mim

Fairy Tales from the Far North

Fairy Tales from the Far North

by

P. C. Asbjornsen

Translated from the Norwegian by H. L. Brækstad

With Ninety-Five Illustrations by E. WERENSKIOLD, T. KITTELSEN and O. SINDING

AUTHORISED EDITION

LONDON

DAVID NUTT, 270-271, STRAND

1897

Punted by Bai.lantvne, Hanson <&-• Co. At the Ballantyne Press

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

Slowly but surely the name of Asbjornsen has been gaining ground in popularity as one of the most fascinating and delightful writers of Fairy Tales, not only among the young folks in this country, but also among adult readers and students of Folk Lore. Asbjornsen was first introduced to the English public through the late Sir George Dasent's translations, published in 1858 and 1874. In 1 88 1 appeared my translation of a selection of his Norske Folke-Eventyr (Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales), and his Hiildre- Eventyr (Tales and Legends about the wood-fairy and other supernatural beings), with the original illustrations, which a number of Norwegian artists, all friends and admirers of the genial author, had for some time been preparing for the first illustrated edition of his Tales. The English edition was published under the title of " Round the Yule Log," and met with a most favourable reception both in this country and in America.

A second volume, containing a further selection of his most popular Tales, with illustrations by the well-known Norwegian artists, E. Werenskiold, T. Kiitelsen and O. Sinding was in course

545025

vi Translator's Note

of publication when, in 1885, death overtook the author, and Norway lost one of her most celebrated sons. But the arrange- ments for the publication of this new volume of the illustrated edition were so far advanced, that the final part was able to appear about two years after Asbjornsen's death. It is these illustrations which appear in the pages of the present English edition of the new selection of his Tales. With regard to the translation, I have in this, as in my former volume, " Round the Yule Log," attempted to retain as far as possible the racy, colloquial flavour of the original.

H. L. B.

London, September, 1897.

^^^^^WihHf

CONTENTS

Page

I

The Ram and the Pig who went into the Woods to live by Themselves

The Golden Bird 8

The Fox as Herdsboy 20

Ashiepattle, who ate with the Troll for a Wager 22

The Quern at the Bottom of the Sea 27

Little Butterkin 34

The Contrary -minded Woman 3g

The Woodpecker 45

The Man's Daughter and the Woman's Daughter 47

The Hare who had been Married 58

\/^he Squire's Bride 61

All Women are alike 6g

^^^ne's own Children are always the Prettiest 77

Old Father Bruin in the Wolfpit 79

The Doll in the Grass 82

The Hen who went to Dovrefjeld to save the World .... 87

Squire Peter gi

Bird Dauntless 100

^ The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse 116

4f Soria Maria's Castle 122

Well Done, III Paid 138

Ashiepattle and his Goodly Crew ........ 142

Gudbrand on the Hill-side 155

The Twelve Wild Ducks 162

viii Contents

The Bear and the Fox :

1. Slip Pine-Root, Grip Fox-Foot 174

2. The Bear and the Fox wake a Wagey 175

3. The Bear and the Fox go into Partnership 176

4. Reynard wants to taste Horseflesh . . . . . .180

The Cock who fell into the Brewing Vat 182

The Cock and the Fox i8g ,

The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain 192 y

The World's Reward 220

The Companion 226

Nanny who wouldn't go Home to Supper 246

The Lad with the Beer Keg 253

Little Fred and his Fiddle 259

The Storehouse Key in the Distaff 269

The Lad who went wooing the Daughter of old Mother Corner . . 272

The Princess whom nobody could silence 283

Farmer Weatherbeard 289

THE RAM

AND THE PIG

WHO WENT

INTO THE WOODS

TO LIVE BY THEMSELVES

There was once upon a time a ram, who was being fattened up for killing. He had therefore plenty to eat, and he soon be- came round and fat with all the ^T. good things he got. One day -n^ '{^^ ^, ^^0^

the dairy-maid came, and gave ^^///^^ Éfm

71'" ■■

him some more food

" You must eat, ram," she

2 The Ram axd the Pig

said ; " you'll not be long here now, for to-morrow we are going to kill you."

" There's an old saying, that no one should sneer at old women's advice, and that advice and physic can be had for every- thing except death," thought the ram to himself; " but perhaps I might manage to escape it this time."

And so he went on eating till he was full, and when he was quite satisfied he ran his horns against the door, burst it open, and set off to the neighbouring farm. There he made straight for the pig-sty, to look for a pig with whom he had struck up an acquaintance on the common, since when they had always been good friends and got on well together.

" Good day, and thanks for your kindness last time we met," said the ram to the pig.

" Good da}', and thanks to you," said the pig.

" Do you know why they make you so comfortable, and why they feed you and look after you so well ? " said the ram.

" No," said the pig.

" There are many mouths to feed on this farm, you must know," said the ram ; " they are going to kill you and eat 3'ou."

"Are they?" said the pig. "Well, much good may it do them ! "

" If you are of the same mind as I, we will go into the woods and build a house and live by ourselves ; there is nothing like having a home of your own, you know," said the ram.

Yes, the pig was quite willing. " It's nice to be in fine company," said he, and off they started.

When they had got a bit on the way they met a goose.

" Good day, my good people, and thanks for your kindness last time we met," said the goose. " Where are you off to ? "

"Good day, and thanks to you," said the ram. "We had it altogether too comfortable at our place, so we are off to the woods to live by ourselves. In your own house you are your own master, you know," said he.

"Well, I'm very comfortable where I am," said the goose;

The Ram axd the Pig 3

■** but why shouldn't I join you ? Good company makes the day shorter," said she.

" But neither hut nor house can be built by gabbling and quacking," said the pig. " What do you think you can do ? "

" Good counsel and skill may do as much as a giant's will," said the goose. " I can pluck moss and stuff it into the crevices, so that the house will be warm and comfortable."

Well, she might come with them, thought the pig, for he liked the place to be warm and cosy.

When they had gone a bit on the way — the goose was not getting along very fast — they met a hare, who came scampering out of the wood.

" Good day, my good people, and thanks for your kindness the last time we met," said the hare. *' How far are you going to-day ? " said he.

" Good day, and thanks to you," said the ram ; " we had it alto- gether too comfortable at our place, so we are off to the woods to build a house and live by ourselves. When you have tried both East and West, you'll find that a home of your own is after all the best," said he,

" Well, I have, of course, a home in every bush," said the hare ; " but I have often said to myself in the winter, that if I lived till the summer I would build a house, so I have a good mind to go with you and build one after all," said he.

"Well, if the worst comes to the worst, we might take you with us to frighten the dogs away," said the pig, " for you couldn't help us to build the house, I should say."

"There is always something for willing hands to do in this world," said the hare. " I have teeth to gnaw pegs with, and I have paws to knock them into the walls, so I'll do very well for a carpenter; for 'good tools make good work,' as the man said, when he skinned his mare with an auger," said the hare.

Well, he might come with them and help to build the house ; there could be no harm in that.

When they had got a bit further on the way, they met a cock.

4 The Ram and the Pig

" Good day, my good people, and thanks for your kindness last time we met," said the cock; "where are you all going to- day ? " he said.

" Good day and thanks to you," said the ram ; " we had it altogether too comfortable at our place, so we are off to the woods to build a house and live by ourselves. * For unless at home you bake, you'll lose both fuel and cake,' " said he.

"Well, I am comfortable enough, where I am," said the cock, " but it's better to have your own roost than to sit on a stranger's perch and crow ; and that cock is best off who has a home of his own," said he. " If I could join such fine company as yours, I too would like to go to the woods and build a house."

" Well, flapping and crowing is all very well for noise, but it won't cut joists," said the pig. " You can't help us to build a house," he said.

" It is not well to live in a house where there is neither dog nor cock," said the cock ; "I am early to rise and early to crow."

*' Yes, ' early to rise, makes one wealthy and wise,' so let him come with us ! " said the pig. He was always the heaviest sleeper. " Sleep is a big thief, and steals half one's life," he said.

So they all set off to the woods and built the house. The pig felled the trees and the ram dragged them home ; the hare was the carpenter, and gnawed pegs and hammered them into walls and roof; the goose plucked moss and stuffed it into the crevices between the logs ; the cock crew and took care that they did not oversleep themselves in the mornings, and when the house was ready and the roof covered with birch-bark and thatched with turf, they could at least live by themselves, and they were all both happy and contented.

" It's pleasant to travel both East and West, but home is, after all, the best," said the ram.

But a bit further into the wood two wolves had their lair, and when they saw that a new house had been built hard by they wanted to know what sort of folks they had got for neighbours. For they thought, " a good neighbour is better than a brother in a

The Ram and the Pig 7

foreign land, and it is better to live among good neighbours than to be known far and wide."

So one of them made it his business to call there and ask for a light for his pipe. The moment he came inside the door the ram rushed at him, and gave him such a butt with his horns that the wolf fell on his head into the hearth ; the pig snapped and bit, the goose nipped and pecked, the cock flew up on a rafter and began to crow and cackle, and the hare became so frightened that he scampered and jumped about, both high and low, and knocked and scrambled about from one corner of the room to the other.

At last the wolf managed to get out of the house.

"Well, to know one's neighbours is to add to one's wisdom," said the wolf, who was waiting outside ; "I suppose you had a grand reception, since you stayed so long. But what about the light ? I don't see either pipe or smoke," said he.

" Yes, that was a nice light I got, and a nice lot of people they were," said he who had been inside. " Such treatment I never met with before, but ' as you make your bed so you must lie,' and *an unexpected guest must put up with what he gets,'" said the wolf. " No sooner had I got inside the door, than the shoe- maker threw his last at me, and I fell on my head in the middle of the forge ; there sat two smiths, blowing bellows and pinching and snipping bits of flesh off me with red-hot tongs and pincers ; the hunter rushed about the room looking for his gun, but as luck would have it, he couldn't find it. And up on the rafters sat some one beating his arms about and shouting : ' Let's hook him ! let's hook him ! Sling him up ! sling him up ! ' and if he had only got hold of me I should never have got out alive."

THE GOLDEN BIRD

Ti-iERh was once upon a

time a king who had a

:: 'ii!( n ; in that garden there was an

apple-tree, and on that apple-tree there

grew a golden apple every year ; but

when the time came to pluck the apple, it

was gone, and no one knew who took it or

what became of it ; but gone it was.

The king had three sons, and one day he told them that he who could bring him the apple, or get hold of the thief, should have the kingdom after him, no matter whether he was the eldest, the second or the younger son.

The eldest set out first and sat down under the tree to keep watch for the thief. Soon after dark a golden bird came flying.

\Jk^

The Golden Bird 9

and the light from it was so strong and dazzhng, that it could be seen a long way oflf. When the prince saw the bird and the dazzling light, he became so frightened, that he dared not stay any longer, but rushed indoors as fast as he could.

Next morning the apple was gone ; the prince had then, how- ever, recovered his courage and began to get ready for his journey and wanted to set off to find the bird. The king fitted him out in grand style and spared neither money nor fine raiment. When the prince had gone a bit on the way he became hungry, opened his scrip and sat down to his breakfast by the road side. A fox then came out of the wood and sat down and looked at him.

" Do give me a little to eat," said the fox.

** I'll give you some powder and shot," said the prince ; " my food I shall want myself ; nobody can tell how far and how long I may have to travel," said he.

"Just so," said the fox, and so he went back into the wood again.

When the prince had finished his meal and rested awhile he set out on his way again. After a long time he came to a big city, and in that city there was an inn, where there was always joy and never any sorrow ; he thought that would be a nice place to stop at, and so he remained. And there was such dancing and drinking and joy and merry-making, that he forgot the bird and his father and his journey and the whole kingdom.

Away he was and away he stopped.

The next year the second prince was to watch for the thief in the garden ; he also sat down under the tree when the apple began to ripen. But one night, all of a sudden, the golden bird came flying, shining like the sun ; the prince became so afraid that he took to his heels and ran indoors as fast as he could.

In the morning the apple was gone, but the prince had then recovered his courage and wanted to set out and find the bird. He began to get ready and the king fitted him out in grand style and spared neither money nor fine raiment. But the same thing happened to him as to his brother ; when he had got a bit on the

lo The Golden Bird

way he became hungry, opened his scrip and sat down to his breakfast by the roadside. A fox then came out from the pine wood and sat down and looked at him.

" Do give me a Httle to eat," said the fox.

** I'll give you some powder and shot," said the prince ; " my food I shall want myself; nobody can tell how far and how long I may have to travel," said he.

" Just so," said the fox, and so he went back into the wood again.

When the prince had finished his meal and rested awhile, he set out on his way again. After a long time he came to the same city and the same inn, where there was always joy and never any sorrow ; and there he also thought it would be nice to stop, and the first he met was his brother, and so he remained. The brother had been leading a gay and reckless life and had scarcely any clothes left on his back ; but now he began afresh, and there was such dancing and drinking and joy and merriment that the second prince also forgot the bird and his father and his journey and the whole kingdom. Away he was and away he stopped.

When the time came for the apple to ripen again the youngest prince was to go into the garden and watch for the thief. He took a companion with him who was to help him up into the tree, and he also took with him a keg of beer and a pack of cards to pass away the time with so that he should not fall asleep. All of a sudden they saw a bright light, as if from the sun ; every feather of the bird could be seen long before it came to the tree. The prince climbed up into the tree and at the same time the golden bird swooped down and took the apple ; the prince tried to seize the bird, but he only caught a feather out of its tail.

So he went to the king's bedroom, and as he came in with the feather, it became as light as day.

He also wanted to try if he could find his brothers and catch the bird, for he had been so near to it that he had got a feather from its tail and would know it again anywhere, he said.

The Golden Bird i i

Well, the king went and pondered long whether he should let him go, for he thought the youngest would not fare any better than the two eldest, who ought to have more knowledge of the world, and he was afraid he should lose him also. But the prince begged so earnestly that at last he got permission to go.

He then began to get ready and the king fitted him out in grand style, both with clothes and money, and so he set off.

When he had travelled for some time he became hungry and took his scrip and sat down to have his breakfast, but just as he was in the midst of it, a fox came out of the wood and sat down close by his side and looked at him.

" Do give me a little to eat," said the fox.

" I shall want the food myself," said the prince, " for I cannot tell how far I shall have to travel, but I have enough to give you a little."

When the fox had got the piece of meat he asked the prince where he was going.

Yes, that he would tell him.

" If you will listen to me, I will help you, and you will have good luck," said the fox.

The prince promised he would, and so they set off together. They travelled a while till they came to the same city and the same inn, where there was always joy, but no sorrow.

"I must keep outside here; the dogs are rather a nuisance," said the fox, and so he told the prince where his brothers were to be found and what they were doing; "and if you go in there you will not get any further either," said he.

The prince promised he would not go in there, and gave him his hand on it, and so each went his way. But when the prince came to the inn and heard the noise and merriment going on he felt he must go in ; there was no help for it, and when he met his brothers there was such rejoicing that he forgot both the fox and the journey and the bird, and his father. But when he had been there a while the fox came — he had ventured into the city after all — and opened the door a

12 The Golden Bird

little and made a sign to the prince, saying that now they must be off. So the prince bethought himself, and they went their way.

When they had travelled a while they saw a big mountain far away. The fox said :

''Three hundred miles at the back of that mountain there is a gilded linden-tree with golden leaves, and in that tree sits the golden bird from which you took the feather."

Thither they travelled together. When the prince was going to catch the bird the fox gave him some bright feathers which he was to wave in his hands, and so attract the bird, which would then fly down and sit on his hand.

But the fox said he must not touch the linden-tree, for inside it was a big troll, who owned it, and if the prince only touched the smallest twig the troll would come out and kill him on the spot.

No, he would not touch it, said the prince ; but when he had got the bird on his hand, he thought he must have a twig of the tree ; there was no help for it, it was so bright and beautiful. So he took a tiny little sprig, but the same moment the troll came out.

"Who is that stealing my tree and my bird?" roared the troll, and he was so angry that he spurted sparks of fire.

"Thieves believe that all men steal," said the prince; "but only those get hanged who do not steal properly," said he.

The troll said that made no difference, and was going to kill him, but the prince begged him to spare his life.

"Well," said the troll, "if you can bring me back the horse which my nearest neighbour has taken from me, you will get off with your life."

" Where shall I find it, then ? " said the prince.

" Oh, he lives three hundred miles at the back of that big blue mountain against the horizon yonder," said the troll.

The prince promised he would do his best. But when he came back to the fox he found him in rather a bad temper.

" Now you have got yourself into trouble," said the fox ; " if

The Golden Bird 13

you had listened to me we could have been on our way home by this," said he.

So they had to make a fresh start, for the prince had pledged his word, and his life depended on his finding the horse.

At last they got there, but as the prince was going to take the horse the fox said :

"When 3'ou come into the stable you will find all sorts of bridles hanging on the wall, both of gold and silver ; you must not touch them, for then the troll will come and kill you right away ; you must take the ugliest and shabbiest you see."

Yes, the prince promised he would ; but when he came into the stable he thought it was quite unreasonable not to take a fine bridle, for there were plenty of them, and so he took the brightest he could find. It was as bright as gold, but just then the troll came and was so angry that sparks flew from him.

" Who is that stealing my horse and my bridle ? " he shrieked.

"Thieves believe that allmen steal," said the prince; "but only those get hanged who do not steal properly," said he.

" Well, that makes no difference. I'll kill 3^ou on the spot," shouted the troll.

But the prince begged him to spare his life.

"Well," said the troll, "if you can bring me back the fair damsel which my nearest neighbour has taken from me I will spare

you."

"Whereabouts does he live, then ?" asked the prince.

" Oh, he lives three hundred miles at the back of that big blue mountain against the horizon yonder," said the troll.

The prince promised he would fetch the damsel, and was allowed to go, and so he escaped with his life.

But when he came out 3'ou may imagine how angry the fox was.

" Now you've got yourself into trouble again," said he ; " if^-ou had listened to me we could have been on our way home long ago. I alm.ost think I will not go with you any further."

14 The Golden Bird

But the prince begged and prayed and promised he would never do anything else but what the fox told him, if he would only remain with him. At last the fox gave in, and they became firm friends again ; so they set off once more and came at last to where the fair damsel was.

" Well," said the fox, " I have 3'our promise, but I dare not let you in to the troll, after all ; this time I must go myself." So he went in, and after a while he came out with the damsel, and so they went back the same way the}' had come.

When they got to the troll, who had the horse, they took both the horse and the brightest bridle ; and when they got to the troll, who had the linden tree and the bird, they took both the tree and the bird and started off with them.

When they had got a bit on the way, they came to a field of rye, and the fox then said :

" I hear a thundering noise ; you had better go on ahead ; I will remain here a while," he said. He then plaited himself a gown of rye-straw, in which he looked like a preacher. All at once the three trolls came rushing along, hoping to overtake the prince.

" Have you seen any one passing here with a fair damsel, a horse with a golden bridle, a golden bird, and a gilded linden- tree ? " they shouted to the fox, as he stood there preaching.

" Well, I've heard from my grandmother's grandmother, that something of the kind passed this way, but that was in the good old times, when my grandmother's grandmother baked halfpenny cakes and gave back the halfpenny."

Then all the trolls burst out laughing: "Ha, ha, ha!" they laughed and held on to one another.

" If we have slept so long, we may as well turn our noses home- wards, and go to sleep again," they said, and so they went back the way they came.

The fox then set off after the prince, but when they came to the city, where the inn and his brothers were, he said :

" I dare not go through the town on account of the dogs ; I must

"HA, HA, ha!" the trolls LAUGHED, AND HELD ON TO ONE ANOTHER

The Golden Bird 17

go my own way just above here, but you must take good care your brothers do not get hold of you."

But when the prince came into the city, he thought it would be too bad if he did not look in upon his brothers and have a word with them, and so he tarried there for a while.

When the brothers saw him, they came out and took both the damsel, and the horse, and the bird, and the linden-tree, and every- thing from him, and they put him in a barrel, and threw him into the sea ; and so they set off home to the king's palace, with the damsel, and the horse, and the bird, and the linden-tree, and every- thing. But the damsel would not speak, and she became- pale and wretched to look upon ; the horse got so thin and miserable that it could hardly hang together ; the bird became silent and shone no more, and the linden-tree withered.

In the meantime the fox was sneaking about outside the city, where the inn and the merriment were, and was waiting for the prince and the damsel, and wondered why they did not return.

He went hither and thither, waiting and watching for them, and at last he came down to the shore, and when he saw the barrel, which was lying out at sea drifting, he shouted : "Why are you drifting about there, you empty barrel ? "

" Oh, it is I," said the prince in the barrel.

The fox them swam out to sea as fast as he could, got hold of the barrel, and towed it to land ; then he began to gnaw the hoops, and when he had got some oft" the barrel, he said to the prince : " Stamp and kick."

The prince stamped and kicked till all the staves flew about, and out he jumped from the barrel.

So they went together to the king's palace, and when they got there the damsel regained her beauty and began to talk, the horse became so fat and sleek that every hair glistened ; the light shone from the bird and it began to sing; the linden-tree began to blossom and its leaves to sparkle, and the damsel said, " He is the one who has saved us."

B

i8

The Golden Bird

They planted the linden-tree in the garden, and the youngest prince was to marr}^ the princess, for such the damsel really was ; but the two eldest brothers were put each in a spiked barrel and rolled down a high mountain.

Then they began to prepare for the wedding, but the fox first

THE TWO ELDEST BROTHERS WERE PUT EACH IN A SPIKED BARREL AND ROLLED DOWN A MOUNTAIN

asked the prince to put him on the block and cut his head off, and although the prince both prayed and cried, there was no help for it ; he would have to do it. But as he cut the head off, the fox

The Golden Bird 19

turned into a handsome prince, and he was the brother of the princess, whom they had rescued from the troll.

So the wedding came off and everything was so grand and splendid, that the news of the festivities reached all the way here.

THE FOX AS HERDSBOY

There was once upon a time a woman, who went out to look for a herdsboy, and so she met a bear.

*' Where are you going ? " said the bear.

" Oh, I'm looking for a herdsboy," answered the woman.

" Won't you take me ? " asked the bear.

" Well, if you only knew how to call the flock," said the wife. " Ho-y ! " shouted the bear.

** No, I won't have you ! " said the woman, when she heard this, and went on her way.

When she had gone on a while, she met a wolf.

" Where are you going ? " said the wolf.

*' I am looking for a herdsboy," said the woman.

" Won't you take me ? " said the wolf.

The Fox as Herdsboy

21

"Well, if you only knew how to call the flock," said the woman, " U-g-h ! " howled the wolf.

" No, 1 won't have you," said the woman.

When she had gone a bit further, she met a fox.

" Where are you going ? " said the fox.

" Oh, I'm looking for a herdsboy," said the woman.

" Won't you take me ? " asked the fox.

" Well, if you only knew how to call the flock," said the woman.

" Dil-dal-holom ! " called the fox in a thin, squeaky voice.

** Yes, I'll take you for a herdsboy," said the woman ; and so she put the fox to look after her flocks. On the first day he ate up all the goats belonging to the woman ; the second day he finished all her sheep, and the third day he ate all the cows. When he came home in the evening, the woman asked what he had done with all the flocks.

" The skulls are in the brook and the bones in the wood," said the fox.

The woman was busy churning, but she thought she might as well go and look for her flocks. While she was away, the fox slipped into the churn and ate all the cream. When the woman came back and saw this, she became so angry, that she took a small clot of cream, which was left, and threw it after the fox, splashing the end of his tail with it, and that's the reason why the fox has a white tip to his tail 1

ASHIEPATTLE* WHO ATE WITH THE TROLL FOR A WAGER

There was once upon a time a peasant who had three sons. He was badly off, and old and feeble, and the sons would not do any work.

To the farm belonged a large pine forest, and the father wanted his sons to cut timber in it, and try to get some of his debts paid off. At last he got them to listen to him, and the eldest one was to go out first and fell trees. When he got into the forest and began felling an old bearded pine, a great big troll came up to him.

" If you cut down my trees, I'll kill you ! " said the troll.

When the lad heard this, he threw down the axe and set off home as fast as he could. He got there quite out of breath, and told what had happened to him, but the father said he was chicken- hearted ; the trolls had never frightened him from felling trees when he was young, he said.

The next day the second son was to go, and the same thing happened to him. He had no sooner struck some blows at the pine than the troll came and said :

" If you cut down my trees, I'll kill you ! "

The lad hardly dared to look at him ; he threw down the axe And took to his heels, just like his brother, only rather quicker.

* The favourite hero of most Norwegian fairy tales is called Askeladen, a sort of male Cinderella, and is always the youngest son of the family.

" IK vor don't be quiet," shouted the lad to the troll, " I'll squeeze you

JUST AS I SQUEEZE THE WATER OUT OK THIS STONE "

ASHIEPATTLE WHO ATE WITH THE TROLL 25

When he came home the father became angry, and said that the trolls had never frightened him when he was young.

On the third day Ashiepattle wanted to set out.

" You indeed ! " said the two eldest ; " you'll never be able to do anything, you who have never been outside the door ! "

Ashiepattle did not answer, but only asked for plenty of food to take with him. His mother had nothing ready, and so she put on the pot and made a cheese for him, which he placed in his scrip, and then set out from home. When he had been felling trees awhile, the troll came to him and said :

" If you cut down my trees, I'll kill you ! "

But the lad was not slow ; he ran into the forest for the cheese and squeezed it, so that the whey spurted from it.

" If you don't be quiet," he shouted to the troll, " I'll squeeze you just as I squeeze the water out of this white stone."

" Oh dear, oh dear ! do spare me ! " said the troll, ** and I'll help you."

Well, on that condition the lad would spare him, and as the troll was clever at felling trees, they cut them down by the dozen during the day. Towards evening the troll said :

" You had better come home with me ; it is nearer than to your place."

Well, the boy went home with him, and when they got there the troll was to light the fire on the hearth, while the boy fetched the water for the porridge. But the two iron buckets that were there were so big and heavy he was not even able to move them. So the boy said :

" It is hardly worth while to take these thimbles with me ; I'll go and fetch the whole well."

" Oh dear, no ! " said the troll, " I cannot lose my well ; you make the fire, and I'll fetch the water."

When he came back with the water, they boiled a great big cauldron of porridge.

" If it's all the same to you," said the lad, '* I'll lay a wager I'll eat more than you."

Jlyyx^

26 ASHIEPATTLE WHO AtE WITH THE TROLL

"All right," said the troll, for he thought he could easily manage that ; but the boy took his scrip without the troll seeing it, and tied it in front of him, and managed to put more porridge in the scrip than he ate himself. When the scrip was full he took his knife and cut a slit in it.

The troll looked at him, but didn't say anything. When they had been eating a good while the troll put away his spoon, and said :

" I can't eat any more."

"You must eat," answered the lad. "I'm scarcely half-way through. Do as I did, and cut a hole in your stomach, and then you can eat as much as you like."

" But I suppose it hurts one dreadfully ? " asked the troll.

" Oh, nothing worth talking about," answered the lad.

So the troll did as the lad told him, and as you will easily understand, that was the end of him. But the lad took all the silver and gold which was in the mountain, and went home. With that he would be able to pa}^ off something of his father's debt.

THE QUERN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

Once upon a time in the old, old days there were two brothers, one of whom was rich and the other poor. When Christmas Eve came the poor brother had not a morsel in the house, neither of meat nor bread ; and so he went to his rich brother, and asked for a trifle for Christmas, in heaven's name. It was not the first time the brother had helped him, but he was always very close-fisted, and was not particularly glad to see him this time.

" If you'll do what I tell you, you shall have a whole ham," he said. The

28 The Quern at the Bottom of the Sea

poor brother promised he would, and was very grateful into the bargain.

"There it is, and now go to the devil ! " said the rich brother, and threw the ham across to him.

" Well, what I have promised I must keep," said the other one. He took the ham, and set out. He walked and walked the whole day, and as it was getting dark he came to a place where the lights were shining brightly. " This is most likely the place," thought the man with the ham.

In the wood-shed stood an old man with a long white beard, cutting firewood for Christmas.

" Good evening," said he with the ham.

" Good evening to you," said the man. " Where are you going so late ? "

" I am going to the devil — that is to say, if I am on the right way," answered the poor man.

"Yes, you are quite right; this is his place," said the old man, " When you get in, they will all want to buy your ham, for ham is scarce food here ; but you must not sell it unless you get the hand-quern, which stands just behind ihe door. When you come out again, I'll teach you how to use it. You will find it useful in many ways."

The man with the ham thanked him for all the information, and knocked at the door.

When he got in, it happened just as the old man had said. All the imps, both big and small, flocked around him like ants in a field, and the one outbid the other for the ham.

"Well," said the man, " mv good woman and I were to have it for Christmas Eve, but since you want it so badly I will let you have it. But if I am going to part with it, I want that hand-quern which stands behind the door."

The devil did not like to part with it, and higgled and haggled with the man, but he stuck to what he had said, and in the end the devil had to part with the quern.

When the man came out, he asked the old wood-cutter how

The Querx at the Bottom of the Sea 29

he was to use the quern, and when he had learned this, he thanked the old man and set out homewards as quickly as he could ; but after all he did not get home till the clock struck twelve on Christ- mas Eve.

" Where in all the world have you been ? " said his wife. " Here have I been sitting, hour after hour, waiting and watching for you, and have not had as much as two chips to lay under the porridge pot."

" Well, I couldn't get back before ;" said the man. " I have had a good many things to look after, and I've had a long way to walk as well ; but now I'll show you something," said he and put the quern on the table. He asked it first to grind candles, then a cloth, and then food and beer, and everything else that was good for Christmas cheer ; and as he spoke the quern brought them forth. The woman crossed herself time after time and wanted to know where her husband had got the quern from ; but this he would not tell her.

" It does not matter where I got it from ; you see the quern is good and the mill stream is not likely to freeze," said the man. So he ground food and drink and all good things during Christmas; and the third day he invited his friends, as he wanted to give them a feast. When the rich brother saw all that was in the house, he became both angry and furious, for he begrudged his brother everything.

" On Christmas Eve he was so needy that he came to me and asked for a trifle in heaven's name ; and now he gives a feast, as if he were both a count and a king," said the brother. "Where did you get all your riches from?" he said to his brother.

" From just behind the door," he answered, for he did not care to tell his brother much about it. But later in the evening, when he had drank a little freely, he could no longer resist, but brought out the quern.

" There you see that which has brought me all my riches," he said, and so he let the quern grind first one thing and then another.

When the brother saw this, he was determined to have the quern at all cost, and at last it was settled he should have it, but three hundred dollars was to be the price of it. The brother was

30 The Quern at the Bottom of the Sea

however, to keep it till the harvest began ; " for if I keep it so long, 1 can grind out food for many years to come," he thought.

During that time you may be sure the quern did not rust, and when the harvest began the rich brother got it ; but the other had taken great care not to show him how to use it.

It was evening when the rich brother got the quern home, and in the morning he asked his wife to go out and help the hay- makers ; he would get the breakfast ready himself to-day, he said.

When it was near breakfast time he put the quern on the breakfast table.

** Grind herrings and broth, and do it quickly and well," said the man, and the quern began to bring forth herrings and broth, and filled first all the dishes and tubs, and afterwards began flood- ing the whole kitchen.

The man fiddled and fumbled and tried to stop the quern, but however much he twisted and fingered it, the quern went on grinding, and in a little while the broth reached so high that the man was very near drowning. He then pulled open the parlour door, but it was not long before the quern had filled the parlour also, and it was just in the very nick of time that the man put his hand down into the broth and got hold of the latch, and when he had got the door open, he was soon out of the parlour, you may be sure. He rushed out, and the herrings and the broth came pouring out after him, like a stream, down the fields and meadows.

The wife, who was out haymaking, now thought it took too long a time to get the breakfast ready.

"If my husband doesn't call us soon, we must go home whether or no : I don't suppose he knows much about making broth, so I must go and help him," said the wife to the haymakers.

They began walking homewards, but when they had got a bit up the hill they met the stream of broth with the herrings tossing about in it and the man himself running in front of it ail.

" I wish all of you had a hundred stomachs each ! " shouted the man ; " but take care you don't get drowned." And he rushed past them as if the Evil One was at his heels, down to where his

OS
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The Querx at the Bottom of the Sea 33

brother lived. He asked him for heaven's sake to take back the quern, and that at once ; " If it goes on grinding another hour the whole parish will perish in broth and herrings," he said. But the brother would not take it back on any account before his brother had paid him three hundred dollars more, and this he had to do. The poor brother now had plenty of money, and before long he bought a farm much grander than the one on which his rich brother lived, and with the quern he ground so much gold that he covered the farmstead with gold plates and, as it lay close to the shore, it glittered and shone far out at sea. All those who sailed past wanted to call and visit the rich man in the golden house, and everybody wanted to see the wonderful quern, for its fame had spread both far and wide, and there was no one who had not heard it spoken of.

After a long while there came a skipper who wanted to see the quern ; he asked if it could grind salt. Yes, that it could, said he who owned it ; and when the skipper heard this he wanted the quern by hook or by crook, cost what it might, for if he had it he thought he need not sail far away across dangerous seas for cargoes of salt.

At first the man did not want to part with it, but the skipper both begged and prayed, and at last he sold it and got man}^, many thousand dollars for it.

As soon as the skipper had got the quern on his back he did not stop long, for he was afraid the man would change his mind, and as for asking how to use it he had no time to do that ; he made for his ship as quickly as he could, and when he had got out to sea a bit he had the quern brought up on deck.

" Grind salt, and that both quickly and well," said the skipper, and the quern began to grind out salt so that it spurted to all sides.

When the skipper had got the ship tilled he wanted to stop the quern, but however much he tried and whatever he did the quern went on grinding, and the mound of salt grew higher and higher, and at last the ship sank.

There at the bottom of the sea stands the quern grinding till this very day, and that is the reason why the sea is salt.

c

///y

LITTLE BUTTERKIN

Once upon a time there was a woman who was sitting baking. She had a little boy who was so fat and plump and who was so fond of good food that she called him Butterkin. She also had a dog called Goldtooth.

One da}', all of a sudden, the dog began to bark.

" Run out, Butterkin ! " said the woman, " and see what Goldtooth is barking at."

So the boy ran out and came back, saying :

" Oh, mother, mother ! There's a great big troll-wife coming here, with her head under her arm and a bag on her back."

Little Butterkin 35

" Run under the table and hide yourself," said his mother.

The big troll-wife then came in.

" Good day I " she said.

" Good day to you ! " said Butterkin's mother.

"Is Butterkin at home to-day?" asked the troll-wife.

" No, he is in the forest with his father, after the ptarmigan," answered the woman,

" That's a pity," said the troll ; " for I have such a nice little silver knife I wanted to give him."

" Peep, peep, here I am," said Butterkin under the table, and crept out.

" I am so old and stiff in my back," said the troll, "you must get into the bag and find it yourself."

No sooner was Butterkin in the bag than the troll threw it across her back and walked off with him. When they had gone a bit on the way the troll got tired and asked :

" How far have I to go before I can lie down and sleep ? "

"About a mile," answered Butterkin. The troll then put down the bag by the roadside and went in among the bushes by herself and lay down to sleep. In the meantime Butterkin took the opportunity, pulled out his knife, cut a hole in the bag and jumped out ; he then put a big root of a fir-tree in his place and ran home to his moJ;her. When the troll-wife reached home and saw what she had in the bag she flew into a great rage.

The next day the woman sat baking again. All at once the dog began to bark.

" Run out, Butterkin," said she, " and see what Goldtooth is barking at."

" Oh, mother, mother ! It's that terrible old troll ! " said Butterkin. " Here she is again, with her head under her arm and a big bag on her back."

" Run under the table and hide yourself," said his mother.

" Good-day ! " said the troll-wife. " Is Butterkin at home to-day ? "

36 Little Butterkix

" No, indeed he is not," said his mother ; " he is out in the forest with his father, after the ptarmigan."

" That's a pity ! " said the troll ; " for I have such a nice little silver fork I v^anted to give him."

" Peep, peep ! Here I am ! " said Butterkin, and crept out.

" I am so stiff in my back," said the troll, " you must get into the bag and find it yourself."

No sooner v^as Butterkin in the bag than the troll threw it across her back and walked off with him. When they had gone a good bit on the way the troll got tired and asked :

" How far have I to go before I can lie down and sleep ? "

" About two miles," answered Butterkin. The troll then put down the bag by the roadside and went into the wood and lay down to sleep. While the troll-wife took her nap, Butterkin cut a hole in the bag, and when he had got out he put a big stone in his place. As soon as the troll-wife reached home she lighted a great fire in the hearth and put on a large cauldron in which to boil Butterkin, but when she took the bag to empty Butterkin into the cauldron, the stone fell out, and knocked a hole in the bottom of the cauldron, so the water rushed out and put out the fire. The troll then became very angry and said :

" Let him make himself ever so heavy, I'll be even with him yet."

The third time it happened just as before ; Goldtooth began to bark and so the mother said to Butterkin :

" Run out, Butterkin, and see what Goldtooth is barking at."

Butterkin then ran out and came back saying :

** Oh, mother, mother ! It's that troll again, with her head under her arm and a bag on her back."

** Run under the table and hide yourself," said the mother.

" Good day 1 " said the troll, as she came in through the door. " Is Butterkin home to-day ? "

"No, indeed he is not," said his mother; " he is in the forest with his father, after the ptarmigan."

Little Butterkin 37

" That's a pity ! '' said the troll-wife, "fori have such a nice little silver spoon I wanted to give him."

" Peep, peep ! Here I am ! " said Butterkin and crept out from under the table.

" I am so stiff in my back," said the troll, "you must get into the bag and find it yourself."

No sooner had Butterkin got into the bag than the troll threw it across her back and walked away with it.

This time the troll-wife did not lie down and sleep, but went straight home with Butterkin in the bag. It was a Sunday when they got home, and so the troll said to her daughter :

" Now you must take Butterkin and kill him and make broth of him, till I come back again, for I am going to church, and shall ask some friends for dinner."

When she was gone, the daughter went to take Butterkin to kill him, but she did not quite know how to set about it.

" Wait a bit ! I'll show you how to do it ! " said Butterkin ; "just put your head on the block and see how it's done."

She did so, poor silly thing, and Butterkin took the axe and cut off her head, just as if it had been that of a chicken ; he then put the head in the bed and the body in the cauldron, and made broth of the daughter, and when he had done this he climbed up on the rcof, just over the door, taking with him the fir-root and the stone, and put the first over the door and the other across the top of the chimney.

When the people came home from church and saw the head in the bed, they thought that the daughter had lain down and was asleep, so they thought they would taste the broth.

" This Butterkin-broth tastes nice ! " said the troll-wife.

" This daughter-broth tastes nice ! " said Butterkin, but they took no heed.

The troll-wife then took the spoon to taste the broth.

" This Butterkin-broth tastes nice," she said.

" This daughter-broth tastes nice," said Butterkin down the chimney.

38 Little Butterkin

They then began to wonder who it could be, and went out to see. But when they came outside the door, Butterkin threw the fir-root and stone at their heads and killed them all on the spot. He then took all the gold and silver that was in the house, and you may imagine how rich he became ; and so he went home to his mother.

THE CONTRARY WOxMAN

There was once upon a time a man who had a wife, and she was so contrary and cross-grained that it was not an easy thing at all to get on with her. The husband fared worst of all ; whatever he was for, she was always against.

So it happened one Sunday in summer that the man and the woman went out to see how the crops looked.

When they came to a corn-field on the other side of the river the man said :

" It's ready for reaping ; to-morrow we must begin."

" Yes, to-morrow we can begin and clip it," said the woman.

" What is it you say ? Are we going to clip it ? Are we supposed not to reap corn any longer ? " said the man.

** No, it must be clipped," said the woman.

"There is nothing so dangerous as a little knowledge," said the man ; " one would think 3^ou had lost what little sense you had ! Have you ever seen anybody clipping corn ? " said he.

40 The Contrary Woman

" Little I know, and less I want to know," said the woman ; " but this I do know, that the corn shall be clipped and not reaped." There was no use talking any more about that; clipped it should be.

So they walked on wrangling and quarrelling, till they came to. the bridge across the river, close to a deep pool.

"There's an old saying," said the man, ** that good tools make good work ; 1 fancy that'll be a queer harvest which is cut with a pair of shears," said he. " Shall we not settle to reap the corn, after all ? "

" No, no ! it must be clipped, clipped, clipped ! " shouted the woman jumping up and clipping her fingers under the man's nose.

In her passion she forgot to look where she was going, and all at once she stumbled over one of the beams on the bridge and fell into the river.

" Old habits are hard to change," thought the man, " but it would be a wonder if I, for once, got my way."

He waded out into the pool and got hold of her by the hair, till her head was just out of the water.

" Shall we reap the corn then ? " he said.

" Clip, clip, clip ! " screamed the woman.

" I'll teach you to clip," thought the man, and ducked her under the water. But that wasn't of much use ; " they must clip it," she said, as he brought her to the surface again.

" I do believe the woman is crazy," said the man to himself ; "many are mad and don't know it, and many have sense and don't use it ; but I must try once more, anyhow," said he. But no sooner had he ducked her under again than she held her hand above the water and began to clip with her fingers, like a pair of shears. Then the man got furious and kept her under so long that her hand all of a sudden fell under water, and the woman became so heavy that he had to let go his hold.

" xo, no! it must be clipped, clipped, clipped!" shouted the

WOMAN, clipping HER FINGERS UNDER THE MAN'S NOSE

The Contrary Woman

43

"If you want to drag me down into the pool with you, you may He there, you wretch ! " said the man. And so the woman was drowned.

But after a while he thought it wasn't right that she should lie there and not be buried in Christian soil, so he went along the river and searched and dragged for her ; but for all his searching

SHE HELD HER HAND ABOVE THE WATER AND BEGAN TO CLIP WITH HER FINGERS, LIKE A PAIR OF SHEARS

and all his dragging he could not find her. He took the people on the farm and others in the neighbourhood with him, and they began dragging the river all the way down ; but for all the search- ing they could not find the woman.

"Well," said the man, "this is not much use! This woman was a sort by herself; while she was alive she was altogether a contrary one, and it is not likely she'll be different now," he said.

44

The Contrary Woman

" we must search up the river for her, and try above the fall ; perhaps she has floated upwards."

So they went up the river and searched and dragged for her above the fall, and there, sure enough, she lay. That shows what a contrary woman she was !

THE WOODPECKER

In those days when the saints used to wander about on earth, St. Peter once came to a woman who was sitting baking oatcakes. Her name was Gertrude, and she had a red cap on her head.

As St. Peter had been walking a long dis- tance and was hungry, he asked her for a bit of

her cake. Yes, he might have some, and she took a tiny lump of

dough and began to roll it out ; but it became so big that it filled

the whole of the board. No, that cake was too big, he shouldn't

have that one.

She then took a still smaller lump of dough, but when she had

rolled it out and put it on the slab to bake, that one also became

too big. He shouldn't have that one either.

The third time she took a still smaller lump, a tiny little one ;

but this time also the cake became too big.

46 The Woodpecker

" I have nothing to give you," said the woman ; ** you may as well go without your bit, for all the cakes are too big."

Then St. Peter became angry and said : " Because you be- grudge me such a trifle you shall be punished, and you shall become a bird and seek your food between the bark and the wood and have nothing to drink except when it rains."

He had no sooner said the last word than she became a wood- pecker and flew from the hearth up the chimney. To this day you can see her flying about with her red cap on and her body all over black from the chimney. She is always tapping and pecking at the trees for food, and piping when it is going to rain, for she is always thirsty and is then waiting for water.

THE MAN'S DAUGHTER AND THE WOMAN'S DAUGHTER

Once upon a time there were a man and a woman who got married ; they had each a daughter. The woman's daughter was lazy and idle and would never do any work, and the man's daughter was active and willing, but for all that, she could never please the step- mother, and both the woman and her daughter would have liked to get rid of her.

One day they were sitting by the well spinning ; the woman's daughter had flax to spin, but the man's daughter had nothing else but bristles.

" You are always so clever and smart," said the woman's daughter, " but still I'm not afraid to try and see who can spin the most."

They agreed, that the one whose thread first broke, should be put into the well.

All at once the man's daughter's thread broke, so she was put into the well. But when she came to the bottom she found she was not hurt ; and far and wide around she saw nothing but a beautiful green meadow.

She walked for some time in the meadow, till she came to a hedge which she had to climb over.

" Do not step heavily on me," said the hedge, " and I'll help you

48 The Max's Daughter axd the Woman's Daughter

another time." She made herself as h'ght as a feather and stepped over so carefully that she scarcel}' touched it.

So she went on a bit farther, till she came to a brindled cow, which had a milk pail on her horns ; it was a fine large cow, and her udder was round and full of milk.

" Please do milk me," said the cow, " for I am so full of milk ; drink as much as you like and pour the rest over my hoofs, and I'll help you some other time."

The man's daughter did as the cow had asked her ; the moment she took hold of the teats the milk squirted into the pail, then she drank as much as she could and the rest she poured over the cow's hoofs, and the pail she hung on the horns again.

When she had gone a bit further she met a large ram, which had such long thick wool that it trailed along the ground, and on one of his horns hung a large pair of shears.

*' Please do shear me," said the ram, ** for here I have to go about panting with all this wool, and it is so warm I am almost stifled. Take as much wool as you like and twist the rest round my neck, and I'll help you another time."

She was quite willing, and the ram lay down in her lap ; he was so quiet and she sheared him so neatly, that she did not make a single scratch in his skin. She then took as much as she wanted of the wool, and the rest she twisted round the ram's neck.

A little further on she came to an apple-tree, which was so laden with apples that all the branches were bent to the ground. Close to the trunk stood a small pole.

"Please do pluck some of my apples." said the tree, "so that my branches can straighten themselves, for it is quite painful to stand so crooked, but be sure and strike me gently and lightl}^, so that you do not injure me. Eat as many as you like and place the rest around my root, and I'll help you some other time."

So she plucked all she could reach, and then she took the pole and carefully knocked down all the other apples ; she ate till she was satisfied, and the rest she placed neatly round the root.

Then she walked on a long, long way, till she came to a large

SHE WENT IN TO THE TKOLL-NVIFE AND ASKED IF THEY WANTED A SERVANT MAID

The Man's Daughter axd the Woman's Daughter 51

farm, where a troll-wife and her daughter lived. She went in and asked if they wanted a serving maid.

" Oh, it's no use," said the troll-wife, " we have tried many, but none of them were good for anything." But she begged so hard, that at last they took her into service ; and the troll-wife gave her a sieve and told her to fetch some water in it. She thought it was rather unreasonable that they should ask her to fetch water in a sieve, but she went all the same, and when she came to the well the little birds were singing :

" Rub in clay ! Put in hay ! Rub in clay ! Put in hay ! "

She did so and was then able to carry the water in the sieve easily enough, but when she came home with the water and the troll-wife saw the sieve, she said :

" You have not done that by yourself"

The troll-wife then told her to go into the cow-house and clean it out and then milk the cows ; but when she came there she found that the shovel was so big and heavy she could not use it, she could not even lift it. She did not know what to do, but the birds sang to her that she should take the handle of the besom and throw a little out with it and then all the rest would follow.

She did this and no sooner had she done it than the cow- house was as clean as if it had been cleaned and swept. She had next to milk the cows, but they were so restless and kicked and plunged so that she could not get any milking done at all. Then she heard the birds singing outside :

" A little squirt ! A little sip ! To little birds!"

She squirted a little milk out to the birds and then all the cows stood still and let her milk them ; they neither kicked nor plunged, they did not even lift a leg.

52 The Man's Daughter and the Woman's Daughter

When the troll-wife saw her coming in with the milk she said :

"You have not done this by yourself. Now you must take this black wool and wash it white."

The girl did not know how she should get this done, for she had never seen any one who could wash black wool white. But she said nothing, she took the wool and went to the well with it. The little birds sang to her that she should take the wool and put it in the big bucket that was standing near the well, and it would become white.

'' Oh dear, oh dear ! " said the troll-wife, when the girl came in with the wool. " It's no use keeping you, you can do everything ; you will worry the life out of me in the end, it is better you should go your way."

The troll-wife then brought out three caskets, a red, a green, and a blue one, and the girl might take whichever she liked, and that was to be her wages. She did not know which one to take^ but the little birds sang :

" Take not the green ! Take not the red ! But take the blue ! On which we've put Three little crosses ! "

She then took the blue one, as the birds had told her.

"A curse upon you," said the troll-wife, "you will be sure to suffer for this."

When the man's daughter was going the troll-wife threw a red-hot iron bar after her, but the girl ran behind the door and hid herself, so the bar missed her, for the little birds had told her what to do.

She set off as quickly as she could ; but when she came to the apple tree she heard a rumbling noise behind her on the road ; it was the troll-wife and her daughter, who were after her. The girl got so frightened she did not know what to do with herself.

"Come here to me," said the apple-tree, "and I'll help you.

The Man's Daughter axd the Woman's Daughter 53

Hide yourself under my branches, for if they get hold of you, they will take the casket from you and tear you to pieces." The girl did so, and just then up came the troll-wife and her daughter.

** Have you seen any girl go past here ? " said the troll-wife.

'* Oh, yes," said the tree, "one ran past awhile ago; but she is now so far away you'll never overtake her."

The troll-wife then turned about and set off home.

The girl walked on a bit ; but when she came to the ram, she heard the rumbling noise again on the road, and she became so frightened and terrified, that she did not know what to do with herself; for she knew it was the troll-wife who had changed her mind.

" Come here and I'll help you," said the ram. " Hide yourself under my wool and they won't see you ; or else they'll take the casket from you and tear you to pieces."

All at once the troll-wife came rushing up.

" Have you seen a girl go past here ? " she asked the ram.

" Oh, yes," said the ram, " I saw one a while ago, but she ran so fast that you will never overtake her." So the troll-wife turned round and went home.

When the girl had got as far as the cov/, she heard the rumbling noise again on the road.

"Come here," said the cow, "and I'll help you; hide yourself under my udder, or else the troll-wife will take the casket from you, and tear you to pieces." Before long she came.

" Have you seen any girl go past here ? " said the troll-wife to the cow.

" Yes, I saw one a while ago, but she is far away now, for she was running so fast that you will never overtake her," said the cow. The troll-wife then turned round and went home again.

When the girl had got a long long bit on the way and was not far from the hedge, she heard the noise again on the road ; she became terribly frightened, for she knew it was the troll-wife who had come back again.

" Come here and I'll help you," said the hedge, " creep in

54 The Max's Daughter axd the Woman's Daughter

among my twigs, and they won't see you ; or else they will take the casket from you and tear you to pieces." She made haste to hide herself among the twigs of the hedge.

" Have you seen any girl go past here ? " said the troll-wife to the hedge.

"No, I have not seen any girl," said the hedge, and it became so angry 3^ou could hear it crackle. Then it made itself so big, it was no use trying to get over it. There was no help for it ; the troll-wife had to turn round and go home again.

When the man's daughter got home both the woman and her daughter were still more spiteful than they had been before ; for now she was still more beautiful, and so grand, that it was a pleasure to look at her. She was not allowed to stop with them, but they sent her to the pig-sty, where she was to live. She then began to wash and clean out the place, and then she opened her casket to see what she had got for wages ; when she opened it she found there was so much gold and silver, and so many beautiful things in it, that both the walls and roof were covered, and the pig-sty became more magnificent than the finest palace.

When the step-mother and the daughter saw this they were quite beside themselves, and began to ask her what sort of service she had been in.

" Oh," she said, " you can easily guess since I have had such wages. Such a mistress to work for, and such people you will not easily find ! "

The woman's daughter then wanted to set out and go into service, so that she also might get such a golden casket.

They then sat down to spin again ; but this time the woman's daughter was to spin bristles, and the man's daughter flax, and the one who first broke the thread would be put into the well.

Before long the woman's daughter broke her thread, as you may guess, and so they threw her into the well.

Everything happened as before ; she fell to the bottom, but did not hurt herself, and then she came to a beautiful green meadow. When she had walked a bit she came to the hedge.

The Man's Daughter and the Woman's Daughter 55

" Do not step heavily on me, and I will help 3^ou another time," said the hedge.

" Oh, what do I care about a lot of twigs," she said, and trod heavily on the hedge, so that it groaned.

In a little while she came to the cow, which wanted milking again.

"Please do milk me," said the cow, "and I will help you another time ; drink as much as you like, and pour the rest over my hoofs."

This she did ; she milked the cow, and drank as long as she was able, till there was nothing left to pour over the hoofs. She then threw the pail down the hill and went her way. When she had gone a bit further she came to the ram, which was going about trailing his wool along the ground.

" Do shear me, and I'll help you another time," said the ram ; " take as much of the wool as you like, but twist the rest around my neck." She did this, but sheared the ram so roughly that she made big gashes in his skin ; and then she took all the wool away with her.

In a little while she came to the apple-tree, which was quite bent down under the weight of its apples.

" Please do pluck my apples, so that my branches can straighten themselves, for it is painful to stand so crooked," said the apple- tree, " but be careful not to injure me ; eat as many as you like, but place the rest at my root, and I'll help you another time."

She plucked some of the nearest, and those she could not reach she knocked down with the pole ; but she did not care how she did it. She tore down large branches, and ate till she was unable to eat any more ; and then she threw the rest under the tree.

When she had walked a little way she came to the farm, where the troll-wife lived, and asked to be taken into service. The troll- wife said she would not have any servant girl, for either they were good for nothing or else they were far too clever, and cheated her of what she had. The woman's daughter did not give in, but

56 The Man's Daughter and the Woman's Daughter

said she must have a place ; and then the troll-wife said she would

take her, if she was good for anything.

The first thing she got to do was to fetch water in the sieve.

She went to the well and poured water into the sieve, but as fast

as she poured it in it ran out. The birds then sang :

" Rub in clay ! Put in hay I Rub in clay ! Put in hay ! "

But she didn't take any notice of what the bird's sang ; she threw the clay at them, so that they flew away, and she had to go back with an empty sieve, and got scolded by the troll-wife. She was then to clean out the cow-house and milk the cows, but she thought she w^as too good for that. She went into the cow-house, however ; and when she got there she found she could not use the shovel ; it was so big. The birds said the same to her as to the man's daughter — that she should take the besom and sweep out the litter, and all the rest would follow ; but she took the besom and threw it at the birds. When she was going to milk the cows they were so restless that they kicked and plunged, and every time she had got a little in the pail they kicked it over. The birds sang :

" A little squirt !

A little sip !

For little birds ! "

But she struck and beat the cows, flung and threw everything she could get hold of at the birds, and carried on in a way that was never heard of. She had not, of course, cleaned the cow- house or milked the cows, so when she came in she got both blows and scolding from the troll-wife. She was then to wash the black wool white, but she did not fare any better with that. The troll-wife thought this was too bad, and so she brought out three caskets — one red, one green, and one blue — and told her she had no use for her, as she was fit for nothing ; but she should have a casket all the same for her wages, and could choose which she liked best. Then the birds sang :

The Max's Daughter and the Woman's Daughter 57

" Take not the green! Take not the red ! But take the blue ! Which we have put Three crosses on ! "

She did not take any notice of what the birds sang, but took the red one, which was the gaudiest. So she set out on her way home, and got there without any trouble, for there was no one in pursuit of her.

When she got home the mother was greatly rejoiced to see her, and they went at once into the parlour and placed the casket there, for they thought there was nothing but gold and silver in it, and they believed that both the walls and the roof would be covered with gold. But as soon as they opened the casket there swarmed out of it vipers and toads, and when the daughter opened her mouth it was just the same ; vipers and toads and all sorts of vermin fell out, till at last it was impos- sible to live in the same house with her. And that was all she got for serving the troll-wife !

THE HARE WHO HAD BEEN MARRIED

Once upon a time a hare was running and irisking about in a cornfield.

" Hurray ! hurrah ! hurray ! " he shouted, as he jumped and skipped along.

All of a sudden he turned a somersault, and found himself standing on his hind legs in a new-sown cornfield.

Just then a fox came slinking b}'.

" Good day, good day to you ! " said the hare. " I feel so jolly to-day, for I have been married, you must know ! "

" That's a good thing for you," said the fox.

" Oh, I don't know so much about that," said the hare, " for she was rather a cross-grained creature, and she turned out a regular scold of a wife, she did."

"That was a bad thing for you," said the fox.

" Oh, it wasn't so bad," said the hare, " for I got a lot of mone}' with her, and she had a house of her own besides."

"That was a very good thing indeed," said the fox.

" Oh, I don't know so much about that," said the hare, " for the house got burnt down, and everything we had along with it."

"That was really too bad," said the fox.

" Oh, not so ver}' bad after all," said the hare, " for that cross- grained wife of mine was burnt as well."

THE SQUIRE'S BRIDE

Once upon a time there was a rich squire who owned a large farm, and had plenty of silver at the bottom of his chest and money in the bank besides ; but he felt there was something wanting, for he was a widower.

One day the daughter of a neighbouring farmer was working for him in the hayfield. The squire saw her and liked her very much, and as she was the child of poor parents he thought, if he only hinted that he wanted her, she would be ready to marry him at once.

So he told her he had been thinking of getting married again.

62 The Squire's Bride

"Ay! one may think of many things," said the girl, laughing slyly. In her opinion the old fellow ought to be thinking of something that behoved him better than getting married.

" Well, you see, I thought that you should be my wife ! "

" No, thank 3fou all the same," said she, " that's not at all likely."

The squire was not accustomed to be gainsaid, and the more she refused him the more determined he was to get her.

But as he made no progress in her favour, he sent for her father and told him that if he could arrange the matter with his daughter he would forgive him the money he had lent him, and he would also give him the piece of land which lay close to his meadow into the bargain.

" Yes, 3'ou ma}' be sure I'll bring my daughter to her senses," said the father. " She is only a child, and she doesn't know what's best for her." But all his coaxing and talking did not help matters. She would not have the squire, she said, if he sat buried in gold up to his ears.

The squire waited day after day, but at last he became so angry and impatient that he told the father, if he expected him to stand by his promise, he would have to put his foot down and settle the matter now, for he would not wait any longer.

The man knew no other way out of it, but to let the squire get everything ready for the wedding ; and when the parson and the wedding guests had arrived the squire should send for the girl as if she were wanted for some work on the farm. When she arrived she would have to be married right away, so that she would have no time to think it over.

The squire thought this was well and good and so he began brewing and baking and getting ready for the wedding in grand style. When the guests had arrived the squire called one of his farm lads and told him to run down to his neighbour and ask him to send him what he had promised.

"But if you are not back in a twinkling," he said shaking his fist at him, " I'll "

The Squire's Bride 63

He did not say more, for the lad ran off as if he had been shot at.

** My master has sent me to ask for that you promised him," said the lad, when he got to the neighbour, " but there is no time to be lost, for he is terribly busy to-day."

THE BOY RODE HOME ON THE BAY M.^RE AT FULL GALLOP

" Yes, yes ! Run down into the meadow and take her with you.

There she goes ! " answered the neighbour.

The lad ran off and when he came to the meadow he found the daughter there raking the hay.

" I am to fetch what your father has promised my master," said the lad.

64 The Squire's Bride

" Ah, ha ! " thought she. " Is that what they are up to ? " " Ah, indeed ! " she said. " I suppose it's that Httle bay mare

SOME PULLED AT THE HEAD AND THE FOKE LKGS OF THE MARE AND OTHERS PUSHED BEHIND

of ours. You had better go and take her. She stands there tethered on the other side of the pease-field," said the girl.

The Squire's Bride 65

The boy jumped on the back of the bay mare and rode home at full gallop.

" Have you got her with you ? " asked the squire.

" She is down at the door," said the lad.

" Take her up to the room my mother had," said the squire.

" But, master, how can that be managed ? " said the lad.

"You must just do as I tell you," said the squire. " If you cannot manage her alone you must get the men to help you," for he thought the girl might turn obstreperous.

When the lad saw his master's face he knew it would be no use to gainsay him. So he went and got all the farm-tenants who were there to help him. Some pulled at the head and the fore legs of the mare and others pushed from behind, and at last they got her up the stairs and into the room. There lay all the wedding finery ready.

" Now, that's done, master ! " said the lad ; " but it was a terrible job. It was the worst I have ever had here on the farm."

" Never mind, you shall not have done it for nothing," said his master. " Now send the women up to dress her."

" But I say, master ! " said the lad.

" None of your talk ! " said the squire. ** Tell them they must dress her and mind and not forget either wreath or crown."

The lad ran into the kitchen.

** Look here, lasses," he said ; " you must go upstairs and dress up the bay mare as bride. I expect the master wants to give the guests a laugh."

The women dressed the bay mare in everything that was there, and then the lad went and told his master that now she was ready dressed, with wreath and crown and all.

** Very well, bring her down ! " said the squire. " I will receive her myself at the door," said he.

There was a terrible clatter on the stairs ; for that bride, you know, had no silken shoes on.

E

66 The Squire's Bkide

When the door was opened and the squire's bride entered the parlour you can imagine there was a good deal of tittering and grinning.

And as for the squire you may be sure he had had enough of that bride, ami they say he never went courting again.

ALL WOMEN ARE ALIKE

Once upon a time a man and a woman were going to sow, but they had no seed-corn and no money to buy any with either. They had only one cow and this the man was to go to town with and sell to get money for the seed-corn.

But when the time came the wife would not let the man go, for she was afraid he would spend the money on drink. So she set off herself with the cow and took with her a hen as well.

Close to the town she met a butcher.

"Are you going to sell that cow, mother ? " he asked.

" Yes, that I am," she said.

" How much do you want for it then ? "

** I suppose I must have a shilling for the cow, but the hen you can have for two pounds," she said.

" Well," said the butcher, ** I haven't any use for the hen, and you can easily get rid of that when you get to the town, but I'll give you a shilling for the cow."

She sold the cow and got her shilling, but nobody in the town would give two pounds for a tough, old hen. So she went back to the butcher and said :

" I can't get rid of this hen, father. You'll have to take that as well since you took the cow."

JO All Women are Alike

" We'll soon settle that," said the butcher, and asked her to sit down. He gave her something to eat and so much brandy to drink that she became tipsy and lost her wits. While she slept it off the butcher dipped her into a barrel of tar and then put her in a heap of feathers.

When she woke up she found that she was feathered all over and she began to wonder : " Is it me ? or is it not me ? It must be a strange bird ! But what shall I do to find out whether it is me, or whether it is'nt me ? Now I know — if the calves will lick me and the dog doesn't bark at me, when I get home, then it is me."

The dog no sooner saw such a monster than it began barking with all its might as if there were thieves and vagabonds about the place.

" No, surel}', it cannot be me," she said.

When she came to the cowhouse the calves would not lick her, because they smelt the tar.

" No, it cannot be me ; it must be a strange bird," she said ; and then she climbed up on top of the storehouse and began to flap with her arms as if she had wings and wanted to fly. When the man saw this he came out with his rifle and took aim at her.

" Don't shoot, don't shoot," cried his wife ; " it is me."

" Is it you ? " said the man. " Then don't stand there like a goat, but come down and tell me what you have been about."

She climbed down again, but found she had not a single penny left, for the shilling she got from the butcher she had lost while she was tipsy.

When the man heard this he said : " You are more mad than ever you w^ere," and he became so angry that he said he would go away from everything and never come back if he did not find three women who were just as mad.

He set out and when he had got a bit on the way he saw a woman running in and out of a newly-built hut with an empty sieve. Every time she ran in she threw her apron over the sieve, as if she had something it, and then she turned it over on the floor.

ll'l, ''

^ .tVLWWWs^tW.

WHEN THE MAN SAW THE STRANGE FIGURE ON THE ROOF HE CAME OUT WITH HIS RIFLE AND TOOK AIM AT IT

All Women are Alike 73

" What are you doing that for, mother ? " asked he.

" Oh, I only want to carry in a Httle sun," she answered ; " but I don't know how it is — when I am outside I have the sun in the sieve, but when I get inside I have lost it. When I was in my old hut I had plenty of sun, although I never carried in any. If any one could get me some sun I'd willingly give him three hundred dollars."

" Have you an axe ? " said the man, " and I'll soon get you some sun."

He got an axe and cut out the openings for the windows which the carpenters had forgotten to do. The sun shone into the room at once and he got his three hundred dollars.

" That was one of them ! " thought the man, and set out again.

In a while he came to a house where there was aj:errible screaming and shouting going on. He went in and saw a woman, who was beating her husband on the head with a bat ; and over his head she had pulled a shirt in which there was no hole for the neck.

" Do you want to kill your husband, mother? " he asked.

" No," she said, " I only want to make a hole for the neck in his shirt."

The man moaned and groaned and said : " Oh dear, oh dear ! I pity those who have to try on new shirts. If any one could teach my wife how to make the hole for the neck in a different way, I'd willingly give him three hundred dollars."

" I'll soon do that," said the man; "only let me have a pair of scissors."

He got a pair and cut the hole, and then he took his money and went his way.

"That was the second of them ! " he said to himself.

After a long while he came to a farm, where he thought he would rest awhile, so he went in.

"Where do you come from ? " asked the woman.

" I come from Ringerige," * answered the man. * A district in the south of Norway.

74 All Women are Alike

" Oh dear, oh dear ! are you from Himmerige ? * Then you must know Peter, my second husband, poor soul ! " said the woman. She had been married three times ; the first and the last husbands were bad men, so she thought that the second, who had been a good husband, was the only one likely to go to heaven.

" Yes, I know him well," said the man.

" How is it with him there ? " asked the woman.

" Oh, things are rather bad with him," said the man. " He knocks about from place to place, and has neither food nor clothes to his back, and as for money "

'* Goodness gracious ! " cried the woman," there's no need that he should go about in such a plight — he that left so much behind him. Here is a large loft full of clothes, which belonged to him, as well as a big chest of money. If you'll take it all with you you shall have the horse and trap to take it in ; and he can keep both horse and trap, so that he can drive about from place to place ; for he has no need to walk, I'm sure."

The man got a whole cartload of clothes and a chest full of bright silver dollars, and as much food and drink as he wanted. When he had finished he got into the trap and drove off.

** That's the third of them ! " he said to himself.

But the woman's third husband was over in a field ploughing, and when he saw a stranger driving off with the horse and trap, he went home and asked his wife who it was who drove away with the horse.

"Oh," she said, "that was a man from heaven; he said that Peter, my second, poor dear soul, is so badly off that he walks about there from place to place, and has neither clothes nor money; so I sent him all his old clothes, which have been hanging here ever since, and the old money chest with the silver dollars."

The man understood at once what all this meant, and saddled a horse and set off at full gallop.

* " Himmerige," the Norwegian word for " heaven." The similarity between the two words " Himmerige " and " Ringerige " will easily explain the mistake made by the woman.

All Women are Alike 75

Before long he was close behind the man in the trap ; who when he discovered he was pursued, drove the horse and trap into a thick part of the wood, pulled a handful of hair out of the horse's tail, and sprang up a hill, where he tied the horse's hair to a birch-tree, and lay down on his back under it, gaping and staring up into the clouds.

" Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear ! " he said, as if talking to himself, when the woman's third husband came riding up; "well, I've never seen anything so wonderful ! I've never seen the like of it!"

The husband stopped and looked at him for a while and wondered if the man was crazy, or what he was up to. At last he asked him :

" What are you staring at ? "

" Well, I never saw the like ! " exclaimed the man. " I've just seen some one driving straight into heaven, horse and all ! There, you see part of the horse's tail hanging on the birch tree, and up among the clouds you can see the horse."

The husband looked up at the clouds and then at him and said :

" I don't see anything but the horse-hair on the birch-tree."

" No, of course you can't see it, where you stand," said the man, "but come and lie down here and look straight up ; you must not take your eyes away from the clouds."

While the husband lay staring into the sky till the water ran from his eyes, the man jumped on the horse and set off, both with that and the horse and trap.

When the husband heard the rumbling noise on the road, he jumped up, but was so bewildered because the man had gone off with his horses that he did not think of setting after him till it was too late. He did not feel very proud, as you can imagine, when he came home to his wife, and when she asked him what he had done with the horse he said :

" Oh, I told the man he could take that with him as well to Peter, for I did not think it was right that he should jolt about in a trap up there ; now he can sell the trap and buy a carriage."

76 All Women are Alike

" Oh, thank you for that ! never did I think you were such a kind husband," said the woman.

When the man who had got the six hundred dollars and the cartload of clothes and money, came home, he saw that all the fields were ploughed and sown. The first thing he asked his wife was, where she had got the seed-corn from.

"Oh," said she, "I have always heard, that he who sows something gets something. So I sowed the salt which the carrier left here the other day, and if we only get rain soon, I think it will grow up nicely."

" Mad you are, and mad you'll be as long as you live," said the man; "but it doesn't much matter, for the others are no better than you."

ONE'S OWN CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS THE PRETTIEST

'tisit^

Once upon a time a man went out shoot- ing in a forest, and there he met a wood- cock.

" Pray, don't shoot my children," said the woodcock.

"What are your children like?" asked the man.

"Mine are the prettiest children in the forest," answered the woodcock.

78 One's own Children are always the Prettiest

" I suppose I mustn't shoot them then," said the man.

When he came back he carried in his hand a whole string of young woodcocks which he had shot.

" Oh dear, oh dear ! Why, j^ou have shot my children after all I " said the woodcock.

"Are these yours?" said the man. "Why, I shot the ugliest I could find."

" Yes, yes," answered the woodcock ; " but don't you know that every one thinks one's own children the prettiest ? "

OLD FATHER BRUIN IN THE WOLF-PIT

There was once upon a time a man who lived far away in the wood. He had many sheep and goats, but he could never keep the wolf away from them.

" I'll be even with you yet, Master Greylegs," he said at last, and began to dig a pit for the wolf. When he had dug it deep enough he placed a pole in the middle of the pit and on the top of the pole he fixed a board, and on the board he put a little dog. He then placed some twigs and branches across the pit, and on top of all he sprinkled some snow, so that the wolf should not see there was a trap underneath. When the night came the little dog got tired of being there.

" Bow-wow-wow !" it barked at the moon.

A fox just then came slinking along, and thought here was a fine chance. He made a spring and fell plump into the pit.

As the night wore on the little dog became so weary and hungry that it began to whine and bark.

8o Old Father Bruin in the Wolf-Pit

" Bow-wow-wow," it barked.

All at once a wolf came slouching along. He thought here is a fat little morsel, and sprang plump into the pit.

Early in the grey morning the North wind began to blow and it became so cold that the little dog shivered and trembled, and was so weary and hungry.

" Bow-wow- wow- wow," it went on barking all the time.

A bear then came trudging along, and thought here was a nice tit-bit early in the morning ; so he stepped out on the branches and fell plump into the pit.

As the morning wore on there came an old beggarwoman who was tramping about from place to place with a bag on her back. When she saw the little dog standing there barking she thought she would go and see if any animals had been caught in the trap during the night. She went down on her knees and peered into the pit.

" So you have been caught, Master Reynard, have you ? " she said to the fox, for she saw him first; " serve you right, you old hen-thief. And you are there too, are you. Master Greylegs ? " said she to the wolf. " Well, you have killed goats and sheep enough in your time, and now you'll suffer for it and get what you deserve. Hulloa, Father Bruin, are you in this nice little parlour too, you old horse-thief? We will cut you up and flay you, we will, and your skull we will nail up on the cow-house," shouted the woman excitedly, and shook her fists at the bear ; but just then her bag slipped forward over her head, and the woman tumbled plump into the pit. There they sat staring at one another, all four of them, each in their corner — the fox in one, the wolf in the other, the bear in the third, and the old woman in the fourth.

When it became full daylight Reynard began to shake himself and whisk about, for he thought he might as well try to get out ; but the old woman said :

" Can't you sit quiet, you old roost-robber, and not go frisking and trailing about in this way ? Look at old Father Bruin ; he

Old Father Bruin in the Wolf-Pit 8i

sits as quiet as a parson in his study ; " for she thought she had better make friends with the bear.

Then came the man who had set the trap for the wolf. First of all he dragged up the old woman, and then he killed all the animals ; he spared neither old Father Bruin, nor Greylegs, nor Reynard, the hen-thief. The man thought he had made a good haul that nisfht.

THE DOLL IN THE GRASS

Once upon a time there was a king who had twelve sons. When they were grown up he told them they must go out into the world and find themselves wives, who must all be able to spin and weave and make a shirt in one day, else he would not have them for daughters-in-law. He gave each of his sons a horse and a new suit of armour, and so they set out in the world to look for wives.

When they had travelled a bit on the way they said they would not take Ashiepattle with them, for he was good for nothing. Ashiepattle must stop behind ; there was no help for it. He did not know what he should do or which wa}' he should turn ; he became so sad that he got off the horse and sat down on the grass and began to oxy.

When he had sat awhile, one of the tussocks among the grass began to move, and out of it came a small white figure ; as it came nearer, Ashiepattle saw that it was a beautiful little girl, but she was so tiny, so very, very tiny.

She went up to him and asked him if he would come below and pay a visit to the doll in the grass.

Yes, that he would ; and so he did. When he came down below, the doll in the grass was sitting in a chair dressed very finely and looking still more beautiful. She asked Ashiepattle where he was going and what v.'as his errand.

A SMALL WHITE FIGURE CAME OL'T OF OXE OF THE TUSSOCKS AMONG THE GRASS

The Doll ix the Grass 85

He told her they were twelve brothers, and that the king had given them each a horse and a suit of armour, and told them to go out in the world and find themselves wives, but that they must all be able to spin and weave and make a shirt in a day.

" If you can do that and will become my wife, I will not travel an}^ further," said Ashiepattle to the doll in the grass.

Yes, that she would, and she set to work at once to get the shirt spun, woven and made ; but it was so tiny, so ver}', ver}' tiny, no bigger than — so !

Ashiepattle then returned home, taking the shirt with him ; but when he brought it out, he felt very shy because it was so small. But the king said he could have her for all that, and you can imagine how happy and joyful Ashiepattle became.

The road did not seem long to him, as he set out to fetch his little sweetheart. When he came to the doll in the grass, he wanted her to sit with him on his horse, but no, that she wouldn't ; she said she would sit and drive in a silver spoon, and she had two small white horses which would draw her. So they set out, he on his horse and she in the silver spoon ; and the horses which drew her were two small white mice.

Ashiepattle always kept to one side of the road, for he was so afraid he should ride over her ; she was so very, very tiny.

When they had travelled a bit on the way, they came to a large lake ; there Ashiepattle's horse took fright and shied over to the other side of the road, and upset the spoon, so that the doll in the grass fell into the water. Ashiepattle became very sad, for he did not know how he should get her out again ; but after a while a merman brought her up. But now she had become just as big as any other grown up being and was much more beautiful than she was before. So he placed her in front of him on the horse and rode home.

When Ashiepattle got there, all his brothers had also returned, each with a sweetheart ; but they were so ugly and ill-favoured and bad-tempered, that they had come to blows with their sweet- hearts on their way home. On their heads they had hats which

86

The Doll in the Grass

were painted with tar and soot, and this had run from their hats down their faces, so that they were still uglier and more ill- favoured to behold.

When the brothers saw Ashiepattle's sweetheart, they all became envious of him, but the king was so pleased with Ashiepattle and his sweetheart, that he drove all the others away, and so Ashiepattle was married to the doll in the grass ; and afterwards they lived happy and comfortable for a long, long while ; and if they are not dead, they must be still alive.

.. <A.-

THE HEN WHO WENT TO DOVRE- FJELD TO SAVE THE WORLD

There was once upon a time a hen, which flew up in an oak-tree and perched there for the night. Before long she dreamt, that if she did not go to Dovreljeld, the world would come to an end. All of a sudden she jumped down and set out on the road.

When she had gone a bit she met a cock.

" Good-day, Cocky Locky ! " said the hen.

88 The Hex which went to Doyrefjeld

"Good-day, Henny Penny! where are you going so early?" said the cock.

" Oh, I am going to Dovrefjeld, so that the world shan't come to an end," said the hen.

" Who told you that, Henny Penny ? " said the cock.

" I sat in the oak and dreamt it last night," said the hen.

" I'll go with you," said the cock. So they went a long way, till they met a duck.

" Good-day, Ducky Lucky ! " said the cock.

"Good-day, Cocky Locky ! where are you going so early?" said the duck.

" I am going to Dovrefjeld, so that the world shan't come to an end," said the cock.

" Who told you that. Cocky Locky ? "

" Henny Penny 1 " said the cock.

"Who told you that, Henny Penny ? " said the duck.

" I sat in the oak and dreamt it last night," said the hen.

" I'll go with you ! " said the duck. So they set off and walked a bit, till they met a gander.

" Good-day, Gandy Pandy ! " said the duck.

"Good-day, Ducky Lucky!" said the gander. "Where are you going so early ? "

" I am going to Dovrefjeld, so that the world shan't come to an end," said the duck,

" Who told you that, Ducky Lucky ? " said the gander.

" Cocky Locky ! "

"Who told you that. Cocky Locky? "

" Henny Penny ! "

" How do you know that, Henny Penny ? " said the gander.

" I sat in the oak and dreamt it last night, Gandy Pandy," said the hen.

" I'll go with you I " said the gander. When they had gone on a bit, they met a fox.

" Good-day, Foxy Woxy ! " said the gander.

" Good-day, Gandy Pandy ! "

The Hen which went to Dovrefjeld 89

" Where are you going, Foxy Woxy ? "

" Where are you going, Gandy Pandy ? "

" I'm going to Dovrefjeld, so that the world shan't come to an end," said the gander.

"Who told you that, Gandy Pandy ?" said the fox.

" Ducky Lucky ! "

" Who told you that, Ducky Lucky ? "

"Cocky Locky!"

" Who told you that. Cocky Locky ? "

" Henny Penny ! "

"How do you know that, Henny Penny?"

" I sat in the oak and dreamt last night that if we don't go to Dovrefjeld the world will come to an end," said the hen.

"Oh, nonsense!" said the fox, "the world won't come to an end if you don't get there. No, come home with me to my den ; that's much better, for there it is cosy and comfortable."

So they followed the fox home to his den, and when they came there, the fox put so much wood on the fire that they all became sleepy ; the duck and the gander settled in a corner, but the cock and the hen perched on a pole. As soon as the gander and the duck were asleep the fox seized the gander and put it on the fire and roasted it. The hen thought she smelt something burning, she jumped up to a higher perch and said half asleep :

" Faugh ! How it stinks here ! "

" Oh, nonsense," said the fox, " it is only the smoke coming down the chimney ; go to sleep and shut your mouth." So the hen went to sleep. No sooner had the fox eaten the gander than he seized the duck ; he took it and put it on the fire and roasted it and then set about to eat it. The hen then woke up again and flew up to a still higher perch.

" Faugh ! How it stinks here," she said, and when she opened her eyes and saw that the fox had eaten both the gander and the duck, she flew up to the highest perch and settled there and looked up through the chimney.

90 The Hex which went to Dovrefjeld

" Just look at all the fine geese flying over there ! " she said to the fox.

Reynard ran out, thinking to find another fat roast. In the meantime the hen woke up the cock and told him what had happened to Gandy Pandy and Ducky Lucky.

So Cocky Locky and Henny Penny flew up through the chimney, and if they hadn't got to Dovrefjeld the world would surely have come to an end !

SOUIRE PETER

V3s\.1

There was once upon a time a poor couple who had nothing in the world but three sons. What the two eldest were called I don't know, but the youngest was called Peter.

When the parents died the children were to have all they left behind ; but there was nothing but a porridge pot, a gridiron and a cat. The eldest, who was to have the best, took the pot.

" Every time I lend the pot I shall get the scrap- ings," he said.

The second took the gridiron.

92 Squire Peter

" For when 1 lend it I shall get a bit to taste," said he.

But there was no choice for the youngest ; if he wanted any- thing he would have to take the cat.

" If I lend the cat to any one I shall get nothing for it," he said ; " if the cat gets a little milk she'll want it herself, but I'll take her with me any how; it's a pity she should be left behind to pine." So the brothers set out into the world to try their fortune, and each went his own way. When the youngest had gone awhile the cat said :

" You'll not be sorry you didn't leave me behind. I'll now go into the forest and fetch some fine animal which you must take to the king's palace you see yonder, and say to the king you have come with a small present for him. When he asks who it is from you must say it is from Squire Peter."

Peter had not long to wait before the cat came back with a reindeer from the forest ; she had jumped upon its head and when she had settled herself between its horns she said : " If you don't go straight to the king's palace I shall scratch your eyes out." The reindeer dared not do otherwise.

When Peter came to the palace he went into the kitchen with the reindeer and said :

" I have come with a small present for the king, which I hope he will accept."

The king came out into the kitchen and when he saw the fine big reindeer he was much pleased.

" But, dear friend ! who is it that sends me such a fine present ? " said the king.

" Oh, it's Squire Peter ! " said the lad.

*' Squire Peter ! " said the king. " Ah, let me see, where is it he lives ? " for he thought it was a shame he should not know such a worth}^ man.

But the lad would not tell him. He dared not for his master, he said.

So the king gave Peter some money and asked him to give his master his greetings and many thanks for the present.

Squire Peter 95

The next day the cat went into the forest again and jumped up on the head of a stag, settled herself between its eyes and com- pelled it to go to the palace. Peter again went into the kitchen with it and said he came with a small present for the king if he would accept it. The king was still more pleased with the stag than with the reindeer, and asked again who it was that had sent him such a fine present.

" Oh, it's Squire Peter," said the lad ; but when the king wanted to know where Squire Peter lived he got the same answer as the day before. This time he gave Peter still more money.

The third day the cat brought an elk. When Peter came into the kitchen at the palace, he said that he had a small present for the king if he would accept it. The king came out at once into the kitchen, and when he saw the fine, big elk he became so pleased he did not know which leg to stand upon. That time he gave Peter much more money ; it must have been a hundred dollars.

The king was now most anxious to know where Squire Peter lived and began questioning him backwards and forwards, but the lad said he dared not tell him, for his master had given him strict orders not to disclose it.

" Well, ask Squire Peter to pay me a visit then," said the king.

Yes, he would do that, said the lad, but when he came out of the palace and met the cat, Peter said :

"You have got me into a fine scrape; the king now says I must visit him and I have nothing but the rags I walk in."

" Oh, don't trouble about that," said the cat. " In three days you shall have coach and horses, and fine clothes with gold trimmings and hangings, and then you can surely visit the king. But whatever you see at the palace you must say you have grander and finer things at home ; 3'ou must not forget that."

No, he would be sure to remember, said Peter.

When the three days were over the cat came with the coach and horses and clothes and everything that Peter wanted ; all was

<)6 Squire Peter

so grand that no one had seen anything hke it before. So Peter set out for the palace and the cat ran alongside him.

The king received him well, but whatever he offered him and whatever he showed him Peter said it was all very well, but he had everything finer and grander at home. The king was not over pleased at this ; but Peter went on just the same and at last the king became so angry that he could no longer contain himself.

" Pll go home with you," said the king, " and see if it is true that you have everything so much grander and finer ; but if you have not told the truth it will be the worse for you. I'll say no

more

I "

*' You have got me into a fine scrape this time," said Peter to the cat ; " the king now wants to go home with me, but it will not be an easy thing to find my home."

** Oh, don't trouble about that," said the cat, " I will run on in front, and you need only follow me."

So they set off. Peter followed the cat, who ran on in front, and then came the king with all his suite. When they had driven a good bit on the way, they came to a large flock of fine sheep ; the wool was so long it almost reached to the ground.

" If you will say that the sheep belong to Squire Peter when the king asks, you shall have this silver spoon," said the cat to the herdsboy. She had taken the spoon with her from the palace. Yes, he would willingly do that, said the herdsboy.

When the king came by, he said :

" I've never seen such a fine flock of sheep ! To whom do they belong, my little boy ? "

** Oh, they belong to Squire Peter," said the boy.

In a little while they came to a great big herd of fine brindled •cows ; they were so fat that their hides glistened.

" If you will say the cattle belong to Squire Peter when the king asks, you shall have this silver ladle," said the cat to the cow-girl. The silver ladle she had also taken with her from the palace.

" Yes, that I will," said the girl. When the king came up, he

Squire Peter

97

was quite surprised at the fine big cattle, for such a herd he thought he had never seen before ; and so he asked the girl to whom those brindled cows belonged.

" Oh, they are Squire Peter's ! " said the girl.

So they travelled on again, and then they came to a great big drove of horses. They were the finest one could see, big and sleek, and six of each colour, both brown and red, and cream- coloured.

"If you will say those horses belong to Squire Peter when the king asks, I'll give you this silver goblet," said the cat to the boy. The goblet she had also taken from the palace.

THEY THEN CAME TO A GREAT BIG DROVE OF HORSES

" Yes, that I will," said the boy. When the king came by, he became quite dazed at the fine drove of horses, for he had never seen the like of such horses, he said. He then asked the boy to whom those brown, red, and cream-coloured horses belonged.

" Oh, they are Squire Peter's 1 " said the boy.

When they had travelled a long, long way, they came to a castle. First there was a gateway of brass, then one of silver,

98 Squire Peter

and then one of gold. The castle itself was of silver, and glistened so brightly that it made one's eyes smart, for the sun was shining full upon it when they arrived.

They entered, and the cat told Peter to say he lived there. Inside the castle was still more splendid than outside ; every- thing was of gold, both chairs and tables and benches. When the king had been round and seen it all from top to bottom, he became quite confounded.

" Yes, Squire Peter is much grander than I ; there is no use denying that," he said ; and then he wanted to return home. But Peter asked him to stop and sup with him, which the king agreed to ; but he was cross and peevish the whole time. While they sat at table the troll, who owned the castle, came and knocked at the gate.

"Who eats my food and drinks my mead in there ?" he cried. As soon as the cat heard him, she ran to the gate.

" Wait a little, and I'll tell you how the farmer gets his winter rye," said the cat. " First he ploughs his field, and then he manures it, and then he ploughs it again " ; and so the cat went on till the sun rose.

"Just look behind at that beautiful damsel!" said the cat to the troll. The troll then turned round, and when he saw the sun he burst.

"All this is now yours," said the cat to Squire Peter. "And now you must cut my head off; it is the only thing I ask for all I have done for you."

"No," said Squire Peter, "that I will not do."

" You must," said the cat, " or Pll scratch your eyes out."

Squire Peter was then obliged to do it, although he was very loath. He cut the cat's head off, and the same moment she became the most beautiful princess any one could set eyes on, and Squire Peter fell in love with her then and there.

"All this splendour has formerly been mine," said the princess, " but the troll got me into his power and turned me into a cat, and

Squire Peter 99

ever since I have been at your parents'. You must now do as you like about making me your queen, for you are king over the whole realm," said the princess.

Squire Peter was, of course, only too glad to make her his queen. So the wedding took place, and the feasting lasted for eight days. And as I did not stay any longer with the squire and his queen I cannot tell 3'ou any more about them.

BIRD DAUNTLESS

"'^■giiii-- tiiMiiiifrr ''^%*-'

Once upon a time there was a king who had twelve daughters, ^■v N-W.-V-,, ^^^ j^^ loved them so much that

he never allowed them out of his sight ; but every day after dinner, while the king slept, the princesses went out for a walk. Once, when the king was having his afternoon nap, the princesses went out as usual ; but they never returned.

The whole country mourned, but the king was the one who sorrowed most. Messengers were sent out to search for them, both in his own and in foreign countries ; proclamations were

Bird Dauntless ioi

read out in all the churches, and the bells were rung all over the country. But they had disappeared and left no trace behind, so the people at last guessed that they had been spirited away into the mountains.

It did not take long before this was known far and wide, in town and country ; yea, even in the very depth of the country and in foreign lands. And so the report reached the ears of a king in a far away country, who had twelve sons.

When they heard about the twelve princesses, they asked for leave to set out and find them. The king did not much like them to go ; he was afraid he should never see them again. But they went on their knees before him, and prayed so long that the king at last gave his consent.

He fitted out a ship for them and gave them a knight called Redbeard as steersman, for he was a good seaman. They sailed about for a very long time and visited all the countries they came near, and asked and searched for the princesses, but they got no tidings whatever.

But a few more days and they would have been gone seven years. Then one day there blew such a gale and the weather was so bad that they believed they would never reach land any more. While the stormy weather lasted they were all obliged to work, so they got no rest. On the third day the wind went down and there came a calm.

Now they were all so tired after the hard work and rough weather that they fell asleep at once, but the youngest prince felt uneasy and could get no sleep.

While he paced backwards and forwards on deck the ship neared a small island, and on the shore was a little dog running about, barking and whining at the ship, just as if it wanted to be taken on board. The prince walked up and down on the deck, whistling and calling the dog, but the little creature only barked and whined the more.

The prince thought it was a great pity to leave it there to starve ; he fancied it must have belonged to a ship which had

I02 Bird Dauntless

been wrecked during the storm, but he did not think he could help it either, for he thought he would not be able to put the boat out without help, and all the crew slept so soundly he would not awake them for the sake of a dog.

But the weather was bright and calm, so he said to himself : " I had better go ashore and save the dog," and tried to lower the boat and found it w^as easily managed.

He rowed ashore and went up to the dog, but every time he tried to seize it the dog ran away from him, and this went on until before he knew a word about it he found himself in a large gilded castle. There the dog changed into a beautiful princess, and on the bench sat a man so big and ugly that the prince became quite terrified.

"You need not be frightened," said the man, but the prince became still more frightened w^hen he heard his voice ; "for I know very well what you want ; 3'ou are the twelve princes who are looking for the twelve princesses that were lost. I know where they are ; they are in my master's castle ; there they sit on golden stools, each scratching a head, for he has twelve of them. Now you have been sailing about for seven years, but you will have to sail for seven more 3'ears before you find them. You might as well stay here," he said, "and wed my daughter; but first of all you must kill my master, for he is very hard on us. We are tired of him, and when he is dead I shall be king in his place. Try first if you can lift this sword," said the troll.

The prince took hold of an old rust}' sword which hung on the wall, but he could scarcely stir it.

"Well then, you will have to take a drink from this bottle," said the troll.

When he had taken one sip he was just able to move the sword, and when he had taken another he could lift it, and when he had taken still another he could flourish the sword as easily as a rolling-pin.

"When you return on board," said the troll, "you must hide

Bird Dauntless 103

the sword well in 3^our berth, so that Knight Redbeard does not see it ; he would not be able to use it, of course, but he hates you, and will try to take your life."

" Three days before the seven years are up," he said further, " all that has happened now will happen again ; you will have bad and stormy weather, and when it is over you will all become sleepy ; then you must take the sword and go ashore. You will then come to a castle where there are all sorts of sentinels — wolves, bears, and lions ; but you must not be afraid of them, for they will all fall down before your feet. When you get into the castle you will see the troll-king sitting in a gorgeous chamber, magnificently dressed ; he has twelve heads, and the princesses will be sitting on their golden stools, each of them scratching one of his heads. This kind of work, you know, they don't like, so you must make haste and cut off one head after the other ; if the troll wakes up and sees you he will swallow you alive."

The prince went on board with the sword, and he remembered well what he had been told. All on board were still asleep, and he hid the sword in his berth, so that Knight Redbeard and the other could not see it. It then began to blow again, so the prince called the others and said he thought it would not do to sleep any longer since they had such a fair wind. Nobody guessed he had been away from the ship.

Now when the seven years all but three days had passed it happened just as the troll had said. There came bad and stormy weather which lasted for three days, and when it was over they all became sleepy after their hard work and lay down ; but the youngest prince rowed ashore and the sentinels fell down before him, and so he came to the castle. When he entered the chamber the king-troll sat and slept just as the other troll had foretold, and the twelve princesses sat on their stools, each scratching one of his heads. The prince made signs to the princesses to move awa^^, but they pointed at the troll and motioned to the prince to go.

He continued to make signs to them, and then they under-

104 Bird Dauntless

stood that he wanted to save them. The}' moved quietly away, one after the other, and immediately he cut off the heads of the troll-king, till the blood flowed like a great brook.

When the troll was killed, the prince rowed out to the ship again and hid the sword ; he thought he had done his share, and as he could not get the body away by himself, he thought the others ought to help him a little. He therefore called them, and said it was a shame they should be lying asleep while he had been finding the princesses and had saved them from the troll-king.

The others laughed at him and said that, no doubt, he had been sleeping as well, if not better, than the}', and had dreamt that he was such a clever fellow. If any one had saved the princesses, it was far more likely to be one of them.

But the youngest prince told them how it had all happened, and when they went ashore with him and saw the brook of blood, the castle, the troll, the twelve heads and the princesses, they saw he had told the truth ; and so they helped him to throw the heads and the body into the sea.

They were now all quite happy, but none more so than the princesses, who after this, had no longer to sit all day and scratch the troll-king's heads. They took with them of all the gold and silver and valuable things which were there, as much as they could carry ; and so they went on board, both the princes and the princesses.

When they had got a good way out to sea, the princesses said that in their joy they had forgotten their golden crowns ; they lay in a chest, and they would so much like to take them with them. As none of the others offered to go for them, the youngest prince said :

" I have ventured as much before, so now I may as well fetch the crowns, if you will let down the sails and wait till I come back again."

Yes, that they would ; but when he had got so far away that they could not see anything more of him, Knight Redbeard, who

THEN SUDDENLY SOMETHING CAME I-LOPI'ING DOWN BY THE SIDE Ol-' THE prince's bed

Bird Dauntless 107

himself wanted to be foremost and have the youngest princess, said that it was of no use to He and wait for him, for they must surely know he would never come back.

They knew, he said, that the king had given him, Knight Red- beard, power and authority to do just as he thought right ; and they could say that he had saved the princesses, and if any one dared to say otherwise he should lose his life.

The princes therefore dared not do anything else but what Knight Redbeard told them, and so they set sail.

In the meantime, the youngest prince rowed ashore and went into the castle, found the chest, in which were the golden crowns, and tugged and dragged till he got it down to the boat ; but when he came to the place where he expected to find the ship, it was gone. As he could not see it in any direction, he soon guessed what had happened, and there was therefore nothing else for him to do but to turn round and row to land again.

He was, of course, afraid to be alone the whole night in the castle, but there was no other shelter, so he took courage, locked all the doors and gates, and lay himself down in a room where there was a ready made bed. But he felt afraid, and became still more so, when, after he had been in bed awhile, the walls and roof began to creak and groan as if the whole castle was falling to pieces. Then, all of a sudden, something, which sounded like a load of hay, came flopping down by the side of his bed, and all became quiet again ; but he heard a voice, which told him not to be afraid, and said :

" I am bird Dauntless, All that I do is faultless ; Be not afraid of me, For I will help you o'er the sea ! "

'* The first thing you must do in the morning, when you awake, is to go to the storehouse and fetch four barrels of

io8 Bird Dauntless

rye for me ; I must have that for breakfast, otherwise I can do nothing."

When the prince awoke in the morning, he saw an enormous bird with a feather at the back of its neck as thick as a small pine-tree. The prince went to the storehouse for the four barrels of rye, and when the bird had eaten it, he told the prince to hang the chest with the golden crowns on one side of his neck and to take as much gold and silver as would balance it and hang it on the other ; then he asked the prince to get on his back and to hold on to the big feather on his neck. Off they started, whisking through the air at such a speed that it did not take long before they overtook the ship. The prince wanted to go on board and fetch the sword, because he was afraid some- body might see it, for the troll had told him it must not be seen by anybody ; but bird Dauntless said they could not trouble about it now.

" Knight Redbeard is not likely to see it," said the bird ; " but if you go on board he will try and take j^our life, as he wants to have the youngest princess ; but you may rest easy about her for she puts a naked sw^ord by her side every night, when she goes to bed."

After some time they reached the island, where the troll, whom the prince had first met, lived. There the prince was so well received that there was no end of festivities. The troll did not know how to treat him well enough, for he had killed his master and made him the king ; he would gladly give him his daughter and half of his kingdom. But the prince had taken such a fancy to the 3^oungest princess, that he could not rest and wanted every moment to set out again.

The troll asked him to take a rest and remain with him for a time, and told him the princesses had seven years to sail 3et before they would get home. He also told him the same about the princess as bird Dauntless had done.

"You can rest easy about her; she places a naked sword by

WHEN HE SAW THE SHIP RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, HE LIFTED THE CLUB

Bird Dauntless hi

her side in bed. If you don't believe me," said the troll, "3-ou can go on board, when the ship passes here, and see for yourself, and fetch the sword, I must have that back in any case."

When the ship came sailing past the weather had been bad again, and when the prince went on board he found everybody asleep, the princesses each with a prince by her side ; but the youngest lay alone with a naked sword beside her, and on the floor, in front of the bed, lay Knight Redbeard.

The prince found his sword and went ashore, without any one having discovered he had been on board ; but still he was uneasy and wanted to be off, and when at last the seven years were nearly over, all but about three weeks, the troll said :

" Now you had better get ready to sail, since you will not remain with us. I will lend you my iron-boat, which goes of itself, if onl}^ you say * Boat, sail on.' In the boat you will find an iron club, and that club you must lift, when you see the ship right in front of you ; they will then have such a gale of wind, they will not think of looking for you. When you come alongside the ship, you must lift the club again, and they will then have such a hurricane, that they will have something else to do than be spying after you ; when you haye passed them, you must lift the club for the third time, taking care always to lay it down carefully, otherwise you will get such weather that both you and they will perish. When you reach land you need not trouble yourself about the boat ; 3^ou need onl}' give it a push, turn it round and say, * Boat, go home the same way you came.' "

When the prince started he had much gold and silver and lots of fine things, and clothes and linen, which the troll-princess had made for him during his long stay there, so he was much richer than any of his brothers.

He had no sooner sat himself down in the boat and said : "Boat, sail on," than the boat set off, and when he saw the ship right in front of him he lifted the club ; they then got such a gale

112 Bird Dauntless

of wind that they could not look his way. When he got alongside the ship he lifted the iron club again, and the weather became so bad and stormy that the white foam splashed up on all sides, and the waves washed over the deck, so that the people on board had something else to do than be spying after him ; and when he was passing them he lifted the club for the third time, and then they had so much to look after that they had no time to find out who he could be. He reached land long before the ship, and when he had taken all his things out of the boat he shoved it out again, turned it round and said : " Boat, go home the same way you came ! " and off the boat started.

He disguised himself as a sailor, and went to an old woman who lived in a wretched hut hard by ; he told her he was a poor sailor and belonged to a big ship, which had been wrecked, and that he was the only one who had been saved. He then asked her if she would give him shelter for himself and the things he had saved.

" Bless me ! " said the woman, " I don't think I can give any one lodgings ; you see how it is here, I have nothing to lie upon myself, still less anything for others to lie upon."

The sailor said that did not matter ; if he could only get a roof over his head he did not mind how he lay. She could not deny him that, if he would take things as he found them ; so in the evening he brought his things to the hut.

No sooner were they in, than the woman, who was very fond of some new gossip to run about with, began to ask him who he was, where he came from, where he had been, where he was going, what he had with him, on what errand he was travelling, and if he had heard an3'thing about the twelve princesses, who had disappeared so many years ago, and about many other things which she wanted to know and talk about.

But he said he felt poorly, and his head ached so much after the terrible weather, he could not give an account of anything ; she would have to leave him in peace for some days, till

Bird Dauntless 113

he had taken a rest after all the work he had had to do ; then she should know everything, and more besides.

The following day the old woman began again to question him, but the sailor had still such pains in his head he could not give an account of anything. But all at once he dropped a hint that perhaps he knew something about the princesses after all. The old woman ran at once with what she had heard to all the gossips in the neighbourhood, and one after the other came running and asking for news of the princesses, if he had seen them, if they were soon coming home, if they were on the way, and more of that kind. But he still complained that his head ached, so he could not answer them ; but he could tell them this much, that if they had not been drowned in the storm they would arrive in a fortnight's time, or perhaps before ; but he could not tell for certain if they were alive. He had seen them, but they might easily have gone to the bottom since then.

One of the old women ran to the palace with this news, and said there was a sailor in the hut of a certain old woman, that he had seen the princesses, and that they might be expected in a fortnight's time, or perhaps in a week.

When the king heard this he sent a messenger to fetch the sailor that he might come and tell the news himself.

" I am not in a fit state to go," said the sailor, " for I have no clothes good enough in which to appear before the King." But the King's messenger said he must come ; the King would and must speak with him, no matter how he was dressed, for no one had as j^et been able to tell the King anything about the princesses.

" Yes, I can," said the sailor. " But I cannot tell if they are still alive. When I saw them the weather was so bad that we were wrecked ; but if they are still alive they will be here in a fort- night's time, or perhaps before."

When the King heard this he almost went out of his mind with joy ; and as the time when the sailor had said they would

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114 Bird Dauntless

return drew near, the King proceeded to the shore in great pomp to meet them.

There was great joy all over the country when the ship arrived with the princesses, the princes and Knight Redbeard ; but no one was more glad than the old King, who now had got his daughters back again. The eleven elder princesses were very happy and merry, but the youngest, who was to have Knight Redbeard, was always weeping and sorrowful.

The King did not like this, and asked her why she was not merry and happy like her sisters ; there was no reason why she should be so sad, now that she had escaped from the troll and was going to marry such a brave man as Knight Redbeard. But she dared not say anything, for Knight Redbeard had vowed he would take the life of any one who told how all had happened. One day when the princesses were busy making fine clothes for the weddings, a person dressed like a sailor, with a pack on his back, came into the palace, and asked if they would buy some pretty things from him for their wedding ; he had many rare and costly articles both in gold and silver. Yes, they would look at his wares. Then they glanced at him and thought they recognised both him and many of the things he had.

** You, who have so many fine things," said the youngest princess, "must surely have many things which are still finer, and which would suit us still better."

" That may be," said the pedlar ; but her sisters told her to be quiet, and reminded her what Knight Redbeard had threatened them with.

Some time afterwards the princesses were sitting one day by the window, when the youngest prince came by with the chest containing the golden crowns on his back.

When he came into the great hall of the palace he opened the chest for the princesses, and they all recognised their crowns. The youngest then said :

" I think it is only right that the one who saved us should have the reward he deserves. It is not Knight Redbeard, but he

Bird Dauntless

"5

who has brought us our crowns — that has saved us." And then the prince threw off his sailor attire and stood before them more finely dressed than all the other princes, and the old King then ordered that Knight Redbeard should be put to death.

Now there was great joy in the palace. Each prince took his bride, and they kept such a wedding that it was heard of and talked about throughout twelve kingdoms.

THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE

.'''^ 1^ Once upon a time a town mouse met a country mouse on the outskirts of a wood. The country mouse was sitting under a hazel thicket pluck- ^^^1^ ing nuts.

" Busy harvesting, I see/' said the town mouse. " Who would think of our meeting in this out-of-the-way part of the world ? "

"Just so," said the country mouse.

" You are gathering nuts for your winter store ? " said the town mouse.

" I am obliged to do so if we intend having anything to live upon during the winter," said the country mouse.

"The husk is big and the nut full this year, enough to satisfy any hungry body," said the town mouse.

" Yes, you are right there," said the country mouse ; and then she related how well she lived and how comfortable she was at home.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse 117

The town mouse maintained that she was the better off, but the country mouse said that nowhere could one be so well off as in the woods and hills. The town mouse, however, declared she was best off; and as they could not agree on this point they promised to visit one another at Christmas, then they could see for themselves which was really the most comfortable.

The first visit was to be paid by the town mouse.

Now, although the country mouse had moved down from the mountains for the winter, the road was long and tiring and one had to travel up hill and down dale ; the snow lay thick and deep, so the town mouse found it hard work to get on and she became both tired and hungry before she reached the end of her journey.

How nice it will be to get some food, she thought.

The country mouse had scraped together the best she had. There were nut kernels, polypoly and other sorts of roots, and many other good things which grow in woods and fields. She kept it all in a hole far under the ground, so the frost could not reach it, and close by was a running spring," open all the winter, so she could drink as much water as she liked. There was an abundance of all she had, and they ate both well and heartily ; but the town mouse thought it was very poor fare indeed.

"One can, of course, keep body and soul together on this," said she ; " but I don't think much of it. Now you must be good enough to visit me and taste what we have."

Yes, that she would, and before long she set out. The town mouse had gathered together all the scraps from the Christmas fare which the woman of the house had dropped on the floor during the holidays — bits of cheese, butter and tallow ends, cake- crumbs, pastry and many other good things. In the dish under the ale-tap she had drink enough ; in fact, the place was full of all kinds of dainties.

They ate and fared well ; the country mouse seemed never to have had enough ; she had never tasted such delicacies. But then she became thirsty, for she found the food both strong and rich, and now she wanted something to drink.

ii8 The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

"We haven't far to go for the beer we shall drink," said the town mouse, and jumped upon the edge of the dish and drank till she was no longer thirsty ; she did not drink too much, for she knew the Christmas beer was strong. The country mouse, how- ever, thought the beer a splendid drink ; she had never tasted anything but water, so she took one sip after another, but as she could not stand strong drink she became tipsy before she left the dish.

The drink got into her head and down into her toes and she began running and jumping about from one beer barrel to the other, and to dance and tumble about on the shelves amongst the cups and mugs ; she squeaked and screeched as if she were both drunk and mad. About her being drunk there was very little doubt.

** You must not carry on as if you had just come from the backwoods and make such a row and noise," said the town mouse ; " the master of the house is a bailiff and he is very strict indeed," she added.

The country mouse said she didn't care either for bailiffs or beggars. But the cat sat at the top of the cellar steps, lying in wait, and heard all the chatter and noise. When the woman of the house went down to draw some beer and lifted the trap door the cat slipped by into the cellar and struck its claws into the country mouse. Then there was quite another sort of dance.

The town mouse slid back into her hole and sat in safety looking on, while the country mouse suddenly became sober when she felt the claws of the cat in her back.

" Oh, my dear bailiff, oh, dearest bailiff, be merciful and spare my life and I will tell you a fairy tale," she said.

•' Well, go on," said the cat.

"Once upon a time there were two little mice," said the country mouse, squeaking slowly and pitifully, for she wanted to make the story last as long as she could.

" Then they were not lonel}'," said the cat dr3dy and curtly.

" And they had a steak which they were going to fry."

<; a

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse 121

" Then they could not starve," said the cat.

" And they put it out on the roof to cool," said the country mouse.

" Then they did not burn themselves," said the cat.

" But there came a fox and a crow and ate it all up," said the country mouse,

" Then I'll eat you," said the cat. But just at that moment the vi^oman shut the trap door with a slam, which so startled the cat that she let go her hold of the mouse. One bound, and the country mouse found herself in the hole with the town mouse.

From there a passage led out into the snow, and you may be sure the country mouse did not wait long before she set out homewards.

"And this is what you call living well and being best off," she said to the town mouse. " Heaven preserve me from having such a fine place and such a master ! Why, I only just got away with my life ! "

SORIA MARIA'S CASTLE

There was once upon a time a couple who had a son, and his name was Halvor. Since he was quite a small boy he never cared to do any work ; he would onl}- sit in the hearth and rake together the ashes. The parents had many times apprenticed

Soria Maria's Castle 123

him to learn some trade, but Halvor never stopped long anywhere ; — when he had been at a place for some days he always ran off home again, sat himself down in the hearth, and began digging in the ashes.

But one day a skipper came to the house and asked Halvor if had a mind to go to sea with him and visit foreign countries. Yes, Halvor had a mind for that, and this time he was not long in getting ready.

How long they sailed I do not know, but after some time a storm overtook them and when it was over and the sea became calm they did not know where they were ; they had drifted to a foreign coast which was quite unknown to them.

As there was no wind at all they had to remain there and Halvor asked the skipper for permission to go ashore and look about a bit, for he would rather do that than lie and sleep.

" Do you think you are fit to show yourself? " said the skipper. " Why you have no other clothes but the rags you have on your back." But Halvor would not give in, and at last he got permission ; but he must come back on board when it began to blow.

He started off and found the country most beautiful ; all around he saw large plains v/ith cornfields and meadows, but he did not see any people. Soon it began to blow, but Halvor did not think he had seen enough yet, so he thought he would go on a little further and see if he could find any people.

In a while he came to a big road, which was so even one could roll an egg along it. Halvor followed the road, and towards even- ing he saw a great castle far away all lighted up.

As he had been walking all day almost without any food, he was very hungry ; but the nearer he came to the castle the more afraid he felt.

In the castle the fires were still burning in the hearths. Halvor went into the kitchen, which was the most splendid he had ever seen ; there were pots and pans both of gold and silver, but no people. When Halvor had stood there awhile and no one

124 Soria Maria's Castle

came, he went to a door and opened it and inside sat a princess at her spinning wheel.

" Oh dear ! Oh dear ! " she cried, " how dare any Christian person come here ! You had better go away, if you don't want the troll to swallow you alive, for here lives a troll with three heads."

" It would be all one to me, even if he had four," said the lad. " I should much like to see him ! I am not going away, for I have done nothing wrong ; you must give me something to eat as I am terribly hungry."

When Halvor had finished his meal, the princess told him he had better try if he could swing the sword which hung on the wall. No, he could not even lift it.

" You had better take a drink from that bottle, which hangs by the side of it," said the princess, " for the troll does so, when he is going to use the sword."

Halvor took a drink, and immediately he was able to swing the sword as if it had been nothing. Now, thought he, the troll might come any time. All at once they heard the troll coming, and Halvor hid behind the door.

" Ugh ! I smell Christian blood here," said the troll, putting one head in through the door.

"You'll soon find that is so," said Halvor, and cut off all his heads. The princess was so glad at being saved that she both sang and danced. Then she began to think about her sisters and said :

" I wish my sisters were saved also."

"Where are they?" asked Halvor; and so she told him one was shut up by a troll in a castle fifty miles away, and the other was shut up in a castle another fifty miles away.

*' First you must help me to get this carcase away," said she. Halvor was so strong he swept everything before him, and cleared all away in no time ; he then ate and enjoyed himself for the rest of the day.

Next morning he set out at daybreak, and so eager was he to

WHEN THE TROLL WITH THE THREE HEADS CAME K\TO THE ROOM, HALVOR TOOK THE SWORD AND CUT OFF ALL THE HEADS

Soria Maria's Castle 127

reach the castle, that he ran the whole day. When at last he saw it he became frightened again ; it was more gorgeous even than the first one, but here also he could see no one. He went into the kitchen and straight on into the room without stopping.

" Oh, dear ! how dare any Christian person come here ! " cried the princess. " I don't know how long I have been here, but during all that time I have not seen a Christian. You had better go away, for here lives a troll who has six heads."

" No, I won't go," said Halvor, " even if he had twelve."

" He will swallow you alive," said the princess. But it was of no use, Halvor would not go ; he was not afraid of the troll, but he wanted meat and drink, for he was hungry after the journey. He got as much as he wanted and then the princess again begged him to go.

" No," said Halvor, ** I won't go, for I have done nothing wrong and I have nothing to be afraid of."

"That makes no difference," said the princess, "for he will take you, whether or no ; but since you will not go, try if you can swing this sword, which the troll uses when he goes to war."

He could not swing the sword, so the princess told him to take a drink from the bottle which hung by the side. When he had done so, he found himself able to swing the sword. All of a sudden the troll came home ; he was so fat and big he had to go sideways to get through the door. When he had got one of his heads inside he cried :

" Ugh ! what a smell of Christian blood ! " but at the same moment Halvor cut off one head and then all the others.

The princess was very glad, but she soon began to think of her sisters and wish that they also were saved. Halvor thought that could be done, and wanted to set off at once ; but first he had to help the princess to get rid of the body of the troll, and next morning he set out.

It was a long way to the castle, and he walked and ran as fast as he could to get there in good time. Towards evening he came in sight of the castle, and found it even more splendid than the

128 Soria Maria's Castle

others. He was not the least afraid this time, but went straight through the kitchen and into the room. There sat the princess, who was so pretty that no words can tell. She said just the same as the other princesses, that no Christian person had been there since she came, and asked him to go away, or else the troll would swallow him alive. This troll had nine heads, she said.

" Well, even if he has twice nine and still another nine I shall not go," said Halvor, going up to the fire.

The princess entreated him to go, so that the troll should not eat him ; but Halvor said : " Let him come when he likes ; " then she gave him the sword and asked him to take a sip from the bottle, so that he could use the sword.

All of a sudden the troll came in with a great noise. He was still fatter and bigger than the other two, and he had also to go sideways to get through the door.

" Ugh ! what a smell of Christian blood ! " he said ; but at the same moment Halvor cut off his first head and then all the others ; but the last one was very tough and gave Halvor more work than anything he had yet had to do, although he felt so very strong.

All the princesses were now together at this castle, and they were happier than they had ever been in all their lives. They were very fond of Halvor and he of them. He could choose the one he liked best of them to wed, but the youngest was most fond of him of all three. He, however, went about looking so sad, and he was so sullen and quiet, that the princesses asked him what he was longing for and whether he did not like staying with them. Yes, that he liked well enough, for they had plenty to live on and he was very comfortable ; but he longed so much for home, his parents were still alive, and he had a great mind to see them again. That could easily be arranged, they said :

" You can go there and back without any danger, if you follow our advice." Yes, he would do everything they told him. Then they dressed him up till he looked as fine as a prince, and they put a magic ring on his finger, so that he had only to wish himself anywhere and his wish would be fulfilled ; but they said he must

Soria Maria's Castle 129

not lose the ring or mention their names, for then there would be an end to all their happiness and he would never see them any more.

" I wish I were home," said Halvor, and as he wished so it happened. He stood outside his parents' house in less than no time. It was just in the dusk of the evening, and when his parents saw what a fine and noble stranger was coming they lost their wits, and began to bow and curtsy. Halvor asked if he could stop there and get lodgings for the night.

No, that he couldn't. " Our place is not good enough," they said ; " we have nothing here that would do for so grand a tra- veller." He had better go up to the farm, which was not far away ; he could see the chimney-pots from where they stood, and there he would find plenty oT everything. Halvor did not like that at all ; he wanted to remain where he was, but the parents stuck to what they had said, that he should go up to the farm, for there he could get both meat and drink, while they had not even a chair to offer him.

" No," said Halvor, " I won't go there till the morning ; let me remain here to-night; I can sit in the hearth." They could not refuse him that, so Halvor sat down in the hearth and began digging in the ashes, just as he had done when he was at home and idled away his time.

They spoke about a good many things, and told Halvor one thing and another till at last he asked them if they ever had had any children. Yes, they had a boy whose name was Halvor, but they did not know whereabouts he was wandering, or whether he was alive or dead.

" Could I be he ? " said Halvor.

" No, not likely," said the woman ; " Halvor was such a lazy, idle boy, he would never do anything, and he was so ragged his rags would hardly keep together; he could never become as grand as you,"

In a little, while the woman went over to the chimney to rake the fire, and just then the light from the ashes shone upon Halvor

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130 Soria Maria's Castle

the same as when he used to sit at home raking in the ashes, and then the woman knew him again.

" Of course it is you, Halvor ! " she said, and the old couple became so glad they did not know what to do. He had then to tell them all that had happened to him, and his mother was so proud of him that she wanted to take him up with her to the farm and show him off to the girls, who had always put on such airs. She went first and Halvor came after. When she got up there she told the people Halvor had come home again, and they should soon see what a fine fellow he was ; he looked like a prince, she said.

" Oh, indeed ! " said the girls, turning up their noses ; "we expect he is the same ragged fellow as ever." Just at that moment Halvor came in, and so startled the girls, who were busy dressing themselves, that they took to their heels with nothing on but their petticoats.

When they came in again they were so shy they hardly dared to look at Halvor, to whom they had formerly always been so proud and short-spoken.

"Well, you have always thought yourselves so fine and hand- some that there were none like you, but you should just see the eldest of the princesses I have saved," said Halvor; "by her side you would look like scullery-maids, and the second sister is still prettier ; but the youngest, who is my sweetheart, is prettier than both the sun and the moon. I wish they were here, and then you would see," said Halvor.

He had no sooner spoken the words than the princesses stood there. This vexed him very much, for now he remembered his promise to them. Much rejoicing now began on the farm in honour of the princesses, but they did not care to remain there.

" We want to visit your parents," they said to Halvor, " and then we'll travel about and look around us." He said he would go with them, and soon they came to a large lake some distance from the farm. Close to the lake was a green hillside, where the princesses wanted to rest a while, for they thought it would be so nice to sit there and look out over the water.

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3 K

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Soria Maria's Castle 133

They sat down, and after a while the youngest princess said to Halvor : "Won't you lie down and rest your head in my lap?" Yes, he would do so, and before long he fell asleep. Then she took the ring from his finger and put another in its place, and said to her sisters :

" Take hold of me as I take hold of you. I wish we were back in Soria Maria's castle."

When Halvor awoke he soon guessed he had lost the prin- cesses and began to cry and lament, and was so disconsolate no one could get a word out of him. Though his parents begged and prayed him to stop with them he would not, but bid them farewell, and said he was not ever likely to see them again, for if he did not find the princesses life would not be worth living. He had three hundred dollars left which he put in his pocket, and then set out.

When he had got a bit on the way he met a man with a horse, which he wanted to buy, so he began bargaining.

''Well, I have not exactly been thinking of selling it," said the

man, " but if we can come to some agreement, well " Halvor

asked how much he wanted for it.

" I did not pay much for it, and it isn't worth much," said the man; "it is a good horse to ride on, but no good as a cart- horse. In any case he could manage to get along with your scrip- bag and you as well, if you will walk a bit now and then."

At last they agreed about the price, and Halvor put his bag on the horse, and sometimes walked and sometimes rode, till towards evening he came to a green field, and there stood a great tree, under which he sat down. He let the horse loose, and then opened his bag and had some food, but did not lie down to sleep.

At daylight he set out, for he had no peace of mind till he was on his way again ; so he rode and walked by turns all day through a large forest with many beautiful green openings gleaming here and there among the trees. He did not know where he was, nor in which direction he was going ; he only gave himself time to

134 Soria Maria's Castle

rest when he came to one of the green spots ; he then foddered the horse and had some food himself.

On he walked and on he rode, and it seemed as if there never would be an end to the forest. But towards evening on the second day he saw a light shining between the trees. " I hope the folks are not gone to bed, so that I can warm myself and get something to eat," said Halvor to himself. When he came nearer he found only a poor little hut, and through the window he saw an old couple. They were very old and grey, and the woman had such a long nose that she could use it to rake the ashes together with when she sat by the fire.

" Good evening, good evening," said the woman. " But what business can you have here, I wonder ? No Christian people have been this way for over a hundred years."

Halvor told her he was going to Soria Maria's castle, and asked her if she knew the way.

"No," said the old woman, "I don't know, but the moon will be out soon, and I'll ask her ; she is sure to know, for she shines over every place."

As soon as the moon appeared bright and clear above the tree- tops, the woman went out.

"You moon ! you moon! " she shouted, "can you tell me the way to Soria Maria's castle ? "

" No," said the moon, " I cannot, for when I passed that way a cloud stood before me."

"Wait a while yet," said the woman to Halvor, "the west wind will be here directly ; he is sure to know, for he whistles and blows in every corner. Dear, dear, you have a horse, I see," continued the old woman, as she came into the room. " Let the poor creature into the meadow ; don't let it remain here at the door to starve. Will you exchange it with me for something ? " said she. " We have a pair of old boots here, and when you have them on you can take twenty miles at every step. You can have thein instead of the horse, and then you can get sooner to Soria Maria's castle."

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135

Halvor agreed at once, and the woman took such a fancy to the horse she was ready to dance for joy, " For now I can ride to church hke other people," she said.

Halvor became impatient to start, but the woman said there was no hurry.

TS^SwSSSu

THE OLD WOMAN WENT OUT TO ASK THE MOON THE WAY TO SORIA MARIA'S CASTLE

" Lie down on the bench and take a nap, for we have no bed," said she, " and I will look out for the west wind when he comes."

All of a sudden the west wind came rushing along, making the walls creak and groan. The woman ran out.

136 Soria Maria's Castle

" You west wind ! you west wind ! can you tell me the way to Soria Maria's castle ? There is somebody here who wants to go that way."

"Yes, I know it well," said the west wind. " I am just going there to dry clothes for a wedding which is to be. If he is quick on his legs he can come with me."

Halvor just then came out.

" You will have to make haste if you want company," said the west wind ; and away they went far over hills and dales and seas, while Halvor had as much as he could do to keep up.

" I haven't time to go with you any further," said the west wind, " for I have to tear up a pine forest first before I go to the bleaching ground to dry the clothes ; but if you keep along the ridge of the mountain you will come to some lasses who are washing clothes, and then you have not far to go to Soria Maria's castle."

Before long Halvor came to the lasses who were busy washing clothes. They asked if he had seen anything of the west wind.

" He was coming here to dry clothes for the wedding," said they.

"Yes," said Halvor, "he has only gone to tear up a pine forest ; it will not be long before he is here." And then he asked them the way to Soria Maria's castle.

They put him in the way, and when he came to the castle he found quite a crowd of horses and people there. But Halvor was so ragged and dirty from having followed the west wind through bush and bog that he kept out of sight, and would not go to the castle till the last day, when they were going to have a grand dinner. And when the time came, as was the custom, for drinking the health of the bride, and the servant was filling every one's cup — that of the bride and bridegroom, the knights' and yeomen's — he came at length to Halvor.

He drank the toast, and let the ring which the princess had put on his finger at the lake fall into the cup. He then asked the servant to carry the cup to the bride, with his compliments.

Soria Maria's Castle 137

The princess at once got up from the table.

"Who has most right to wed one of us," she said ; '*he who saved us or he who sits here as bridegroom ? "

All thought there could be but one opinion about that ; so when Halvor heard it, he was not long in getting off his rags and in dressing himself as a bridegroom.

" Yes, he is the right one ! " cried the youngest princess when she saw him ; and so she threw the other one over, and was married to Halvor.

WELL DONE, ILL PAID

Once upon a time there was a man who was going to the forest for firewood. On his way he met a bear.

** Give me your horse, or I will kill all your sheep next summer ! " said the bear.

" Oh dear ! oh dear 1 " said the man, " there is not a chip of wood in the house. You must let me drive home a cartload of

Well Done, III Paid 139

wood, or we shall be frozen to death ; but I will come back with the horse to-morrow for you."

Well, that would do ; but it was understood that if he did not return he would lose all his sheep during the summer. The man loaded his sledge with wood, and drove homewards ; but he was not very pleased with the arrangement he had made, you can imagine. On the way he met a fox.

" Why do you look so sad ? " asked the fox.

" Oh, I met a bear up yonder," said the man, " and I had to promise that at this time to-morrow he should have my horse. If he does not get it, he said he would tear all my sheep to pieces next summer."

"Oh, nothing worse than that?" said the fox. " If you will give me your fattest ram I will soon get you out of your difficulty."

The man promised this, and said he would be sure to keep his word.

" When you come to the bear to-morrow with the horse," said the fox, " I will be up in the mountain, and will shout out to you. When the bear asks who it is, you must say it is Peter, the hunts- man, who is the finest shot in the world. Afterwards you must use your own wits."

The next day the man set out, and when he met the bear some one up in the mountain began shouting.

" Whst ! what's that ? " said the bear.

" Oh, that's Peter, the huntsman. He is the fiinest shot in the world," said the man. " I know him by his voice."

" Have you seen any bear about here, Erik ? " came from the wood.

" Say no 1 " said the bear.

" No, I have not seen any bear,'' said Erik.

" What's that standing by your sledge then?" came from the wood.

" Say it is the root of an old tree," whispered the bear.

** Oh, it's only the root of an old tree," said Erik.

140 Well Done, III Paid

" Such roots we generally load our sledges with," came from the wood ; *' if you are not able to do so, I will come and help you."

" Say you can do it 3'ourself, and put me on the sledge."

" No, thanks, I can manage by myself," said the man, and rolled the bear on to the sledge.

" Such roots we generally tie down," came from the wood ; " do you want any help ? "

" Sa}' you can do it 3'ourself, and tie me down," said the bear.

" No, thanks, I can do it," said Erik, and began tying down the bear with all the ropes he had, till the bear could not move a paw.

" Such roots we generally strike an axe into, when we have tied it down," come from the wood, " for then one can steer the sledge better down the big hills."

" Pretend to strike the axe into me," whispered the bear.

But the man took the axe and split the skull of the bear, who was killed on the spot. So Erik and the fox became good friends and got on well together, but when they came to the farm, the fox said :

" I should like to go in with you, but I don't like your dogs. I will wait here till you come with the ram. But remember to pick me out one that is very fat."

Yes, the man would do so, and thanked the fox besides for his help. When he had put the horse into the stable he went across to the sheep-pen.

" Where are 3'ou going? " asked his wife.

" Oh, I am onl}^ going over to the sheep-pen to fetch a fat ram for that good fox who saved our horse," said the man, " as I have promised him one."

** Why on earth give that thief of a fox an}^ ram ? " said the woman. " We have got the horse quite safe and the bear besides, and the fox has stolen more geese from us than the ram is wjorth ; or, if he hasn't already taken them, he is sure to do so sometime. No, take the most savage pair of those dogs of 3'ours and let loose

Well Done, III Paid

141

on him, then perhaps we'll get rid of that thieving old rascal," said the woman.

The man thought this was sensible advice and took two of his savage red dogs, put them in a bag and set out with them.

" Have 3'ou got the ram ? " said the fox.

"Yes, come and fetch it," said the man, undoing the string round the bag and setting the dogs at the fox.

" Ugh ! " said the fox bounding away, " the old saying, ' Well done, ill paid ' is only too true ; and now I find it is also true that one's relations are one's worst enemies," said he, as he saw the red dogs at his heels.

ASHIEPATTLE AND HIS GOODLY CREW

Once upon a time there was a king, and this king had heard about a ship which went just as fast by land as by water ; and as he wished to have one Hke it, he promised any one who could build one for him, his daughter and half the kingdom. And this was given out at every church all over the country. There were many who tried, as you can imagine ; for they thought it would be a nice thing to have half the kingdom, and the princess wouldn't be a bad thing into the bargain. But they all fared badly.

Now there were three brothers, who lived far away on the borders of a forest ; the eldest was called Peter, the second Paul, and the youngest Espen Ashiepattle, because he always sat in the hearth, raking and digging in the ashes.

ASHIEPATTLE AND HIS GOODLY CREW 143

It SO happened that Ashiepattle was at church on the Sunday when the proclamation about the ship, which the king wanted, was read. When he came home and told his family, Peter the eldest asked his mother to get some food ready for him, for now he was going away to try if he could build the ship and win the princess and half the kingdom. When the bag was ready he set out. On the way he met an old man who was very crooked and decrepit.

"Where are you going? " said the man.

" I'm going into the forest to make a trough for my father. He doesn't like to eat at table in our company," said Peter.

" Trough it shall be ! " said the man. ** What have you got in that bag of yours ? " he added.

*' Dung," said Peter.

" Dung it shall be," said the man. Peter then went into the forest and began to cut and chop away at the trees and work away as hard as he could, but in spite of all his cutting and chopping he could only turn out troughs. Towards dinner time he wanted something to eat and opened his bag. But there was not a crumb of food in it. As he had nothing to live upon and as he did not turn out anything but troughs, he became tired of the work, took his axe and bag on his shoulder and went home to his mother.

Paul then wanted to set out to try his luck at building the ship and winning the princess and half the kingdom. He asked his mother for provisions, and when the bag was ready he threw it over his shoulder and went on his way to the forest. On the road he met the old man, who was very crooked and decrepit.

** Where are you going? " said the man.

"Oh, I am going into the forest to make a trough for our sucking pig," said Paul.

" Pig-trough it shall be," said the man. " What have you got in that bag of yours ? " added the man.

** Dung," said Paul.

" Dung it shall be," said the man.

144 ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CREW

Paul then began felling trees and working away as hard as he could, but no matter how he cut and how he worked he could only turn out pig-troughs. He did not give in, however, but worked away till far into the afternoon before he thought of taking any food ; then all at once he became hungry and opened his bag, but not a crumb could he find. Paul became so angry he turned the bag inside out and struck it against the stump of a tree ; then he took his axe, went out of the forest and set off homewards.

As soon as Paul returned, Ashiepattle wanted to set out and asked his mother for a bag of food.

" Perhaps I can manage to build the ship and win the princess and half the kingdom," said he.

"Well, I never heard the like," said his mother. "Are you likely to win the princess, you, who never do anything but root and dig in the ashes ? No, you shan't have any bag with food ! "

Ashiepattle did not give in, however, but he prayed and begged till he got leave to go. He did not get any food, not he ; but he stole a couple of oatmeal cakes and some flat beer and set out.

When he had walked awhile he met the same old man, who was so crooked and tattered and decrepit.

" Where are you going ? " said the man.

** Oh, I was going into the forest to tr}^ if it were possible to build a ship which can go as fast by land as by water," said Ashiepattle, " for the king has given out that any one who can build such a ship shall have the princess and half the kingdom."

" What have you got in that bag of yours ? " said the man.

"Not much worth talking about; there ought to be a little food in it," answered Ashiepattle.

" If you'll give me a little of it I'll help you," said the man.

" With all my heart," said Ashiepattle, " but there is nothing but some oatmeal cakes and a drop of flat beer."

It didn't matter what it was, the man said ; if he only got some of it he would be sure to help Ashiepattle.

When they came up to an old oak in the wood the man said to the lad, "Now you must cut off a chip and then put it back

THE SHIP WHICH VVEXT JUST AS FAST BY LAND AS BY WATER

ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CREW I47

again in exactly the same place, and when you have done that you can lie down and go to sleep." Ashiepattle did as he was told and then lay down to sleep, and in his sleep he thought he heard some- body cutting and hammering and sawing and carpentering, but he could not wake up till the man called him ; then the ship stood quite finished by the side of the oak.

** Now you must go on board and every one you meet you must take with you," said the man. Espen Ashiepattle thanked him for the ship, said he would do so, and then sailed away.

When he had sailed some distance, he came to a long, thin tramp, who was lying near some rocks, eating stones.

" What sort of a fellow are you, that you lie there eating stones ? " asked Ashiepattle. The tramp said he was so fond of meat he could never get enough, therefore he was obliged to eat stones. And then he asked if he might go with him in the ship.

" If you want to go with us, you must make haste and get on board," said Ashiepattle.

Yes, that he would, but he must take with him some large stones for food.

When they had sailed some distance, they met one who was lying on the side of a sunny hill, sucking at a bung.

"Who are you," said Ashiepattle, "and what is the good of lying there sucking that bung ? "

" Oh, when one hasn't got the barrel, one must be satisfied with the bung," said the man. ** I'm always so thirsty, I can never get enough beer and wine." And then he asked for leave to go with him in the ship.

" If you want to go with me you must make haste and get on board," said Ashiepattle.

Yes, that he would. And so he went on board and took the bung with him to allay his thirst.

When they had sailed awhile again, they met one who was lying with his ear to the ground, listening.

*' Who are you, and what is the good of lying there on the ground listening?" said Ashiepattle.

148 ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CREW

" I'm listening to the grass, for I have such good ears that I can hear the grass growing," said the man. And then he asked for leave to go with him in the ship. Ashiepattle could not say nay to that, so he said :

" If you want to go with me, 3^ou must make haste and get on board."

Yes, that the man would. And he also went on board.

When they had sailed some distance, they came to one who was standing taking aim with a gun.

"Who are you, and what is the good of standing there aiming like that ? " asked Ashiepattle.

So the man said :

" I have such good eyes that I can hit anything, right to the end of the world." And then he asked for leave to go with him in the ship.

" If you want to go with me, 3'ou must make haste and get on board," said Ashiepattle.

Yes, that he would. And he went on board.

When they had sailed some distance again, they came to one who was hopping and limping about on one leg, and on the other he had seven ton weights.

"Who are you," said Ashiepattle, "and what is the good of hopping and limping about on one leg with seven ton weights on the other ? "

" I am so light," said the man, " that if I walked on both my legs I should get to the end of the world in less than five minutes." And then he asked for leave to go with him in the ship.

" If you want to go with us, you must make haste and get on board," said Ashiepattle.

Yes, that he would. And so he joined Ashiepattle and his crew on the ship.

When they had sailed on some distance, they met one who was standing holding his hand to his mouth.

" Who are you ? " said Ashiepattle, " and what is the good of standing there, holding your mouth like that ? "

TO THE END OF THE WORLD IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES

ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CrEW 151

" Oh, I have seven summers and fifteen winters in my body," said the man ; " so I think I ought to keep my mouth shut, for if they get out all at the same time they would finish off the world altogether." And then he asked for leave to go with him in the ship.

" If you want to go with us, you must make haste and get on board," said Ashiepattle.

Yes, that he would, and then he joined the others on the ship.

When they had sailed a long time, they came to the king's palace.

Ashiepattle went straight in to the king and said the ship stood ready in the courtyard outside ; and now he wanted the princess, as the king had promised.

The king did not like this very much, for Ashiepattle did not cut a very fine figure ; he was black and sooty, and the king did not care to give his daughter to such a tramp, so he told Ashiepattle that he would have to wait a little.

" But you can have her all the same, if by this time to-morrow you can empty my storehouse of three hundred barrels of meat," said the king.

"I suppose I must try," said Ashiepattle ;" but perhaps you don't mind my taking one of my crew with me ? "

" Yes, you can do that, and take all six if you like," said the king, for he was quite sure that even if Ashiepattle took six hundred with him, it would be impossible. So Ashiepattle took with him the one who ate stones and always hungered after meat.

When they came next morning and opened the storehouse, they found he had eaten all the meat, except six small legs of mutton, one for each of his companions. Ashiepattle then went to the king and said the storehouse was empty, and he supposed he could now have the princess.

The king went into the storehouse, and, sure enough, it was quite empty ; but Ashiepattle was still black and sooty and the king thought it was really too bad that such a tramp should have his daughter. So he said he had a cellar full of beer and old wine,

152 ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CREW

three hundred barrels of each kind, which he would have him drink first.

" I don't mind your having my daughter if you can drink them up by this time to-morrow," said the king.

"I suppose I must try," said Ashiepattle, "but perhaps you don't mind my taking one of my crew with me ? "

"Yes, you may do that," said the king, for he was quite sure there was too much beer and wine even for all seven of them. Ashiepattle took with him the one who was always sucking the bung, and was always thirsty ; and the king then shut them down in the cellar.

There the thirsty one drank barrel after barrel, as long as there was any left, but in the last barrel he left a couple of pints to each of his companions.

In the morning the cellar was opened and Ashiepattle went at once to the king and said he had finished the beer and wine, and now he supposed he could have the princess as the king had promised.

"Well, I must first go down to the cellar and see," said the king, for he could not believe it ; but when he got there he found nothing but empty barrels.

But Ashiepattle was both black and sooty, and the king thought it wouldn't do for him to have such a son-in-law. So he said, that if Ashiepattle could get water from the end of the world in ten minutes for the princess's tea, he could have both her and half the kingdom ; for he thought that task would be quite impossible.

" I suppose I must try," said Ashiepattle, and sent for the one of his crew who limped about on one leg, and had seven ton weights on the other, and told him he must take off the weights and use his legs as quickly as he could, for he must have water from the end of the world for the princess's tea in ten minutes.

So he took off the weights, got a bucket and set off, and the next moment he was out of sight. But they waited and waited and still he did not return. At last it wanted but three minutes to the time, and the king became as pleased as if he had won a big wager. Then Ashiepattle called the one who could hear

ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CREW 153

the grass grow and told him to listen and find out what had become of their companion.

" He has fallen asleep at the well," said he who could hear the grass grow ; " I can hear him snoring, and a troll is scratching his head." Ashiepattle then called the one who could shoot to the end of the world, and told him to send a bullet into the troll ; he did so and hit the troll right in the eye. The troll gave such a yell that he woke the man who had come to fetch the water for the tea, and when he returned to the palace there was still one minute left out of the ten,

Ashiepattle went straight to the king and said : " Here is the water"; and now he supposed he could have the princess, for surely the king would not make any more fuss about it now. But the king thought that Ashiepattle was just as black and sooty as ever, and did not like to have him for a son-in-law ; so he said he had three hundred fathoms of wood with which he was going to dry corn in the bakehouse, and he wouldn't mind Ashiepattle having his daughter if he would first sit in the bakehouse and burn all the wood ; he should then have the princess, and that without fail. " I suppose I must try," said Ashiepattle ; "but perhaps you don't mind my taking one of my crew with me ? "

" Oh no, you can take all six," said the king, for he thought it would be warm enough for all of them.

Ashiepattle took with him the one who had fifteen winters and seven summers in his body, and in the evening he went across to the bakehouse ; but the king had piled up so much wood on the fire that you might almost have melted iron in the room. They could not get out of it, for no sooner were they inside than the king fastened the bolt and put a couple of padlocks on the door besides. Ashiepattle then said to his companion :

"You had better let out six or seven winters, so that we may get something like summer weather here."

They were then just able to exist, but during the night it got cold again and Ashiepattle then told the man to let out a couple of summers, and so they slept far into the next day. But when they heard the king outside, Ashiepattle said :

154

ASHIEPATTLE AND HiS GOODLY CREW

"You must let out a couple more winters, but you must manage it so that the last winter you let out strikes the king right in the face."

He did so, and when the king opened the door, expecting to find Ashiepattle and his companion burnt to cinders, he saw them huddling together and shivering with cold till their teeth chattered. The same instant Ashiepattle's companion with the fifteen winters in his body let loose the last one right in the king's face, which swelled up into a big chilblain.

"Can I have the princess now?" asked Ashiepattle.

"Yes, take her and keep her and the kingdom into the bargain," said the king, who dared not refuse any longer. And so the wedding took place and they feasted and made merry and fired off guns and powder.

While the people were running about searching for wadding for their guns, they took me instead, gave me some porridge in a bottle and some milk in a basket, and fired me right across here, so that I could tell you how it all happened.

GUDBRAND O xN THE HILL-SIDE

There was once upon a time a man whose name was Gudbrand. He had a farm which lay far away up on the side of a hill, and therefore they called him Gud- brand on the hill-side.

He and his wife lived so happily together, and agreed so well, that whatever the man did the wife thought it so well done that no one could do it better. No matter what he did, she thought it was always the right thing. They lived on their own farm, and had a hundred dollars at

the bottom of their chest and two cows in their cowshed. One

day the woman said to Gudbrand :

" I think we ought to go to town with one of the cows and sell

156 GUDBRAND ON THE H ILL-SIDE

it, so that we may have some ready money by us. We are pretty well off, and ought to have a few shillings in our pocket like other people ; the hundred dollars in the chest we mustn't touch, but I can't see what we want with more than one cow, and it will be much better for us, as I shall have only one to look after instead of the two I have now to mind and feed."

Yes, Gudbrand thought, that was well and sensibly spoken. He took the cow at once and went to town to sell it ; but when he got there no one would buy the cow.

"Ah, well !" thought Gudbrand, "I may as well take the cow home again. I know I have both stall and food for it, and the way home is no longer than it was here." So he strolled homewards again with the cow.

When he had got a bit on the way he met a man who had a horse to sell, and Gudbrand thought it was better to have a horse than a cow, and so he changed the cow for the horse.

When he had gone a bit further he met a man who was driving a fat pig before him, and then he thought it would be better to have a fat pig than a horse, and so he changed with the man.

He now went a bit further, and then he met a man with a goat, and so he thought it was surely better to have a goat than a pig, and changed with the man who had the goat.

Then he went a long way, till he met a man who had a sheep ; he changed with him, for he thought it was always better to have a sheep than a goat.

When he had got a bit further he met a man with a goose, and so he changed the sheep for the goose. And when he had gone a long, long way he met a man with a cock ; he changed the goose with him, for he thought this wise : " It is surely better to have a cock than a goose."

He walked on till late in the day, when he began to feel hungry. So he sold the cock for sixpence and bought some food for himself; " for it is always better to keep body and soul together than to have a cock," thought Gudbrand.

GUDBRAND ON THE HiLL-SIDE 157

He then set ofif again homewards till he came to his neighbour's farm and there he went in.

" How did you get on in town ? " asked the people.

" Oh, only so-so," said the man, " I can't boast of my luck, nor can I grumble at it either," And then he told them how it had gone with him from first to last.

" Well, you'll have a fine reception when you get home to your wife," said the man. " Heaven help you ! I should not like to be in your place."

"I think I might have fared much worse," said Gudbrand; " but whether I have fared well or ill, I have such a kind wife that she never says anything, no matter what I do."

"Aye, so you say; but you won't get me to believe it," said the neighbour.

" Shall we have a wager on it ? " said Gudbrand. " I have a hundred dollars in my chest at home ; wiU you lay the same ? "

So they made the wager and Gudbrand remained there till the evening, when it began to get dark, and then they went together to the farm.

The neighbour was to remain outside the door and listen, while Gudbrand went in to his wife.

" Good evening ! " said Gudbrand when he came in.

" Good evening ! " said the wife. " Heaven be praised you are back again."

*' Yes, here