"By-and-by, however, some one _did_ come, and he, too, was little. The lad could see very well what he wanted; and when he and the girl went up-stairs together, the lad placed himself at the key-hole. Then he who was inside made his offer. 'Bad luck to me, I, codfish, who didn't make haste!' the lad thought. He who was inside kissed the girl just on her lips----. 'No doubt that tasted nice,' the lad thought. But he who was inside took the girl on his lap. 'Oh, dear me! what a world this is!' the lad said, and began crying. Then the girl heard him and went to the door. 'What do you want, you nasty boy?' said she, 'why can't you leave me alone?'--'I? I only wanted to ask you to have me for your bridesman.'--'No; that, my brother's going to be,' the girl answered, banging the door to. "And there the lad stood." The girls laughed very much at this tale, and afterwards pelted each other with husks. Then Godfather wished Eli Böen to tell something. "What, then, must it be?" "Well, she might tell what she had told him on the hill, the last time he came to see her parents, when she gave him the new garters. Eli laughed very much; and it was some time before she would tell it: however, she did at last,-- "A lad and a girl were once walking together on a road. 'Ah, look at that thrush that follows us!' the girl said. 'It follows _me_,' said the lad. 'It's just as likely to be _me_,' the girl answered. 'That, we'll soon find out,' said the lad; 'you go that way, while I go this, and we'll meet up yonder.' They did so. 'Well, didn't it follow me?' the lad asked, when they met. 'No; it followed me,' answered the girl. 'Then, there must be two.' They went together again for some distance, but then there was only one thrush; and the lad thought it flew on his side, but the girl thought it flew on hers. 'Devil a bit, I care for that thrush,' said the lad. 'Nor do I,' answered the girl. "But no sooner had they said this, than the thrush flew away. 'It was on _your_ side, it was,' said the lad. 'Thank you,' answered the girl; 'but I clearly saw it was on _your_ side.--But see! there it comes again!' 'Indeed, it's on _my_ side,' the lad exclaimed. Then the girl got angry: 'Ah, well, I wish I may never stir if I go with you any longer!' and she went away. "Then the thrush, too, left the lad; and he felt so dull that he called out to the girl, 'Is the thrush with you?'--'No; isn't it with you?'--'Ah, no; you must come here again, and then perhaps it will follow you.' "The girl came; and she and the lad walked on together, hand in hand. 'Quitt, quitt, quitt, quitt!' sounded on the girl's side; 'quitt, quitt, quitt, quitt!' sounded on the lad's side; 'quitt, quitt, quitt, quitt!' sounded on every side; and when they looked there were a hundred thousand million thrushes all round them. 'Ah, how nice this is!' said the girl, looking up at the lad. 'Ah, God bless you!' said he, and kissed her." All the girls thought this was such a nice tale.