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Show ANIMALS ARE NOT FORGOTTEN Birds and Beasts Share in the Christmas Christ-mas Cheer in the Scandinavian Scandi-navian Countries. The Christmas customs In Norway and Sweden are the most interesting of any country. It is a time of great rejoicing. To show that there are amicable feelings between ever;,' one In the household the shoes are placed In a row at night in the hall when retiring re-tiring on Christmas eve, and, like the German custom, candles are left burning burn-ing in the village windows all night to light the way for "Kristine," who brings the gifts. The Christmas tree is largely decorated with candles and pretty cakes arranged in bright-colored baskets all usually homemade. The richer households send good things to t'ie poor, and everywhere among both rich and poor are the animals ani-mals and birds remembered. The boys and girls save up their pennies during the year for this purpose. Sheaves of grain are fastened to the window ledges in town, and in the country the sheaves are fastened to long poles and renewed every day for a week, and many are the birds that spy this feast. On the barn floors of the peasants howls of hot porridge are set for poor "Robin Goodfellow" to comfort him because be-cause he has no "soul." The cows and the horses share In the general happiness happi-ness by having a double share of food given them. |