OLGA. You shall, dear. But first put the cakes on the table. (OSWALD _and_ SIGURD _deposit their cakes and run to the tree_. OLGA _gives her taper to_ SIGURD.) Here, Sigurd, first the low ones--there. (_Lighting another taper._) Now, Oswald. Can you do it, dear? OSWALD. You light those, Mother. (_Pointing to higher ones._) OLGA. There. SIGURD. The top one of all isn’t lit, Mother. OLGA. No, Father is the only one who can reach that. We’ll have to leave it. Come, Halla. (_Enter_ LILJEKRONA _by the stairs without his violin_.) OLGA. We’re all ready for a polka. LILJEKRONA. I have no new string for my fiddle. OLGA. But you _can_ play on three strings. LILJEKRONA. I can remember no polkas. OLGA. (_Approaching him persuasively_) Why, Liljekrona, can’t you play anything? Sha’n’t we be able to dance at all? LILJEKRONA. Torstein is not back yet. He is the best dancer of all. Perhaps it was hard to find the house. (_Goes to the window._) OLGA. Well then, we’ll wait our dancing for Torstein, and have our punch and cakes while they are hot. LILJEKRONA. The sparrows are twittering about the window sill most miserably. Where is the pole with the sheaves for them? OLGA. I did not think of it till now. Did you remember, Halla? HALLA. No, I didn’t. Poor little things! LILJEKRONA. How is it that you forgot on this day, of all days? Do old customs mean nothing to you? Or is it the heartlessness of those who shut their eyes to the meaning of old beliefs? At Ekeby no one ever forgot! OLGA. (_Disturbed_) No, my dear, we are not heartless. The sheaves shall be put out as soon as Torstein returns. Come, shall we have our punch and cakes? Children, are you hungry? OSWALD. I am. SIGURD. I want a cookie from my plate. LILJEKRONA. And there are no candles in the windows. Nothing is done as it used to be. (_He seats himself on the wooden bench._) OLGA. Oh, why--why, I had intended to light the candles. (_Goes to mantel._) Come, children, before you have your cookies will you help Mother? (_She takes from the shelf above the fireplace two wooden frames, in each of which is set a row of candles. She lights them and gives one to each of the boys._) Careful. Put them on the windowsills. OSWALD. I want mine in this window. You put yours over there, Sigurd. OLGA. Halla, take the punch to the table by the fire. (OLGA _seats herself near_ LILJEKRONA.) Come, children. (OSWALD _and_ SIGURD _come to her side_.) Sigurd, do you know why we put candles in the windows on Christmas Eve? OSWALD. So that people can see where we live! OLGA. Yes--dear; and there is a story that the little Christ-Child goes about on Christmas Eve looking for a welcome. (_She pours some punch for_ LILJEKRONA, _who is looking intently at her_.) SIGURD. And if he sees our lights, Mother, will he come to our house? OLGA. Yes, dear, and when you hear him say: “Behold I stand at the door and knock----” (_She passes glass of punch to_ LILJEKRONA.)