LILJEKRONA. What are you making, Sigurd? OSWALD. Christmas things for Halla to bake. SIGURD. Then they will be brown and we can eat them just like the round cookies. See, Mother. OSWALD. Only these aren’t round cookies, Mother. (_Sits down on the floor with the dough._) SIGURD. No. There is a Christmas tree. OSWALD. And I made a star. SIGURD. And I’m going to make---- (_Runs and whispers to his mother._) OLGA. A what, dear? OSWALD. (_Looking up from the floor_) A little Christ-Child we’re going to make. SIGURD. A little bit of a baby Christ-Child. OLGA. (_Kissing his forehead_) That will be a lovely Christmas task. OSWALD. (_Getting up and pulling at_ LILJEKRONA, _who yields_) Look, Father! Look at my cookie! To-night I’ll eat it for supper. LILJEKRONA. Yes. (_Pause._) I wonder how many little boys will be eating their Christmas cookies to-night, and how many will be without a bite of Christmas dinner, hungry and cold. OSWALD. Won’t they have any Christmas dinner, Father? LILJEKRONA. Some won’t. (_He turns back and continues to put up boughs._) SIGURD. Why won’t those little boys have any Christmas dinner, Mother? OLGA. Father meant, dear, that some children are too poor to buy any. OSWALD. Where are the poor children? OLGA. I’m afraid there are some in every village, Oswald. SIGURD. In our valley, Mother? OLGA. Yes, dear, I’m afraid there are. OSWALD. Then, Mother, if Sigurd and I made some good cookies, could we take them down to those poor children? OLGA. If only we knew just where we could find them, Oswald. It is hard sometimes to know where the lonely people are, and the hungry ones. LILJEKRONA. And when they pass so close as to touch our sleeve on the way we do not see them, we do not stop them, but let them plod their path alone. OLGA. (_Stung by_ LILJEKRONA’S _remark_) It is a good thought, Oswald. Take them out to Halla now, so she can bake them before to-morrow. SIGURD. I can’t make a Christ-Child, Mother. _(With a sob._) It doesn’t look like _anything_. OSWALD. (_With a laugh_) It looks like a star. OLGA. (_Rising_) Let me see, dear. I think Mother would know what that was. Take it to Halla and she will bake it. Then wash those sticky hands. It is time to light the tree. (_Exeunt_ OSWALD _and_ SIGURD. _Takes violin from the cabinet and gives it to_ LILJEKRONA.) You will play for us to dance?--one of the old polkas, Liljekrona. LILJEKRONA. (_Pettishly_) My E string has snapped. OLGA. Well, put on a new one. Quick, before the children come back. (LILJEKRONA _goes slowly upstairs with his violin_. OLGA _pulls out the tree from the corner and starts to light the candles with a taper. Enter_ HALLA _with a punch bowl and the glasses, which she places on the long table_. OSWALD _and_ SIGURD _follow, each carrying a plate of cakes_.) OSWALD. Mother! Are you lighting the tree instead of Father? OLGA. Yes. Do you want to help? OSWALD. Oh, yes. SIGURD. And I want to, too.