthenforgotitaltogether.firsttheypeepedintothebasketcontainingtheeelsandthesucking-pig;thentheymustneedspulloutthepigandtakeitintheirhands,andfeelit,andtouchit;andastheybothwantedtoholditatthesametime,theconsequencewasthattheyletitfallintothewater,andthepigsailedawaywiththestream.

herewasaterribledisaster.ibjumpedashore,andranalittledistancefromtheboat.

"oh,takemewithyou,"criedchristina;andshesprangafterafewminutestheyfoundthemselvesdeepinathicket,andcouldnolongerseetheboatortheshore.theyranonalittlefarther,andthenchristinafelldown,andbegantocry.

ibhelpedherup,andsaid,"nevermind;followme.yonderisthehouse."butthehousewasnotyonder;andtheywanderedstillfarther,overthedryrustlingleavesofthelastyear,andtreadingonfallenbranchesthatcrackledundertheirlittlefeet;thentheyheardaloud,piercingcry,andtheystoodstilltolisten.presentlythescreamofaneaglesoundedthroughthewood;itwasanuglycry,anditfrightenedthechildren;butbeforethem,inthethickestpartoftheforest,grewthemostbeautifulblackberries,inwonderfulquantities.theylookedsoinvitingthatthechildrencouldnothelpstopping;andtheyremainedtheresolongeating,thattheirmouthsandcheeksbecamequiteblackwiththejuice.

presentlytheyheardthefrightfulscreamagain,andchristinasaid,"weshallgetintotroubleaboutthatpig."

"oh,nevermind,"saidib;"wewillgohometomyfather'shouse.itishereinthewood."sotheywenton,buttheroadledthemoutoftheway;nohousecouldbeseen,itgrewdark,andthechildrenwereafraid.thesolemnstillnessthatreignedaroundthemwasnowandthenbrokenbytheshrillcriesofthegreathornedowlandotherbirdsthattheyknewnothingof.atlasttheybothlostthemselvesinthethicket;christinabegantocry,andthenibcriedtoo;and,afterweepingandlamentingforsometime,theystretchedthemselvesdownonthedryleavesandfellasleep.

thesunwashighintheheavenswhenthetwochildrenwoke.theyfeltcold;butnotfarfromtheirresting-place,onahill,thesunwasshiningthroughthetrees.theythoughtiftheywenttheretheyshouldbewarm,andibfanciedheshouldbeabletoseehisfather'shousefromsuchahighspot.buttheywerefarawayfromhomenow,inquiteanotherpartoftheforest.theyclamberedtothetopoftherisingground,andfoundthemselvesontheedgeofadeclivity,whichslopeddowntoacleartransparentlake.greatquantitiesoffishcouldbeseenthroughtheclearwater,sparklinginthesun'srays;theywerequitesurprisedwhentheycamesosuddenlyuponsuchanunexpectedsight.

closetowheretheystoodgrewahazel-bush,coveredwithbeautifulnuts.theysoongatheredsome,crackedthem,andatethefineyoungkernels,whichwereonlyjustripe.buttherewasanothersurpriseandfrightinstoreforthem.outofthethicketsteppedatalloldwoman,herfacequitebrown,andherhairofadeepshiningblack;thewhitesofhereyesglitteredlikeamoor's;onherbackshecarriedabundle,andinherhandaknottedstick.shewasachildrendidnotatfirstunderstandwhatshesaid.shedrewoutofherpocketthreelargenuts,inwhichshetoldthemwerehiddenthemostbeautifulandlovelythingsintheworld,fortheywerewishingnuts.iblookedather,andasshespokesokindly,hetookcourage,andaskedherifshewouldgivehimthenuts;andthewomangavethemtohim,andthengatheredsomemorefromthebushesforherself,quiteapocketfull.ibandchristinalookedatthewishingnutswithwideopeneyes.

"isthereinthisnutacarriage,withapairofhorses?"