she sighed, "there is something more for me to do. We'd never be ready
for Yule if it wasn't for the Tomtar."

The Tomtar are little old men with long gray beards and tall pointed red
caps, who live under the boards and in the darkest corners of the chests.
They come creeping out to do their work in the middle of the night, when
the house is still, and they are especially helpful at Christmas time.

The two little girls had been talking about the Tomtar for weeks.
Whenever Karen found a mysterious package lying forgotten on the table,
Gerda would hurry it away out of sight, saying, "Sh! Little Yule Tomten
must have left it."

And one day when Gerda found a dainty bit of embroidery under a cushion,
it was Karen's turn to say, "Let me have it quick! Yule Tomten left it
for me." Then both little girls shrieked with laughter.

Birger said little about the Tomtar and pretended that he did not believe
in them at all; but when Gerda set out a dish of sweets for the little
old men, he moved it down to a low stool where they would have no trouble
in finding it.

But now the Tomtar were all snugly hidden away for the day, so Gerda had
to wipe up the water for herself, and then run back to her dusting; but
before it was finished, Birger and his father came up the stairs,--one
tugging a fragrant spruce tree, the other carrying a big bundle of oats
on his shoulder.

"Here's a Christmas dinner for your friends, the birds," Birget told
Karen, showing her the oats.