ANNE LISBETH. 489

every one who goes by; if it rains he creeps into his house, and
there he is warm anddry. Anne Lisbeth’s boy sat in the sunshine
on the fence of the field, and cut out a pole-pin. In the spring
he knew of three strawberry plants that were in blossom, and
would certainly bear fruit, and that was his most hopeful thought ;
but they came to nothing. Hesat out in the rain in foul weather,
and was wet to the skin, and afterwards the cold wind dried the
clothes on his back. When he came to the lordly farm-yard he
was hustled and cuffed, for the men and maids declared he was
horribly ugly; but he was used to that—loved by nobody!

 

Anne Lisbeth's Boy.

That was how it went with Anne Lisbeth’s boy; and how could
it go otherwise? It was, once for all, his fate to be loved by
nobody.

Till now a “Jand crab,” the land at last threw him overboard.
He went to sea in a wretched vessel, and sat by the helm, while
the skipper sat over the grog-can. He was dirty and ugly, half
frozen and half starved: one would have thought he had never
had enough; and that really was the case. ;

It was late in autumn, rough, wet, windy weather; the wind