"Is not mother following?" Eva asked.
"It is not necessary", Filipa said, and Jhon agreed.
Robert looked at Filipas backpack that was in a shape like a panda.
"Are you really going to have that?"
"Yes? Why?"
"Someone may think it is-different?"
"I think it is not", she said as a matter of course.

"Those sailing boots I had last time", Malin said.
"Yes, they were those you of which you changed one and came home with two right boots. Was it not?" the dean´s wife said.
"No, not them", Malin said. "They were the ones I had the time before last time. I mean the ones I had the last time."
"I know", Povel said.
"Shut up, Povel, I am telling",Malin said."It was like this, mother and I were in town", she started,"and then i was going to run up the escalator in a shop, and then I fell in a strange way. And when i looked down the toe was gone at one of the boots."
The remainder of the story they would listen to another time.
Ivan, Povel, Jhon and Filipa were going to school.

"At the attics", the dean said.
They sang "With a little tulip" for Malin. Then she got three parcels, paint box and
drawing-pad from Jhonson and a bird dictionary and acomputor game.
"Oh, thank you" Malin said, when she got the Fortune Telling Glass Ball from the dean. "If it is in this you found Agnes I would not give much for it."
Everyone looked at the dean. But Povel looked enviously at Malin´s Fortune Telling Glass Ball.
"Agnes Lindblom was the daughter of reverend Lindblom", the dean said.
He had met Agnes in church in Stockholm during a children´s hour when they were ten
years old. In a weak moment he had tried to teach Agnes New Testament, but the lessons went poorly. The dean on his side read of Jesus as he had learned of Jesus in school. Also he learned theatre- and coffee shop visits costed much money. The fact is, Agnes preferred theatre and coffee shops to the Bible.

The Fortune Telling Glass Ball: Tenth of December was Malin´s name day. At least she would remember that day. First the dean´s wife comes with the tray with candles and a cup of hot chocolate. Then come Eva and Robert behind their children and Hanna, Helena, Ivan and Povel.
But where is the dean?
"I heard him at the attics", Robert started, but was pushed a bit by his wife. Same moment the dean arrived. In his hand was a Fortune Telling Glass Ball.
"Hans, where have you been?" the dean´s wife asked anguishly.

Svante hesitated to answer, and when Ivan asked again the door to the boy´s room was opened and Mats Hörlin stepped in.
"Hey", he said.
Ivan nodded and Svante rose and gave Mats a hug. He turned and looked at Ivan.
"You! Mats and I planned to be together today. Maybe we can see each others tomorrow instead? All three of us?"
Ivan felt like if someone punched his stomach. He did not look at the other boys and left the room without a word. Svante smiled towards Mats. He did not even notice Ivan.
"We must have an exciting name while chatting on Internet. What do you want to be called? I am Cannel..."
From the school-room was "Shine Over Sea and Shore" heard on the piano, and the voices of the girl and her grandmother.