"Father." "Yes, what is it?" "Johannes is out on the dunes again." "Is he?" "Oh no!" "I'll go and look for him." "I'll come with you." "I'll come too." "What's the matter?" " It's your brother." " Johannes?" "No, Anders." "Anders?" "So there's trouble with Johannes again." " Yes." " I'd better go with them." "Yes, I suppose so." "Poor fellow!" "Do you mean Johannes?" "Yes." "Don't you think one should pity him?" "27, and incurably mad." "I don't know." "Perhaps he's happy as he is." "You can't think that." "Put on something warm." "Yes, all right." "Your father's going, too." "Yes." "I'm ready now." "I'll have some hot coffee for you." "Yes, we'll need it." "Woe unto you, hypocrites... unto you, and you... and you." "Woe unto you for your lack of faith!" "Woe unto you who do not believe in me, the risen Christ, who was sent to you by Him who made the heavens and the earth." "Verily I say unto you, the day of judgment is at hand." "God has summoned me to prophesy before His face." "Woe unto him that does not believe... for only those who have faith shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." "Amen." "Is Johannes...?" "Yes." "What good does all this do, Johannes?" "I am the light of the world... but the darkness does not comprehend it." "I have come unto mine own, but mine own do not receive me." "What are the candles for?" "That my light may shine in the darkness." "I feel sorry for him." "He's completely crazy." "Oh, Mikkel!" "He goes around thinking he's Jesus." "Will he ever be sane again?" "It's all that studying that has turned his head." "Yes." "He should never have been made to study." "I did it because he had a talent for it." "You wanted to have a parson in the family." "No, Mikkel, that's not true, there are parsons enough." "What we need is someone who can shake people up." "With Johannes's special abilities I thought he might be the spark that could fire Christendom again from this farm." "I prayed so earnestly that it be he, the prophet that should come." "The reformer?" "The renewer, yes." "I prayed so ardently for it." "But you see what has come of it." "Well, I suppose we'd better go back to bed." "Goodnight, father." "Goodnight, my boy." "Goodnight, father." "Goodnight, Anders." "I'll just go and have a look at the sow." "Johannes will be himself again." "I've hoped and hoped he might, but he'll never get any better." "Why don't you believe so?" "Miracles don't happen any more." "Nothing is impossible, if one prays to Him for it." "I have prayed and prayed and prayed, Inger." "Then you must go on praying... for Jesus has promised what we pray to Him for, He will give us." "I know, Inger, I know." "But what good have all my prayers done?" "How do you know what your prayers may have set in motion?" "Pray, and go on praying, however little you feel it helps..." "Goodnight, little granddad." "Goodnight, Inger." "I think I'll sit here a little while longer." "Yes, all right." "Goodnight." "I feel so sorry for your father." "I'm sorry for Johannes." "So am I, but..." "But what?" "Johannes is perhaps closer to God than the rest of us, but your father..." "I can't stand all his righteousness." "I think you are being unfair." "He has also been unfair to me." "He has never reproached you." "No, he kept quiet." "But I could feel what he was thinking." "I saw the look in his eyes when I kept away from all the godliness here on the farm." "But Mikkel, you believe in God, don't you?" "You know how I feel about all that, Inger." "That you have no faith?" "Not even faith in faith." "But you have something else, something more important." "And what is that?" "A heart, goodness." "I tell you, it's not enough to have faith if one is not a good person at the same time." "And that's what you are." "But I have no faith." "It will come." "Are you sure of that?" "Yes." "And then you will see how warm you will feel, a glow inside you and you'll be so happy." "It's nice to be happy, isn't it?" "Yes, Inger girl and now we must sleep." "Goodnight, little girl." "Goodnight, big boy of mine." "Karen, run out with that to the hens." "You'll have to give me a bit of help." "With what?" "Well, you see, Anne and I we're thinking of..." "Anders!" "You haven't fallen in love with the tailor's Anne?" "Yes." "Is there anything wrong with that, Mikkel?" "You could have done much worse." "Worse?" "Yes." "I don't mean there's anything against her, she's a sweet girl." "But what?" "What would father think?" "That's where you two will have to help me, if you will, that is." "Yes, but what about her father." "What will he say about it?" "You know, they've got quite different ideas about religion." "We love each other, it doesn't make any difference." "Yes, that's what we think too, Mikkel and I, but..." "But?" "But what, eh?" "Mikkel?" "I'm darned if I know..." "Listen now, will you help me or won't you?" "Of course we'll help you." "Why don't you go over and have a word with Anne's father?" "I don't think it's any use talking to him." "Give it a try anyway." "Well yes, I suppose I could." "What do you think, Inger?" "Yes, give it a try." "Meanwhile, I'll try to have a talk with your father... that will be the most difficult part of it." " Do you think so?" " Yes, but I'll find a way." "Thanks a lot, Inger." "I'm sure you'll manage it somehow." "It's your job to fix it up with the tailor." "So long!" "I'll go over right away." " Goodbye!" " And good luck!" "I hope to goodness father won't blow up and get stubborn." "I'm most worried that he'll be unhappy about it." "It's time you went down to the reed bed." "I suppose so." "So long, my girl." "Goodbye." "One would think we just fell in love." "Didn't we, darling?" "We've been married for eight years." "Mind you're not too clumsy." "Am I usually?" "No, certainly not." "Dear God, please help me today." "It's because it has rained through the roof." "It's you?" "Why, granddad you scared me!" "Did I?" "What was it you said?" "I said, that patch up there it's rain water." "The roof leaks." "Oh yes!" "Yes, that's what it is." "This confounded rheumatism..." "What's all this?" "Coffee at this time of day?" "It's so cold today, granddad." "Yes, yes." "And homemade cakes!" "You made them yourself?" "You're so fond of them." "Tell me, is this what you are looking for?" "Thanks!" "I'll have the long one today." "But it needs filling." "It is filled." "Can you also do that?" "There's nothing I can't do." "Except have sons." "Now then!" "Here you are." "Thanks." "Listen, granddad..." "Yes." "A corpse in the front living room." "Whatever are you talking about?" "Johannes, be quiet and shut the door." "A corpse in the living room to the glory of my Father in Heaven." "Now then, Johannes, now then!" "What on earth was he talking about?" "Who worries about what he says, Inger?" "Won't you have another cup?" "Well, thanks, just a drop." "That was the new parson." "He went into the church." "It's funny he hasn't been here to see us yet." "He'll come some time or other." "I suppose Mikkel and Anders are down at the reed bed." "Yes." "Mikkel went just as you came." "His sermons are good enough." "Who?" "The parson?" "Yes, it's just that it takes him too long to reach "amen"." "Yes, perhaps." "Granddad..." "Yes." "Won't you help me?" "Of course I will, if I can." "You can all right." "There now!" "You know Anne, the tailor's Anne." "Yes." "What about her?" "Don't you think she would make a first-class wife for Anders?" "Is that why we are having coffee?" "Yes." "Well, no, it isn't, really." "But don't you think she would?" "I don't think we'll talk any more about that." "To think you set so much stock by that..." "By what?" "Your peasants' pride." "I think "birds of a feather" is best." "Granddad, I think the most important thing is to love one another." "Love comes with the years, Inger." "Little granddad, you understand everything in the world, except love." "Now, now!" "Tell me, have you ever in your life been in love?" "Have I ever been in love?" "At least ten times." "That's just what I thought." "Thought what?" "That you have never really been in love." "I have at any rate been married, so far as I know." "Yes, that with you and Maren, that was just..." "Just what?" "A farmers' agreement." "Inger, Maren was a good wife to me." "Just the wife I needed." "I beg your pardon, granddad." "Granddad, if you promise me Anders and Anne can have each other, then I'll promise you something that will make you really happy." "And what is that, may I ask?" "You shall have fried eel for dinner on Sunday." "That's what I call an offer." "And granddad, I'll promise you this time it will be a boy." "Does that make you happy?" "You are quick to promise, Inger." "Then do you say "yes"?" "Inger, Inger, you trouble yourself about many things." "You'll see, Anders will soon get that thought out of his head and we'll easily find the right girl, who will..." "Well!" "Then I'd better tell you how things are." "Anders is not down at the reed bed with Mikkel." " Not at the reed bed?" " No." "Then where is he?" "Oh!" "I see." "So, that was the reason we should have coffee." "Yes, granddad, that was the reason." "And when he gets back, we'll both of us say, "Congratulations"." "Won't we?" "So Peter the tailor gets himself a son-in-law today." "And you get a daughter-in-law." "A sweet, good and capable girl." "That's not what I've asked for." "Granddad, say "yes" now." "After he's gone over there without saying anything to me about it?" "And you, Inger, you knew about it and never said a word." "It's a conspiracy, a conspiracy of my own children behind my back." "No, I'm blessed if I will." "Granddad, where are you going?" "Don't ask me." "You don't tell me where you are going." "Granddad, granddad!" "And in his shirt sleeves!" "You'd better go in and get some coffee." "Yes." "And tell Hans to give the mare some straw." "Yes." "Here you are." "What came over you, granddad?" "Borgen's Farm is not what it was." "Of course it is." "Johannes will never be any different." "How do you know that?" "And Mikkel will never be any different." "That you can name those two in the same breath!" "What's wrong with Mikkel, anyhow?" "Just this, that he has renounced the faith of his forefathers." "Mikkel is good enough." "He has God in his heart." "And now Anders..." "Sometimes I just can't understand you." "You go about looking as though God has forsaken you." "Do I?" "Yes, something has snapped inside me." "And you know what the reason is." "Because God did not hear your prayers when you knelt by Johannes's bed." "No, Inger, that's where you are wrong." "It was not God's fault, it was my own." "If I had had faith when I prayed, the miracle would have happened." "But I prayed only because I thought it was worth trying." "When a father cannot pray for his child with faith... then miracles do not happen." "Don't you think God could do it just the same?" "I don't believe it any longer." "Do you know what I believe?" "I believe a lot of little miracles happen secretly." "God hears people's prayers, but he does it kind of secretly, so as not to have too much fuss made about it." "Perhaps you're right." "I think I'll go and meet Maren and Little Inger." "They must be on the way home from school." "Yes, it must be about time." "Coming along?" "You bet I am." "But the rheumatism?" "I don't give a darn about the rheumatism!" "I'm not quite a cripple yet." "PETER PETERSEN" " TAILOR" "The time is coming for me to go, I hear the voice of winter" "For I also am only a bird of passage" "My real home is elsewhere" "There you are, little Anne." "Was there anybody at home?" "Yes." "Did you get the money?" "Yes, I'll put it away." "All right, my girl." "You're back, Anne." "Can you let the hens out?" "All right, mother." "I'll give them some water." "Look here, Anne." "It seems to me you've been crying." "Did you meet anybody on the way?" "Yes, I met Anders in the sand dunes." "Anders from Borgen's Farm?" "Yes." "Did you talk with him?" "Yes." "They got 15 piglets." "I hope you remembered what I've told you." "Yes, father, I remember all right." "You know you must be on guard." "Yes, father." "That sin does not get control of you." "Yes, father." "That's a good girl." "Anne, bring some firewood in with you." "All right, mother." "Do you know what I was just thinking, Kirstine?" "No, Peter." "It might not be such a bad thing, to be father-in-law to Borgen's Farm." "Then Anne would never lack anything." "It wasn't the worldly advantages I was thinking of." "Wasn't it?" "No, I was looking further ahead." "What were you thinking of?" "I was wondering if we small folk down here could not win over Borgen's Farm for the Kingdom of God." "That would be a wonderful thing." "Makes you feel dizzy?" "It did me, too." "But I came down to earth again." "How, Peter?" "I realized I was thinking more about the worldly than the heavenly advantages." "It was a blessing Our Lord opened your eyes." "Yes." "Thanks and praise be to Him." "Pick up the scraps, so that nothing goes to waste..." "Come in." "Good day." "I happened to be passing by." "God be with you." "I beg your pardon?" "God be with you." "Thank you." "You are perhaps..." "You don't know me." "Are you the son of the farm?" "I am a bricklayer." "Oh!" "I build houses... but nobody will live in them." "Won't they?" "They like to build themselves." "They build themselves, even though they do not know how." "Therefore some of them inhabit half-finished huts, others live in ruins, most of them wander about homeless." "Are you one of those in need of a house?" "I am the new minister." "My name is..." "My name is Jesus of Nazareth." "Jesus." "But how can you prove that?" "Thou man of faith, whose own self lacks faith!" "People believe in the dead Christ, but not in the living." "They believe in my miracles from 2000 years ago, but they don't believe in me now." "I have come again to bear witness to my Father who is in Heaven, and to work miracles." "Miracles no longer happen." "Thus speaks my church on earth... that church which has failed me," "that has murdered me in my own name." "Here I stand, and again you cast me out." "But woe unto you, if you nail me to the cross again." "That's absolutely appalling." "It's you, Anders." "Yes." "Good day, Peter." "What did you want?" "Something you want sewn?" "No, it's not that." "Then what do you want?" "Well, you see..." "Anne and I, we're fond of each other, and now I've come to ask you if I can have her hand." "And my answer is "No"." "Definitely "No"." "Why not call Anne in and ask her?" "No." "Why not?" "It would make no difference." "Aren't I good enough?" "No, Anders, you are not good enough." "What's wrong with me?" "What's wrong with you is you are not a Christian." "Not a Christian?" "Not what we here understand by Christian." "I think I'm just as much a believer as you and Kirstine." "That's possible, but you are not of our faith, and that is what counts with me." "Now you had better go, we're going to have a prayer meeting." "Goodbye." "My regards at home." "Good day." "Welcome in the name of the Lord." "Welcome." "Good day, welcome in the name of the Lord." "It's you?" "Welcome in the name of the Lord." "Come in and sit down." "Good day, Reverend." "I am the eldest son of the farm," "Mikkel Borgen." " Are you?" "Good day." " Welcome to Borgen's Farm." "Thank you." "Won't you sit down?" "Thank you." "I'm afraid there's no one at home." "Would you like a smoke?" "No, thank you very much." "Did you meet anybody?" "Yes, yes." "I met, I believe, wasn't it your brother?" "Have you spoken to Johannes?" "Yes." "I hope he wasn't unpleasant to you." "No, no." "But was he born, well, a little..." "Yes, we don't talk much about it up here, but with you..." "No." "Something happened." "Was it... a love affair?" "No, no." "It was Søren Kierkegaard." "In what way?" " Johannes studied theology." " Did he?" "It went all right at first... but then he had a difficult time with speculation and doubts..." " And then it turned inward?" " Yes." "It must have been a terrible time for the family." "Yes, one is so helpless, one wants to help, but there is nothing one can do..." "Here comes father, so we'd better talk about something else." "Good day, Reverend." "Welcome to Borgen's Farm." "Thank you." "Good day, and welcome." "Thank you." "This is Maren and Little Inger." "Are there others besides these two?" "Not yet." "But we're expecting." "Mikkel!" "May I bring you a cup of coffee?" "No, thank you." "Another time, perhaps." "I have an appointment." "Goodbye, Reverend, and thank you for coming." "It was a pleasure." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Allow me." "Run along and get something to eat." "He seems a pleasant sort of fellow." "That's what he's being paid for." "Has Anders gotten back?" "Have you told father?" "Yes." "You may as well know at once what your father has decided." "Of course Anders shall have a wife... but he will have a wife of the same faith as we have." "Father is afraid." "Afraid?" "Afraid that Anne's faith is stronger than Anders, so that Peter can triumph over us." "Inger, I believe you understand me." "When I took over the farm here, there wasn't a grain of living Christianity in the whole parish." "I began one man against them all." "In church they thundered against me, no one was on my side." "Here from this farm the fight was waged all those years, until the farm had won the victory." "And now you ask me to open the doors of the farm to the sour holy crowd down by the village pond, who fought against me..." "No, I'd sooner die first." "Can you understand me, Inger?" "Yes, granddad, but I am thinking of Anders." "I know Anders." "He's a good boy but he's weak and easily influenced, and therefore he should have a wife of his own faith." "And he's to give up the girl he loves." "Mind what you say, Mikkel." "You misunderstand your father, Mikkel." "Heaven, here he comes." "Ah!" "Anders." "Have you been at the reed bed?" "No, father, I was at..." "Yes, yes, from, yes, yes..." "Congratulations!" "What is it?" "Are you bawling?" "He said "No", father, he said "No"." "What are you saying?" "He turned me down." "Who turned you down?" "Peter the tailor." "But Anders!" "Did Peter the tailor turn you down?" "Yes, immediately." "Then he threw me out." "Is my son not allowed to have Peter the tailor's daughter?" "No." "And may I ask why?" "Because, because I'm not good enough." "Why aren't you good enough?" "Because I am not of their faith." "Oh really!" "So that's why we here at Borgen's farm, we're not good enough for Peter the tailor." "The devil we're not!" "We here at the farm are heathens." "I'd like to know if Peter the tailor is brave enough to say that to my face." "Anders, is it serious between you and Anne?" "Would I have let him throw me out otherwise?" "That's a sensible reply." "Inger, my jacket." "Get ready, Anders." "Mikkel, harness up Hans." "He was ready for you before." "Yes, yes, that's right." "You're the best father I've ever had." "Yes, yes, hurry up." "I will, I will, Heaven help me." "Here you are." "Thanks." "God knows who he thinks he is..." "Have you a clean handkerchief?" "Ah!" "There it is." "You remember everything." "Remember to keep an eye on the sow." "And one says the age of miracles is past." "I must go out and unload." "I must get the dishes done." "We are washed in the blood of the lamb, we know God performs his wonders among us still today." "Is it not a great wonder, Jenssigne, that you are sitting here in the knowledge of your salvation?" "Is it not a wonder, Kristen Thatcher, that God has seen fit to convert you and make you give yourself to Him?" "Is it not a wonder that I, miserable sinner, stand here and bear witness amongst you?" "Is it not wonderful?" "Is it not glorious?" "Is it not a great blessing?" "Thanks and praise be to God." "Come in." "Good evening." "Ah!" "Good evening." "Welcome to our meeting." "I've not come to attend your meeting." "I've come to have a word with you." "That you are also welcome to." "Come in." "Good evening." "Are you alone?" "I've brought Anders with me." "Mette Maren was just going to bear witness." "Yes, Maren, now we are assembled here again..." "I just wanted to say I wish for each one of you that you may come to be on the same terms with God as I am." "While I still lived in sin," "I was so cramped and pressed down by it, but then I saw the light, and now I am the happiest person in the world, and I praise and thank God and that's what I wanted to say." "That was a good confession." "Sit down, won't you?" "Shall we sing hymn number 13?" "Sinner, close your ears no more" "Open for the voice of the lamb" "Hark!" "Its voice is full of grace" "Come and rest against my breast" "Yes, number 82." "God be with you." "Hello!" "Yes, this is Mikkel Borgen again." "Hasn't the doctor come back yet?" "Oh!" "You have." "Is that what he said?" "Then he should be here soon." "Who?" "The mid-wife, yes, she's come, but she doesn't dare anything until the doctor gets here." "Yes, she has asked us to bring in a large table." "Just a moment, there's a car coming now." "Yes, it's him, thank Heavens!" "Yes, goodbye." "What?" "Yes, thanks very much." "Goodbye." "It's not going well with Inger." "Who says so?" "The mid-wife." "Well, let's see how bad it is." "Think all of you" "Come all of you" "God's judgement will be salvation to all" "Good night, brothers and sisters." "We'll meet again, God willing, in a week's time in the Poor House in the name of Jesus." "Goodnight, my friend, goodnight." "Good evening, Anders, and welcome." "Can you go out and light up the stove, little Anne?" "Sit down beside your father." "Thank you." "Good evening and welcome." "Thank you, Kirstine." "Would you like some coffee?" "All right!" "Will you fill your pipe?" "Well, I don't mind." "And Anders?" "No, thanks, not just now." "Bacon prices are rising, Peter." "Yes, eggs fell yesterday." "Have you many hens, Peter?" "About as many as you have pigs, I imagine." "Ah!" "There's the coffee." "Isn't Anne coming in?" "I don't think so." "Why not?" "She'd better not." "I think it makes it easier for her to go the Lord's way." "There, father, you hear?" "Then you can drink your coffee out in the kitchen." "All right." "That is, if the..." "if you think it best." "You can do it anyhow." "The three of us will drink in the kitchen, since you'll decide things here." "Look here, Peter, on the way over." "I've tried to see things from your point of view." "And what did you come up with?" "That there's no reason for our children to suffer because we two don't see eye to eye about religion." "Anne shall have one of our own faith." "We have no intention of taking God from her." "It's a waste of time talking about it." "You can't understand me." "What about you?" "Can you understand me?" "I can understand you all right." "I've been like you myself once." "But that was not enough for you." "You are right, Borgen, it was not enough for me." "I won't say anything against you and the others, but I can't stand you, I'm darned if I can." "What is it you can't stand about us?" "First and foremost all your conversion rubbish." "And what else have you against us?" "I can't stand your undertaker faces." "Yes, I've heard that before." "No, you, you have the bright, happy Christianity, while we, we are the dark of soul and undertakers." "But since you are one of the bright and happy Christians, why do you always look so miserable when one meets you?" "I feel so free and glad, because I know there is a place waiting for me in heaven." "And the rest of us, all the rest of us, we go straight down to hell to eternal torments, don't we?" "Yes, that's what you think, isn't it?" "Yes." "Words, words, you have them all right." "And the dead arose and began to speak, and He gave him to his mother." "Would you like to see the picture?" "It's a lovely picture." "You can see better over here, Anders." "Is there any more coffee?" "Yes, Peter." "You take it in, Anne." "Oh!" "Is it you, little Anne, with the coffee pot?" "Do you think I should have some more, Anne?" "Yes." "Then just half a cup." "Isn't your mother in the kitchen?" "Yes, but Anders is also there." "Thank you, my girl, thank you." "Well, Peter, have you changed your mind?" "What do you mean by that?" "I mean about Anne and Anders." "No, I haven't." "Not yet, anyhow." "Not yet?" "Tell me, Morten, do you feel completely content with your God?" "Yes, yes, of course I do." "Do you now, Morten?" "What are you trying to get at, Peter?" "You are not content, Morten." "Come over to us." "Have you gone out of your mind?" "Then you would get peace in your soul." "Never!" "Morten, Morten, don't say that." "When you are only dust returned to dust it will be too late." "Come, come over to us." "I'll be blessed if I do." "Morten, Morten, the Lord is the God of miracles." "He has the power to redeem you from disbelief and delusions." "Disbelief and..." "Disbelief and delusions." "You say that of my faith." "Do you know what the difference is between your faith and mine?" "You think Christianity is sullenness and self-torment." "I think Christianity is the fullness of life." "My faith is for all day long and joy in life." "Yours is the longing for death." "My faith is the warmth of life." "Yours is the coldness of death." "One day you will realize, Peter, that ours is the right way." "What is it really you are looking for?" "We are looking for God and nothing else." "Well, it all sounds very nice, but nevertheless we do not regard you as being either converted or believers, so in my opinion..." "In your opinion?" "You are all lost." "In the opinion of Peter the tailor we'll all end in hell..." "Anders, Anders." "Yes, father." "We are going home." "But... don't I get Anne?" "No." "And I say "Yes", you shall have her, the devil strike me, you will have her, even if I myself have to drag her out of this prison house." "Come along." "Father." "We are going now." "And goodnight, Peter the tailor." "Morten." "Don't you see that the wrath of God is upon you?" "I won't hear another word of that rubbish." "You won't hear me but you shall hear God." "You shall be tested still more." "Hello!" "Yes, it is." "What?" "No, not yet." "Yes, they are just leaving." "What?" "Oh, really!" "Well, goodnight." "I hope she soon gets better." "What is it?" "What did you mean by "hope she soon gets better"?" "Truly we live in an age of miracles." "What do you mean by that?" "Just as I tell you, you are to be tested still more, your son, Mikkel, calls." "And what then?" "And tells me that Inger is dangerously ill." "Inger?" "Then it must be the child." "No, it was something unusual, so far as I understood." "Then I must hurry." "I earnestly hope that the Lord will reach your heart this time, however hard He has to strike." "What is it you are saying?" "God help me," "I believe you actually hope my daughter-in-law will die." "Yes." "If there is no other way, then I hope it in the name of the Lord." "You do, do you?" "Don't, Morten, don't, I tell you." "Do you know what the answer is to that?" " No, don't!" " This is the only answer!" "Father, control yourself." "There are witnesses." "Even if you are the mighty Morten, others also have their rights." "Go to hell." "I won't get in your way... swine of a landowner." "Are they labor pains?" "Yes, definitely." "Inger." "You can get the anaesthetic." "Yes, doctor." "Borgen, will you hold the lamp?" "What was that?" "What has happened?" "It's nothing." "She will come to shortly." "How is the pulse?" "Not too good." "Remove the mask." "Come give me a hand." "Let's listen to the heartbeat." "It's a bit rapid." "Is the child alive?" "Yes, so far." "But we must get it over with." "Will she pull through?" "You mustn't disturb me, bring the lamp a bit closer..." "Now, put down the lamp and get me a pail." "How big?" "Like that?" "How's it going?" "Karen, run out and get that little pail my wife bought last week." "I see the doctor is here." "Isn't the mid-wife?" "They are both here." "Is it the child?" "It's lying wrong." "And Inger?" "We must be thankful if her life can be saved." "Here you are." "Is it serious, father?" "We're in for a busy night, Anders." "Are we?" "Yes, praying." "Yes, father." "Both for Anne and for Inger." "For Inger." "Anne, that will clear itself up." "Go to bed now, and trust in God." "Shouldn't we pray together, father?" "Little Anders, when it's really serious I pray best alone." "God's will be done!" "Then came our Lord Himself, with His scythe and His hour-glass." "Yes, Johannes, yes." "Why art thou afraid." "Oh!" "Thou of little faith?" "I have not yet ascended unto my father." "Keep quiet, Johannes." "But in His native village He performed no great works, because they did not believe in Him." "Go to your room." "Go to bed." "Well, Mikkel?" "The child has come." "Was it a boy, as Inger promised me?" "Yes." "It was a boy." "There, you see, the Lord does not fail..." "He's lying there, in the pail, cut into four pieces." "Oh!" "Mikkel, if only you could pray to God." "You can do that, father." "What are you doing now, Johannes?" "Didn't you see Him?" "Whom?" "The Lord." "The Lord?" "With the hour-glass and the scythe." "He took the child away." "If you had believed in me, this would not have happened." "Now I am powerless." "Oh God!" "Oh God!" "How great must your need be before you listen to me?" "Little Johannes, if you want to do your old father a favor, go to your room." "Look, look." "What shall I look at?" "Can't you see Him?" "He's standing there." "Who?" "The man with the scythe, he has come back... to fetch Inger." "Keep quiet, man." "You still do not heed me." "Johannes... no, no, this is madness and yet... what is madness and what is reason?" "You are drawing nearer to God, it will cost you but one word." "No, no, no... go away." "You are seeking grapes on thorn bushes." "The vines you pass by..." "Go away, I tell you, or you will make me mad, too." "Granddad." "What!" "Not in bed yet, little Maren?" "Yes, I am." "But..." "You spoke so loud, granddad." "Oh, did I wake you up?" "Yes, we have moved." "Moved?" "Our beds have been put into your room." "Do you know why?" "No." "Because we are expecting a little brother." "Who has told you that?" "Mother." "Were you pleased about that?" "I would rather have had a little sister, but mother said she had promised you a little brother." "Did she say that?" "Yes." "And then just think, she goes and gets ill like this." "Yes, so our Lord has decided not to send the little brother just yet." "Has He?" "Yes, and now you can go in." "and pray to God to make your mother better again." "Yes, but He won't do that." "He won't?" "No, she's going to die tonight." "What's that?" "What did you say?" "Uncle Johannes says so." "And then he'll call her back to life just like the man in the Bible, you know." "What rubbish is this?" "That's what Uncle says." "Oh!" "Well... but now you'd better go and tuck yourself in bed, little Maren." "Yes, granddad." "Goodnight, sweetheart." "Goodnight, granddad." "I can't bear to be in there." "Be strong, my boy." "I can see the way it's going." "The way it's going?" "Father!" "Yes." "I won't bear to lose her." "You won't lose her, Mikkel." "God will." "God will." "Father." "Yes." "If Inger dies..." "Will you promise me that you will live until Anders and Anne are married, so that the children have a home?" "It must not happen." "Oh!" "God!" "Don't take Inger from us." "Let's go in to her." "I'll come with you." "You are strong, old father." "Yes... but I am holding on to God's hand." "Come." "Uncle, will mother die soon?" "Do you want her to, little girl?" "Yes, because then you'll bring her back to life, won't you?" "It'll probably come to nothing." "Why not?" "The others won't allow me to." "Then what about mother?" "Then mother will go to heaven." "But I don't like that at all." "Little girl... you don't know what it's like to have a mother in Heaven." "Is it better than having her here on earth?" "You can see that for yourself." "But what nonsense!" "If we get into trouble, we won't have a mother to look after us." "A child that has a mother in Heaven doesn't get into trouble." "When one's mother is dead, she is always with you." "As she is when she is alive." "But then she has so many other things to think about." "Yes, she has to milk and scrub the floors and wash up." "The dead don't have to do all that." "No." "I'd rather have you awaken her, Uncle." "Would you?" "Yes, so that we could keep her." "Child." "Won't you awaken her?" "If the others will allow me, I will." "Don't you bother about the others." "How happy I am." "Are you?" "Yes." "Will you come tuck me in?" "Yes, and I will let one of my Father's angels keep watch beside your bed tonight." "Will you give us your blessings, as you usually do?" "Yes, I will." "And he took the little children to His bosom." "Laid His hands upon them and blessed them." "God, do not send death to us." "Look now, Borgen." "Don't say it, Doctor." "It's all over." "What?" "No." "She's asleep, and with any luck there won't be any complications." "Eternal thanks and praise." "Yes, it was a tough job." "It certainly was, Doctor." "And many thanks." "And now we want lots of coffee." "Yes, indeed, we certainly do." "Karen, Karen, we must have..." "Inger's getting better, she's getting over it." "We must have coffee, coffee, from real coffee beans." "Doctor, may I go and have a look at her?" "Yes, if you are quiet about it." "Very quiet." "Good evening." "Good evening, Reverend, and welcome again." "Thank you, thank you." "Do you know?" "Yes, I know both the doctor and his car." "That was what made me look in." "I wanted to hear what was happening." "Good evening, Doctor." "It was kind of you." "You see, my son's wife... she was, she had to..." "Yes, she was expecting, wasn't she?" "The child died, but she pulled through." "I see." "Now take off your coat, Reverend." "There's some coffee coming in a minute, and then we..." "Thanks, but I've got to be getting home." "You can drive with... with..." "with the doctor." "Yes, of course." "Yes, sit down now." "I'll just take a peep in there." "She's sleeping like one of God's angels." "Here you are, doctor." "Thank you." "It's like a miracle." "You must pardon me, my good Borgen." "I don't want to hurt your religious feelings, but now that it's turned out all right, allow me to tease you a little." "Which do you think helped most this evening, your prayers or my treatment?" "God's blessing, my dear doctor." "Ora et labora, as the old monks used to say." "Perhaps you believe in miracles, Reverend." "Believe?" "Naturally miracles are possible, since God is the creator of everything and everything is therefore possible to Him," " but..." " But?" "On the other hand, even though God can perform miracles," " He does not do so." " And why not?" "Because miracles would break the laws of nature, and naturally God does not break His own laws." "But what about the miracle of Christ?" "Those were under special circumstances." "I see." "That is to say "Under special circumstances"" "your otherwise so reliable God can throw a hitch into the works." "Come on, my good pastor!" "That's the trouble with doctors." "They always believe in what's least worth believing." "There you go, Doctor." "The Lord be with you." "The Lord bless you and keep you." "The Lord let the light of His countenance shine upon you and give you grace." "The Lord let the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace." "Amen." "What was that?" "That was Johannes giving his blessing to the little children." "I see." "Yes." "You know, Reverend..." "Well, you saw him, didn't you?" "Excuse me, but don't you think..." "I mean, wouldn't he be better off in a home?" "My boy stays here with me, so long as I am at Borgen's Farm." "Johannes will get better all right." "Do you think so?" "Just wait until he runs against a psychic shock, which will turn upside down that bag of tricks we call the subconscious." "You think he can be as he was before?" "Yes, just as he was before..." "There you are, Reverend, you see, the doctor also believes in miracles." "I believe in those miracles which my science has taught me." "God grant it may happen." "Yes, we hope so, Borgen." "I'll have a look at the patient and then we'll be off." "I'm ready." "Dear Borgen, my heartiest congratulations." "Thank you very much, Reverend." "Aren't you grateful for what God has done for you here tonight?" "You can be sure I am, Reverend." "It has been a difficult time." "It certainly has, and yet I would not have missed it." "I can also understand that." "Thank you." "Well, Doctor?" "She's sleeping as she should." "Now you can just go to bed." "Goodnight." "Goodnight, and the thanks of Borgen's Farm for this night's work." "Karen, send two geese over to the doctor at Christmas." "I am not a vet." "They will die under my treatment." "Coming along?" "Yes, yes." "Goodnight, Borgen." "How is it going with Inger?" "Well, Anders, better than could have been expected." "That's fine." "There he is again, the man with the hour-glass... he has come back to fetch Inger." "Johannes, go to your bed." "Look, now he's going through the wall." "Those are the doctor's car lights." "Inger is asleep now." "There is no longer any danger for her life." "Listen, it's the scythe, he missed his stroke." "That is the doctor, he's backing his car out." "Stop, will you, come back, do you hear?" "You must." "He will not." "Then go." "In the hour of faith you will have to bring her back." "Listen, now, Johannes, that's enough of that." "Now... she is dead." "What?" "Suddenly, she drifted away in her sleep." "Inger dead?" "You're lying." "Now you are lying." "It's your nerves." "But the doctor was just in there with her." "Come see for yourselves." "I felt her grow stiff in my arms." "I saw her lips turn blue and her eyes glaze over." "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away." "The Lord's name be praised." "Shouldn't we call the doctor?" "If you think he can deal with death, then call for him, Anders." "Inger." "No, he left from here a short time ago." "Yes." "Will you tell him..." "will you tell him that... that she has just died..." "Inger." "Thank you." "Goodbye." "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away." "She is not dead, she is sleeping." "Do you think so?" "Would you like to see her sleeping?" "Show me where you have laid her." "If you have faith, you shall see the glory of God." "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away." "I, the Christ, have come from God, and with God shall I remain... among the clouds of Heaven." "Anders!" "Anders!" "Is he dead?" "No, father, these are not the ones who die." "Not even that much mercy has been granted us." "Mikkel, my boy." "Why did she have to die?" "Why should we be torn from each other?" "It is all so meaningless, so meaningless." "Mikkel, you know why." "What do I know?" "I only know that everything I loved and worshipped is now to be buried in the earth to rot, to rot and rot." "Death certificate:" "Name:" "Inger Borgen, House-wife." "Date of Death: 13 August 1925." "Register of the Parish of Husby C.J. Houen - 8/14/1925." "Yet a little while I am with you." "Ye shall seek me." "Whither I go, ye cannot come (St. John XIII. 33)" "Johannes!" "My faithful wife and our beloved mother INGER BORGEN born Kjar has been taken from us MIKKEL BORGEN," "Maren, Little Inger." "Our dearly beloved daughter-in-law and sister-in-law" "INGER BORGEN has gone to eternal rest in steadfast faith in her divine Savior JESUS CHRIST, deeply missed by all at Borgen's Farm." "Morten Borgen Anders Borgen" "But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." "Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer him also the other." "It is time to go, if we're going to get seats in church." "Yes, Kirstine." "Do you remember when Morten Borgen came here?" "Yes." "Why?" "I offended him greatly." "It seems to me it was Morten Borgen that offended." "That's possible, but my offense was greater." "Kirstine, I should have turned the other cheek." "Aren't you a little hard on yourself?" "No, remember the words of Christ, "What will you in church?" "Be reconciled to thy brother, then come and offer thy gift."" "Well, we'd better be going." "We must call at Borgen's Farm." "Aren't we going to church?" "No, we're going to the Borgen's Farm." "Are you ready, Anne?" "Yes, father." "Inger Borgen, born Kjar." "Born 24 January, 1896 Died 13 August, 1925" "Blessed be he that hath peace in his soul" "None knoweth the day, before the sun goeth down" "Good morning, good morning, sings the bird on the bough" "It saw the evening sun behind the prison wall" "At dawn the flowers curtsied sweet-scented" "By evening they lay crushed under a storm of hail" "Small children played often in the red glow of morning" "By evening they lay on the coffin still and dead" "It'll be a large procession, father." "Yes." "The reverend will soon be here." "Yes." "We'll have to let them finish with their coffee-drinking in there." "Yes." "Well, Inger, we must put the lid over you." "Mikkel!" "Father!" "Mikkel, let the parson say a prayer first." "Yes, yes." "We'll send her away with full honors." "Ah!" "Here comes the parson." "Shall we let the spectators in?" "Mikkel, you'll kill me." "All right." "We'll wait." "Good morning, Borgen." "There she is." "I suppose some good must come of it." "Otherwise it would not have happened." "Those were the words of faith." "Good morning, Borgen." "Remember, Mikkel Borgen... that even in pain there is beauty." "Yes." "And all that beauty, Doctor, it's so frightfully important." "Any news of Johannes?" "We've looked everywhere for him, no one has seen or heard anything of him." "Then we must be prepared for the worst." "God grant he may have found peace." "Shall I let them in?" "May I say a few words?" "Death is the gateway to eternity, and the young woman, who lies here has passed through, before her dear ones." "We are mourning because we think of our grief and loss, for truly there is no need to mourn on her behalf." "Therefore, be grateful for your memories, your bright, happy memories, of the days that have passed by, and the bright hope you have for her in the life that is to come." "To you, Mikkel Borgen, I would say, if you can live your life in the memory of her, and can bring up your children, so that she would be glad if she could see it... then you two, who loved one another," "shall again be re-united, never to be separated again." "Shall we say The Lord's Prayer in silence?" "Amen." "Thank you, Reverend, for your kind words." "No need to thank me." "Father, look." "Peter, have you come here?" "You must forgive me for intruding on you, Morten Borgen." "Will you take my hand?" "But it was I who struck you." "It was I who forgot the words of Our Savior." "I have prayed to Him for forgiveness." "You must do the same, Morten." "It is all so unimportant now." "No, it is not, for I have something to say here, beside this coffin, something you must all know before Inger is carried away." "I know you mean well, Peter, but enough has been said here." "I'm coming to what I have to say, that Inger's place shall not stand empty." "Anne, come here." "Is Anne with you, Peter?" "Here she is." "Only God can reward you for this." "Now she belongs to you all." "Anne." "Now I have only my Savior left, and Him I shall never give up." "Oh, Peter!" "It warms my heart." "Be gentle with her up here." "You shall be the sunshine in all our lives, Anne." "Thank you, Anders." "Inger." "Oh!" "Thank God, now the tears have come." "Karen, come." "Now we'll come to the end." "Goodbye, Inger." "Thank you for everything, for everything was good." "We shall soon meet again." "Yes, Mikkel, there's another meeting." "Goodbye, Inger." "God rest your soul." "Say goodbye to your mother." "Goodbye, mother." "She doesn't understand any of this." "She is too little." "And the rest of us, we don't understand any of it either." "That is so true, Borgen." "Goodbye, Inger and thank you." "Anders, the lid." "No, you must not take her." "You must not separate us." "No!" "Mikkel, no!" "There now, Mikkel, her soul is with God." "It is not here, you can see that." "Her body is here." "I loved her body also." "Be strong, say your "Goodbye"." "You are a son of Borgen's Farm." "Goodbye, little sweetheart." "Goodbye, my little girl." "Johannes!" "Yes, father." "Father?" "You say, father?" "Your eyes are as they were before." "You have found your wits again, Johannes." "Yes, I have found my wits again." "Not one of you has had the idea of asking God to give Inger back to you again." "Johannes, now you are blaspheming God." "No, all of you blaspheme God with your lukewarm faith." "If you had prayed to God, He'd have listened to your prayers." "What is all this?" "Standing here and shouting over my wife's dead body." "My brother... why is there not one among these believers who believe." "Inger, you must rot, because the times are rotten." "Put the lid on." "Hurry, now, uncle." "The child... the child... the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." "Hurry up now." "Do you believe I can do it?" "Yes, uncle." "Thy faith is great, thy will shall be done..." "Look now at your mother." "When I say the name of Jesus she will arise." "Hear me, thou who art dead." "He's crazy." "Is it crazy to wish to rescue life?" "Johannes!" "Trust in God." "Jesus Christ, if it is possible... then give her leave to come back to life, give me the Word... the word that can make the dead come to life." "Inger... in the name of Jesus Christ, I bid thee... arise!" "Inger..." "Little Inger girl." "Morten, it is the God of old, the God of Elijah, eternal and the same." "Yes, eternal and the same." "The child." "Is it alive?" "Yes, Inger." "It lives at home with God." "With God?" "With God?" "Yes, Inger." "I have found your faith." "Now life begins for us." "Life, yes..." "Life." "Yes." "Life."