Pelle the Conqueror, Vol. 1

been a crofter's cottage where only two horses were kept, and belonged to a certain Vevest Koller, a grandson of Jens Kofod, the liberator of Bornholm. During his time, the cottage b

set after another, to keep it in cultivation. Round about Stone Farm lived only cottagers and men owning two horses, who had bought their land with toil and hu

erous buildings and much importance; it became as hard a neighbor as the sea is, when it eats up the farmer's land, field by field, and nothing can be done to check it. First one was eaten up and then another. Every one knew that his turn would come sooner or later. No one goes to law with the sea; but al

htened minds, and felt it as power. The men were hard drinkers and card-players; but they never drank so much as to lose s

r might or might not have been the reason, it is certain that in his time one after another of his neighbors was ruined, and Janus went round and took over their holdings. If he needed another horse, he played for and won it at loo; and it was the same with everything. His greatest pleasure was to break in wild horses, and those wh

family fondness for adding to the farm, he bought land up among the rocks and heather. But he wisely let it lie as it was. He attached many to the farm by his assistance, and made them so dependent that they never became free again. His tenants had to leave their own work

eleven, and made up to any one she met; but no one dared so much as look at her, for they were afraid of the farmer's gun. Later on she went to the other ext

one could quite make him out. When he first came he used to wander about on the heath and do nothing, just as

with contract work. And so he went on with his foolish tricks to begin with, and let his cottagers do as they liked about coming to work at the farm. He even went so far as to send them home in wet

uired of them, as dutifully as if they had been serfs of the land. As a set-off they allowed all their leaning toward the tragic, all the terrors of life and gloomy mysticism, to center round Stone

the bad atmosphere that hangs over large estates-over all great accumulations of what should belong to the many-also

others, even before they themselves had heard very much. Lasse especially thought he could never be quite happy here, b

self with little things in the lower yard, and he still seemed to have the sound in his ears. It was sad, so sad, with this continual sound of a woman weeping, as if a child were

ught but a gif

that is in tr

wealth

now hap

man's heart is

oney for a new smock-frock for the little lad, he would never envy any one on this earth; though it w

ely up at the high windows and put a little more energy into his work; but weariness had the upper hand. He would have liked to take a little afternoon nap, but did not dare. All was quiet

Is that you, you nasty spy!" muttered Lasse when he saw him. "Some day I'll kill you!" But he took off his cap with the deepest respect. The tall pupil went up

weather; then he went down to the cow-stable. How big he was! He quite filled th

tting on, old man?" a

manage

h it," answered Lasse;

of animals

a cow. "You've got the boy to help you, Las

village shop for

Who told

was the mist

t long sin

. He ought soon

mes, and send him up to me

alls hung splendid guns; and up upon a shelf stood cigar-boxes, one upon another, right up to the ceiling, just as if it were a tobacco-shop. But the strangest thing of all was that th

from sheer nervousness to raise his eyes. Then the farmer turned round in his chair, and drew him toward

forth the bottle. "The mistress s

et on in the world one of these days. Now give me the bottle and I'll take

ng-table, thick round two-krone pieces one upon another! Then why d

shut the window. Pelle wanted to go, but she stopped him

said Kongstrup. "You shall h

to be a witness that her husband withheld from her things t

d him bad names-much worse than Mother Bengta when Lasse came home merry from Tommelilla. But he

prevent them all from making use of the boy, when he so much needed

t. But I wonder how she dares set upon him like that when it'

said Pelle, who had heard a li

't become us to find fault with our betters; we have enough to do in looking after ourselves. B

d shook his head while he dragged th