"Yes, but not the same as mother sings."
"Grandfather knows a dancing song!--Will you hear it?"
"Oh yes!"
"Then come further away so that the schoolmaster shan't see us."
He came quite close to her, and she said the song over and over again, till he knew it by heart, and this was the first that he learnt at the school,--
"Dance! cried the fiddle
In tuning the strings,
Then suddenly upsprings
A youth and cries 'Ho!'
'Hey!' said Erasmus,
Embracing fair Randi,
'Come hasten to give me
The kiss that you owe!'
'Nay,' answered Randi,
But slipped away shyly,
And nodding, said slyly,
'From that you may know!'"
"Up youngsters," cried the schoolmaster, "this is the first day at school, and you may go early, but now we must have prayers and singing." Up rushed the children, laughing and talking and scampering over the floor. "Silence! you little good-for-nothing chatter-boxes,--be good and walk nicely over the floor my children!" said the schoolmaster, whereupon they quietly took their places, the schoolmaster went in front and said a short prayer, and then they sang. He led in a deep bass voice, and all the children stood with folded hands. Ovind and Marit stood near the door--they also folded their hands, but they could not sing. So ended the first day at school.