The children never exchanged a word, but remained sitting and gazed
open-eyed into the heavens.
Nothing particular happened afterward. The stars gleamed and shone and
twinkled, only an occasional shooting star traversed them.
At last, after the stars had shone alone for a long time, and nothing
had been seen of the moon, something else happened. The sky began to
grow brighter, slowly but recognizably brighter; its color became
visible, the faintest stars disappeared and the others were not
clustered so densely any longer. Finally, also the bigger stars faded
away, and the snow on the heights became more distinct. Now, one region
of the heavens grew yellow and a strip of cloud floating in it was
inflamed to a glowing line. All things became clearly visible and the
remote snow-hills assumed sharp outlines.
"Sanna, day is breaking," said the boy.
"Yes, Conrad," answered the girl.
"After it grows just a bit brighter we shall go out of the cave and run
down from the mountain."
It grew brighter, no star was visible any longer, and all things stood
out clear in the dawn.
"Well, then, let us go," said the boy.
"Yes, let us go," answered Sanna.
The children arose and tried their limbs which only now felt their
tiredness. Although they had not slept, the morning had reinvigorated
them. The boy slung the calfskin bag around his shoulder and fastened
Sanna's fur-jacket about her.
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