Summary

The narration in Chapter 46 reveals that there was no ghost. It was Helgi who killed Bjartur’s sheep, before disappearing into the snow. The family celebrated Christmas without Helgi. Hallbera, the boys’ grandmother, wore a special handkerchief and used her special ear-pick.

Bjartur told Asta Sollilja that he was leaving her in charge of the croft while he went away to look for work. He said he would be back at Easter. In Chapter 47, Gvendur and Nonni discussed how to deal with grownup issues beyond their comprehension and Asta Sollilja counted down the days until Bjartur’s return.

In Chapter 48, many weeks into Bjartur’s absence, a visitor arrived at the croft claiming to have been sent there by Bjartur to teach the children, which the children accepted unquestioningly.

In Chapter 49, the unnamed teacher began teaching the children about geography, zoology, and poetry. Nonni...