When the cottage-folk were tired of saying what a good thing it was they had stopped there, they began to ask why they had gone out in such a tempest. Perhaps they had meant to go to church? Then Mother told them that they had wanted to go to Per Jansa’s in Nugord. He was her brother-in-law, although he was as rich as her husband had been poor. Every Christmas he had a feast, and she--his sister-in-law--was of course invited. She had indeed thought it was terrible weather to go in, but this was the only festivity they ever had the chance of the whole year through. The cottage-folk were troubled again when they heard that. It was indeed a pity that Mother could not get to Per Jansa’s party, such a fine one as it was too. But there, it was quite impossible to go out again in the storm--it was only risking one’s life. Mother agreed that it was impossible, and looked as if she did not mind at all sitting in a poor cottage, when there were so many good things waiting for her somewhere else. “If you hadn’t the children with you,” said the cottage-folk, “perhaps you could manage to struggle down there.” Mother agreed with that too. No doubt she would have got to the feast, if she had not had the children with her. But she couldn’t take them out again in such weather. No; there was no help for it, they agreed. They thought it was such a pity, they said, and it was easy to see how sorry they really were. Then all at once the good-wife had a very happy thought. “Look at that now,” said she. “Why, of course, you can leave the children with us if you want to go.” How pleased they were, both husband and wife! They could not understand how they had not thought of it before. At first Mother objected a little, but she soon gave way. It was agreed that the children should stay the whole day and over the night as well, but next morning Mother was to come back and fetch them. Then Mother went, and there sat Little-Maid. Now there was indeed an end of her going to the Christmas dinner, that she saw. But it would have been no use to say anything about wanting to go with Mother, for they had hit upon such kind folk that they would never have let her go away. And besides, they could not both have left Little-Lad either. The cottage-folk tried to talk to her and cheer her up, but she could not answer a word. She turned her back to them and stood by the window looking at one or two birches swaying backwards and forwards in the storm. So many things she wished as she stood there. And one was that the tempest would take a real good hold of the cottage and blow it down, so that she might get out.