"Well, you must pray fifty times."
"Yes, I will."
He went and knelt down, and folded his hands, looking upward and said:
"Thou, dear Lord, I did not be a genius on purpose. It came its own self. Help me not to be one any more."
But his pale, sorrowful little face smote his mother to the heart. Her spirit rose in rebellion against the Prost. Why should he come with this terrible and mysterious accusation against her godly boy? She lay awake long that night, thinking what was to be done, and the next morning, as soon as Olaf had gone to his work, she said to the grandmother:
"If you will take care of the little ones for me, while I go to the village, I will spin for you as long as you require."
"And what errand have you at the village, child?"
"The Prostinna is always kind; she will make me understand what is evil in the boy; as for me, I see no evil in him, and my heart is breaking."
"Yes, go, thou good child. And the dear Lord go with thee!"
The Prostinna received Viola with great sympathy, when she learned that she had come in sorrow; but when she heard her artless tale, could with difficulty repress peals of laughter.