Knut Hamsun

“ When their father called out so loudly and insistently, Eleseus whispered: "They've come back for the pencil!" All their joy was dashed in a moment, swept out of their minds at a touch, and their little hearts began beating and thumping terribly. The brothers crept forth. Eleseus held out the pencil at arm's length; here it was, they had not broken it; only wished they had never seen the thing.
No engineer was to be seen. Their hearts settled to a quieter beat ”

“ Well, if you're not a miracle, Isak, I will say.... Here you've all you could wish for every sort, and a heavenly host of sheep and goats and all in your own shed, and you've not enough. How should I know what sheep, and what two lambs, you're trying to get out of me now? You should be thanking the Lord for His mercies from generation to generation, that you should. ”

“ I've many souls and more beasts to keep alive — and 'tis the land that keeps us. 'Tis our living."
"If you won't, I can find some one else," said the engineer.
But Isak only seemed rather relieved at the threat. He did not like to disoblige the great man, and tried to explain. "'Tis this way," he said, "I've a horse and five cows, besides the bull. I've twenty sheep and sixteen goats. The beasts, they give us food and wool and hide; we must give them food." ”

“ It would have to be for the whole year, summer and winter alike."
"Can't be done," said Isak. "Spring and summer and autumn I've my work on the land, and no time for other things."
The engineer looked at him for quite a while, and then put an astonishing question, as follows: "Can you make more money that way?"
"Make more money?" said Isak.
"Can you earn more money in a day by working on the land than you could by working for us?" ”

“ Isak went into the shed and counted the goats. There they are with their kids, the full number. He counts the cows, the pig, fourteen hens, two calves. "I'd all but forgotten the sheep," he says to himself; he counts the sheep, and pretends to be all anxiety lest there should be any missing there. Isak knows very well that there is a sheep missing; he has known that a long time; why should he let it appear otherwise? It was this way. Oline had tricked him nicely once before, saying one of the goats was gone, though all the goats were there as they should be ”

“ Years had passed. Grass had grown on the roof of the house, even the roof of the barn, which was some years younger, was green. The wild mouse, native of the woods, had long since found way into the storehouse. ”