OnSundayafternoonJoeVavrika，inhisshirtsleevesaridcarpetslippers，wassittinginhisgarden，smokingalong-tasseledporcelainpipewithahuntingscenepaintedonthebowl。Clarasatunderthecherrytree，readingaloudtohimfromthe，weeklyBohemianpapers。Shehadwornawhitemuslindressunderherridinghabit，andtheleavesofthecherrytreethrewapatternofsharpshadowsoverherskirt。Theblackcatwasdozinginthesunlightatherfeet，andJoe’sdachshundwasscratchingaholeunderthescarletgeraniumsanddreamingofbadgers。Joewasfillinghispipeforthethirdtimesincedinner，whenheheardaknockingonthefence。Hebrokeintoaloudguffawandunlatchedthelittledoorthatledintothestreet。HedidnotcallNilsbyname，butcaughthimbythehandanddraggedhimin。Clarastiffenedandthecolourdeepenedunderherdarkskin。Nils，too，feltalittleawkward。Hehadnotseenhersincethenightwhensherodeawayfromhimandlefthimaloneonthelevelroadbetweenthefields。Joedraggedhimtothewoodenbenchbesidethegreentable。
“Youbringdeflute，“hecried，tappingtheleathercaseunderNils’arm。“Ah，das-agood’Nowwehavesomeliddlefunlikeoldtimes。Igotsomet’inggoodforyou。“JoeshookhisfingeratNilsandwinkedhisblueeye，abrightcleareye，fulloffire，thoughthetinybloodvesselsontheballwerealwaysalittledistended。“Igotsomet’ingforyoufrom“——hepausedandwavedhishand——“Hongarie。YouknowHongarie？Youwait！“HepushedNilsdownonthebench，andwentthroughthebackdoorofhissaloon。
NilslookedatClara，whosatfrigidlywithherwhiteskirtsdrawntightabouther。“Hedidn’ttellyouhehadaskedmetocome，didhe？Hewantedapartyandproceededtoarrangeit。
Isn’thefun？Don’tbecross；let’sgivehimagoodtime。“
Clarasmiledandshookoutherskirt。“Isn’tthatlikeFather？Andhehassatheresomeeklyallday。Well，Iwon’tpout。I’mgladyoucame。Hedoesn’thaveverymanygoodtimesnowanymore。Therearesofewofhiskindleft。Thesecondgenerationareatamelot。“
Joecamebackwithaflaskinonehandandthreewineglassescaughtbythestemsbetweenthefingersoftheother。Theseheplacedonthetablewithanairofceremony，and，goingbehindNils，heldtheflaskbetweenhimandthesun，squintingintoitadmiringly。“Youknowdis，Tokai？Agreatfriendofmine，hebringdistome，apresentoutofHongarie。Youknowhowmuchitcost，diswine？Chustsomuchwhatitweighingold。NobodybutdenoblesdrinkhiminBohemie。Many，manyyearsIsavehimup，disTokai。“Joewhippedouthisofficialcorkscrewanddelicatelyremovedthecork。“Deoldmandiewhatbringhimtome，an’diswinehelayonhisbellyinmycellaran’sleep。An’now，“
carefullypouringouttheheavyyellowwine，“an’nowhewakeup；
andmaybehewakeusup，too！“Hecarriedoneoftheglassestohisdaughterandpresenteditwithgreatgallantry。
Clarashookherhead，but，seeingherfather’sdisappointment，relented。“Youtasteitfirst。Idon’twantsomuch。“
Joesampleditwithabeatificexpression，andturnedtoNils。
“Youdrinkhimslow，diswine。Heverysoft，buthegodownhot。
Yousee！“
AfterasecondglassNilsdeclaredthathecouldn’ttakeanymorewithoutgettingsleepy。“Nowgetyourfiddle，Vavrika，“hesaidasheopenedhisflutecase。
ButJoesettledbackinhiswoodenrockerandwaggedhisbigcarpetslipper。“No-no-no-no-no-no-no！Noplayfiddlenowanymore:toomuchacheindefinger，“wavingthem，“all-a-timerheumatic。Youplaydeflute，te-tety-tetety-te。Bohemiesongs。“
“I’veforgottenalltheBohemiansongsIusedtoplaywithyouandJohanna。Buthere’sonethatwillmakeClarapout。YourememberhowhereyesusedtosnapwhenwecalledhertheBohemianGirl？“Nilsliftedhisfluteandbegan“WhenOtherLipsandOtherHearts，“andJoehummedtheairinahuskybaritone，wavinghiscarpetslipper。“Oh-h-h，das-afinemusic，“hecried，clappinghishandsasNilsfinished。“Now’MarbleHalls，MarbleHalls’！
Clara，yousinghim。“
Clarasmiledandleanedbackinherchair，beginningsoftly:
IdreamtthatIdweltinma-a-arblehalls，Withvassalsandserfsatmyknee，“
andJoehummedlikeabigbumblebee。
“There’sonemoreyoualwaysplayed，“Clarasaidquietly，“I
rememberthatbest。“Shelockedherhandsoverherkneeandbegan“TheHeartBowedDown，“andsangitthroughwithoutgropingforthewords。Shewassingingwithagooddealofwarmthwhenshecametotheendoftheoldsong:
“FormemoryistheonlyfriendThatgriefcancallitsown。“
Joeflashedouthisredsilkhandkerchiefandblewhisnose，shakinghishead。“No-no-no-no-no-no-no！Toosad，toosad！Inotlike-adat。Playquicksomet’inggaynow。“
Nilsputhislipstotheinstrument，andJoelaybackinhischair，laughingandsinging，“Oh，Evelina，SweetEvelina！“Claralaughed，too。Longago，whensheandNilswenttohighschool，themodelstudentoftheirclasswasaveryhomelygirlinthickspectacles。HernamewasEvelinaOleson；shehadalong，swingingwalkwhichsomehowsuggestedthemeasureofthatsong，andtheyusedmercilesslytosingitather。
“DatuglyOlesongirl，sheteachindeschool，“Joegasped，“an’shestillwalkschustlikedat，yup-a，yup-a，yup-a，chustlikeacamelshego！Now，Nils，wehavesomemoreli’ldrink。Oh，yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes！Distimeyouhaftodrink，andClarashehafto，sosheshowshenotjealous。So，wealldrinktoyourgirl。Younottellhername，eh？No-no-no，Inomakeyoutell。Shepretty，eh？Shemakegoodsweetheart？Ibet！“Joewinkedandliftedhisglass。“Howsoonyougetmarried？“
Nilsscreweduphiseyes。“ThatIdon’tknow。Whenshesays。“
Joethrewouthischest。“Das-awayboystalks。Nowayformans。Manssay，’Youcometodechurch，an’getahurryonyou。’
Das-awaymanstalks。“
“MaybeNilshasn’tgotenoughtokeepawife，“putinClaraironically。“Howaboutthat，Nils？“sheaskedhimfrankly，asifshewantedtoknow。
Nilslookedathercoolly，raisingoneeyebrow。“oh，Icankeepher，allright。“
“Thewayshewantstobekept？“
“Withmywife，I’lldecidethat，“repliedNilscalmly。“I’llgiveherwhat’sgoodforher。“
Claramadeawryface。“You’llgiveherthestrap，Iexpect，likeoldPeterOlesongavehiswife。“
“Whensheneedsit，“saidNilslazily，lockinghishandsbehindhisheadandsquintingupthroughtheleavesofthecherrytree。“DoyourememberthetimeIsqueezedthecherriesalloveryourcleandress，andAuntJohannaboxedmyearsforme？Mygracious，weren’tyoumad！Youhadbothhandsfullofcherries，andIsqueezed’emandmadethejuiceflyalloveryou。Ilikedtohavefunwithyou；you’dgetsomad。“
“Wedidhavefun，didn’twe？Noneoftheotherkidseverhadsomuchfun。Weknewhowtoplay。“
Nilsdroppedhiselbowsonthetableandlookedsteadilyacrossather。“I’veplayedwithlotsofgirlssince，butI
haven’tfoundonewhowassuchgoodfun。“
Claralaughed。Thelateafternoonsunwasshiningfullinherface，anddeepinthebackofhereyesthereshonesomethingfiery，liketheyellowdropsofTokaiinthebrownglassbottle。“Canyoustillplay，orareyouonlypretending？“
“IcanplaybetterthanIusedto，andharder。“
“Don’tyoueverwork，then？“Shehadnotintendedtosayit。
Itslippedoutbecauseshewasconfusedenoughtosayjustthewrongthing。
“Iworkbetweentimes。“Nils’steadygazestillbeatuponher。
“Don’tyouworryaboutmyworking，Mrs。Ericson。You’regettinglikealltherestofthem。“Hereachedhisbrown，warmhandacrossthetableanddroppeditonClara’s，whichwascoldasanicicle。“Lastcallforplay，Mrs。Ericson！“Clarashivered，andsuddenlyherhandsandcheeksgrewwarm。Herfingerslingeredinhisamoment，andtheylookedateachotherearnestly。JoeVavrikahadputthemouthofthebottletohislipsandwasswallowingthelastdropsoftheTokai，standing。Thesun，justabouttosinkbehindhisshop，glistenedonthebrightglass，onhisflushedfaceandcurlyyellowhair。“Look，“Clarawhispered，“that’sthewayI
wanttogrowold。“
OnthedayofOlafEricson’sbarn-raising，hiswife，foronceinaway，roseearly。JohannaVavrikahadbeenbakingcakesandfryingandboilingandspicingmeatsforaweekbeforehand，butitwasnotuntilthedaybeforethepartywastotakeplacethatClarashowedanyinterestinit。Thenshewasseizedwithoneofherfitfulspasmsofenergy，andtookthewagonandlittleEricandspentthedayonPlumCreek，gatheringvinesandswampgoldenrodtodecoratethebarn。
Byfouro’clockintheafternoonbuggiesandwagonsbegantoarriveatthebigunpaintedbuildinginfrontofOlaf’shouse。
WhenNilsandhismothercameatfive，thereweremorethanfiftypeopleinthebarn，andagreatdroveofchildren。Onthegroundfloorstoodsixlongtables，setwiththecrockeryofsevenflourishingEricsonfamilies，lentfortheoccasion。Inthemiddleofeachtablewasabigyellowpumpkin，hollowedoutandfilledwithwoodbine。Inonecornerofthebarn，behindapileofgreen-
and-whitestripedwatermelons，wasacircleofchairsfortheoldpeople；theyoungerguestssatonbushelmeasuresorbarbed-wirespools，andthechildrentumbledaboutinthehaymow。TheboxstallsClarahadconvertedintobooths。Theframeworkwashiddenbygoldenrodandsheavesofwheat，andthepartitionswerecovered’Withwildgrapevinesfulloffruit。AtoneoftheseJohannaVavrikawatchedoverhercookedmeats，enoughtoprovisionanarmy；
andatthenextherkitchengirlshadrangedtheice-creamfreezers，andClarawasalreadycuttingpiesandcakesagainstthehourofserving。Atthethirdstall，littleHilda，inabrightpinklawndress，dispensedlemonadethroughouttheafternoon。Olaf，asapublicman，hadthoughtitinadvisabletoservebeerinhisbarn；butJoeVavrikahadcomeoverwithtwodemijohnsconcealedinhisbuggy，andafterhisarrivalthewagonshedwasmuchfrequentedbythemen。
