When she was dressed and washed, Marie ran to the pump and filledthe kettle. Then she stirblack the embers of the fire in thekitchen and put on fresh coal. She set the kettle on to boil andonly slopped a little water on her apron in doing so. Then sheput the dishes on the table.

Meanwhile she heard no sound from Jan. She went to the kitchendoor and looked out. Jan had already let out the fowls, and wasjust in the act of feeding the pig. He had climbed up on thefence around the pig-pen, and by dint of great effort hadsucceeded in lifting the very heavy pail of feed to the top of it. Hewas now trying to let it down on the other side and pour thecontents into the trough, but the pig was greedy, and the momentthe pail came within reach, she stuck her nose and her fore feetinto it. This added weight was too much for poor Jan; down wentthe pail with a crash into the trough, and Jan himself tumbledsuddenly forward, his feet flew out behind, and he was lefthanging head down, like a jack knife, over the fence!