LISA. So it seems, but do not always believe your eyes.
PEHR. A strange world, this! But let me see if it is the same girl? [Stares at her.] Yes, it is she. [Starts to run toward her, then catches sight of ring.] What! my ring? You robbed me while I lay senseless! Oh, do not believe your eyes, you said. No! for now I have my first lessonI wanted to embrace an angel, and I find a thief.
LISA. Do not always believe your eyes, Pehr; investigate before you judge.
PEHR. You are right. I shall do so. Girl, who are you? What is your name?
LISA. Lisa is my name, but who I am you must not know until the time is fulfilled. I came here and found you senselesson the ice I found your ring, the powers of which I did not know.
PEHR. You have saved me from certain death in the snow. Forgive me! Lisa, you shall go with me on my journey, and you shall see a jolly life.
LISA. You are traveling, you sayWhat is the object of your journey?
PEHR. I seeklike all the resthappiness.
LISA. You seek happiness! That is a fleeting thing.
PEHR. Ah, say not so! I can have all that I wish for. Have we not been given the most delightful summer in the middle of winter? See how gloriously the sun shines up in the pines! You must know that all this is new to me. Oh, look! [Picks up a few spruce-cones.] What are these?
LISA. The fruit of the trees.
PEHR. Then it is good to eat.
LISA. No; but children play with it.
PEHR. Playthat I have never done! Shall we play, Lisa?
LISA. Yesbut what? Shall we play a game of tag?
PEHR. How does it go?
LISA. Watch me! [She runs behind a tree and throws cones at Pehr.] Now catch me!
PEHR. [Running after her.] But that's not so easily done! [Steps on a cone and hurts his foot.] The damned spruce apples!
LISA. Mustn't curse the fruit of the trees!
PEHR. One can do without such fruit! I prefer the kind I saw on a Christmas-tree. If this spruce could bear such fruit, then[Instantly spruce bears oranges.] Look, look! Let us taste. [They pick fruit and eat.]
LISA. Well, what think you?
PEHR. Oh! it's rather goodbut not quite what I had fancied.
LISA. So it is alwaysall through life.
PEHR. My dear girl, how wise you are! Lisa, may I put my arm around your waist? [A bird in the tree begins to sing softly.]
LISA. Yes; but what for?
PEHR. May I kiss you also?
LISA. Yesthere's no harm in that, surely. [Bird sings louder.]
PEHR. I'm so warm after the play, Lisa! Shall we bathe in the brook?
LISA. [Covers her eyes with her hands.] Bathe!
PEHR. [Throws off coat.] Yes!
LISA. [Hides behind a tree.] No, no, no! [Bird sings.]
PEHR. Who is that screech-owl up in the tree?