Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1945-09-01


mer of 1858. Erik Johnson had not
yet moved his family and his herds
from the safer ii. e, the summer
home in a mountain valley where
the cattle had been feeding on the
luscious grass all summer) to his
home in the village. The girl
watching the cattle, the sheep, and
the goats all day among the
SWamps and moOrS, was still sing
ing out the ancient yodel for the
cows: Who-oo- WhO-oooo. And
the herds always followed the call.
Frik's wife. Martha, was busy
as usual at the milk house MAX
ing cheese and butter which Erik
would load on his sleighs next Win
ter and haul to the city of Falun,
some $50 miles away. There he
would trade away his dairy prod
uets. his hides, mutton and wild
game, accumulated during the
summer and fail, and obtain flour,
coffee. sugar. tobacco, brandy and
other necessities of life.
On this particular afternoon
Martha was too busy to pay much
attention to her four youngsters,
and left them playing around the
safer splashing in the creek that
ran under the milk house to cool
the milk cans, and picking blue
berries in the woods. In the brush
the children suddenly stumbled
over two black sheep lying on the
ground in a little open sunny
place. One was very large and the
other very small. 1t was nothing
unusual to find a big sheep re-
naming behind with a lamb when
the rest of the herd had gone a
mile or two away in the morning,
The black lamb was unafraid and
apparently playful.
Here is new playmate
yelled 3-year-old Johnny as he
rushed away from the other three
children. all girls, the oldest being
eight years of age. On coming up
and seeing the sheep. this girl
thought the animals were too big
and clumsy to be either sheep or
goats. and called to her brother
not to go too near them. To her
they seemed different from any
of the critters in her daddy's cor
rails. But Johnny could not be
stopped. He threw himself imme-
diately across the little black lamb
and the two rolled over and over
in boisterous glee just like he
would do with any other frivolous
lamb or kid when in a mood for
a scuffle and frolic
From the chest of the bigger
sheep came a growl over the 60
Ings-on Of the youngsters She
got up and moved away a short
distance apparently displeased
with this sudden and strange
friendship developing between her
own little black lamb and the pale
faced two-footed goblin coming
out from the safer However, she
could see that in size and Wres-
ling ability the two were about
equal and that the pale-face was
good-natured, for he patted the lit
tie black snout and lovingly
stroked the hairy cheeks and ears
with his little hairless hands. This
sign of goodwill on the part OF
Johnny satisfied the big mama
sheep. she returned and again laid
herself down beside the little
lamb apparently enjoying the an
tics Of the two children.
johnny was a courteous little
gentleman and realized that com
pany should have refreshments
He therefore picked a handful OF
blueberries and held them out be-
fore the two sheep. The big sheer
opened "A vide cavernous mouth
toward Johnny's hand. but the lat
ter was intent on serving his lit
tie friend first and gave the big
one a Whaeking blow over the nose
with his other hand, exclaiming
That's not for you. that's for
You. and put the berries INTO the
little lambs mouth 1t was evi.
dent that the berries were highly
appreciated and Johnny pickec