Lisbeth Longfrock

by Hans Aanrud, Laura E. Poulsson (Translator)

Originally published in Norwegian as Sidsel Sidsærk, this classic children's novel has been variously translated as Lisbeth Longfrock, Sidsel Longskirt, and Little Sidsel Longskirt, and concerns the adventures of a young shepherdess whose epithet comes from the overly long dress given to her by her brother.

Genres: Childrens, Classics, Fiction

172 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Norwegian author Hans Aanrud was born in 1863 in the valley of Auggedalen, in the province of Gausdal. Although he moved to Oslo after he began to enjoy some literary success, the rural life of his early years would inform much of his work. Aanrud wrote plays, poetry and stories, and is particularly remembered for children's books such as Sidsel Sidsærk (1903) and Sölve Solfeng (1910). Aanrud died in 1953. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisbeth Longfrock, translated by Laura E. Poulsson.

In this beautifully descriptive children's novel, Norwegian author Hans Aanrud chronicles the youth of the eponymous Lisbeth Longfrock - so named because of the overly long dress given to the heroine by her older brother Jacob, which she wears for most of the book - from her young childhood living with her mother on the mountainside, through her time of service working as a herder at Hoel Farm, to her eventual confirmation and entry into maturity. By turns poignant and joyful, the narrative explores both the sorrow that Lisbeth experiences, upon the death of her mother, and her subsequent departure from the only home she has ever known, and the satisfaction she derives from working for the kindly Kjersti Hoel, who takes her in. The scenes set at the Hoel Farm sæter - a mountainside pasture where livestock is taken in the summer, and where butter and cheese is produced - are rich with descriptions of the natural world, and the humor of Lisbeth's interactions with her two fellow herders, Ole and Peter, is deftly captured. The book concludes with Lisbeth's confirmation - a ritual whose spiritual and emotional significance is beautifully depicted - and with the granting of one of the heroine's fondest hopes, when she is made head milkmaid. Her long-term future is also hinted at, in the incipient understanding that has developed between herself and Peter.

Originally published in Norway in 1903 as Sidsel Sidsærk, this classic children's novel has been translated into English three times, beginning with this 1907 version done by Norwegian-American children's author and translator Laura E. Poulsson, whose father emigrated to the United States from Norway, and who was living in the region of Norway where the story is set, whilst she worked on its translation. Subsequent translations include that done by Englishwoman Anna Barwell in 1923 (Little Sidsel Longskirt), and that done by Norwegian Dagny Mortenson and American Margery Williams Bianco - for American publication - in 1935 ( Sidsel Longskirt: A Girl of Norway ). As someone interested in issues of translation - I have the Mortenson translation on hold at the library, and intend to read it soon - I was immediately struck by the choices made by the different translators, beginning with the title itself. Clearly Poulsson wanted to retain the poetic alliteration of the original, making the decision to change the heroine's name. Barwell and Mortenson, on the other hand, have opted to retain the heroine's original name, but have sacrificed the titular alliteration to do it. This is the sole point of comparison I am able to comment upon, having not as yet read the other translations, although I hope to revisit the topic in my review of the Mortenson version. I will say that Poulsson's work here is admirable, her text (and Aanrud's, one presumes!), is lovely, full of descriptive passages that caught my attention, and capable of evoking great emotion, when describing Lisbeth's reaction to her mother's illness and death, her experience of her confirmation, and her final stock-taking, in which she looks back upon her short life. I appreciated the fact that Poulsson used footnotes, to communicate certain extra information to her readers. The story itself was engaging, without being sentimental or romantic in the slightest, and I came away wanting to read more by Aanrud. Fortunately, another of his children's novels, Solve Suntrap , has also been translated! Recommended to young readers who enjoy stories like Heidi , with its blend of natural and social observation, and its note of piety.

[Kinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently I bought a Kindle, which means I have no money anymore and I can't buy any books to read on it. Luckily, Gutenberg Project has a giant collection of free books published before 1923 (and made them all Kindleable). Thus, I did what any reasonable person would do - I decided to read them all in alphabetical order.
Ok, I admit I skipped 'Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark' by Jens Aaberg and went straight to Hans Aanrud and his 'Lisbeth Longfrock'.
It was a cute story about a little orphan - Lisbeth Longfrock living in the Norwegian country side. Not much happens, Lisbeth becomes a herder, meets Peter and Oli, loses one crazy goat who believes she is a cow (and later a horse)... But somehow it all was very enchanting and relaxing to read. This is what I call a 'feel good read'. Part coming of age, part bucolic, this little tale would've definitely gone to my heart when I was 11. I am not sure about kids today, though, they seem to have a shorter attention span.

Stay tuned for the next episode of the 'Gutenberg Project' Project in which I will be reading Radio Boys Cronies by S.F. Aaron & Wayne Whipple.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sidsel Longskirt: A Girl of Norway, translated by Dagny Mortenson & Margery Williams Bianco.

In this classic Norwegian children's novel, the eponymous Sidsel Longskirt - a name derived from the overly long skirt given to her by her elder brother Jacob - goes to live at Hoel Farm after the death of her mother. Here she contributes by working as an animal herder, looking after the flocks of sheep and goats, and traveling up to the farm's mountainside sæter each summer. As she grows, Sidsel proves that she is hardworking and goodhearted, winning the good opinion of Kirsti Hoel, and the friendship of her fellow summertime herders, John and Peter. The story concludes shortly after Sidsel's confirmation, as she looks back on her fifteen years of life, and forward to her new role as head milk maid at Hoel Farm, and her possible marriage to Peter.

After reading and greatly enjoying Lisbeth Longfrock , Laura E. Poulsson's 1907 translation of Hans Aanrud's 1903 Norwegian children's classic, Sidsel Sidsærk, I tracked down this later translation of the same work, done by Dagny Mortenson and Margery Williams Bianco in 1935, in order to contrast and compare the two. The first thing of note, as mentioned in my review of Lisbeth Longfrock , is the different titles. Whereas Poulsson chose to retain the alliteration of the original title, by changing her heroine's name, Mortenson and Bianco retained the heroine's original name, but lost the alliterative effect. A second, but no less important point, is the fact that this version presents a much simpler and briefer version of the story than that found in the Poulsson translation. Not having read the original, I can't say with certainty which is the more faithful, but I lean toward the earlier, longer work, in this question. Lisbeth Longfrock contains eleven chapters, and is 149 pages long, with an average of 27 lines per page. Sidsel Longskirt, on the other hand, contains ten chapters, and is 124 pages long, also with an average of 27 lines per page. 'Lisbeth' is a smaller book, with smaller pages, but its type is correspondingly smaller, so I think we can assume that each of its pages contains roughly the same amount of text as can be found on a page of 'Sidsel.' The different number of chapters is interesting, but unrelated to length or content, as the events of the first two chapters in 'Lisbeth' are all contained in the first chapter of 'Sidsel.' We can conclude from all of this that either Poulsson inserted 25 extra pages of story, or Mortenson and Williams left a corresponding amount out.

Almost from the beginning, it becomes clear that not only is there a disparity between the two versions in terms of text length, but also that the Poulsson and Mortenson/Bianco translations display different levels of textual complexity and (I would argue) lyric beauty. One of the things I most enjoyed about Lisbeth Longfrock was the lovely description it contained of the natural world, something for which Hans Aanrud was apparently known. A comparison of specific passages reveals that this is one of the things that has been greatly simplified and/or omitted in 'Sidsel.' Much of a cultural and religious nature has also been omitted, including the three-page description of the funeral of Lisbeth's mother, which is described in two sentences in the Mortenson/Bianco version. Also changed is the scene in which Lisbeth and her brother Jacob see one another for the first time after their mother's death, and both weep. In the Mortenson/Bianco version, only Sidsel cries, perhaps pointing to changing social expectations of young boys. Perhaps in 1907 it was still acceptable in America for a young boy who has lost his mother to cry, whereas by 1935, he is expected to be more stoic. Whatever the case may be, it's an interesting change.

All in all, I definitely preferred Lisbeth Longfrock to Sidsel Longskirt, even though the latter had illustrations by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire, whose artwork I love. That said, although Sidsel Longskirt may fall short in comparison to its predecessor, it still has immense charm and appeal, and its simplified text might actually be preferable for younger children. For my part, I am glad I had the opportunity to read both, and hope to one day track down a copy of the third English translation of Sidsel Sidsærk, Anna Barwell's 1923 British translation, Little Sidsel Longskirt.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published, in Norwegian, as Sidsel Sidsærk, Hans Aanrud's short tale of the childhood of a peasant girl in traditional Norway is simple and beautiful. Though read in Norway as a children's book, this classic of Norwegian literature is a pleasurable read, intended originally by its author for older readers. It follows its title character, as she comes to Hoel farm and works with livestock both at the farm and at the seter, a mountain pasture used in the summertime. To the modern mind, it may be complained that the book depicts the past in an uncritical light; however, it cannot be accused of being unrealistic, as it depicts the early death of Lisbeth's mother, the hardship of separation from Jacob, her only other family member, and the daunting challenge of starting work at a new and unfamiliar place. Lisbeth's sense of duty, and her dedication to and satisfaction with her tasks at Hoel farm, are healthy and, I think, realistic for that age. The natural surroundings of the mountains and valleys are simply yet evocatively described, and the beginning of a romance between Lisbeth and one of the herding boys she meets up at the seter is neither cloyingly sweet nor underdeveloped, two common weaknesses of romances in children's books. Aanrud's realism in the description of rural life is also to be commended. He does not dwell on childhood fancies (not that there are anything wrong with them), but rather evokes wonder and pleasure in the mundane and everyday. Altogether, Aanrud portrays a simpler time, where nature and the farm were the entire world, where there was room for charity and interdependence, and when people took pleasure in the seasonal rhythms of the agricultural life. Though written for children, the book is not sentimental in tone or plot, as tragedy and sorrow are both addressed, in minimalistic yet realistic ways. I really enjoyed it, and would read it again, as well as Aanrud's other books, were they available in English.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but the ending was rather abrupt

[Kath River · Rating 5 out of 5]

This the most touching scene about the two orphans from Peerout Castle:

As they had expected, they found Bliros (the cow) at Svehaugen (Farm); she was standing close by the gate. And they really thought that she knew Lisbeth again. ... Jacob's heart was so touched at the last that he promised to buy Bliros back and give her to Lisbeth as soon as he was grown up. At that Lisbeth could contain herself no longer. She put her arms around Bliros's neck, looked at her a long time, and said, “Do you believe, Jacob, that Bliros remembers Mother?” And then she began to cry. That question came upon Jacob so unexpectedly that at first he could say nothing. After a moment's struggle he, too, was crying; but he managed to declare with decision, “Yes; if she remembers anyone, it certainly must be Mother.”

[Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me a lot of Heidi, but in a much harsher land that made me glad my winter's are nowhere near that bad. While this book seems geared towards juvenile readers, it would be a great read as well for adults who want to know more about life in rural Scandinavia.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely tale. This is a children's story, but it's sweet, and I liked learning about the life of Norwegian farmers during this time period and the sense of community they were able to breed.

[Lukie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book belonged to my mother as a child. It has her name and the year 1933 on the flyleaf. She would have been 10. Recently, my sister was visiting and pulled it off an obscure shelf and read it, so I read it too. It takes place in the mountains and valleys of Norway where a little girl and her brother are orphaned when their mother dies. They are both immediately taken in by different nearby farms and put to work. Lisbeth becomes a shepherd for a woman-owned farm and most of the book is descriptions of walking with the goats and sheep up to their summer pastures in the mountains and returning in fall to the homestead. The author was a well-known children's writer, says the translator's introduction. The writing is descriptive but straight-forward, both of the animals and mountains and of Lisbeth's emotional state. It's sweet without being saccharine. In the end, Lisbeth is promoted (at the age of 15) to head milkmaid, her aspiration, and has begun a relationship with a young man with whom she'd played and worked while they watched their animals. I suspect this book appealed to my mother--who went to boarding school in Switzerland from ages 8-10, and at home in the States summered on Greenwood Lake in upstate New York--for the independence of the heroine and the bucolic setting. And she would have particularly gotten a kick out of the big wild goat who refused to be a goat and ran off first with the cows and then the horses that were sent into the mountains to run wild in the summers. Imagine being able to do that with your animals!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a young orphan girl, Lisbeth, who is the goatherd on a Norwegian farm. Sounds like Heidi? It isn't, it feels much more realistic. There's no plot in the sense of some great problem that has to be overcome, it's more like a fictional biography. Some sad events, some happy, some humorous, especially the antics of Crookhorn the goat.

Try it, if you enjoy children's stories set in other times and places.

[Dianeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was about 12, I read Heidi. I loved that story. Perhaps that is why I really enjoyed this story of Lisbeth Longfrock. While telling the story of her life from her mother’s death to her confirmation, the author describes the beauty of both the farm life in Norway and the countryside. The characters are genuine and the story is interesting. It is well worth reading.

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How different it was for children back then!