St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878

In a tiny village on the edge of Norway’s great pine forests, a wood‑cutter named Peder lives with his twin boys, Olaf and Erik, and their little sister Olga. The children spend long, snowy winters racing a rough wooden sled, sometimes pulling along the clever black Spitz, Krikel, while their grandmother Ingeborg keeps the hearth warm with stories and gentle knitting. Their days are filled with simple joys—ax‑splinter dances, warm fires, and the quiet wonder of a landscape blanketed in snow.

When Peder departs for the summer fair in Lyngen, the children are left to imagine the treasures he might bring back—a reindeer for Olaf, a fur coat for Erik, and, most poignantly, a new sister for Olga, who feels solitary in the small hamlet. Grandmother Ingeborg’s old stories stir their hopes, and the siblings’ wishes set the tone for the adventure that lies ahead. As the sun returns and the village awakens to brighter days, the family’s bond is tested by the anticipation of what the fair will deliver.