Evaleen Stein

“ When the sun shone too hot, The Good Year shook his hour-glass till showers came, and there was no burning drought as in the bad years before. In the autumn, when everything from all the fields and orchards was gathered, and the village folk trimmed the church for the harvest festival, never were seen such golden sheaves or such red-cheeked apples; and everybody thanked the good God for sending them such a wonderful year. And not only was there plenty for the village, but plenty for the forest creatures, too ”

“ And I remember how pretty little Elsa, the apothecary's daughter, looked as she danced in her white sprigged frock and red shoes; and how Hendrick, the parson's little boy, held her hand tightly all the while and danced with her and looked at her as if he thought her sweeter than a Christmas sugar-plum! That was a great Maytime for fairy rings, too; every day the big meadow would be full of the tall circles of deep green grass showing where the fairies had danced by moonlight; and you know when the fairies dance a great deal it always means a lucky season. ”

“ But Grandfather did not hear; his thoughts had flown back to the time, scarcely more than a twelvemonth from his own wedding, when there came a cruel year who swung his scythe in the happy village, till at last the church-bell tolled for beautiful Frieda's funeral, and Grandfather was left with her little baby girl, who was to grow up and be the mother of Arne and Olga. ”

“ Of course other years have done this also, and you children have seen these wonderful icy mornings, but never were there so many, or such magic ones, as in the time of The Good Year. And then, when the nights were clear and starry, he loved to get Jack Frost, and between them such beautiful white pictures as they painted on our village windows!"
"Did you see our windows today, Grandfather?" asked Olga. "One of them had a frost picture of a mountain and a river, and some houses, and a little pasture all full of woolly sheep!" ”

“ Is it possible that none of those handsome young people down there on the green are thinking of such a thing?'
"'Of course they are!' answered the bell. 'I know of several young couples who would like nothing better. But none of them are ready yet to marry, except Jan Viborg down there—that tall, awkward fellow in the green jacket—and Frieda, the school-master's daughter,—he is dancing with her now; she is the prettiest girl in the village'—
"Jan Viborg, and Frieda?" interrupted Olga, sitting up straight. ”

“ The village folk all said, 'See, what a wonderful year for fruit!' Then one day, when The Good Year was off attending to matters in a distant part of the world, along came Jack Frost meaning to play an evil trick. ”

“ Often when they were rolling the big balls for these, they wondered that they grew so fast and that it was so easy to push them along. That was because the New Year was helping them. And then, when a snow-man was finished, and, running into the house, they would bring out bits of charred fagots from the hearth and make two black eyes for his round white face and perhaps find a clay pipe for his mouth, the New Year would laugh like a chime of sleigh-bells."
"The snow-man we made yesterday has eyes like that, and a pipe," said Arne, "only it was hard to make him stay together ”

“ But the village people mourned about it. They said he had made them so happy, they wished he would never fly away. I think we dreaded the New Year a bit, for one never knows what sorrows the new-comer may have in store.
"When The Good Year saw that there was only a tiny trickle of sand left in the upper half of his hour-glass, he folded his white mantle about him and put down the scythe, which he knew he would soon be rid of; and we village folk went to the church, where your father and mother are now, to watch until midnight, just as they are doing. ”

“ I knew then where the pretty yellow butterflies came from."
"Do you think the fairies paint all the butterflies?" asked Olga.
"I have no doubt of it," answered Grandfather. And then, as the little wreaths of smoke floated upward from his pipe, he went on. "But I haven't finished yet about The Good Year. You know his June sand was beginning to run and he was fairly well grown by that time; for years have to grow very fast, as they are always quite old at the end of the twelve months. ”

“ In those days, when their food was scarce, they would often come at night and rob our sheep-folds; and sometimes, when things were very bad with them, they would even venture boldly into the village in broad daylight. ”

“ There was only one thing more he wanted to see, and that was that we had a merry Christmas. 'After that,' he would say to himself, 'when my time is up, I shall be quite ready and willing to go.' "And did you have a fine Christmas? ”