H 
 

THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 IN MEMORY OF 
 
 Henry Gutterson 1884-1954 
 
He too saw the image in the water; but he looked up at once, and became 
 aware of the lovely Lassie who sate there up in the tree. Page 70 
 
EAST OF THE SUN AND 
 WEST OF THE MOON 
 
 OLD TALES FROM THE NORTH 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BV 
 
 KAY NIELSEN 
 
 NEW YORK 
 GEORGE H DORAN COMPANY 
 
PREFACE 
 
 FOLK-TALE, in its primitive plainness of word 
 and entire absence of complexity in thought, 
 is peculiarly sensitive and susceptible to the 
 touch of stranger hands ; and he who has been able to 
 acquaint himself with the Norske Folkeeventyr of Asb- 
 jornsen and Moe (from which these stories are selected), 
 has an advantage over the reader of an English rendering. 
 Of this advantage Mr. Kay Nielsen has fully availed 
 himself : and the exquisite bizarrerie of his drawings 
 aptly expresses the innermost significance of the old- 
 world, old-wives' fables. For to 'term these legends, 
 Nursery Tales, would be to curtail them, by nine-tenths, 
 of their interest. They are the romances of the childhood 
 of Nations : they are the never-failing springs of sentiment, 
 of sensation, of heroic example, from which primeval 
 peoples drank their fill at will. 
 
 The quaintness, the tenderness, the grotesque yet 
 realistic intermingling of actuality with supernatural ism, 
 Afe Afe 
 

 
 by which the original Nor she Folkeeventyr are characteriied, 
 will make an appeal to all, as represented in the pictures 
 of Kay Nielsen. And these imperishable traditions, whose 
 bases are among the very roots of all antiquity, are here 
 reincarnated in line and colour, to the delight of all who 
 ever knew or now shall know them. 
 
 Permission to reprint the Stories in this book, which 
 originally appeared in Sir G. W. Dasent's "Popular Tales 
 from the Norse," has been obtained from Messrs. George 
 Routledge & Sons, Ltd. THE THREE PRINCESSES IN THE 
 BLUE MOUNTAIN is printed by arrangement with Messrs. 
 David Nutt ; and PRINCE LINDWORM is newly translated for 
 this volume. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PACK 
 
 EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON . 9 
 
 THE BLUE BELT 29 
 
 PRINCE LINDWORM 53 
 
 THE LASSIE AND HER GODMOTHER ... 65 
 
 THE HUSBAND WHO WAS TO MIND THE HOUSE 75 
 
 THE LAD WHO WENT TO THE NORTH WIND . 79 
 
 THE THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND . . 85 
 
 SORIA MORIA CASTLE 97 
 
 THE GIANT WHO HAD NO HEART IN HIS BOPY 117 
 
 THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL ... 131 
 
 THE WIDOW'S SON 149 
 
 THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF .... 167 
 
 THE THREE PRINCESSES IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN 171 
 
 THE CAT ON THE DOVREFELL 201 
 
 ONE'S OWN CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS PRETTIEST. 205 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 y mind and hold tight by my shaggy coat, and then there's 
 
 nothing to fear" said the Bear, so she rode a long, long no ay 9 
 
 " Tell me the way, then" she said, "and I'll search you out" . 1 6 
 
 And then she lay on a little green patch in the midst of the gloomy 
 
 thick wood ........ 24. 
 
 The North Wind goes over the sea . . . . 32 
 
 And flitted away as far as they could from the Castle that lay 
 
 East of the Sun and West of the Moon . . . 40 
 
 THE BLUE BELT 
 
 The Lad in the Bear*y skin, and the King of Arabia's daughter 48 
 
PRINCE LINDWORM 
 
 She saw the Lindwormfor the first time, as He came in and stood 
 
 by her side ........ 56 
 
 She could not help setting the door a little ajar, just to peep in, 
 
 when Pop ! outjlew the Moon .... 64 
 
 Then he coaxed her down and took her home . . . . 73 
 
 " Here are your children ; now you shall have them again. I am 
 
 the Virgin Mary "....... 80 
 
 He too saw the image in the water ; but he looked up at once, and 
 
 became aware of the lovely Lassie who sate there up in the tree FRONTISPIECI 
 
 THE THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND 
 
 " You 'II come to three Princesses, whom you will see standing in 
 
 the earth up to their necks, with only their heads out " * 88 
 
 So the man gave him a pair of snow shoes . . . . 96 
 
 The King went into the Castle, and at first his Queen didnt know 
 him, he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far 
 and being so woeful . , . . . . . 1 04 
 
THE GIANT WHO HAD 
 NO HEART IN HIS BODY 
 
 The six brothers riding out to icoo . . . . . 
 
 " On that island stands a. church; in th*t church is a well ; in 
 
 that well swims a duck" . . . . .120 
 
 Hf took a long, long farewell of the Princess ^ and when he got out 
 
 of the Giant's door, there stood the Wolf waiting for him . 128 
 
 THE WIDOW'S SON 
 
 When he had walked a day or so, a strange man met him. 
 
 "Whither away?" asl^ed the man . . . . 136 
 
 But still the Horse begged him to /oo{ behind him . . 1 44 
 
 And this time she whisked of the wig ; and there lay the lad, so 
 lovely, and white and red, just as the Princess had seen him 
 in the morning sun . . . . . . .152 
 
 The Lad in the Battle 160 
 
 (SKk Slit ^Dfti &t ^ngk &t 4fr 
 
 ^^ra ^gra ^?jra 9vrc ^cra 9Qn ffs*3 
 
THE THREE PRINCESSES 
 IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN 
 
 Page 
 Just as they bent down to take the rose a big dense snowdrift came 
 
 and carried them away . . . . . .168 
 
 The Troll was quite willing, and before long he fell asleep and 
 
 began snoring . . . . . . . .176 
 
 A s soon as they lugged at the rope, the Captain and the Lieutenant 
 
 pulled up the Princesses^ the one after the other . . 1 84 
 
 No sooner had he whistled- than he heard a whizzing and a whirring 
 from all quarter s> and such a large jioc^ of birds swept down 
 that they blackened all the Jield in which they settled . 192 
 
"Well, mind and hold tight by my shaggy coat, and then there's nothing to 
 fear," said the Bear, so she rode a long, long way. Page 10 
 
EAST OF THE SUN AND 
 WEST OF THE MOON 
 
 INCE on a time there was a poor husbandman 
 who had so many children that he hadn't much 
 of either food or clothing to give them. Pretty 
 children they all were, but the prettiest wa's the youngest 
 daughter, who was so lovely there was no end to her 
 loveliness. 
 
 So one day, 'twas on a Thursday evening late at the 
 fall of the year, the weather was so wild and rough outside, 
 and it was so cruelly dark, and rain fell and wind blew, 
 till the walls of the cottage shook again. There they all 
 sat round the fire, busy with this thing and that. But 
 just then, all at once something gave three taps on the 
 window-pane. Then the father went out to see what 
 was the matter ; and, when he got out of doors, what 
 should he see but a great big White Bear. 
 
 "Good-evening to you!" said the White Bear. 
 
 " The same to you ! " said the man. 
 
 " Will you give me your youngest daughter ? If you 
 will, I'll make you as rich as you are now poor,'* said 
 the Bear. 
 
Well, the man would not be at all sorry to be so rich ; 
 but still he thought he must have a bit of a talk with his 
 daughter first; so he went in and told them how there 
 was a great White Bear waiting outside, who had given 
 his word to make them so rich if he could only have the 
 youngest daughter. 
 
 The lassie said "No!" outright. Nothing could get 
 her to say anything else ; so the man went out and settled 
 it with the White Bear that he should come again the 
 next Thursday evening and get an answer. Meantime he 
 talked his daughter over, and kept on telling her of all 
 the riches they would get, and how well off she would be 
 herself; and so at last she thought better of it, and washed 
 and mended her rags, made herself as smart as she could, 
 and was ready to start. I can't say her packing gave her 
 much trouble. 
 
 Next Thursday evening came the White Bear to fetch 
 her, and she got upon his back with iier bundle, and off 
 they went. So, when they had gone a bit of the way, 
 the White Bear said : 
 
 "Are you afraid ?" 
 
 "No," she wasn't. 
 
 " Well ! mind and hold tight by my shaggy coat, and 
 
 to 
 
then there's no 
 thing to fear," said 
 the Bear. 
 
 So she rode a 
 long, long way, 
 till they came to a 
 great steep hill. 
 There, on the face 
 of it, the White 
 Bear gave a knock, 
 and a door opened, 
 and they came into 
 a castle where 
 there were many 
 rooms all lit up ; rooms gleaming with silver and gold ; 
 and there, too, was a table ready laid, and it was all as 
 grand as grand could be. Then the White Bear gave her 
 a silver bell; and when she wanted anything, she was only 
 to ring it, and she would get it at once. 
 
 Well, after she had eaten and drunk, and evening wore 
 on, she got sleepy after her journey, and thought she would 
 like to go to bed, so she rang the bell ; and she had scarce 
 taken hold of it before she came into a chamber where there 
 
 ii 
 
was a bed made, as fair and white as any one would wish 
 to sleep in, with silken pillows and curtains and gold fringe. 
 All that was in the room was gold or silver ; but when she 
 had gone to bed and put out the light, a man came and 
 laid himself alongside her. That was the White Bear, who 
 threw off his beast shape at night ; but she never saw him, 
 for he always came after she had put out the light, and 
 before the day dawned he was up and off again. So things 
 went on happily for a while, but at last she began to get 
 silent and sorrowful ; for there she went about all day 
 alone, and she longed to go home to see her father and 
 mother and brothers and sisters. So one day, when the 
 White Bear asked what it was that she lacked, she said it 
 was so dull and lonely there, and how she longed to go 
 home to see her father and mother and brothers and 
 sisters, and that was why she was so sad and sorrowful, 
 because she couldn't get to them. 
 
 "Well, well!" said the Bear, "perhaps there's a cure 
 for all this ; but you must promise me one thing, not to 
 talk alone with your mother, but only when the rest are 
 by to hear; for she'll take you by the hand and try to 
 lead you into a room alone to talk ; but you must mind 
 and not do that, else you'll bring bad luck on both of us." 
 
 iSEk &t jgrgfc && 
 
 &&3 &V3 ^gP3 ^B*3 
 
 12 
 
So one Sunday the White Bear came and said, now 
 they could set off to see her father and mother. Well, 
 off they started, she sitting on his back ; and they went 
 far and long. At last they came to a grand house, and 
 there her brothers and sisters were running about out of 
 doors at play, and everything was so pretty, 'twas a joy 
 to see. 
 
 "This is where your father and mother live now,V said 
 the White Bear; "but don't forget what I told you, else 
 you'll make us both unlucky." 
 
 u No! bless her, she'd not forget ;" and when she had 
 reached the house, the White Bear turned right about 
 and left her. 
 
 Then, when she went in to see her father and mother, 
 there was such joy, there was no end to it. None of 
 them thought they could thank her enough for all she 
 had done for them. Now, they had everything they 
 wished, as good as good could be, and they all wanted 
 to know how she got on where she lived. 
 
 Well, she said, it was very good to live where she did ; 
 she had all she wished. What she said beside I don't 
 know, but I don't think any of them had the right end of 
 the stick, or that they got much out of hen But so, in 
 
the afternoon, after they had done dinner, all happened 
 as the White Bear had said. Her mother wanted to talk 
 with her alone in her bedroom; but she minded what 
 the White Bear had said, and wouldn't go upstairs. 
 
 "Oh ! what we have to talk about will keep !" she said, 
 and put her mother off. But, somehow or other, her 
 mother got round her at last, and she had to tell her the 
 whole story. So she said, how every night when she had 
 gone to bed a man came and lay down beside her as soon 
 as she had put out the light ; and how she never saw him, 
 because he was always up and away before the morning 
 dawned ; and how she went about woeful and sorrowing, 
 for she thought she should so like to see him ; and how 
 all day long she walked about there alone ; and how dull 
 and dreary and lonesome it was. 
 
 " My ! " said her mother ; " it may well be a Troll you 
 slept with! But now I'll teach you a lesson how to set 
 eyes on him. I'll give you a bit of candle, which you 
 can carry home in your bosom; just light that while he 
 is asleep, but take care not to drop the tallow on him." 
 
 Yes ! she took the candle and hid it in her bosom, 
 and as night drew on, die White Bear came and fetched 
 her away. 
 
But when they had gone a bit of the way, the White 
 Bear asked if all hadn't happened as he had said. 
 
 "Well, she couldn't say it hadn't." 
 
 "Now, mind," said he, "if you have listened to your 
 mother's advice, you have brought bad luck on us both, and 
 then, all that has passed between us will be as nothing." 
 
 "No," she said, "she hadn't listened to her mother's 
 advice." 
 
 So when she reached home, and had gone to bed, it 
 was the old story over again. There came a man and lay 
 down beside her ; but at dead of night, when she heard 
 he slept, she got up and struck a light, lit the candle, and 
 let the light shine on him, and so she saw that he was the 
 loveliest Prince one ever set eyes on, and she fell so deep 
 in love with him on the spot, that she thought she couldn't 
 live if she didn't give him a kiss there and then. And so 
 she did ; but as she kissed him, she dropped three hot 
 drops of tallow on his shirt, and he woke up. 
 
 "What have you done?" he cried; "now you have 
 made us both unlucky, for had you held out only this 
 one year, I had been freed. For I have a step-mother 
 who has bewitched me, so that I am a White Bear by 
 day, and a Man by night. But now all ties are snapt 
 
between us ; now I must set off from you to her. She 
 lives in a Castle which stands East of the Sun and West 
 of the Moon, and there, too, is a Princess, with a nose 
 three ells long, and she's the wife I must have now." 
 
 She wept and took it ill, but there was no help for it ; 
 go he must. 
 
 Then she asked if she mightn't go with him. 
 
 No, she mightn't. 
 
 "Tell me the way, then," she said, "and I'll search 
 you out ; that surely I may get leave to do." 
 
 "Yes," she might do that, he said; "but there was 
 no way to that place. It lay East of the Sun and West 
 of the Moon, and thither she'd never find her way." 
 
 So next morning, when she woke up, both Prince and 
 castle were gone, and then she lay on a little green patch, 
 in the midst of the gloomy thick wood, and by her side 
 lay the same bundle of rags she had brought with her from 
 her old home. 
 
 So when she had rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and 
 wept till she was tired, she set out on her way, and walked 
 many, many days, till she came to a lofty crag. Under it 
 sat an old hag, and played with a gold apple which sho 
 tossed about. Her the lassie asked if she knew the way 
 
 16 
 
"Tell me the way, then," she said, "and I'll search you out." Page 16 
 
to the Prince, who 
 lived with his 
 step-mother in the 
 Castle, that lay 
 East of the Sun 
 and West of the 
 Moon, and who 
 was to marry the 
 Princess with a 
 nose three ells 
 long. 
 
 "How did 
 you come to know 
 about him? "asked 
 the old hag ; " but maybe you are the lassie who ought to 
 have had him?" 
 
 Yes, she was. 
 
 "So, so; it's you, is it?" said the old hag. "Well, 
 all I know about him is, that he lives in the castle that 
 lies East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and thither 
 you'll come, late or never ; but still you may have the loan 
 of my horse, and on him you can ride to my next neigh 
 bour. Maybe she'll be able to tell you ; and when you 
 
get there, just give the horse a switch under the left ear, 
 and beg him to be off home ; and, stay, this gold apple 
 you may take with you." 
 
 So she got upon the horse, and rode a long, long time, 
 till she came to another crag, under which sat another old 
 hag, with a gold carding-comb. Her the lassie asked if 
 she knew the way to the castle that lay East of the Sun 
 and West of the Moon^ and she answered, like the first 
 old hag, that she knew nothing about it, except it was east 
 of the sun and west of the moon. 
 
 " And thither you'll come, late or never, but you shall 
 have the loan of my horse to my next neighbour ; maybe 
 shell tell you all about it ; and when you get there, j ust switch 
 the horse under the left ear, and beg him to be off home." 
 
 And this old hag gave her the golden carding-comb ; 
 it might be she'd find some use for it, she said. So the 
 lassie got up on the horse, and rode a far, far way, and a 
 weary time ; and so at last she came to another great crag, 
 under which sat another old hag, spinning with a golden 
 spinning-wheel. Her, too, she asked if she knew the way 
 to the Prince^ and where the castle was that lay East of 
 the Sun and West of the Moon. So it was the same thing 
 over again. 
 
"Maybe it's you who ought to have had the Prince?" 
 said the old hag. 
 
 Yes, it was. 
 
 But she, too, didn't know the way a bit better than the 
 other two. " East of the sun and west of the moon it 
 was," she knew that was all. 
 
 "And thither you'll come, kte or never; but I'll lend 
 you my horse, and then I think you'd best ride to the 
 East Wind and ask him ; maybe he knows those parts, and 
 can blow you thither. But when you get to him, you 
 need only give the horse a switch under the left ear, and 
 he '11 trot home of himself." 
 
 And so, too, she gave her the gold spinning-wheel. 
 "Maybe you'll find a use for it," said the old hag. 
 
 Then on she rode many many days, a weary time, 
 before she got to the East Wind's house, but at last she 
 did reach it, and then she asked the East Wind if he could 
 tell her the way to the Prince who dwelt east of the sun 
 and west of the moon. Yes, the East Wind had often 
 heard tell of it, the Prince and the castle, but he couldn't 
 tell the way, for he had never blown so far. 
 
 "But, if you will, I'll go with you to my brother the 
 West Wind, maybe he knows, for he's much stronger. 
 
 *9 
 
So, if you will just get on my back, I'll carry you thither." 
 
 Yes, she got on his back, and I should just think they 
 went briskly along. 
 
 So when they got there, they went into the West 
 Wind's house, and the East Wind said the lassie he had 
 brought was the one who ought to have had the Prince 
 who lived in the castle East of the Sun and West of the 
 Moon; and so she had set out to seek him, and how he 
 had come with her, and would be glad to know if the 
 West Wind knew how to get to the castle. 
 
 " Nay," said the West Wind, " so far I've never blown ; 
 but if you will, I '11 go with you to our brother the South 
 Wind, for he's much stronger than either of us, and he 
 has flapped his wings far and wide. Maybe he'll tell you. 
 You can get on my back, and I'll carry you to him." 
 
 Yes ! she got on his back, and so they travelled to the South 
 Wind, and weren't so very long on the way, I should think. 
 
 When they got there, the West Wind asked him if he 
 could tell her the way to the castle that lay East of the 
 Sun and West of the Moon, for it was she who ought to 
 have had the Prince who lived there. 
 
 "You don't say so! That's she, is it?" said the South 
 Wind. 
 
 20 
 
" Well, I have blustered about in most places in my time, 
 but so far have I never blown; but if you will, I'll take 
 you to my brother the North Wind ; he is the oldest and 
 strongest of the whole lot of us, and if he don't know 
 where it is, you'll never find any one in the world to tell 
 you. You can get on my back, and I'll carry you thither." 
 
 Yes ! she got on his back, and away he went from his 
 house at a fine rate. And this time, too, she wasn't long 
 on her way. 
 
 So when they got to the North Wind's house, he was 
 so wild and cross, cold puffs came from him a long way 
 off. 
 
 " BLAST YOU BOTH, WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he roared out 
 to them ever so far off, so that it struck them with an icy 
 shiver. 
 
 " Well," said the South Wind, " you needn't be so foul- 
 mouthed, for here I am, your brother, the South Wind, 
 and here is the lassie who ought to have had the Prince 
 who dwells in the castle that lies East of the Sun and 
 West of the Moon y and now she wants to ask you if you 
 ever were there, and can tell her the way, for she would 
 be so glad to find him again." 
 
 " YES, I KNOW WELL ENOUGH WHERE IT is," said the North 
 
 21 
 
Wind ; "once in my life I blew an aspen-leaf thither, but; 
 I was so tired I couldn't blow a puff for ever so many days, 
 after. But if you really wish to go thither, and aren't 
 afraid to come along with me, I'll take you on my back 
 and see if I can blow you thither." 
 
 Yes ! with all her heart ; she must and would get 
 thither if it were possible in any way; and as for fear,, 
 however madly he went, she wouldn't be at all afraid. 
 
 "Very well, then," said the North Wind, "but you 
 must sleep here to-night y for we must have the whole day 
 before us, if we're to get thither at all." 
 
 Early next morning the North Wind woke her, and 
 puffed himself up, and blew himself out, and made himself 
 so stout and big, 'twas gruesome to look at him ; and so 
 off they went high up through the air, as if they would 
 never stop till they got to the world's end. 
 
 Down here below there was such a storm; it threw 
 down long tracts of wood and many houses, and when it 
 swept over the great sea, ships foundered by hundreds. 
 
 So they tore on and on no one can believe how far 
 they went and all the while they still went over the sea, 
 and the North Wind got more and more weary, and so 
 out of breath he could scarce bring out a puff, and his 
 
wings drooped and drooped, till at last he sunk so low 
 that the crests of the waves dashed over his heels. 
 
 "Are you afraid?" said the North Wind. 
 
 "No!" she wasn't. 
 
 But they weren't very far from land ; and the North 
 Wind had still so much strength left in him that he 
 managed to throw her up on the shore under the windows 
 of the castle which lay East of the Sun and West of the Moon; 
 but then he was so weak and worn out, he had to stay 
 there and rest many days before he could get home again. 
 
 Next morning the lassie sat down under the castle 
 window, and began to play with the gold apple ; and the 
 first person she saw was the Long-nose who was to have 
 the Prince. 
 
 " What do you want for your gold apple, you lassie ? " 
 said the Long-nose, and threw up the window. 
 
 " It's not for sale, for gold or money," said the lassie. 
 
 " If it's not for sale for gold or money, what is it that 
 you will sell it for? You may name your own price," 
 said the Princess. 
 
 " Well ! if I may get to the Prince, who lives here, 
 and be with him to-night, you shall have it," said the lassie 
 whom the North Wind had brought. 
 
 23 
 
Yes ! she might ; that could be done. So the Princess 
 got the gold apple; but when the lassie came up to the 
 Prince's bed-room at night he was fast asleep ; she called 
 him and shook him, and between whiles she wept sore ; 
 but all she could do she couldn't wake him up. Next 
 morning, as soon as day broke, came the Princess with 
 the long nose, and drove her out again. 
 
 So in the daytime she sat down under the castle win 
 dows and began to card with her carding-comb, and the 
 same thing happened. The Princess asked what she 
 wanted for it ; and she said it wasn't for sale for gold or 
 money, but if she might get leave to go up to the Prince 
 and be with him that night, the Princess should have it. 
 But when she went up she found him fast asleep again, 
 and all she called, and all she shook, and wept, and 
 prayed, she couldn't get life into him ; and as soon as the 
 first gray peep of day came, then came the Princess with 
 the long nose, and chased her out again. 
 
 So, in the daytime, the lassie sat down outside under 
 the castle window, and began to spin with her golden 
 spinning-wheel, and that, too, the Princess with the long 
 nose wanted to have. So she threw up the window and 
 asked what she wanted for it. The lassie said, as she had 
 
 24 
 
And then she lay on a little green patch in the midst of the 
 gloomy thick wood. Page 16 
 
said twice before, it wasn't for sale for gold or money ; 
 but if she might go up to the Prince who was there, and 
 be with him alone that night, she might have it. 
 
 Yes ! she might do that and welcome. But now you 
 must know there were some Christian folk who had been 
 carried off thither, and as they sat in their room, which 
 was next the Prince, they had heard how a woman had 
 been in there, and wept and prayed, and called to him 
 two nights running, and they told that to the Prince. 
 
 That evening, when the Princess came with her sleepy 
 drink, the Prince made as if he drank, but threw it over 
 over his shoulder, for he could guess it was a sleepy drink. 
 So, when the lassie came in, she found the Prince wide 
 awake ; and then she told him the whole story how she 
 had come thither. 
 
 "Ah," said the Prince^ "you've just come in the very 
 nick of time, for to-morrow is to be our wedding-day ; 
 but now I won't have the Long-nose^ and you are the 
 only woman in the world who can set me free. I'll say 
 I want to see what my wife is fit for, and beg her to wash 
 the shirt which has the three spots of tallow on it ; she'll 
 say yes, for she doesn't know 'tis you who put them 
 there ; but that's a work only for Christian folk, and not 
 
" 
 " 
 
 for such a pack of Trolls, and so I'll say that I won't 
 have any other for my bride than the woman who can 
 wash them out, and ask you to do it." 
 
 So there was great joy and love between them all that 
 night. But next day, when the wedding was to be, the 
 Prince said : 
 
 "First of all, I'd like to see what my bride is fit for." 
 Yes ! " said the step-mother, with all her heart. 
 Well," said the Prince, " I've got a fine shirt which 
 I'd like for my wedding shirt, but somehow or other it 
 has got three spots of tallow on it, which I must have 
 washed out ; and I have sworn never to -take any other 
 bride than the woman who's able to do that. If she 
 can't, she's not worth having." 
 
 Well, that was no great thing they said, so they 
 agreed, and she with the long-nose began to wash away 
 as hard as she could, but the more she rubbed and 
 scrubbed, the bigger the spots grew. 
 
 u Ah ! " said the old hag, her mother, " you can't 
 wash ; let me try." 
 
 But she hadn't long taken the shirt in hand before it 
 got far worse than ever, and with all her rubbing, and 
 wringing, and scrubbing, the spots grew bigger and 
 
 26 
 
blacker, and the darker and uglier was the shirt. 
 
 Then all the other Trolls began to wash, but the longer 
 it lasted, the blacker and uglier the shirt grew, till at last 
 it was as black all over as if it had been up the chimney. 
 
 "Ah!" said the Prince, "you're none of you worth .a 
 straw ; you can't wash. Why there, outside, sits a beggar 
 lassie, I'll be bound she knows how to wash better than 
 the whole lot of you. COME IN, LASSIE ! " he shouted. 
 
 Well, in she came. 
 
 "Can you wash this shirt clean, lassie you?" said he. 
 
 "I don't know," she said, "but I think I can." 
 
 And almost before she had taken it and dipped it in 
 the water, it was as white as driven snow, and whiter still. 
 
 "Yes; you are the lassie for me," said the Prince. 
 
 At that the old hag flew into such a rage, she burst 
 on the spot, and the Princess with the long nose after 
 her, and the whole pack of Trolls after her at least I've 
 never heard a word about them since. 
 
 As for the Prince and Princess, they set free all the 
 poor Christian folk who had been carried off and shut up 
 there; and they took with them all the silver and gold, 
 and flitted away as far as they could from the Castle that 
 lay East of the Sun and West of the Moon. 
 
 27 
 
THE BLUE BELT 
 
 NCE on a time there was an old beggar-woman, 
 who had gone out to beg. She had a little lad 
 with her, and when she had got her bag full 
 she struck across the hills towards her own home. So 
 when they had gone a bit up the hill-side, they came upon 
 a little Blue Belt which lay where two paths met, and the 
 lad asked his mother's leave to pick it up. 
 
 "No," said she, " may be there's witchcraft in it;'* 
 and so with threats she forced him to follow her. But 
 when they had gone a bit further, the lad said he must 
 turn aside a moment out of the road ; and meanwhile his 
 mother sat down on a tree-stump. But the lad was a long 
 time gone, for as soon as he got so far into the wood that 
 the old dame could not see him, he ran off to where the 
 Belt lay, took it up, tied it round his waist, and lo! he 
 felt as strong as if he could lift the whole hill. When he 
 got back, the old dame was in a great rage, and wanted to 
 know what he had been doing all that while. " You don't 
 care how much time you waste, and yet you know the 
 night is drawing on, and we must cross the hill before it is 
 dark!" So on they tramped; but when they had got 
 
about half-way, the old dame grew weary, and said she 
 must rest under a bush. 
 
 "Dear mother," said the lad, "mayn't I just go up to 
 the top of this high crag while you rest, and try if I can't 
 see some sign of folk hereabouts ? " 
 
 Yes ! he might do that ; so when he had got to the top 
 he saw a light shining from the north. So he ran down 
 and told his mother. 
 
 " We must get on, mother ; we are near a house, for I 
 see a bright light shining quite close to us in the north." 
 Then she rose and shouldered her bag, and set off to see ; 
 but they hadn't gone far, before there stood a steep spur 
 of the hill, right across their path. 
 
 "Just as I thought! " said the old dame, " now we can't 
 go a step farther ; a pretty bed we shall have here ! " 
 
 But the lad took the bag under one arm, and his 
 mother under the other, and ran straight up the steep crag 
 with them. 
 
 "Now, don't you see? Don't you see that we are 
 close to a house ? Don't you see that bright light ? " 
 
 But the old dame said those were no Christian folk, 
 but Trolls^ for she was at home in all that forest far and 
 near, and knew there was not a living soul in it, until 
 
you were well over the ridge and had come down on the 
 other side. But they went on, and in a little while they 
 came to a great house which was all painted red. 
 
 "What's the good ? " said the old dame. " We daren't 
 go in, for here the Trolls live." 
 
 "Don't say so ; we must go in. There must be men 
 where the lights shine so," said the lad. So in he went, 
 and his mother after him, but he had scarce opened the 
 door before she swooned away, for there she saw a great 
 stout man, at least twenty feet high, sitting on the bench. 
 
 "Good evening, grandfather!" said the lad. 
 
 "Well, here I've sat three hundred years," said the 
 man who sat on the bench, "and no one has ever come 
 and called me grandfather before." Then the lad sat down 
 by the man's side, and began to talk to him as if they had 
 been old friends. 
 
 "But what's come over your mother?" said the man, 
 after they had chatted a while. "I think she swooned 
 away ; you had better look after her." 
 
 So the lad went and took hold of the old dame, and 
 dragged her up the hall along the floor. That brought 
 her to herself, and she kicked and scratched, and flung 
 herself about, and at last sat down upon a heap of firewood 
 
in the corner; but she was so frightened that she scarce 
 dared to look one in the face. 
 
 After a while, the lad asked if they could spend the 
 night there. 
 
 "Yes, to be sure," said the man. 
 
 So they went on talking again, but the lad soon got 
 hungry, and wanted to know if they could get food as 
 well as lodging. 
 
 "Of course," said the man, "that might be got too." 
 And after he had sat a while longer, he rose up and threw 
 six loads of dry pitch-pine on the fire. This made the 
 old hag still more afraid. 
 
 "Oh! now he's going to roast us alive," she said, in 
 the corner where she sat. 
 
 And when the wood had burned down to glowing 
 embers, up got the man and strode out of his house. 
 
 "Heaven bless and help us! what a stout heart you 
 have got!" said the old dame. "Don't you see we have 
 got amongst Trolls'?" 
 
 "Stuff and nonsense!" said the lad; ""no harm if we 
 have." 
 
 In a little while, back came the man with an ox so fat 
 and big, the lad had never seen its like, and he gave it 
 
flfcr%W 
 
 The North Wind goes over the sea. Page 22 
 
one blow with his fist under the ear, and down it fell dead 
 on the floor. When that, was done, he took it up by all 
 the four legs and laid it on the glowing embers, and turned 
 it and twisted it about till it was burnt brown outside. 
 After that, he went to a cupboard and took out a great 
 silver dish, and laid the ox on it; and the dish was so 
 big that none of the ox hung over on any side. This 
 he put oa the table, and then he went down into the 
 cellar and fetched a cask of wine, knocked out the head, 
 and put the cask on the table, together with two knives, 
 which were each six feet long. When this was done he 
 bade them go and sit down to supper and eat. So they 
 went, the lad first and the old dame after, but she began 
 to whimper and wail, and to wonder how she should ever 
 use such knives. But her son seized one, and began to 
 cut slices out of the thigh of the ox, which he placed 
 before his mother. And when they had eaten a bit, he 
 took up the cask with both hands, and lifted it down to 
 the floor; then he told his mother to come and drink, 
 but it was still so high she couldn't reach up to it ; so 
 he caught her up, and held her up to the edge of the cask 
 while she drank ; as for himself, he clambered up and 
 hung down like a cat inside the cask while he drank. So 
 
 33 
 
when he had quenched his thirst, he took up the cask and 
 put it back on the table, and thanked the man for the, 
 good meal, and told his mother to come and thank him 
 too, and, a-feared though she was, she dared do nothing 
 else but thank the man. Then the lad sat down again 
 alongside the man and began to gossip, and after they had 
 sat a while the man said : 
 
 "Well ! I must just go and get a bit of supper too;"' 
 and so he went to the table and ate up the whole ox .- 
 hoofs, and horns, and all and drained the cask to the 
 last drop, and then went back and sat on the bench. 
 
 "As for beds," he said, "I don't know what's to be 
 done. I've only got one bed and a cradle ; but we could 
 get on pretty well if you would sleep in the cradle, and 
 then your mother might lie in the bed yonder." 
 
 "Thank you kindly, that'll do nicely," said the lad; 
 and with that he pulled off his clothes and lay down in 
 the cradle; but, to tell you the truth, it was quite as big 
 as a four-poster. As for the old dame, she had to follow 
 the man who showed her to bed, though she was out of 
 her wits for fear. 
 
 "Well!" thought the lad to himself, "'twill never do 
 to go to sleep yet. I'd best lie awake and listen how 
 
 34 
 
things go as the night wears on." 
 
 So, after a while, the man began to talk to the old 
 dame, and at last he said : 
 
 "We two might live here so happily together, could 
 we only be rid of this son of yours." 
 
 " But do you know how to settle him ? Is that what 
 you're thinking of?" said she. 
 
 " Nothing easier," .said he; at any rate he would try. 
 He would just say he wished the old dame would stay 
 and keep house for him a day or two, and then he would 
 take the lad out with him up the hill to quarry corner 
 stones, and roll down a great rock on him. All this the 
 lad lay and listened to. 
 
 Next day the Troll for it was a Troll as clear as 
 day asked if the old dame would stay and keep house 
 for him a few days; and as the day went on he took a 
 great iron crowbar, and asked the lad if he had a mind 
 to go with him up the hill and quarry a few corner-stones. 
 With all his heart, he said, and went with him; and so, 
 after they had split a few stones, the Troll wanted him 
 to go down below and look after cracks in the rock; 
 and while he was doing this the Troll worked away, and 
 wearied himself with his crowbar till he moved a whole 
 
 35 
 
crag out of its bed, which came rolling right down on the 
 place where the lad was; but he held it up till he could 
 get on one side, and then let it roll on. 
 
 "Oh !" said the lad to the 7>0//, "now I see what you 
 mean to do with me. You want to crush me to death ; 
 so just go down yourself and look after the cracks and 
 refts in the rock, and I'll stand up above." 
 
 The Troll did not dare to do otherwise than the lad 
 bade him, and the end of it was that the lad rolled down 
 a great rock, which fell upon the Troll and broke one of 
 his thighs. 
 
 " Well ! you are in a sad plight," said the lad, as he 
 strode down, lifted up the rock, 'and set the man free. 
 After that he had to put him on his back and carry him 
 home ; so he ran with him as fast as a horse, and shook 
 him so that the Troll screamed and screeched as if a knife 
 were run into him. And when he got home, they had to 
 put the Troll to bed, and there he lay in a sad pickle. 
 
 When the night wore on, the Troll began to talk to 
 the old dame again, and to wonder how ever they could 
 be rid of the lad. 
 
 "Well," said the old dame, "if you can't hit on a 
 plan to get rid of him, I'm sure I can't." 
 
 36 
 
:< Let me see," said the Troll; " I've got twelve lions 
 in a garden .; if they could only get hold of the lad, they'd 
 soon tear him to pieces." 
 
 So the old dame said it would be easy enough to get 
 him there. She would sham sick, and say she felt so poorly, 
 nothing would do her any good but lion's milk. All that 
 the lad lay and listened to; and when he got up in the 
 morning his mother said she was worse than she looked, 
 and she thought she should never be right again unless she 
 could get some lion's milk. 
 
 "Then I'm afraid you'll be poorly a long time, mother," 
 said the lad, u for I'm sure I don't know where any is to 
 be got." 
 
 "Oh ! if that be all," said the Troll, "there's no lack 
 of lion's milk, if we only had the man to fetch it;" and 
 then he went on to say how his brother had a garden with 
 twelve lions in it, and how the lad might have the key if he 
 had a mind to milk the lions. So the lad took the key and 
 a milking pail, and strode off; and when he unlocked the 
 gate and got into the garden, there stood all the twelve 
 lions on their hind-paws, rampant and roaring at him. But 
 the lad laid hold of the biggest, and led him about by the 
 fore-paws, and dashed him against stocks and stones till 
 
 37 
 
there wasn't a bit of him left but the two paws. So when 
 the rest saw that, they were so afraid that they crept up and 
 lay at his feet like so many curs. After that they followed 
 him about wherever he went, and when he got home, they 
 lay down outside the house, with their fore-paws on the 
 door sill. 
 
 "Now, mother, you'll soon be well," said the lad, when 
 he went in, "for here is the lion's milk." 
 
 He had just milked a drop in the pail. 
 
 But the Troll, as he lay in bed, swore it was all a 
 lie. He was sure the lad was not the man to milk lions. 
 
 When the lad heard that, he forced the Troll to get 
 out of bed, threw open the door, and all the lions rose 
 up and seized the Troll^ and at last the lad had to make 
 them leave their hold. 
 
 That night the Troll began to talk to the old dame 
 again. "I'm sure I can't tell how to put this lad out of 
 the way he is so awfully strong; can't you think of 
 some way?" 
 
 "No," said the old dame, "if you can't tell, I'm sure 
 I can't." 
 
 "Well!" said the 2>0//, "I have two brothers in a 
 castle; they are twelve times as strong as I am, and that's 
 
why I was turned out and had to put up with this farm. 
 They hold that castle, and round it there is an orchard 
 with apples in it, and whoever eats those apples sleeps 
 for three days and three nights. If we could only get 
 the lad to go for the fruit, he wouldn't be able to keep 
 from tasting the apples, and as soon as ever he fell asleep 
 my brothers would tear him in pieces." 
 
 The old dame said she would sham sick, and say she 
 could never be herself again unless she tasted those apples ; 
 for she had set her heart on them. 
 
 All this the lad lay and listened to. 
 
 When the morning came the old dame was so poorly 
 that she couldn't utter a word but groans and sighs. She 
 was sure she -should never be well again, unless she had 
 some of those apples that grew in the orchard near the 
 castle where the man's brothers lived; only she had no 
 one to send for them. 
 
 Oh ! the lad was ready to go that instant ; but the 
 eleven lions went with him. So when he came to the 
 orchard, he climbed up into the apple tree and ate as 
 many apples as he could, and he had scarce got down 
 before he fell into a deep sleep ; but the lions all lay 
 round him in a ring. The third day came the 
 
 39 
 
brothers, but they did not come in man's shape. They 
 came snorting like man-eating steeds, and wondered who 
 it was that dared to be there, and said they would tear 
 him to pieces, so small that there should not be a bit 
 of him left. But up rose the lions and tore the Trolls 
 into small pieces, so that the place looked as if a dung 
 heap had been tossed about it ; and when they had 
 finished the Trolls they lay down again. The lad did 
 not wake till late in the afternoon, and when he got on 
 his knees and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he began 
 to wonder what had been going on, when he saw the 
 marks of hoofs. But when he went towards the castle, 
 a maiden looked out of a window who had seen all that 
 had happened, and she -said: 
 
 "You may thank your stars you weren't in that 
 tussle, else you must have lost your life." 
 
 "What! I lose my life! No iear of that, I think," 
 said the lad. 
 
 So she begged him to come in, that she might talk 
 with him, for she hadn't seen a Christian soul ever since 
 she came there. But when she opened the door the 
 lions wanted to go in too, but she got so frightened that 
 she began to scream, and so the lad let them lie outside. 
 
And flitted array as far as they could from the Castle that lay East 
 of the Sun and IVcst of the Moon. Page 27 
 
Then the two talked and talked, and the lad asked how 
 it came that she, who was so lovely, could put up with those 
 ugly Trolls. She never wished it, she said ; 'twas quite 
 against her will. They had seized her by force, and she 
 was the King of Arabia's daughter. So they talked on, and 
 at last she asked him what he would do ; whether she 
 should go back home, or whether he would have her to 
 wife. Of course he would have her, and she shouldn't go 
 home. 
 
 After that they went round the castle, and at last they 
 came to a great hall, where the Trolls' two great swords 
 hung high up on the wall. 
 
 " I wonder if you are man enough to wield one of 
 these," said the Princess^ 
 
 "Who? I?" said the lad. "T would be a pretty 
 thing if I couldn't wield one of these." 
 
 With that he put two or three chairs one a-top of the 
 other, jumped up, and touched the biggest sword with his 
 finger tips, tossed it up in the air, and caught it again by 
 the hilt ; leapt down, and at the same time dealt such a 
 blow with it on the floor that the whole hall shook. After 
 he had thus got down, he thrust the sword under his arm 
 and carried it about with him. 
 
 41 
 
So, when they had lived a little while in the castle, the 
 Princess thought she ought to go home to her parents, and 
 let them know what had become of her ; so they loaded a 
 ship, and she set sail from the castle. 
 
 After she had gone, and the lad had wandered about a 
 little, he called to mind that he had been sent out on an 
 errand thither, and had come to fetch something for his 
 mother's health ; and though he said to himself, " After all 
 the old dame was not so bad but she's all right by this, 
 time " still he thought he ought to go and just see how 
 she was. So he went and found both the man and his 
 mother quite fresh and hearty. 
 
 " What wretches you are to live in this beggarly hut," 
 said the lad. " Come with me up to my castle, and you 
 shall see what a fine fellow I am." 
 
 Well ! they were both ready to go, and on the way his 
 mother talked to him, and asked how it was he had got 
 so strong. 
 
 " If you must know it came of that blue belt which lay 
 on the hill-side that time when you and I were out beg 
 ging," said the lad. 
 
 " Have you got it still ? " asked she. 
 
 " Yes " he had. It was tied round his waist. 
 
" Might she see it ? " 
 
 "Yes" she might; and with that he pulled open his 
 waistcoat and shirt to show it her. 
 
 Then she seized it with both hands, tore it off, and 
 twisted it round her fist. 
 
 " Now," she cried, " what shall I do with such a wretch 
 as you ? I'll just give you one blow, and dash your brains 
 out!" 
 
 " Far too good a death for such a scamp," said the 
 Troll. "No! let's first burn out his eyes, and then turn 
 him adrift in a little boat." 
 
 So they burned out his eyes and turned him adrift, in 
 spite of his prayers and tears ; but, as the boat drifted, the 
 lions swam after, and at last they laid hold of it and dragged 
 it ashore on an island, and placed the lad under a fir tree. 
 They caught game for him, and they plucked the birds and 
 made him a bed of down ; but he was forced to eat his meat 
 raw and he was blind. At last, one day the biggest lion was 
 chasing a hare which was blind, for it ran straight over stock 
 and stone, and the end was, it ran right up against a fir- 
 stump and tumbled head over heels across the field right 
 into a spring ; but lo ! when it came out of the spring it saw 
 its way quite plain, and so saved its life. 
 
 43 
 
" So, so ! " thought the lion, and went and dragged the 
 lad to the spring, and dipped him over head and ears in it. 
 So, when he had got his sight again, he went down to the 
 shore and made signs to the lions that they should all lie 
 close together like a raft ; then he stood upon their backs 
 while they swam with him to the mainland. When he had 
 reached the shore he went up into a birchen copse, and 
 made the lions lie quiet. Then he stole up to the castle, 
 like a thief, to see if he couldn't lay hands on his belt ; and 
 when he got to the door, he peeped through the keyhole, 
 and there he saw his belt hanging up over a door in the kit 
 chen. So he crept softly in across the floor, for there was 
 no one there ; but as soon as he had got hold of the belt, he 
 began to kick and stamp about as though he were mad. Just 
 then his mother came rushing out : 
 
 " Dear heart, my darling little boy ! do give me the belt 
 again," she said. 
 
 "Thank you kindly," said he. "Now you shall have 
 the doom you passed on me," and he fulfillecl it on the spot. 
 When the old Troll heard that, he came in and begged and 
 prayed so prettily that he might not be smitten to death. 
 
 "Well, you may live," said the lad, "but you shall 
 undergo the same punishment you gave me ; " and so he 
 
 44 
 
burned out the Troll's eyes, and turned him adrift on the 
 sea in a little boat, but he had no lions to follow him. 
 
 Now the lad was all alone, and he went about longing 
 and longing for the Princess ; at last he could bear it no 
 longer ; he must set out to seek her, his heart was so bent on 
 having her. So he loaded four ships and set sail for Arabia. 
 
 For some time they had fair wind and fine weather, but 
 after that they lay wind-bound under a rocky island. So 
 the sailors went ashore and strolled about to spend the time, 
 and there they found a huge egg, almost as big as a little 
 house. So they began to knock it about with large stones, 
 but, after all, they couldn't crack the shell. Then the lad 
 came up with his sword to see what all the noise was about, 
 and when he saw the egg, he thought it a trifle to crack it ; 
 so he gave it one blow and the egg split, and out came a 
 chicken as big as an elephant. 
 
 " Now we have done wrong," said the lad ; " this can 
 cost us all our lives ; " and then he asked his sailors if they 
 were men enough to sail to Arabia in four-and-twenty 
 hours if they got a fine breeze. Yes ! they were good to 
 do that, they said, so they set sail with a fine breeze, and 
 got to Arabia in three-and- twenty hours. As soon as 
 they landed, the lad ordered all the sailors to go and bury 
 
 45 
 
themselves up to the eyes in a sandhill, so that they could 
 barely see the ships. The lad and the captains climbed 
 a high crag and sate down under a fir. 
 
 In a little while came a great bird flying with an island 
 in its claws, and let it fall down on the fleet, and sunk every 
 ship. After it had done that, it flew up to the sandhill and 
 flapped its wings, so that the wind nearly took off the heads 
 of the sailors, and it flew past the fir with such force that it 
 turned the lad right about, but he was ready with his sword, 
 and gave the bird one blow and brought it down dead. 
 
 After that he went to the town, where every one was 
 glad because the King had got his daughter back ; but now 
 the King had hidden her away somewhere himself, and 
 promised her hand as a reward to any one who could find 
 her, and this though she was betrothed before. Now as 
 the lad went along he met a man who had white bear-skins 
 for sale, so he bought one of the hides and put it on ; and 
 one of the captains was to take an iron chain and lead him 
 about, and so he went into the town and began to play 
 pranks. At last the news came to the Kings ears, that 
 there never had been such fun in the town before, for here 
 was a white bear that danced and cut capers just as it was 
 bid. So a messenger came to say the bear must come to 
 
 46 
 
the castle at once, for the King wanted to see its tricks. So 
 when it got to the castle every one was afraid, for such a 
 beast they had never seen before ; but the captain said there 
 was no danger unless they laughed at it. They mustn't 
 do that, else it would tear them to pieces. When the 
 King heard that, he warned all the court not to laugh. 
 But while the fun was going on, in came one of the King's 
 maids, and began to laugh and make game of the bear,. and 
 the bear flew at her and tore her, so that there was scarce a 
 rag of her left. Then all the court began to bewail, and 
 the captain most of all. 
 
 "Stuff and nonsense," said the King\ "she's only a 
 maid, besides it's more my affair than yours." 
 
 When the show was over, it was late at night. " It's 
 no good your going away, when it's so late," said the King. 
 "The bear had best sleep here." 
 
 "Perhaps it might sleep in the ingle by the kitchen 
 fire," said the captain. 
 
 "Nay," said the King, "it shall sleep up here, and it 
 shall have pillows and cushions to sleep on." So a whole 
 heap of pillows and cushions was brought, and the captain 
 had a bed in a side room. 
 
 But at midnight the King came with a lamp in his hand 
 
 47 
 
and a big bunch of 
 keys, and carried 
 off the white bear. 
 He passed along 
 gallery after gal 
 lery through 
 doors and rooms, 
 up-stairs and 
 down-stairs, till at 
 last he came to a 
 pier which ran out 
 into the sea. Then 
 the King began to 
 pull and haul at 
 posts and pins, this one up and that one down, till at last 
 a little house floated up to the water's edge. There he 
 kept his daughter, for she was so dear to him that he had 
 hid her, so that no one could find her out. He left the 
 white bear outside while he went in and told her how it had 
 danced and played its pranks. She said she was afraid, and 
 dared not look at it ; but he talked her over, saying there 
 was no danger if she only wouldn't laugh. So they brought 
 the bear in, and locked the door, and it danced and played 
 
 48 
 
The Lad in the Bear's skin, and the King of Arabia's daughter. Page 49 
 
its tricks ; but just when the fun was at its height, the 
 Princess s maid began to laugh. Then the lad flew at her 
 and tore her to bits, and the Princess began to cry and sob. 
 
 "Stuff and nonsense," cried the King\ "all this fuss 
 about a maid ! Fll get you just as good a one again. But 
 now I think the bear had best stay here till morning, for 
 I don't care to have to go and lead it along all those 
 galleries and stairs at this time of night." 
 
 "Well!" said the Princess^ "if it sleeps here, I'm 
 sure I won't." 
 
 But just then the bear curled himself up and lay 
 down by the stove ; and it was settled at last that the 
 Princess should sleep there too, with a light burning. 
 But as soon as the King had well gone, the white bear 
 came and begged her to undo his collar. The Princess 
 was so scared she almost swooned away ; but she felt 
 about till she found the collar, and she had scarce undone 
 it before the bear pulled his head off. Then she knew 
 him again, and was so glad there was no end to her joy, 
 and she wanted to tell her father at once that her deliverer 
 was come. But the lad would not hear of it ; he would 
 earn her once more, he said. So in the morning when 
 they heard the King rattling at the posts outside, the 
 
 49 
 
lad drew on the hide and lay down by the stove. 
 " Well, has it lain still ? " the king asked. 
 " I should think so," said the Princess ; "it hasn't so 
 much as turned or stretched itself once." 
 
 When they got up to the castle again, the captain took 
 the bear and led it away, and then the lad threw off the 
 hide, and went to a tailor and ordered clothes fit for a 
 prince ; and when they were fitted on he went to the King, 
 and said he wanted to find the Princess. 
 
 "You're not 
 the first who has 
 wished the same 
 thing," said the 
 King, "but they 
 have all lost their 
 lives ; for if any 
 one who tries can't 
 find her in four- 
 and-twenty hours 
 his life is forfeited." 
 Yes ; the lad 
 knew all that. Still 
 he wished to try, 
 
and if he couldn't find her, 'twas his look-out. Now in the 
 castle there was a band that played sweet tunes, and there 
 were fair maids to dance with, and so the lad danced away. 
 
 When twelve hours were gone, the King said : 
 
 " I pity you with all my heart. You're so poor a hand 
 at seeking ; you will surely lose your life." 
 
 " Stuff! " said the lad ; " while there's life there's hope! 
 So long as there's breath in the body there's no fear ; we 
 have lots of time ! " and so he went on dancing till there was 
 only one hour left. 
 
 Then he said he would begin to search. 
 
 " It's no use now," said the King; " time's up." 
 
 " Light your lamp ; out with your big bunch of keys," 
 said the lad, "and follow me whither I wish to go. There 
 is still a whole hour left." 
 
 So the lad went the same way which the King had led 
 him the night before, and he bade the King unlock door 
 after door till they came down to the pier which ran out 
 into the sea. 
 
 "It's all no use, I tell you," said the King-, "time's 
 up, and this will only lead you right out into the sea." 
 
 " Still five minutes more," said the lad, as he pulled 
 and pushed at the posts and pins, and the house floated up. 
 
"Now the time is up," bawled the King; u come 
 hither, headsman, and take off his head." 
 
 " Nay, nay ! " said the lad ; " stop a bit, there are still 
 three minutes ! Out with the key, and let me get into this 
 house." 
 
 But there stood the King and fumbled with his keys, to 
 draw out the time. At last he said he hadn't any key. 
 
 " Well, if you haven't, I have" said the lad, as he gave 
 the door such a kick that it flew to splinters inwards on the 
 floor. 
 
 At the door the Princess met him, and told her father 
 this was her deliverer, on whom her heart was set. So she 
 had him ; and this was how the beggar boy came to marry 
 the daughter of the King of Arabia. 
 
JNCE upon a time, there was a fine young King 
 who was married to the loveliest of Queens. 
 They were exceedingly happy, all but for one 
 thing they had no children. And this often made them 
 both sad, because the Queen wanted a dear little child to 
 play with, and the King wanted an heir to the kingdom. 
 
 One day the Queen went out for a walk by herself, 
 and she met an ugly old woman. The old woman was 
 just like a witch : but she was a nice kind of witch, not 
 the cantankerous sort. She said, " Why do you look so 
 doleful, pretty lady?" "It's no use my telling you," 
 answered the Queen^ " nobody in the world can help me.'* 
 "Oh, you never know," said the old woman, "Just you 
 let me hear what your trouble is, and maybe I can put 
 things right." 
 
 "My dear woman, how can you?" said the Queen : 
 and she told her, "The King and I have no children: 
 that's why I am so distressed." "Well, you needn't be," 
 said the old witch. " I can set that right in a twinkling, 
 if only you will do exactly as I tell you. Listen. To 
 night, at sunset, take a little drinking-cup with two ears " 
 
 53 
 
(that is, handles), "and put it bottom upwards on the 
 ground in the north-west corner of your garden. Then 
 go and lift it up to-morrow morning at sunrise, and you 
 will find two roses underneath it, one red and one white. 
 If you eat the red rose, a little boy will be born to you : 
 if you eat the white rose, a little girl will be sent. But, 
 whatever you do, you mustn't eat both the roses, or 
 you'll be sorry, that I warn you ! Only one : remember 
 that!" "Thank you a thousand times," said the Queen y 
 
 "this is good news 
 indeed!" And she 
 wanted to give the 
 old woman her 
 gold ring ; but 
 the old woman 
 wouldn't take it. 
 
 So the Queen 
 went home and did 
 as she had been 
 told : and next 
 morning at sunrise 
 she stole out into 
 the garden and 
 
lifted up the little drinking-cup. She was surprised, for 
 indeed she had hardly expected to see anything. But 
 there were the two roses underneath it, one red and one 
 white. And now she was dreadfully puzzled, for she did 
 not know which to choose. " If I choose the red one," 
 she thought, "and I have a little boy, he may grow up 
 and go to the wars and get killed. But if I choose the 
 white one, and have a little girl, she will stay at home 
 awhile with us, but later on she will get married and go 
 away and leave us. So, whichever it is, we may be left 
 with no child after all." 
 
 However, at last she decided on the white rose, and 
 she ate it. And it tasted so sweet, that she took and ate 
 the red one too : without ever remembering the old 
 woman's solemn warning. 
 
 Some time after this, the King went away to the wars : 
 and while he was still away, the Queen became the mother 
 of twins. One was a lovely baby-boy, and the other was 
 a Ltrtdwormy or Serpent. She was terribly frightened 
 when she saw the Lindworm^ but he wriggled away out 
 of the room, and nobody seemed to have seen him but 
 herself: so that she thought it must have been a dream. 
 The baby Prince was so beautiful and so healthy, the 
 
 55 
 
Queen was full of joy : and likewise, as you may suppose, 
 was the King when he came home and found his son and 
 heir. Not a word was said by anyone about the Lind- 
 worm : only the Queen thought about it now and then. 
 
 Many days and years passed by, and the baby grew up 
 into a handsome young Prince, and it was time that he 
 got married. The King sent him off to visit foreign 
 kingdoms, in the Royal coach, with six white horses, to 
 look for a Princess grand enough to be his wife. But 
 at the very first cross-roads, the way was stopped by an 
 enormous Lindworm, enough to frighten the bravest. He 
 lay in the middle of the road with a great wide open 
 mouth, and cried, "A bride for me before a bride for 
 you ! " Then the Prince made the coach turn round and 
 try another road : but it was all no use. For, at the 
 first cross- ways, there lay the Lindworm again, crying 
 out, " A bride for me before a bride for you ! " So the 
 Prince had to turn back home again to the Castle, and 
 give up his visits to the foreign kingdoms. And his 
 mother, the Queen, had to confess that what the Lindworm 
 said was true. For he was really the eldest of her twins : 
 and so he ought to have a wedding first. 
 
 There seemed nothing for it but to find a bride for the 
 
She saw the Lindworm for the first time as he came in and 
 stood by her side. Page 61 
 
Lindworm, if his younger brother, the Prince, were to be 
 married at all. So the King wrote to a distant country, 
 and asked for a Princess to marry his son (but, of course, 
 he didn't say which son), and presently a Princess arrived. 
 But she wasn't allowed to see her bridegroom until he 
 stood by her side in the great hall and was married to 
 her, and then, of coursej it was too late for her to say she 
 wouldn't have him. But next morning the Princess had 
 disappeared. The Lindworm lay sleeping all alone : and 
 it was quite plain that he had eaten her. 
 
 A little while after, the Prince decided that he might 
 now go journeying again in search of a Princess. And 
 off he drove in the Royal chariot with the six white 
 horses. But at the first cross- ways, there lay the Lind 
 worm, crying with his great wide open mouth, "A bride 
 for me before a bride for you ! " So the carriage tried 
 another road, and the same thing happened, and they had 
 to turn back again this time, just as formerly. And the 
 King wrote to several foreign countries, to know if anyone 
 would marry his son. At last another Princess arrived, 
 this time from a very far distant land. And, of course, 
 she was not allowed to see her future husband before the 
 wedding took place, and then, lo and behold ! it was 
 
 57 
 
the Lindworm who stood at her side. And next morning 
 the Princess had disappeared : and the Lindworm lay 
 sleeping all alone; and it was quite clear that he had 
 eaten her. 
 
 By and by the Prince started on his quest for the third 
 time : and at the first cross-roads there lay the Line/worm 
 with his great wide open mouth, demanding a bride as 
 before. And the Prince went straight back to the castle, 
 and told the King: "You must find another bride for 
 my elder brother." 
 
 " I don't know where I am to find her," said the King, 
 " I have already made enemies of two great Kings who 
 sent their daughters here as brides : and I have no notion 
 how I can obtain a third lady. People are beginning to 
 say strange things, and I am sure no Princess will dare to 
 come." 
 
 Now, down in a little cottage near a wood, there lived 
 the Kings shepherd, an old man with his only daughter. 
 And the King came one day and said to him, " Will you 
 give me your daughter to marry my son the Lindworm f 
 And I will make you rich for the rest of your life." 
 "No, sire," said the shepherd, "that I cannot do. She 
 is my only child, and I want her to take care of me when 
 
I am old. Besides, if the Lindworm would not spare two 
 beautiful Princesses, he won't spare her either. He will 
 just gobble her up : and she is much too good for such 
 a fate/' 
 
 But the King wouldn't take " No" for an answer : and 
 at last the old man had to give in. 
 
 Well, when the old shepherd told his daughter that 
 she was to be Prince Lindworrns bride, she was utterly 
 in despair. She went out into the woods, crying and 
 wringing her hands and bewailing her hard fate. And 
 while she wandered to and fro, an old witch-woman 
 suddenly appeared out of a big hollow oak-tree, and 
 asked her, "Why do you look so doleful, pretty lass?" 
 The shepherd-girl said, " It's no use my telling you, for 
 nobody in the world can help me." "Oh, you never 
 know," said the old woman. "Just you let me hear what 
 your trouble is, and maybe I can put things right." 
 "Ah, how can you?" said the girl, "For I am to be 
 married to the Kings eldest son, who is a Lindworm. 
 He has already married two beautiful Princesses, and 
 devoured them : and he will eat me too ! No wonder I 
 am distressed." 
 
 "Well, you needn't be," said the witchwoman. "All 
 
 59 
 
that can be set right in a twinkling : if only you will do 
 exactly as I tell you.'* So the girl said she would. 
 
 "Listen, then," said the old woman. "After the 
 marriage ceremony is over, and when it is time for you to 
 retire to rest, you must ask to be dressed in ten snow-white 
 shifts. And you must then ask for a tub full of lye," 
 (that is, washing water prepared with wood-ashes) "and 
 a tub full of fresh milk, and as many whips as a boy can 
 carry in his arms, and have all these brought into your 
 bed-chamber. Then, when the Lindworm tells you to 
 shed a shift, do you bid him slough a skin. And when 
 all his skins are off, you must dip the whips in the lye 
 and whip him ; next, you must wash him in the fresh 
 milk; and, lastly, you must take him and hold him in 
 your arms, if it's only for one moment." 
 
 " The last is the worst notion ugh!" said the shep 
 herd's daughter, and she shuddered at the thought of 
 holding the cold, slimy, scaly Lindworm. 
 
 "Do just as I have said, and all will go well," said 
 the old woman. Then she disappeared again in the oak- 
 tree. 
 
 When the wedding-day arrived, the girl was fetched 
 in the Royal chariot with the six white horses, and taken 
 
 60 
 
to the castle to be decked as a bride. And she asked 
 for ten snow-white shifts to be brought her, and the tub 
 of lye, and the tub of milk, and as many whips as a boy 
 could carry in his arms. The ladies and courtiers in the 
 castle thought, of course, that this was some bit of peasant 
 superstition, all rubbish and nonsense. But the King 
 said, "Let her have whatever she asks for.'* She was 
 then arrayed in the most wonderful robes, and looked 
 the loveliest of brides. She was led to the hall where 
 the wedding ceremony was to take place, and she saw 
 the Lindworm for the first time as he came in and stood 
 by her side. So they were married, and a great wedding- 
 feast was held, a banquet fit for the son of a king. 
 
 When the feast was over, the bridegroom and bride 
 were conducted to their apartment, with music, and 
 torches, and a great procession. As soon as the door 
 was shut, the Lindworm turned to her and said, u Fair 
 maiden, shed a shift!" The shepherd's daughter 
 answered him, "Prince Lindivorm, slough a skin!" 
 "No one has ever dared tell me to do that before!" said 
 he. "But I command you to do it now!" said she. 
 Then he began to moan and wriggle: and in a few 
 minutes a long snake-skin lay upon the floor beside him. 
 
 61 
 
The girl drew off her first shift, and spread it on top of 
 the skin. 
 
 The Lindworm said again to her, " Fair maiden, shed 
 a shift." 
 
 The shepherd's daughter answered him, "Prince 
 Lindworm^ slough a skin." 
 
 "No one has ever dared tell me to do that before," 
 said he. "But I command you to do it now," said she. 
 Then with groans and moans he x cast off the second skin : 
 and she covered it with her second shift. The Lindworm 
 said for the third time, " Fair maiden, shed a shift." The 
 shepherd's daughter answered him again, "Prince Lind- 
 worm, slough a skin." "No one has ever dared tell me 
 to do that before," said he, and his little eyes rolled 
 furiously. But the girl was not afraid, and once more 
 she commanded him to do as she bade. 
 
 And so this went on until nine Lindworm skins were 
 lying on the floor, each of them covered with a snow- 
 white shift. And there was nothing left of the Lindworm 
 but a huge thick mass, most horrible to see. Then the 
 girl seized the whips, dipped them in the lye, and 
 whipped him as hard as ever she could. Next, she 
 bathed him all over in the fresh milk. Lastly, she dragged 
 
 62 
 
him on to the bed and put her arms round him. And 
 she fell fast asleep that very moment. 
 
 Next morning very early, the King and the courtiers 
 came and peeped in through the keyhole. They wanted 
 to know what had become of the girl, but none of them 
 dared enter the room. However, in the end, growing 
 bolder, they opened the door a tiny bit. And there they 
 saw the girl, all fresh and rosy, and beside her lay no 
 Lindworm^ but the handsomest prince that any one could 
 wish to see. 
 
 The King ran out and fetched the Queen : and after 
 that, there were such rejoicings in the castle as never 
 were known before or since. The wedding took place 
 alt over again, much finer than the first, with festivals 
 and banquets and merrymakings for days and weeks. No 
 bride was ever so beloved by a King and Queen as this 
 peasant maid from the shepherd's cottage. There was 
 no end to their love and their kindness towards her : 
 because, by her sense and her calmness and her courage, 
 she had saved their son, Prince Lindworm. 
 
She could not help setting the door a little ajar, just to peep in 
 when Po^! out flew the Moon. Page 67 
 
THE LASSIE AND 
 HER GODMOTHER 
 
 NCE on a time a poor couple lived far, far away 
 in a great wood. The wife was brought to bed, 
 and had a pretty girl, but they were so poor they 
 
 did not know how to get the babe christened, for they had 
 
 no money to pay the parson's fees. So one day the father 
 
 went out to see if he could find any one who was willing 
 
 to stand for the 
 
 child and pay the 
 
 fees ; but though 
 
 he walked about 
 
 the whole day from 
 
 one house to an 
 other, and though 
 
 all said they were 
 
 willing enough to 
 
 stand, no one 
 
 thought himself 
 
 bound to pay the 
 
 fees. Now, when 
 
 he was going home 
 
again, a lovely lady met him, dressed so fine, and she 
 looked so thoroughly good and kind ; she offered to get 
 the babe christened, but after that, she said, she must keep 
 it for her own. The husband answered, he must first ask 
 his wife what she wished to do ; but when he got home 
 and told his story, the wife said, right out, "No!" 
 
 Next day the man went out again, but no one would 
 stand if they had to pay the fees ; and though he begged 
 and prayed, he could get no help. And again as he went 
 home, towards evening the same lovely lady met him, 
 who looked so sweet and good, and she made him the 
 same offer. So he told his wife again how he had fared, 
 and this time she said, if he couldn't get any one to stand 
 for his babe next day, they must just let the lady have her 
 way, since she seemed so kind and good. 
 
 The third day, the man went about, but he couldn't 
 get any one to stand; and so when, towards evening, 
 he met the kind lady again, he gave his word she should 
 have the babe if she would only get it christened at the 
 font. So next morning she came to the place where the 
 man lived, followed by two men to stand godfathers, took 
 the babe and carried it to church, and there it was 
 christened. After that she took it to her own house, and 
 
 66 
 
there the little girl lived with her several years, and her 
 Foster-mother was always kind and friendly to her. 
 
 Now, when the Lassie had grown to be big enough to 
 know right and wrong, her Foster-mother got ready to go 
 on a journey. 
 
 "You have my leave," she said, "to go all over the 
 house, except those rooms which I shew you ; " and 
 when she had said that, away she went. 
 
 But the Lassie could not forbear just to open one of 
 the doors a little bit, when POP ! out flew a Star, 
 
 When her Foster-mother came back, she was very 
 vexed to find that the star had flown out, and she got 
 very angry with her Foster- daughter ', and threatened to 
 send her away ; but the child cried and begged so hard 
 that she got leave to stay. 
 
 Now, after a while, the Foster-mother had to go on 
 another journey ; and, before she went, she forbade the 
 Lassie to go into those two rooms into which she had 
 never been. She promised to beware ; but when she 
 was left alone, she began to think and to wonder what 
 there could be in the second room, and at last she could 
 not help setting the door a little ajar, just to peep in, 
 when POP ! out flew the Moon. 
 
When her Foster-mother came home and found the 
 moon let out, she was very downcast, and said to the 
 Lassie she must go away, she could not stay with her 
 any longer. But the Lassie wept so bitterly, and prayed 
 so heartily for forgiveness, that this time, too, she got 
 leave to stay. 
 
 Some time after, the Foster-mother had to go away 
 again, and she charged the Lassie, who by this time was 
 half grown up, most earnestly that she mustn't try to go 
 into, or to peep into, the third room. But when her 
 Foster-mother had been gone some time, and the Lassie 
 was weary of walking about alone, all at once she thought, 
 "Dear me, what fun it would be just to peep a little into 
 that third room." Then she thought she mustn't do it 
 for her Foster-mother s sake j but when the bad thought 
 came the second time she could hold out no longer ; 
 come what might, she must and would look into the 
 room ; so she just opened the door a tiny bit, when 
 POP ! out flew the Sun. 
 
 But when her Foster-mother came back and saw that 
 the sun had flown away, she was cut to the heart, and 
 said, "Now, there was no help for it, the Lassie must 
 and should go away ; she couldn't hear of her staying 
 
 68 
 
any longer." Now 
 the Lassie cried 
 her eyes out, and 
 begged and prayed 
 so prettily ; but it 
 was all no good. 
 
 "Nay! but I 
 must punish you!" 
 said her Foster- 
 mother-^ "but you 
 may have your 
 choice, either to 
 be the loveliest 
 woman in the 
 world, and not to be able to speak, or to keep your speech, 
 and to be the ugliest of all women ; but away from me 
 you must go." 
 
 And the Lassie said, " I would sooner be lovely." So 
 she became all at once wondrous fair ; but from that day 
 forth she was dumb. 
 
 So, when she went away from her Foster-mother , she 
 walked and wandered through a great, great wood ; but 
 the farther she went, the farther off the end seemed to be. 
 
 6 9 
 
So, when the evening came on, she clomb up into a tall 
 tree, which grew over a spring, and there she made her 
 self up to sleep that night. Close by lay a castle, and 
 from that castle came early every morning a maid to draw 
 water to make the Prince's tea, from the spring over 
 which the Lassie was sitting. So the maid looked down 
 into the spring, saw the lovely face in the water, and 
 thought it was her own ; then she flung away the pitcher, 
 and ran home; and, when she got there, she tossed 
 up her head and said, "If I'm so pretty, I'm far too good 
 to go and fetch water." 
 
 So another maid had to go for the water, but the same 
 thing happened to her ; she went back and said she was 
 far too pretty and too good to fetch water from the spring 
 for the Prince. Then the Prince went himself, for he 
 had a mind to see what all this could mean. So, when 
 he reached the spring, he too saw the image in the water ; 
 bjut he looked up at once, and became aware of the 
 lovely Lassie who sate there up in the tree. Then he 
 coaxed her down and took her home; and at last made 
 up his mind to have her for his queen, because she 
 was so lovely ; but his mother, who was still alive, was 
 against it. 
 
 70 
 
"She can't speak," she said, "and maybe she's a wicked 
 witch." 
 
 But the Prince could not be content till he got her. 
 So after they had lived together a while, the Lassie was 
 to have a child, and when the child came to be born, the 
 Prince set a strong watch about her ; but at the birth one 
 and all fell into a deep sleep, and her Foster-mother came, 
 cut the babe on its little finger, and smeared the queen's 
 mouth with the blood ; and said : 
 
 "Now you shall be as grieved as I was when you let 
 out the star ; " and with these words she carried off the 
 babe. 
 
 But when those who were on the watch woke, they 
 thought the queen had eaten her own child, and the old 
 queen was all for burning her alive, but the Prince was 
 so fond of her that at last he begged her off, but he had 
 hard work to set her free. 
 
 So the next time the young queen was to have a child, 
 twice as strong a watch was set as the first time, but the 
 same thing happened over again, only this time her Foster- 
 mother said : 
 
 "Now you shall be as grieved as I was when you let 
 the moon out." 
 
 71 
 
And the queen begged and prayed, and wept; for 
 when her Foster-mother was there, she could speak but 
 it was all no good. 
 
 And now the old queen said she must be burnt, but 
 the Prince found means to beg her off. But when the 
 third child was to be born, a watch was set three times as 
 strong as the first, but just the same thing happened. 
 Her Foster-mother came while the watch slept, took the 
 babe, and cut its little finger, and smeared the queen's 
 mouth with the blood, telling her now she should be 
 as grieved as she had been when the Lassie let out the 
 sun. 
 
 And now the Prince could not save her any longer. 
 She must and should be burnt. But just as they were 
 leading her to the stake, all at once they saw her Foster- 
 mother^ who came with all three children two she led by 
 the hand, and the third she had on her arm ; and so she 
 went up to the young queen and said : 
 
 " Here are your children ; now you shall have them 
 again. I am the Virgin Mary, and so grieved as you 
 have been, so grieved was I when you let out sun, and 
 moon, and star. Now you have been punished for what 
 you did, and henceforth you shall have your speech/' 
 
na.red her doivn and took her home. Page 70 
 
How glad the Queen and Prince now were, all may 
 easily think, but no one can tell. After that they were 
 always happy ; and from that day even the Prince's mother 
 was very fond of the young queen. 
 
INGE on a time there was a man, so surly and 
 cross, he never thought his Wife did anything 
 right in the house. So, one evening, in hay 
 making time, he came home, scolding and swearing, and 
 showing his teeth and making a dust. 
 
 " Dear love, don't be so angry ; there's a good man," 
 said his goody; " to-morrow let's change our work. I'll 
 go out with the mowers and mow, and you shall mind the 
 house at home." 
 
 Yes ! the Husband thought that would do very well. 
 He was quite willing, he said. 
 
 So, early next morning, his goody took a scythe over 
 her neck, and went out into the hayfield with the mowers, 
 and began to mow ; but the man was to mind the house, 
 and do the work at home. 
 
 First of all, he wanted to churn the butter ; but when 
 he had churned a while, he got thirsty, and went down to 
 the cellar to tap a barrel of ale. So, just when he had 
 knocked in the bung, and was putting the tap into the 
 cask, he heard overhead the pig come into the kitchen. 
 
 75 
 
Then off he ran up the cellar steps, with the tap in his 
 hand, as fast as he could, to look after the pig, lest it 
 should upset the churn ; but when he got up, and saw 
 the pig had already knocked the churn over, and stood 
 there, routing and grunting amongst the cream which was 
 running all over the floor, he got so wild with rage that 
 he quite forgot the ale-barrel, and ran at the pig as hard 
 as he could. He caught it, too, just as it ran out of doors, 
 and gave it such a kick, that piggy lay for dead on the 
 spot. Then all at once he remembered he had the tap 
 in his hand ; but when he got down to the cellar, every 
 drop of ale had run out of the cask. 
 
 Then he went into the dairy and found enough cream 
 left to fill the churn again, and so he began to churn, for 
 butter they must have at dinner. When he had churned 
 a bit, he remembered that their milking cow was still shut 
 up in the byre, and hadn't had a bit to eat or a drop to 
 drink all the morning, though the sun was high. Then 
 all at once he thought 'twas too far to take her down to 
 the meadow, so he'd just get her up on the house top 
 for the house, you must know, was thatched with sods, 
 and a fine crop of grass was growing there. Now the 
 house lay close up against a steep down, and he thought 
 
 76 
 
if he laid a plank across to the thatch at the back he'd 
 easily get the cow up. 
 
 But still he couldn't leave the churn, for there was his 
 little babe crawling about on the floor, and "if I leave 
 it," he thought, " the child is safe to upset it." So he took 
 the churn on his back, and went out with it ; but then he 
 thought he'd better first water the cow before he turned 
 her out on the thatch ; so he took up a bucket to draw 
 water out of the well ; but, as he stooped down at the 
 well's brink, all the cream ran out of the churn over his 
 shoulders^ and so down into the well. 
 
 Now it was near dinner-time, and he hadn't even got 
 the butter yet ; so he thought he'd best boil the porridge, 
 and filled the pot with water and hung it over the fire. 
 When he had done that, he thought the cow might perhaps 
 fall off the thatch and break her legs or her neck. So he 
 got up on the house to tie her up. One end of the rope 
 he made fast to the cow's neck and the other he slipped 
 down the chimney and tied round his own thigh ; and he 
 had to make haste, for the water now began to boil in the 
 pot, and he had still to grind the oatmeal. 
 
 So he began to grind away ; but while he was hard at 
 it, down fell the cow off the house-top after all, and as 
 
 77 
 
she fell, she dragged the man up the chimney by the rope. 
 There he stuck fast ; and as for the cow, she hung half 
 way down the wall, swinging between heaven and earth, 
 for she could neither get down nor up. 
 
 And now the goody had waited seven lengths and 
 seven breadths for her Husband to come and call them 
 home to dinner ; but never a call they had. At last she 
 thought she'd waited long enough, and went home. But 
 when she got there and saw the cow hanging in such an ugly 
 
 place, she ran up 
 and cut the rope 
 in two with her 
 scythe. But, as 
 she did this, down 
 came her Husband 
 out of the chim 
 ney ; and so, when 
 his old dame came 
 inside the kitchen, 
 there she found 
 him standing on 
 his head in the 
 porridge pot. 
 
THE LAD WHO WENT 
 TO THE NORTH WIND 
 
 INGE on a time there was an old widow who had 
 one son ; and as she was poorly and weak, her 
 son had to go up into the safe to fetch meal 
 
 for cooking ; " but when he got outside the safe, and was 
 
 just going down the steps, there came the North Wind 
 
 puffing and blowing, caught up the meal, and so away 
 
 with it through 
 
 the air. Then the 
 
 Lad went back 
 
 into the safe for 
 
 more ; but when 
 
 he came out again 
 
 on the steps, if 
 
 the North Wind 
 
 didn't come again 
 
 and carry off the 
 
 meal with a puff: 
 
 and, more than 
 
 that, he did so the 
 
 third time. At this 
 
 79 
 
AC* dPfr jSZfc AC* 
 
 <^?xj C^SarO C*^O ***>} 
 
 the Z/#</ got very angry ; and as he thought it hard that 
 the North Wind should behave so, he thought he'd just 
 look him up, and ask him to give up his meal. 
 
 So off he went, but the way was long, and he walked 
 and walked ; but at last he came to the North Wind\ 
 house. 
 
 "Good day ! " said the Lad, "and thank you for com 
 ing to see us yesterday." 
 
 "GooD DAY!" answered the North Wind, for his 
 voice was loud and gruff, "AND THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE 
 ME. WHAT DO YOU WANT ? v 
 
 "Oh !" answered the Lad, " I only wished to ask you 
 to be so good as to let me have back that meal you took 
 from me on the safe steps, for we haven't much to live on ; 
 and if you're to go on snapping up the morsel we have, 
 there'll be nothing for it but to starve." 
 
 ^ I haven't got your meal," said the North Wind; " but 
 if you are in such need, I'll give you a cloth which will 
 get you everything you want, if you only say, c Cloth, 
 spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes ! ' 
 
 With this the Lad was well content. But, as the 
 way was so long he couldn't get home in one day, so he 
 turned into an inn on the way ; and when they were going 
 
 80 
 
"Here are your children; now you shall have them again, 
 I am the Virgin Mary." Page 72 
 
to sit down to supper he laid the cloth on a table which 
 stood in the corner, and said : 
 
 "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good 
 dishes." 
 
 He had scarce said so before the cloth did as it was bid ; 
 and all who stood by thought it a fine thing, but most of 
 all the landlady. So, when all were fast asleep at dead of 
 night, she took the Lad's cloth, and put another in its 
 stead, just like the one he had got from the North Wind^ 
 but which couldn't so much as serve up a bit of dry bread. 
 
 So, when the Lad woke, he took his cloth and went 
 off with it, and that day he got home to his mother. 
 
 "Now," said he, "I've been to the North Wind's 
 house, and a good fellow he is, for he gave me this cloth, 
 and when I only say to it, 'Cloth, spread yourself, and 
 serve up all kinds of good dishes,' I get any sort of food 
 I please." 
 
 "All very true, I daresay," said his mother; "but 
 seeing is believing, and I shan't believe it till I see it." 
 
 So the Lad made haste, drew out a table, laid the 
 cloth on it, and said : 
 
 "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of 
 good dishes." 
 
 81 
 
<c 
 
 (C 
 
 But never a bk of dry bread did the cloth serve up. 
 
 "Well," said the Lad, "there's no help for it but to 
 go to the North Wind again ; " and away he went. 
 
 So he came to where the North Wind lived late in 
 the afternoon. 
 
 Good evening!" said the Lad. 
 
 Good evening ! " said the North Wind. 
 
 " I want my rights for that meal of ours which you 
 took," said, the Lad ; "for, as for that cloth I got, it isn't 
 worth a penny." 
 
 "I've got no meal," said the North Wind; "but 
 yonder you have a ram which coins nothing but golden 
 ducats as soon as you say to it : ' Ram, ram ! make 
 money ! ' 
 
 So the Lad thought this a fine thing ; but as it was 
 too far to get home that day, he turned in for the night 
 to the same inn where he had slept before. 
 
 Before he called for anything, he tried the truth of 
 what the North Wind had said of the ram, and found it 
 all right ; but, when the landlord saw that, he thought it 
 was a famous ram, and, when the Lad had fallen asleep, 
 he took another which couldn't coin gold ducats, and 
 changed the two. 
 
 82 
 
Next morning off went the Lad ; and when he got 
 home to his mother, he said : 
 
 "After all, the North Wind is a jolly fellow; for now 
 he has given me a ram which can coin golden ducats if I 
 only say : c Ram, ram ! make money ! ' 
 
 " All very true, I daresay," said his mother ; " but I 
 shan't believe any such stuff until I see the ducats made." 
 
 "Ram, ram! make money!" said the Lad ; but if the 
 ram made anything, it wasn't money. 
 
 So the Lad went back again to the North Wind, and 
 blew him up, and said the ram was worth nothing, and 
 he must have his rights for the meal. 
 
 "Well!" said the North Wind ; "I've nothing else to 
 give you but that old stick in the corner yonder; but its 
 a stick of that kind that if you say : ' Stick, stick ! lay on ! ' 
 it lays on till you say : * Stick, stick ! now stop ! ' " 
 
 So, as the way was long, the Lad turned in this night 
 too to the landlord ; but as he could pretty well guess how 
 things stood as to the cloth and the ram, he lay down at 
 once on the bench and began to snore, as if he were asleep. 
 
 Now the landlord, who easily saw that the stick must 
 be worth something, hunted up one which was like it, and 
 when he heard the lad snore, was going to change the 
 
two ; but, just as the landlord was about to take it, the 
 Lad bawled out : 
 
 " Stick, stick ! lay on ! " 
 
 So the stick began to beat the landlord, till he jumped 
 over chairs, and tables, and benches, and yelled and roared : 
 
 " Oh my ! oh my ! bid the stick be still, else it will 
 beat me to death, and you shall have back both your cloth 
 and your ram." 
 
 When the Lad thought the landlord had got enough, 
 he said : 
 
 " Stick, stick ! now stop ! " 
 
 Then he took the cloth and put it into his pocket, 
 and went home with his stick in his hand, leading the ram 
 by a cord round its horns; and so he got his rights for 
 the meal he had lost. 
 
 8 4 
 
THE THREE PRINCESSES 
 OF WHITELAND 
 
 !NCE on a time there was a fisherman ' who lived 
 close by a palace, and fished for the Kings 
 table. One day when he was out fishing he 
 
 just caught nothing. Do what he would however he 
 
 tried with bait and angle there was never a sprat on his 
 
 hook. But when the day was far spent a head bobbed 
 
 up out of the 
 
 water, and said : 
 " If I may 
 
 have what your 
 
 wife bears under 
 
 her girdle, you 
 
 shall catch fish 
 
 enough.'* 
 
 So the man 
 
 answered boldly, 
 
 " Yes; "for he did 
 
 not know that his 
 
 wife was going to 
 
 have a child. After 
 
that, as was like enough, he caught plenty of fish of all 
 kinds. But when he got home at night and told his 
 story, how he had got all that fish, his wife fell a- weeping 
 and moaning, and was beside herself for the promise 
 which her husband had made, for she said, <<3 I bear a babe 
 under my girdle." 
 
 Well, the story soon spread, and came up to the 
 castle; and when the King heard the woman's grief and 
 its cause, he sent down to say he would take care of the 
 child, and see if he couldn't save it. 
 
 So the months went on and on, and when her time 
 came the fishers wife had a boy ; so the king took it at 
 once, and brought it up as his own son, until the lad 
 grew up. Then he begged leave one day to go out 
 fishing with his father; he had such a mind to go, he 
 said. At first the King wouldn't hear of it, but at last 
 the lad had his way, and went. So he and his father 
 were out the whole day, and all went right and well till 
 they landed at night. Then the lad remembered he had 
 left his handkerchief, and went to look for it; but as 
 soon as ever he got into the boat, it began to move off 
 with him at such speed that the water roared under the 
 bow, and all the lad could do in rowing against it with 
 
the oars was no use ; so he went and went the whole 
 night, and at last he came to a white strand, far far away. 
 
 There he went ashore, and when he had walked about 
 a bit, an old, old man met him, with a long white beard. 
 
 "What's the name of this land?" asked the lad. 
 
 "Whiteland," said the man, who went on to ask the 
 lad whence he came, and what he was going to do. SQ 
 the lad told him all. 
 
 "Aye, aye!" said the man; "now when you have 
 walked a little farther along the strand here, you'll come 
 to three Princesses, whom you will see standing in the 
 earth up to their necks, with only their heads out. Then 
 the first she is the eldest will call out and beg you so 
 prettily to come and help her; and the second will do 
 the same ; to neither of these shall you go ; make haste 
 past them, as if you neither saw nor heard anything. 
 But the third you shall go to, and do what she asks. 
 If you do this, you'll have good luck that's all." 
 
 When the lad came to the first Princess, she called 
 out to him, and begged him so prettily to come to her, 
 but he passed on as though he saw her not. In the same 
 way he passed by the second; but to the third he went 
 straight up. 
 
 8? 
 
"If you'll do what I bid you,'* she said, "you may 
 have which of us you please." 
 
 "Yes;" he was willing enough; so she told him how 
 three Trolls had set them down in the earth there ; but 
 before they had lived in the castle up among the trees. 
 
 "Now," she said, "you must go into that castle, and 
 let the Trolls whip you each one night for each of us. 
 If you can bear that, you'll set us free." 
 
 Well, the lad said he was ready to try. 
 
 "When you go in," the Princess went on to say, 
 " you'll see two lions standing at the gate ; but if you'll 
 only go right in the middle between them they'll do you 
 no harm. Then go straight on into a little dark room, 
 and make your bed. Then the Troll will come to whip 
 you; but if you take the flask which hangs on the wall, 
 and rub yourself with the ointment that's in it, wherever 
 his lash falls, you'll be as sound as ever. Then grasp the 
 sword that hangs by the side of the flask and strike the 
 Troll dead." 
 
 Yes, he did as the Princess told him ; he passed in the 
 midst between the lions, as if he hadn't seen them, and 
 went straight into the little room, and there he lay down 
 to sleep. The first night there came a Troll with three 
 
 88 
 
'You'll come to three Princesses, whom you ivill see standing in the earth 
 up to their necks, -with only their heads out." Page 87 
 
heads and three rods, and whipped the lad soundly; but 
 he stood it till the Troll was done; then he took the 
 flask and rubbed himself, and grasped the sword and slew 
 the Troll. 
 
 So, when he went out next morning, the Princesses 
 stood out of the earth up to their waists. 
 
 The next night 'twas the same story over again, only 
 this time the Troll had six heads and six rods, and he 
 whipped him far worse than the first; but when he went 
 out next morning, 
 the Princesses 
 stood out of the 
 earth as far as the 
 knee. 
 
 The third 
 night there came a 
 7>0//that had nine 
 heads and nine 
 rods, and he 
 whipped and 
 flogged the lad so 
 long that he faint 
 ed away; then the 
 
Troll took him up and dashed him against the wall ; but 
 the shock brought down the flask, which fell on the lad, 
 burst, and spilled the ointment all over him, and so he 
 became as strong and sound as ever again. Then he wasn't 
 slow; he grasped the sword and slew the Troll , and next 
 morning when he went out of the castle the Princesses 
 stood before him with all their bodies out of the earth. 
 So he took the youngest for his Queen , and lived well 
 and happily with her for some time. 
 
 At last he began to long to go home for a little to see 
 his parents. His Queen did not like this ; but at last his 
 heart was so set on it, and he longed and longed so much, 
 there was no holding him back, so she said : 
 
 "One thing you must promise me. This only to 
 do what your father begs you to do, and not what mother 
 wishes;" and that he promised. 
 
 Then she gave him a ring, which, was of that kind 
 that any one who wore it might wish two wishes. So 
 he wished himself home, and when he got home his 
 parents could not wonder enough what a grand man their 
 son had become. 
 
 Now, when he had been at home some days, his 
 mother wished him to go up to the palace and show the 
 
 9 
 
King what a fine fellow he had come to be. But his 
 father said : 
 
 " No ! don't let him do that ; if he does, we shan't 
 have any more joy of him this time." 
 
 But it was no good, the mother begged and prayed so 
 long that at last he went. So when he got up to the 
 palace he was far braver, both in clothes and array, than 
 the other king, who didn't quite like this, and at last he 
 said : 
 
 " All very fine ; but here you can see my Queen^ what 
 like she is, but I can't see yours : that I can't. Do you 
 know, I scarce think she's so good-looking as mine." 
 
 " Would to Heaven," said the young King, " she were 
 standing here, then you'd see what she was like." And 
 that instant there she stood before them. 
 
 But she was very woeful, and said to him: 1 
 
 " Why did you not mind what I told you ; and why 
 did you not listen to what your father said ? Now, I must 
 away home, and as for you, you have had both your wishes." 
 
 With that she knitted a ring among his hair with her 
 name on it, and wished herself home, and was off. 
 
 Then the young King was cut to the heart, and went, 
 day out day in, thinking and thinking how he should get 
 
back to his Queen. " I'll just try," he thought, "if I can't 
 learn where Whiteland lies ; " and so he went out into the 
 world to ask. So when he had gone a good way, he came 
 to a high hill, and there he met one who was lord over 
 all the beasts of the wood, for they all came home to him 
 when he blew his horn ; so the King asked if he knew 
 where Whiteland was. 
 
 "No, I don't," said he, "but I'll ask my beasts." Then 
 he blew his horn and called them, and asked if any of 
 them knew where Whiteland lay. But there was no beast 
 that knew. 
 
 So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes. 
 
 "When you get on these," he said, "you'll come to 
 my brother, who lives hundreds of miles off; he is lord 
 over all the birds of the air. Ask him. When you reach 
 his house, just turn the shoes so that the toes point this 
 way, and they'll come home of themselves." So when the 
 King reached the house, he turned the shoes as the lord 
 of the beasts had said, and away they went home of 
 themselves. 
 
 So he asked again after Whiteland, and the man called 
 all the birds with a blast of his horn, and asked if any of 
 them knew where Whiteland lay ; but none of the birds 
 
 9 2 
 
knew. Now, long, long after the rest of the birds came 
 an old eagle, which had been away ten round years, but 
 he couldn't tell any more than the rest. 
 
 "Well, well," said the man, "I'll lend you a pair of 
 snow-shoes, and, when you get them on, they'll carry you 
 to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles off; he's lord 
 of all the fish in the sea ; you'd better ask him. But don't 
 forget to turn the toes of the shoes this way." 
 
 The King was full of thanks, got on the shoes, and 
 when he came to the man who was lord over the fish of 
 the sea, he turned the toes round, and so off they went 
 home like the other pair. After that, he asked again 
 after Whiteland. 
 
 So the 1 man called the fish with a blast, but no fish 
 could tell where it lay. At last came an old pike, which 
 they had great work to call home, he was such a way off. 
 So when they asked him he said : 
 
 "Know it ? I should think I did ! I've been cook there 
 ten years, and to-morrow I'm going there again ; for now 
 the queen of Whiteland, whose king is away, is going to 
 wed another husband." 
 
 " Well ! " said the man, " as this is so, I'll give you a 
 bit of advice. Hereabouts, on a moor, stand three brothers, 
 
 93 
 
and here they have stood these hundred years, fighting 
 about a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots. If any one has 
 these three things he can make himself invisible, and wish 
 himself anywhere he pleases. You can tell them you wish 
 to try the things, and, after that, you'll pass judgment 
 between them, whose they shall be." 
 
 Yes ! the King thanked the man, and went and did as 
 he told him. 
 
 " What's all this ? " he said to the brothers. " Why do 
 you stand here fighting for ever and a day ? Just let me 
 try these things, and I'll give judgment whose they shall be." 
 
 They were very willing to do this ; but, as soon as he 
 had got the hat, cloak, and boots, he said : 
 
 "When we meet next time, I'll tell you my judgment," 
 and with these, words he wished himself away. 
 
 So as he went along up in the air, he came up with 
 the North wind. 
 
 "Whither away?" roared the North Wind. 
 
 "To Whiteland," said the King- y "and then he told 
 him all that had befallen him. 
 
 "Ah," said the* North Wind, " you go faster than I 
 you do ; for you can go straight, while I have to puff and 
 blow round every turn and corner. But when you get 
 
 94 
 
there, just place yourself on the stairs by the side of the 
 door, and then I'll come storming in, as though I were 
 going to blow down the whole castle. And then when 
 the prince, who is to have your Queen^ comes out to see 
 what's the matter, just you take him by the collar and 
 pitch him out of doors ; then I'll look after him, and see 
 if I can't carry him off." 
 
 Well, the King did as the North Wind said. He took 
 his stand on the stairs, and when the North Wind came, 
 storming and roaring, and took hold of the castle wall, so 
 that it shook again, the prince came out to see what was 
 the matter. But as soon as ever he came, the King 
 caught him by the collar and pitched him out of doors, 
 and then the North Wind caught him up and carried him 
 off. So when there was an end of him, the King went 
 into the castle, and at first his Queen didn't know him, 
 he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and 
 being so woeful ; but when he shewed her the ring, she 
 was as glad as glad could be ; and so the rightful wedding 
 was held, and the fame of it spread far and wide. 
 
 95 
 
So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes. Page 92 
 
SORIA MORIA CASTLE 
 
 'NCE on a time there was a poor couple who had 
 a son whose name was Halvor. Ever since he 
 was a little boy he would turn his hand to 
 nothing, but just sat there and groped about in the ashes. 
 His father and mother often put him out to learn this 
 trade or that, but Halvor could stay nowhere ; for, when 
 he had been there a day or two, he ran away from his 
 master, and never stopped till he was sitting again in the 
 ingle, poking about in the cinders. 
 
 Well, one day a skipper came, and asked Ha Ivor if 
 he hadn't a mind to be with him, and go to sea, and see 
 strange lands. Yes, Halvor would like that very much ; 
 so he wasn't long in getting himself ready. 
 
 How long they sailed I'm sure I can't tell; but the 
 end of it was, they fell into a great storm, and when it 
 was blown over, and it got still again, they couldn't tell 
 where they were ; for they had been driven away to a 
 strange coast, which none of them knew anything about. 
 
 Well, as there was just no wind at all, they stayed 
 lying wind-bound there, and Halvor asked the skipper's 
 leave to go on shore and look about him; he would 
 
 97 
 
sooner go, he said, than lie there and sleep. 
 
 "Do you think now you're fit to show yourself be 
 fore folk," said the skipper, "why, you've no clothes but 
 those rags you stand in ? " 
 
 But Halvor stuck to his own, and so at last he got 
 leave, but he was to be sure and come back as soon as 
 ever it began to blow. So off he went and found a lovely 
 land ; wherever he came there were fine large flat corn 
 fields and rich meads, but he couldn't catch a glimpse of 
 a living soul. Well, it began to blow, but Halvor 
 thought he hadn't seen enough yet, and he wanted to 
 walk a little farther just to see if he couldn't meet any 
 folk. So after a while he came to a broad high road, so 
 smooth and even, you might easily roll an egg along it. 
 Halvor followed this, and when evening drew on he saw 
 a great castle ever so far off, from which the sunbeams 
 shone. So as he had now walked the whole day and 
 hadn't taken a bit to eat with him, he was as hungry as 
 a hunter, but still the nearer he came to the castle, the 
 more afraid he got. 
 
 In the castle kitchen a great fire was blazing, and 
 Halvor went into it, but such a kitchen he had never seen 
 in all his born days. It was so grand and fine ; there 
 
were vessels of silver and vessels of gold, but still never a 
 living soul. So when Halvor had stood there a while and 
 no one came out, he went and opened a door, and there 
 inside sat a Princess who span upon a spinning-wheel. 
 
 "Nay, nay, now!" she called out, "dare Christian 
 folk come hither? But now you'd best be off about your 
 business, if you don't want the Troll to gobble you up; 
 for here lives a Troll with three heads." 
 
 "All one to me," said the lad, "I 'd be just as glad to 
 hear lie had four heads beside \ I 'd like to see what kind 
 of fellow he is. As for going, I won't go at all. I've 
 done no harm ; but meat you must get me, for I'm almost 
 starved to death." 
 
 When Halvor had eaten his fill, the Princess told him 
 to try if he could brandish the sword that hung against the 
 wall ; no, he couldn't brandish it, he couldn't even lift it up. 
 
 "Oh!" said the Princess , "now you must go and take 
 a pull of that flask that hangs by its side ; that's what the 
 Troll does every time he goes out to use the sword." 
 
 So Halvor took a pull, and in the twinkling of an eye he 
 could brandish the sword like nothing ; and now he thought 
 it high time the Jr0//came ; and lo ! just then up came the 
 Jr0//puffingand blowing. Halvor jumped behind the door. 
 
 99 
 
" HUTETU," said the Troll, as he put his head in at 
 the door, " what a smell of Christian man's blood ! " 
 
 "Aye," said Halvor, "you'll soon know that to your 
 cost," and with that he hewed off all his heads. 
 
 Now the Princess was so glad that she was free, she 
 both danced and sang, but then all at once she called her 
 sisters to mind, and so she said : 
 
 "Would my sisters were free too! " 
 
 " Where are they ? " asked Halvor. 
 
 Well, she told him all about it; one was taken away by 
 a Troll to his Castle which lay fifty miles off, and the other by 
 another Troll to his Castle which was fifty miles further still. 
 
 "But now," she said, "you must first help me to get 
 this ugly carcass out of the house." 
 
 Yes, Halvor was so strong he swept everything away, 
 and made it all clean and tidy in no time. So they had 
 a good and happy time of it, and next morning he set off 
 at peep of grey dawn ; he could take no rest by the way, 
 but ran and walked the whole day. When he first saw 
 the Castle he got a little afraid ; it was far grander than 
 the first, but here too there wasn't a living soul to be seen. 
 So Halvor went into the kitchen, and didn't stop there 
 either, but went straight further on into the house. 
 
 IOO 
 
" Nay, nay," called out the Princess, "dare Christian 
 folk come hither ? I don't know I 'm sure how long it 
 is since I came here, but in all that time I haven't seen a 
 Christian man. 'Twere best you saw how to get away as 
 fast as you came ; for here lives a Troll who has six heads." 
 
 "I shan't go,*' said Halvor, "if he has six heads be 
 sides." 
 
 "He'll take you up and swallow you down alive," 
 said the Princess. 
 
 But it was no good, Ha Ivor wouldn't go ; he wasn't 
 at all afraid of the Tro// y but meat and drink he must 
 have, for he was half starved after his long journey. Well, 
 he got as much of that as he wished, but then the Prin 
 cess wanted him to be off again. 
 
 "No," said Hahor, "I won't go, I've done no harm, 
 and I 've nothing to be afraid about." 
 
 " He won't stay to ask that," 'said the Princess, " for 
 he'll take you without law or leave; but as you won't go, 
 just try if you can brandish that sword yonder, which the 
 Troll wields in war." 
 
 He' couldn't brandish it, and then the Princess said he 
 must take a pull at the flask which hung by its side, and 
 when he had done that he could brandish it. 
 
 101 
 
Just then back came the Troll^ and he was both stout 
 and big, so that he had to go sideways to get through the 
 door. When the Troll got his first head in he called out : 
 
 "HUTETU, what a smell of Christian man's blood!'* 
 
 But that very moment Hahor hewed off his first 
 head, and so on all the rest as they popped in. The 
 Princess was overjoyed, but just then she came to think of 
 her sisters, and wished out loud they were free. Halvor 
 thought that might easily be done, and wanted to be ofT 
 at once ; but first he had to help the Princess to get the 
 TrolPs carcass out of the way, and so he could only set 
 out next morning. 
 
 It was a long way to the Castle, and he had to walk 
 fast and run hard to reach it in time ; but about night- 
 fell he saw the Castle, which was far finer and grander 
 than either of the others. This time he wasn't the least 
 afraid, but walked straight through the kitchen, and into 
 the Castle. There sat a Princess who was so pretty, there 
 was no end to her loveliness. She too like the others 
 told him there hadn't been Christian folk there ever since 
 she came thither, and bade him go away again, else the 
 Troll would swallow him alive, and do you know, she 
 said, he has nine heads. 
 
 102 
 
"Aye, aye," said Halvor , "if he had nine other heads, 
 and nine other heads still, I won't go away," and so he 
 stood fast before the stove. The Princess kept on beg 
 ging him so prettily to go away, lest the Troll should 
 gobble him up, but Halvor said : 
 
 "Let him come as soon as he likes." 
 
 So she gave him the Troll's sword, and bade him 
 take a pull at the flask, that he might be able to brandish 
 and wield it. 
 
 Just then back came the Troll puffing and blowing 
 and tearing along. He was far bigger and stouter than 
 the other two, and he too had to go on one side to get 
 through the door. So when he got his first head in, he 
 said as the others had said : 
 
 "HUTETU, what a smell of Christian man's blood!" 
 
 That very moment Halvor hewed off the first head 
 and then all the rest ; but the last was the toughest of them 
 all, and it was the hardest bit of work Halvor had to do, to 
 get it hewn off, although he knew very well he had strength 
 enough to do it. 
 
 So all the Princesses came together to that Castle, 
 which was called Soria Moria Castle^ and they were glad 
 and happy as they had never been in all their lives before, 
 
 103 
 
and they all were 
 fond of Halvor 
 and Halvor of 
 them, and he 
 might choose the 
 one he liked best 
 for his bride ; but 
 the youngest was 
 fondest of him of 
 all the three. 
 
 But there 
 after a while, Hal 
 vor went about, 
 and was so strange 
 and dull and silent. Then the Princesses asked him what 
 he kcked, and if he didn't like to live with them any 
 longer ? Yes, he did, for they had enough and to spare, 
 and he was well off in every way, but still somehow or 
 other he did so long to go home, for his father and 
 mother were alive, and them he had such a great wish to 
 see. 
 
 Well, they thought that might be done easily 
 enough. 
 
 104 
 
/i /^tnp -went into the Castle, and at first his Queen didn't know him, he was 
 so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful. Page 95 
 
" You shall go thither and come back hither, safe and 
 unscathed, if you will only follow our advice," said the 
 Princesses. 
 
 Yes, he'd be sure to mind all they said. So they 
 dressed him up till he was as grand as a king's son, and 
 then they set a ring on his ringer, and that was such a 
 ring, he could wish himself thither and hither with it ; but 
 they told him to be sure and not take it off, and not to 
 name their names, for there would be an end of all his 
 bravery, and then he'd never see them more. 
 
 "If I only stood at home I'd be glad," said Halvor; 
 and it was done as he had wished. Then stood Halvor 
 at his father's cottage door before he knew a word about 
 it. Now it was about dusk at even, and so, when they 
 saw such a grand stately lord walk in, the old couple got 
 so afraid they began to bow and scrape. Then Halvor 
 asked if he couldn't stay there, and have a lodging there 
 that night. No; that he couldn't. 
 
 "We can't do it at all," they said, "for we haven't 
 this thing or that thing which such a lord is used to have ; 
 'twere best your lordship went up to the farm, no long 
 way off, for you can see the chimneys, and there they 
 have lots of everything." 
 
 105 
 
Halvor wouldn't hear of it he wanted to stop ; but 
 the old couple stuck to their own, that he had better go 
 to the farmer's ; there he would get both meat and drink ; 
 as for them, they hadn't even a chair to offer him to sit 
 down on. 
 
 "No," said Halvor ', "I won't go up there till to 
 morrow early, but let me just stay here to-night; worst 
 come to the worst, I can sit in the chimney corner." 
 
 Well, they couldn't say anything against that; so 
 Halvor sat down by the ingle, and began to poke about 
 in the ashes, just as he used to do when he lay at home 
 in old days, and stretched his lazy bones. 
 
 Well, they chattered and talked about many things; 
 and they told Halvor about this thing and that ; and so 
 he asked them if they had never had any children. 
 
 Yes, yes, they had once a lad whose name was 
 Halvor, but they didn't know whither he had wandered ; 
 they couldn't even tell whether he were dead or alive. 
 
 "Couldn't it be me, now?" said Halvor. 
 
 "Let me see; I could tell him well enough," said the 
 old wife, and rose up. "Our Halvor was so lazy and 
 dull, he never did a thing ; and besides, he was so ragged, 
 that one tatter took hold of the next tatter on him. No ; 
 
 106 
 
there never was the making of such a fine fellow in him 
 as you are, master." 
 
 A little while after the old wife went to the hearth to 
 poke up the fire, and when the blaze fell on Halvor s face, 
 just as when he was at home of old poking about in the 
 ashes, she knew him at once. 
 
 "Ah! but it is you after all, Halvor?" she cried; 
 and then there was such joy for the old couple, there was 
 no end to it ; and he was forced to tell how he had fared, 
 and the old dame was so fond and proud of him, nothing 
 would do but he must go up at once to the farmer's, and 
 show himself to the lassies, who had always- looked down 
 on him. And off she went first, and Halvor followed 
 
 * 
 
 after. So, when she got up there, she told them all how 
 Halvor had come home again, and now they should only 
 just see how grand he was, for, said she, "he looks like 
 nothing but a King's son." 
 
 "All very fine," said the lassies, and tossed up their 
 heads. "We'll be bound he's just the same beggarly 
 ragged boy he always, was." 
 
 Just then in walked Halvor ', and then the lassies were 
 all so taken aback, they forgot their sarks in the ingle, 
 where they were sitting darning their clothes, and ran out 
 
 107 
 
in their smocks. Well, when they were got back again, 
 they were so shamefaced they scarce dared look at Ha/vor, 
 towards whom they had always been proud and haughty. 
 
 "Aye, aye," said Halvor^ "you always thought your 
 selves so pretty and neat, no one could come near you ; 
 but now you should just see the eldest Princess I have set 
 free ; against her you look just like milkmaids, and the 
 midmost is prettier still; but the youngest, who is my 
 sweetheart, she's fairer than both sun and moon. Would 
 to Heaven they were only here," said Ha Ivor , "then you'd 
 see what you would see." 
 
 He had scarce uttered these words before there they 
 stood, but then he felt so sorry, for now what they had 
 said came into his mind. Up at the farm there was a 
 great feast got ready for the Princesses^ and much was 
 made of them, but they wouldn't stop there. 
 
 " No, we want to go down to your father and mother,'' 
 they said to Halvor; "and so we'll go out now and look 
 about us." 
 
 So he went down with them, and they came to a great 
 lake just outside the farm. Close by the water was such 
 a lovely green bank; here the Princesses said they would 
 sit and rest a while ; they^ thought it so sweet to sit down 
 
 108 
 
and look over the 
 water. 
 
 So they sat 
 down there, and 
 when they had sat 
 a while the young 
 est Princess said : 
 
 " I may as 
 well comb your 
 hair a little, 
 
 Well, Halvor 
 laid his head on 
 her lap, and she 
 combed his bonny locks, and it wasn't long before Halvor 
 fell fast asleep*. Then she took the ring from his finger, 
 and put another in its stead ; and she said : 
 
 " Now hold me all together ! and now would we were 
 all in Soria Moria Castle" 
 
 So when Halvor woke up, he could very well tell 
 that he had lost the Princesses, and began to weep and 
 wail ; and he was so downcast, they couldn't comfort him 
 at all. In spite of all his father and mother said, he 
 
 109 
 
wouldn't stop there, but took farewell of them, and said 
 he was safe not to see them again ; for if he couldn't find 
 the Princesses again, he thought it not worth while to live. 
 
 Well, he had still about sixty pounds left, so he put 
 them into his pocket, and set out on his way. So, when 
 he had walked a while, he met a man with a tidy horse, 
 and he wanted to buy it, and began to chaffer with the 
 man. 
 
 "Aye," said the man, "to tell the truth, I never 
 thought of selling him ; but if we could strike a bargain 
 perhaps " 
 
 "What do you want for him?" asked Ha/vor. 
 
 " I didn't give much for him, nor is he worth much ; 
 he 's a brave horse to ride, but he can't draw at all ; still 
 he 's strong enough to carry your knapsack and you too, 
 turn and turn about," said the man. 
 
 At last they agreed on the price, and Ha/vor laid the 
 knapsack on him, and so he walked a bit, and rode a bit, 
 turn and turn about. At night he came to a green plain 
 where stood a great tree, at the roots of which he sat 
 down. There he let the horse loose, but he didn't lie 
 down to sleep, but opened his knapsack and took a meal. 
 At peep of day off he set again, for he could take no 
 
rest. So he rode and walked and walked and rode the 
 whole day through the wide wood, where there were 
 so many green spots and glades that shone so bright and 
 lovely between the trees. He didn't know at all where 
 he was or whither he was going, but he gave himself no 
 more time to rest than when his horse cropped a bit of 
 grass, and he took a snack out of his knapsack when they 
 came to one of those green glades. So he went on walking 
 and riding by turns, and as for the wood there seemed to 
 be no end to it. 
 
 But at dusk the next day he saw a light gleaming 
 away through the trees. 
 
 " Would there were folk hereaway," thought Ha/vor, 
 "that I might warm myself a bit and get a morsel to keep 
 body and soul together." 
 
 When he got up to it he saw the light came from a 
 wretched little hut, and through the window he saw an 
 old old, couple inside. They were as grey-headed as a 
 pair of doves, and the old wife had such a nose! why, it 
 was so long she used it for a poker to stir the fire as she 
 sat in the ingle. 
 
 "Good evening," said Halvor. 
 Good evening," said the old wife. 
 
 ( 
 
 III 
 
"But what errand can you have in coming hither?" 
 she went on, "for no Christian folk have been here these 
 hundred years and more." 
 
 Well, Hafoor told her all about himself, and how he 
 wanted to get to Soria Moria Castle^ and asked if she 
 knew the way thither. 
 
 " No," said the old wife, " that I don't, but see now, 
 here comes the Moon, I'll ask her, she'll know all about 
 it, for doesn't she shine on everything?" 
 
 So when the Moon stood clear and bright over the 
 tree-tops, the old wife went out. 
 
 "Tnou MOON, THOU MOON," she screamed, "canst 
 thou tell me the way to Soria Moria Castle ? " 
 
 "No," said the Moon, "that I can't, for the last time 
 I shone there a cloud stood before me." 
 
 "Wait a bit still," said the old wife to Ha/vor y "bye 
 and bye comes the West Wind ; he's sure to know it, for 
 he puffs and blows round every corner." 
 
 "Nay, nay," said the old wife when she went out 
 again, " you don't mean to say you've got a horse too ; 
 just turn the poor beastie loose in our ' toun,' and don't 
 let him stand there and starve to death at the door." 
 
 Then she ran on : 
 
 112 
 
The six brothers riding out to woo. Page 117 
 
"But won't you swop him away to me? we've got 
 an old pair of boots here, with which you can take twenty 
 miles at each stride ; those you shall have for your horse, 
 and so you'll get all the sooner to Soria Moria Castle" 
 
 That Halvor was willing to do at once ; and the old 
 wife was so glad at having the horse, she was ready to 
 dance and skip for joy. 
 
 "For now," she said, "I shall be able to ride to 
 church. I, too, think of that." 
 
 As for Halvor, he had no rest, and wanted to be off 
 at once, but the old wife said there was no hurry. 
 
 " Lie down on the bench with you and sleep a bit, 
 for we've no bed to offer you, and I'll watch and wake 
 you when the West Wind comes." 
 
 So after a while up came the West Wind, roaring and 
 howling along till the walls creaked and groaned again. 
 
 Out ran the old wife. 
 
 "Tnou WEST WIND, THOU WEST WIND! Canst thou 
 tell me the way to Soria Moria Castle? Here's one 
 who wants to get thither." 
 
 " Yes, I know it very well," said the West Wind, "and 
 now I'm just off thither to dry clothes for the wedding 
 that's to be ; if he's swift of foot he can go along with me.'* 
 
 113 
 
Out ran Halvor. 
 
 "You'll have to stretch your legs if you mean to 
 keep up," said the West Wind. 
 
 So off he set over field and hedge, and hill and fell, 
 and Halvor had hard work to keep up. 
 
 "Well," said the West Wind, " now I've no time to 
 stay with you any longer, for I've got to go away yonder 
 and tear down a strip of spruce wood first before I go to 
 the bleaching-ground to dry the clothes ; but if you go 
 alongside the hill you'll come to a lot of lassies standing 
 washing clothes, and then you've not far to go to Soria 
 Moria Castle" 
 
 In a little while Halvor came upon the lassies who 
 stood washing, and they asked if he had seen anything of 
 the West Wind who was to come and dry the clothes for 
 the wedding. 
 
 "Aye, aye, that I have," said Halvor , "he's only gone 
 to tear down a strip of spruce wood. It '11 not be long be 
 fore he's here," and then he asked them the way to Soria 
 Moria Castle. 
 
 So they put him into the right way, and when he got 
 to the Castle it was full of folk and horses ; so full it made 
 one giddy to look at them. But Halvor was so ragged and 
 
torn from having followed the West Wind through bush and 
 brier and bog, that he kept on one side, and wouldn't show 
 himself till the last day when the bridal feast was to be. 
 
 So when all, as was then right and fitting, were to 
 drink the bride and bridegroom's health and wish them 
 luck, and when the cupbearer was to drink to them all 
 again, both knights and squires, last of all he came in 
 turn to Ha Ivor. He drank their health, but let the ring 
 which the Prmcess had put upon his finger as he lay by 
 the lake fall into the glass, and bade the cupbearer go and 
 greet the bride and hand her the glass. 
 
 Then up rose the Princess from the board at once. 
 
 u Who is most worthy to have one of us," she said, 
 " he that has set us free, or he that here sits by me as 
 bridegroom ? " 
 
 Well they all said there could be but one voice and 
 will as to that, and when Hahor heard that he wasn't long 
 in throwing off his beggar's rags, and arraying himself as 
 bridegroom. 
 
 "Aye, aye, here is the right one after all," said the 
 youngest Princess as soon as she saw him, and so she tossed 
 the other one out of the window, and held her wedding 
 with Hahor. 
 
THE GIANT WHO HAD NO 
 HEART IN HIS BODY 
 
 INCE on a time there was a King who had seven 
 sons, and he loved them so much that he could 
 never bear to be without them all at once, but 
 one must always be with him. Now, when they were 
 grown up, six were to set off to woo, but as for the 
 youngest, his father kept him at home, and the others 
 were to bring back a princess for him to the palace. So 
 the King gave the six the finest clothes you ever set eyes 
 on, so fine that the light gleamed from them a long way 
 off, and each had his horse, which cost many, many 
 hundred pounds, and so they set off. Now, when they 
 had been to many palaces, and seen many princesses, at 
 last they came to a King who had six daughters ; such 
 lovely king's daughters they had never seen, and so they 
 fell to wooing them, each one, and when they had got 
 them for sweethearts, they set off home again, but they 
 quite forgot that they were to bring back with them a 
 sweetheart for Boots, their brother, who stayed at home, 
 for they were over head and ears in love with their own 
 sweethearts. 
 
But when they had gone a good bit on their way, they 
 passed close by a steep hill-side, like a wall, where the 
 Giant's house was, and there the Giant came out, and set 
 his eyes upon them, and turned them all into stone, 
 princes and princesses and all. Now the King waited 
 and waited for his six sons, but the more he waited, the 
 longer they stayed away ; so he fell into great trouble, and 
 said he should never know what it was to be glad again. 
 
 " And if I had not you left," he said to Boots , " I would 
 live no longer, so full of sorrow am I for the loss of your 
 brothers." 
 
 " Well, but now I've been thinking to ask your leave 
 to set out and find them again ; that's what I'm thinking 
 of," said Boots. 
 
 " Nay, nay !" said his father; " that leave you shall never 
 get, for then you would stay away too." 
 
 But Boots had set his heart upon it ; go he would ; and 
 he begged and prayed so long that the King was forced to 
 let him go. Now, you must know the King had no other 
 horse to give Boots but an old broken-down jade, for his 
 six other sons and their train had carried off all his 
 horses ; but Boots did not care a pin for that, he sprang 
 up on his sorry old steed. 
 
 118 
 
" Farewell, 
 father," said he ; 
 "I'll come back, 
 never fear, and 
 like enough I shall 
 bring my six 
 brothers back with 
 me;" and with 
 that he rode off. 
 
 So, when he 
 had ridden a while, 
 he came to a 
 Raven, which lay 
 in the road and 
 flapped its wings, and was not able to get out of the way, 
 it was so starved. 
 
 "Oh, dear friend," said the Raven, "give me a little 
 food, and I'll help you again at your utmost need." 
 
 "I haven't much food," said the Prince, "and I don't 
 see how you'll ever be able to help me much ; but still I 
 can spare you a little. I see you want it." 
 
 So he gave the raven some of the food he had brought 
 with him. 
 
 119 
 
Now, when he had gone a bit further, he came to a 
 brook, and in the brook lay a great Salmon, which had 
 got upon a dry place and dashed itself about, and could 
 not get into the water again. 
 
 "Oh, dear friend," said the Salmon to the Prince \ 
 "shove me out into the water again, and I'll help you 
 again at your utmost need." 
 
 " Well ! " said the Prince, " the help you'll give me will 
 not be great, I daresay, but it's a pity you should lie there 
 and choke ; " and with that he shot the fish out into the 
 stream again. 
 
 After that he went a long, long way, and there met 
 him a Wolf, which was so famished that it lay and 
 crawled along the road on its belly. 
 
 "Dear friend, do let me have your horse,** said the 
 Wolfi " I'm so hungry the wind whistles through my ribs ; 
 I've had nothing to eat these two years." 
 
 " No,*' said Boots, " this will never do ; first I came to 
 a raven, and I was forced to give him my food ; next I 
 came to a salmon, and him I had to help into the water 
 again; and now you will have my horse. It can't be 
 done, that it can't, for then I should have nothing to 
 ride on." 
 
'On that island stands a church; in that church is a well- in 
 that well swims a duck." Page 126 
 
" Nay, dear friend, but you can help me," said Graylegs 
 the wolf; "you can ride upon my back, and I'll help you 
 again in your utmost need." 
 
 " Well ! the help I shall get from you will not be great, 
 I'll be bound," said the Prince ; " but you may take my 
 horse, since you are in such need." 
 
 So when the Wolf had eaten the horse, Boots took the 
 bit and put it into the Wolf's jaw, and laid the saddle on 
 his back; and now the Wolf 'was so strong, after what he 
 had got inside, that he set off with the Prince like nothing. 
 So fast he had never ridden before. 
 
 "When we have gone a bit farther," said Graylegs^ 
 " I'll show you the Giant's house." 
 
 So after a while they came to it. 
 
 "See, here is the Giant's house," said the Wolf\ "and 
 see, here are your six brothers, whom the Giant has 
 turned into stone ; and see, here are their six brides, and 
 away yonder is the door, and in that door you must go." 
 
 "Nay, but I daren't go in," said the Prince ; "he'll 
 take my life." 
 
 "No! no!" said the Wolf\ "when you get in you'll 
 find a Princess^ and she'll tell you what to do to make an 
 end of the Giant. Only mind and do as she bids you." 
 
 121 
 
Well! Boots went in, but, truth to say, he was very 
 much afraid. When he came in the Giant was away, 
 but in one of the rooms sat the Princess ', just as the Wolf 
 had said, and so lovely a princess Boots had never yet 
 set eyes on. 
 
 " Oh I heaven help you ! whence have you come?" said 
 the Princess, as she saw him ; "it will surely be your death. 
 No one can make an end of the Giant who lives here, 
 for he has no heart in his body." 
 
 " Well ! well ! " said Boots ; " but now that I am here, I 
 may as well try what I can do with him; and I will see 
 if I can't free my brothers, who are standing turned to 
 stone out of doors ; and you, too, I will try to save, that 
 I will." 
 
 "Well, if you must, you must," said the Princess; 
 "and so let us see if we can't hit on a plan. Just 
 creep under the bed yonder, and mind and listen to 
 what he and I talk about. But, pray, do lie as still as a 
 mouse." 
 
 So he crept under the bed, and he had scarce got well 
 underneath it, before the Giant came. 
 
 "Ha!" roared the Giant, "what a smell of Christian 
 blood there is in the house!" 
 
 122 
 
"Yes, I know there is," said the Princess^ "for there 
 came a magpie flying with a man's bone, and let it fall 
 down the chimney. I made all the haste I could to get 
 it out, but all one can do, the smell doesn't go off so 
 soon." 
 
 So the Giant said no more about it, and when night 
 came, they went to bed. After they had lain a while, 
 the Princess said : 
 
 "There is one thing I'd be so glad to ask you about, 
 if I only dared." 
 
 "What thing is that?" asked the Giant. 
 
 " Only where it is you keep your heart, since you don't 
 carry it about you," said the Princess. 
 
 "Ah ! that's a thing you've no business to ask about ; 
 but if you must know, it lies under the door-sill," said the 
 Giant. 
 
 " Ho ! ho ! " said Boots to himself under the bed, " then 
 we'll soon see if we can't find it." 
 
 Next morning the Giant got up cruelly early, and 
 strode off to the wood ; but he was hardly out of the house 
 before Boots and the Princess set to work to look under 
 the door-sill for his heart ; but the more they dug, and the 
 more they hunted, the more they couldn't find it. 
 
 123 
 
"He has baulked us this time," said the Princess, "but 
 we'll try him once more." 
 
 So she picked all the prettiest flowers she could find, 
 and strewed them over the door-sill, which they had laid 
 in its right place again ; and when the time came for the 
 Giant to come home again, Boots crept under the bed. 
 Just as he was well under, back came the Giant. 
 
 Snuff snuff, went the Giant's nose. " My eyes and 
 limbs, what a smell of Christian blood there is in here," 
 said he. 
 
 "I know there is," said the Princess, "for there came 
 a magpie flying with a man's bone in his bill, and let it 
 fall down the chimney. I made as much haste as I could 
 to get it out, but I daresay it's that you smell." 
 
 So the Giant held his peace, and said no more about it. 
 A little while after, he asked who it was that had strewed 
 flowers about the door-sill. 
 
 "Oh, I, of course," said the Princess. 
 
 "And, pray, what's the meaning of all this?" said the 
 Giant. 
 
 "Ah!" said the Princess, "I'm so fond of you that I 
 couldn't help strewing them, when I knew that your heart 
 lay under there." 
 
 124 
 
u You don't say so," said the Giant; "but after all it 
 doesn't lie there at all." 
 
 So when they went to bed again in the evening, the 
 Princess asked the Giant again where his heart was, for she 
 said she would so like to know. 
 
 "Well," said the Giant y "if you must know, it lies 
 away yonder in the cupboard against the wall." 
 
 " So, so ! " thought Boots and the Princess; " then we'll 
 soon try to find it." 
 
 Next morning the Giant was away early, and strode off 
 to the wood, and so soon as he was gone Boots and the 
 Princess were in the cupboard hunting for his heart, but the 
 more they sought for it, the less they found it. 
 
 "Well," said the Princess y "we'll just try him once 
 more." 
 
 So she decked out the cupboard with flowers and gar 
 lands, and when the time came for the Giant to come 
 home, Boots crept under the bed again. 
 
 Then back came the Giant. 
 
 Snuff snuff! "My eyes and limbs, what a smell of 
 Christian blood there is in here!" 
 
 " I know there is," said the Princess ; " for a little while 
 since there came a magpie flying with a man's bone in his 
 
 125 
 
bill, and let it fall down the chimney. I made all the 
 haste I could to get it out of the house again ; but after 
 all my pains, I daresay it's that you smell." 
 
 When the Giant heard that, he said no more about it ; 
 but a little while after, he saw how the cupboard was all 
 decked about with flowers and garlands ; so he asked who 
 it was that had done that ? Who could it be but the Princess ? 
 
 "And, pray, what's the meaning of all this tom 
 foolery ? " asked the Giant. 
 
 "Oh, I'm so fond of you, I couldn't help doing it 
 when I knew that your heart lay there," said the Princess. 
 
 " How can you be so silly as to believe any such thing ? " 
 said the Giant. 
 
 " Oh yes ; how can I help believing it, when you say 
 it ? " said the Princess. 
 
 "You're a goose," said the Giant ; "where my heart 
 is, you will never come." 
 
 "Well," said the Princess; "but for all that, 'twould 
 be such a pleasure to know where it really lies." 
 
 Then the poor Giant could hold out no longer, but 
 was forced to say : 
 
 "Far, far away in a lake lies an island ; on that island 
 stands a church ; in that church is a well ; in that well 
 
 126 
 
swims a duck ; in that duck there is an egg, and in that 
 egg there lies my heart, you darling ! " 
 
 In the morning early, while it was still grey dawn, the 
 Giant strode off to the wood. 
 
 " Yes ! now I must set off too," said Boots ; " if I only 
 knew how to find the way." He took a long, long fare 
 well of the Princess, and when he got out of the Giant's 
 door, there stood the Wolf waiting for him. So Boots 
 told him all that had happened inside the house, and said 
 now he wished to ride to the well in the church, if he 
 only knew the way. So the Wolf bade him jump on his 
 back, he'd soon find the way ; and away they went, till 
 the wind whistled after them, over hedge and field, over 
 hill and dale. After they had travelled many, many days, 
 they came at last to the lake. Then the Prince did not 
 know how to get over it, but the Wolf bade him only 
 not be afraid, but stick on, and so he jumped into the 
 lake with the Prince on his back, and swam over to the 
 island. So they came to the church ; but the church 
 keys hung high, high up on the top of the tower, and 
 at first the Prince did not know how to get them 
 down. 
 
 "You must call on the raven," said the Wolf. 
 
 127 
 
So the Prince called on the raven, and in a trice the 
 raven came, and flew up and fetched the keys, and so the 
 Prince got into the church. But when he came. to the 
 well, there lay the duck, and swam about backwards and 
 forwards, just as the Giant had said. So the Prince stood 
 and coaxed it, till it came to him, and he grasped it in 
 his hand ; but just as he lifted it up from the water the 
 duck dropped the egg into the well, and then Boots was 
 beside himself to know how to get it out again. 
 
 " Well, now you must call on the salmon to be sure," 
 said the Wolf; and the king's son called on the salmon, 
 and the salmon came and fetched up the egg from the 
 bottom of the well. 
 
 Then the Wolf told him to squeeze the egg, and as 
 soon as ever he squeezed it the Giant screamed out. 
 
 "Squeeze it again," said the Wolf; and when the 
 Prince did so, the Giant screamed still more piteously, 
 and begged and prayed so prettily to be spared, saying he 
 would do all that the Prince wished if he would only not 
 squeeze his heart in two. 
 
 "Tell him, if he will restore to life again your six 
 brothers and their brides, whom he has turned to stone, 
 you will spare his life," said the Wolf. Yes, the Giant 
 
L Ic took a long, long farewell of the Princess, and when he got out of the Giant's 
 door, there stood the Wolf waiting for him. Page 127 
 
was ready to do that, and he turned the six brothers into 
 king's sons again, and their brides into king's daughters. 
 
 "Now, squeeze the egg in two," said the Wolf. So 
 Boots squeezed the egg to pieces, and the Giant burst at 
 once. 
 
 Now, when he had made an end of the Giant, Boots 
 rode back again on the Wolf to the Giant's house, and 
 there stood all his six brothers alive and merry, with their 
 brides. Then Boots went into the hill-side after his bride, 
 and so they all set off home again to their father's house. 
 And you may fancy how glad the old king was when he 
 saw all his seven sons come back, each with his bride 
 "But the loveliest bride of all is the bride of Boots, after 
 all," said the king, "and he shall sit uppermost at the 
 table, with her by his side." 
 
 So he sent out, and called a great wedding-feast, and 
 the mirth was both loud and long, and if they have not 
 done feasting, why, they are still at it. 
 
THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL 
 
 INCE on a time there was a man who had a 
 meadow, which lay high up on the hill-side, 
 and in the meadow was a barn, which he had 
 built to keep his hay in. Now, I must tell you, there 
 hadn't been much in the barn for the last year or two, for 
 every St. John's night, when the grass stood greenest and 
 deepest, the meadow was eaten down to the very ground 
 the next morning, just as if a whole drove of sheep had 
 been there feeding on it over night. This happened once, 
 and it happened twice ; so at last the man grew weary of 
 losing his crop of hay, and said to his sons for he had 
 three of them, and the youngest was nicknamed Boots, of 
 course that now one of them must go and sleep in the 
 barn in the outlying field when St. John's night came, for 
 it was too good a joke that his grass should be eaten, root 
 and blade, this year, as it had been the last two years. So 
 whichever of them went must keep a sharp look-out ; that 
 was what their father said. 
 
 Well, the eldest son was ready to go and watch the 
 meadow ; trust him for looking after the grass ! It shouldn't 
 be his fault if man or beast, or the fiend himself, got a blade 
 
of grass. So, when evening came, he set off to the barn, 
 and lay down to sleep ; but a little on in the night came 
 such a clatter, and such an earthquake, that walls and roof 
 shook, and groaned, and creaked ; then up jumped the lad, 
 and took to his heels as fast as ever he could ; nor dared he 
 once look round till he reached home ; and as for the hay, 
 why it was eaten up this year just as it had been twice before. 
 
 The next St. John's night, the man said again, it would 
 never do to lose all the grass in the outlying field year after 
 year in this way, so one of his sons must just trudge off to 
 watch it, and watch it well too. Well, the next oldest son 
 was ready to try his luck, so he set off, and lay down to 
 sleep in the barn as his brother had done before him ; but 
 as the night wore on, there came on a rumbling and quak 
 ing of the earth, worse even than on the last St. John's night, 
 and when the lad heard it, he got frightened, and took to 
 his heels as though he were running a race. 
 
 Next year the turn came to Boots ; but when he made 
 ready to go, the other two began to laugh and to make 
 game of him, saying : 
 
 "You're just the man to watch the hay, that you are ; 
 you, who have done nothing all your life but sit in the 
 ashes and toast yourself by the fire." 
 
 132 
 
But Boots did not care a pin for their chattering, and 
 stumped away as evening grew on, up the hill-side to the 
 outlying field. There he went inside the barn and lay 
 down ; but in about an hour's time the barn began to 
 groan and creak, so that it was dreadful to hear. 
 
 " Well," said Boots to himselt, "if it isn't worse than 
 this, I can stand it well enough." 
 
 A little while after came another creak and an earth 
 quake, so that the litter in the barn flew about the lad's ears. 
 " Oh ! " said Boots to himself, " if it isn't worse than this, 
 I daresay I can stand it out." 
 
 But just then came a third rumbling, and a third earth 
 quake, so that the lad thought walls and roof were coming 
 down on his head ; but it passed off, and all was still as 
 death about him. 
 
 " It'll come again, I'll be bound," thought Boots ; but 
 no, it didn't come again ; still it was, and still it stayed ; but 
 after he had lain a little while, he heard a noise as if a horse 
 were standing just outside the barn-door, and cropping the 
 grass. He stole to the door, and peeped through a chink, 
 and there stood a horse feeding away. So big, and fat, 
 and grand a horse, Boots had never set eyes on ; by his side 
 on the grass lay a saddle and bridle, and a full set of armour 
 
 133 
 
for a knight, all of brass, so bright that the light gleamed 
 from it. 
 
 " Ho, ho ! " thought the lad ; " it's you, is it, that eats 
 up our hay ? I'll soon put a spoke in your wheel, just see 
 if I don't." 
 
 So he lost no time, but took the steel out of his tinder- 
 box, and threw it over the horse ; then it had no power to 
 stir from the spot, and became so tame that the lad could 
 do what he liked with it. So he got on its back, and rode 
 off with it to a place which no one knew of, and there he 
 put up the horse. When he got home, his brothers 
 laughed and asked how he had fared ? 
 
 " You didn't lie long in the barn, even if you had the 
 heart to go so far as the field." 
 
 " Well," said Boots , "all I can say is, I lay in the barn 
 till the sun rose, and neither saw nor heard anything; I 
 can't think what there was in the barn to make you both so 
 afraid." 
 
 " A pretty story," said his brothers ; " but we'll soon 
 see how you have watched the meadow ;" so they set off; 
 but when they reached it, there stood the grass as deep and 
 thick as it had been over night. 
 
 Well, the next St. John's eve it was the same story over 
 
 '34 
 
again ; neither of the elder brothers dared to go out to the 
 outlying field to watch the crop ; but Boots^ he had the 
 heart to go, and everything happened just as it had happened 
 the year before. First a clatter and an earthquake, then a 
 greater clatter and another earthquake, and so on a third 
 time \ only this year the earthquakes were far worse than 
 the year before. Then all at once everything was as 
 still as death, and the lad heard how something was crop 
 ping the grass outside the barn-door, so.he stole to the door, 
 and peeped through a chink ; and what do you think he 
 saw ? Why, another horse standing right up against the 
 wall, and chewing and champing with might and main. 
 It was far finer and fatter than that which came the year 
 before, and it had a saddle on its back, and a bridle on its 
 neck, and a fulj suit of mail for a knight lay by its side, 
 all of silver, and as grand as you would wish to see. 
 
 "Ho, ho!" said Boots to himself; "it's you that 
 gobbles up our hay, is it ? I'll soon put a spoke in your 
 wheel ; " and with that he took the steel out of his tinder- 
 box, and threw it over the horse's crest, which stood as 
 still as a lamb. Well, the lad rode this horse, too, to the 
 hiding-place where he kept the other one, and after that 
 he went home. 
 
" I suppose you'll tell us," said one of his brothers, 
 "there's a fine crop this year too, up in the hayfield." 
 
 "Well, so there is," said Boots ; and off ran the others 
 to see, and there stood the grass thick and deep, as it was 
 the year before ; but they didn't give Boots softer words for 
 all that. 
 
 Now, when the third St. John's eve came, the two elder 
 brothers still hadn't the heart to lie out in the barn and watch 
 the grass, for they had got so scared at heart the nights they 
 lay there before, that they couldn't get over the fright ; but 
 Boots ^ he dared to go ; and, to make a very long story short, 
 the very same thing happened this time as had happened 
 twice before. Three earthquakes came, one after the 
 other, each worse than the one which went before, and 
 when the last came, the lad danced about with the shock 
 from one barn wall to the other; and after that, all at 
 once, it was still as death. Now when he had laid a little 
 while, he heard something tugging away at the grass 
 outside the barn, so he stole again to the door-chink, and 
 peeped out, and there stood a horse close outside far, far 
 bigger and fatter than the two he had taken before. 
 
 "Ho, ho!" said the lad to himself, "it's you, is it, 
 that comes here eating up our hay ? I'll soon stop that 
 
 136 
 
When he had walked a day or so, a strange man met him. "Whither 
 away?" asked the man. Page 149 
 
I'll soon put a spoke in your wheel." So he caught up 
 his steel and threw it over his horse's neck, and in a trice 
 it stood as if it were nailed to the ground, and Boots 
 could do as he pleased with it. Then he rode off with 
 it to the hiding-place where he kept the other two, and 
 then went home. When he got home, his two brothers 
 made game of him as they had done before, saying, they 
 could see he had watched the grass well, for he looked 
 for all the world as if he were walking in his sleep, and 
 many other spiteful things they said, but Boots gave no 
 heed to them, only asking them to go and see for them 
 selves ; and when they went, there stood the grass as fine 
 and deep this time as it had been twice before. 
 
 Now, you must know that the king of the country 
 where Boots lived had a daughter, whom he would only 
 give to the man who could ride up over the hill of glass, 
 for there was a high, high hill, all of glass, as smooth and 
 slippery as ice, close by the Kings palace. Upon the 
 tip top of the hill the Kings daughter was to sit, with 
 three golden apples in her lap, and the man who could 
 ride up and carry off the three golden apples, was to 
 have half the kingdom, and the Princess to wife. This 
 the King had stuck up on all the church-doors in his 
 
 137 
 
realm, and had 
 given it out in 
 many other king 
 doms besides. 
 Now, this Princess 
 was so lovely that 
 all who set eyes on 
 her fell over head 
 and ears in love 
 with her whether 
 they would or no. 
 So I needn't tell 
 you how all the 
 princes and 
 knights who heard of her were eager to win her to wife, 
 and half the kingdom beside ; and how they came riding 
 from all parts of the world on high prancing horses^ and 
 clad in the grandest clothes, for there wasn't one of them 
 who hadn't made up his mind that he, and he alone, was 
 to win the Princess. 
 
 So when the day of trial came, which the king had 
 fixed, there was such a crowd of princes and knights under 
 the Glass Hill, that it made one's head whirl to look at 
 
 138 
 
them, and everyone in the country who could even crawl 
 along was off to the hill, for they were all eager to see 
 the man who was to win the Princess. So the two elder 
 brothers set off with the rest ; but as for Boots, they said 
 outright he shouldn't go with them, for if they were seen 
 with such a dirty changeling, all begrimed with smut from 
 cleaning their shoes and sifting cinders in the dust-hole, 
 they said folk would make game of them. 
 
 "Very well," said Boots, " it's all one to me. I can go 
 alone, and stand or fall by myself." 
 
 Now when the two brothers came to the Hill of Glass, 
 the knights and princes were all hard at it, riding their 
 horses till they were all in a foam ; but it was no good, by 
 my troth ; for as soon as ever the horses set foot on the hill, 
 down they slipped, and there wasn't one who could get 
 a yard or two up ; and no wonder, for the hill was as 
 smooth as a sheet of glass, and as steep as a house-wall. 
 But all were eager to have the Princess and half the king 
 dom. So they rode and slipped, and slipped and rode, 
 and still it was the same story over again. At last all 
 their horses were so weary that they could scarce lift a 
 leg, and in such a sweat that the lather dripped from them, 
 and so the knights had to give up trying any more. So the 
 
 139 
 
king was just thinking that he would proclaim a new trial 
 for the next day, to see if they would have better luck, 
 when all at once a knight came riding up on so brave a 
 steed, that no one had ever seen the like of it in his bora 
 days, and the knight had mail of brass, and the horse a brass 
 bit in his mouth, so bright that the sunbeams shone from it. 
 Then all the others called out to him he might just as well 
 spare himself the trouble of riding at the Hill, for it would 
 lead to no good ; but he gave no heed to them, and put his 
 horse at the hill, and went up it like nothing for a good 
 way, about a third of the height; and when he had got so 
 far, he turned his horse round and rode down again. So 
 lovely a knight the Princess thought she had never yet seen ; 
 and while he was riding, she sat and thought to herself: 
 
 "Would to heaven he might only come up and down 
 the other side." 
 
 And when she saw him turning back, she threw down 
 one of the golden apples after him, and it rolled down into 
 his shoe. But when he got to the bottom of the hill, he 
 rode off so fast that no one could tell what had become of 
 him. That evening all the knights and princes were to go 
 before the king, that he who had ridden so far up the hill 
 might show the apple which the Princess had thrown, but 
 
 140 
 
there was no one who had anything to show. One after 
 the other they all came, but not a man of them could show 
 the apple. 
 
 At even the brothers of Boots came home too, and had 
 such a long story to tell about the riding up the hill. 
 
 "First of all," they said, "there was not one of the 
 whole lot who could get so much as a stride up ; but at last 
 came one who had a suit of brass mail, and a brass bridle 
 and saddle, all so bright that the sun shone from them a mile 
 off. He was a chap to ride, just ! He rode a third of the 
 way up the Hill of Glass , and he could easily have ridden 
 the whole way up, if he chose ; but he turned round and 
 rode down, thinking, maybe, that was enough for once." 
 
 " Oh 1 1 should so like to have seen him, that I should," 
 said Boots, who sat by the fireside, and stuck his feet into 
 the cinders, as was his wont. 
 
 " Oh ! " said his brothers, " you would, would you ? 
 You look fit to keep company with such high lords, nasty 
 beast that you are, sitting there amongst the ashes." 
 
 Next day the brothers were all for setting off again, and 
 Boots begged them this time, too, to let him go with them 
 and see the riding ; but no, they wouldn't have him at any 
 price, he was too ugly and nasty, they said. 
 
" Well, well I " said Boots; " if I go at all, I must go by 
 myself. I'm not afraid." 
 
 So when the brothers got to the Hill of Glass , all the 
 princes and knights began to ride again, and you may fancy 
 they had taken care to shoe their horses sharp ; but it was 
 no good they rode and slipped, and slipped and rode, just 
 as they had done the day before, and there was not one who 
 could get so far as a yard up the hill. And when they had 
 worn out their horses, so that they could not stir a leg, they 
 were all forced to give it up as a bad job. So the king 
 thought he might as well proclaim that the riding should 
 take place the day after for the last time, just to give them 
 one chance more ; but all at once it came across his mind 
 that he might as well wait a little longer, to see if the knight 
 in brass mail would come this day too. Well, they saw 
 nothing of him ; but all at once came one riding on a steed, 
 far, far braver and finer than that on which the knight in 
 brass had ridden, and he had silver mail, and a silver saddle 
 and bridle, all so bright that the sunbeams gleamed and 
 glanced from them far away. Then the others shouted 
 out to him again, saying, he might as well hold hard, and 
 not try to ride up the hill, for all his trouble would be 
 thrown away j but the knight paid no heed to them, and 
 
 142 
 
rode straight at the hill, and right up it, till he had gone 
 two- thirds of the way, and then he wheeled his horse 
 round and rode down again. To tell the truth, the 
 Princess liked him still better than the knight in brass, and 
 she sat and wished he might only be able to come right 
 up to the top, and down the other side; but when she 
 saw him turning back, she threw the second apple after 
 him, and it rolled down and fell into his shoe. But, as 
 soon as ever he had come down from the Hill of Glass, he 
 rode off so fast that no one could see what became of him. 
 
 At even, when all were to go in before the king and 
 the Princess , that he who had the golden apple might show 
 it, in they went, one after the other, but there was no one 
 who had any apple to show, and the two brothers, as they 
 had done on the former day, went home and told how 
 things had gone, and how all had ridden at the hill, and 
 none got up. 
 
 "But, last of all," they said, " came one in a silver 
 suit, and his horse had a silver saddle and a silver bridle. 
 He was just a chap to ride; and he got two-thirds up the 
 hill, and then turned back. He was a fine fellow, and no, 
 mistake ; and the Princess threw the second gold apple to 
 him." 
 
" Oh ! " said Boots, " I should so like to have seen him 
 too, that I should." 
 
 "A pretty story," they said. "Perhaps you think 
 his coat of mail was as bright as the ashes you are always 
 poking about, and sifting, you nasty dirty beast." 
 
 The third day everything happened as it had happened 
 the two days before. Boots begged to go and see the 
 sight, but the two wouldn't hear of his going with them. 
 When they got to the Hill there was no one who could 
 get so much as a yard up it ; and now all waited for the 
 knight in silver mail, but they neither saw nor heard of 
 him. At last came one riding on a steed, so brave that 
 no one had ever seen his match ; and the knight had a 
 suit of golden mail, and a golden saddle and bridle, so 
 wondrous bright that the sunbeams gleamed from them 
 a mile off. The other knights and princes could not 
 find time to call out to him not to try his luck, for they 
 were amazed to see how grand he was. So he rode 
 right at the hill, and tore up it like nothing, so that the 
 Princess hadn't even time to wish that he might get up 
 the whole way. As soon as ever he reached the top, hej 
 took the third golden apple from the Princess lap, andv 
 then turned his horse and rode down again. As soon as 
 
 144 
 
But still the Horse begged him to look behind him. Page 156 
 
he got down, he rode off at full speed, and was out of 
 sight in no time. 
 
 Now, when the brothers got home at even, you may 
 fancy what long stones they told, how the riding had 
 gone off that day ; and amongst other things, they had 
 a deal to say about the knight in golden mail. 
 
 "He just was a chap to ride!" they said ; " so grand a 
 knight isn't to be found in the wide world." 
 
 "Oh!" said Boots, "I should so like to have seen him, 
 that I should." 
 
 "Ah!" said his brothers, "his mail shone a deal 
 brighter than the glowing coals which you are always 
 poking and digging at ; nasty dirty beast that you 
 are." 
 
 Next day all the knights and princes were to pass be 
 fore the king and the Princess it was too late to do so 
 the night before, I suppose that he who had the gold 
 apple might bring it forth; but one came after another, 
 first the Princes, and then the knights, and still no one could 
 show the gold apple. 
 
 " Well," said the king, " some one must have it, for 
 it was something we all saw with our own eyes, how a 
 man came and rode up and bore it off." 
 
So he commanded that every man who was in the 
 kingdom should come up to the palace and see if they 
 could show the apple. Well, they all came one after 
 another, but no one had the golden apple, and after a long 
 time the two brothers of Boots came. They were the last 
 of all, so the king asked them if there was no one else in 
 
 the kingdom who hadn't come, 
 o 
 
 " Oh, yes," said they ; " we have a brother, but he 
 never carried off the golden apple. He hasn't stirred out 
 of the dusthole on any of the three days." 
 
 "Never mind that," said the king ; " he may as well 
 come up to the palace like the rest." 
 
 So Boots had to go up to the palace. 
 
 " How now," said the king ; " have you got the golden 
 apple ? Speak out ! " 
 
 " Yes, I have," said Boots ; " here is the first, and 
 here is the second, and here is the third too ; " and with 
 that he pulled all three golden apples out of his pocket, and 
 at the same time threw off his sooty rags, and stood before 
 them in his gleaming golden mail. 
 
 " Yes ! " said the king ; " you shall have my daughter, 
 and half my kingdom, for you well deserve both her 
 and it." 
 
 146 
 
So they got ready for the wedding, and Boots got the 
 Princess to wife, and there was great merry-making at the 
 bridal-feast, you may fancy, for they could all be merry 
 though they couldn't ride up the Hill of Glass ; and all I 
 can say is, if they haven't left off their merry-making yet, 
 why, they're still at it. & 
 
 fife Afe 
 
THE WIDOW'S SON 
 
 |NCE on a time there was a poor, poor Widow ^ 
 who had an only Son, She dragged on with the 
 boy till he had been confirmed, and then she 
 said she couldn't feed him any longer, he must just go out 
 and earn his own bread. So the lad wandered out into 
 the world, and when he had walked a day or so, a strange 
 man met him. 
 
 "Whither away?" asked the man. 
 
 "Oh, I'm going out into the world to try and get a 
 place," said the lad. 
 
 "Will you come and serve me?" said the man. 
 
 " Oh, yes ; just as soon you as any one else," said 
 the lad. 
 
 "Well, you'll have a good place with me," said the 
 man; "for you'll only have to keep me company, and do 
 nothing at all else beside." 
 
 So the lad stopped with him, and lived on the fet 
 of the land, both in meat and drink, and had little or 
 nothing to do ; but he never saw a living soul in that 
 man's house. 
 
 So one day the man said : 
 
"Now, I'm going off for eight days, and that time 
 you '11 have to spend here all alone ; but you must not go 
 into any one of these four rooms here. If you do, I'll 
 take your life when I come back." 
 
 "No," said the lad, he'd be sure not to do that. But 
 when the man had been gone three or four days, the kd 
 
 
 
 couldn't bear it any longer, but went into the first room, 
 and when he got inside he looked round, but he saw 
 nothing but a shelf over the door where a bramble-bush 
 rod lay. 
 
 Well, indeed 1 thought the lad; a pretty thing to 
 forbid my seeing this. 
 
 So when the eight days were out, the man came home, 
 and the first thing he said was : 
 
 " You haven't been into any of these rooms, of 
 
 course." 
 
 "No, no; that I haven't," said the lad. 
 
 "I'll soon see that," said the man, and went at once 
 into the room where the lad had been. 
 
 "Nay, but you have been in here," said he; "and 
 now you shall lose your life." 
 
 Then the lad begged and prayed so hard that he got 
 off with his life, but the man gave him a good thrashing. 
 
 150 
 
And when it was over, they were as good friends as ever. 
 
 Some time after the man set off again, and said he 
 should be away fourteen days ; but before he went he 
 forbade the lad to go into any of the rooms he had not 
 been in before ; as for that he had been in, he might go 
 into that, and welcome. Well, it was the same story 
 over again, except that the lad stood out eight days before 
 he went in. In this room, too, he saw nothing but a 
 shelf over the door, and a big stone, and a pitcher of 
 water on it. Well, after all, there's not much to be 
 afraid of my seeing here, thought the lad. 
 
 But when the man came back, he asked if he had 
 been into any of the rooms. No, the lad hadn't done 
 anything of the kind. 
 
 "Well, well; I'll soon see that," said the man; and 
 when he saw the lad had been in them after all, he said : 
 
 "Ah! now I'll spare you no longer; now you must 
 lose your life." 
 
 But the lad begged and prayed for himself again, 
 and SQ this time too he got off with stripes ; though he 
 got as many as his skin would carry. But when he got 
 sound and well again, he led just as easy a life as ever, 
 and he and the man were just as good friends. 
 
So a while after the man was to take another journey, 
 and now he said he should be away three weeks, and he 
 forbade the lad anew to go into the third room, for if 
 he went in there he might just make up his mind at once 
 to lose his life. Then after fourteen days the lad couldn't 
 bear it, but crept into the room, but he saw .nothing at 
 all in there but a trap door on the floor ; and when he 
 lifted it up and looked down, there stood a great copper 
 cauldron which bubbled up and boiled away down there ; 
 but he saw no fire under it. 
 
 " Well, I should just like to know if it's hot," thought 
 the lad, and struck his finger down into the broth, and 
 when he pulled it out again, lo ! it was gilded all oVer. 
 So the lad scraped and scrubbed it, but the gilding 
 wouldn't go off, so he bound a piece of rag round it ; 
 and when the man came back, and asked what was the 
 matter with his finger, the lad said he'd given it such a 
 bad cut. But the man tore off the rag,, and then he 
 soon saw what was the matter with the finger. First he 
 wanted to kill the lad outright, but when he wept, and 
 begged, he only gave him such a thrashing that he had 
 to keep his bed three days. After that the man took 
 down a pot from the wall, and rubbed him over with 
 
 152 
 
And this time she whisked off the wig; and there lay the lad, so lovely and white 
 and red, just as the Princess had seen him in the morning sun. Page 160 
 
some stuff out of it, and so the lad was as sound and 
 fresh as ever. 
 
 So after a while the man started off again, and this 
 time he was to be away a month. But before he went, 
 he said to the lad, if he went into the fourth room he 
 might give up all hope of saving his life. 
 
 Well, the lad stood out for two or three weeks, but 
 then he couldn't hold out any longer; he must and 
 would go into that room, and so in he stole. There 
 stood a great black horse tied up in a stall by himself, 
 with a manger of red-hot coals at his head and a truss 
 of hay at his tail. Then the lad thought this all wrong, 
 so he changed them about, and put the hay at his head. 
 Then said the Horse: 
 
 "Since you are so good at heart as to let me have 
 some food, I'll set you free, that I will. For if the 
 Troll comes back and finds you here, he'll kill you out 
 right. But now you must go up to the room which 
 lies just over this, and take a coat of mail out of those 
 that hang there ; and mind, whatever you do, don't take 
 any of the bright ones, but the most rusty of all you 
 see, that's the one to take; and sword and saddle you 
 must choose for yourself just in the same way." 
 
So the lad did all that ; but it was a heavy load for 
 him to carry them all down at once. 
 
 When he came back, the Horse told him to pull off 
 his clothes and get into the cauldron which stood and 
 boiled in the other room, and bathe himself there. "If 
 I do," thought the lad, "I shall look an awful fright;" 
 but for all that, he did as he was told. So when he had 
 taken his bath, he became so handsome and sleek, and 
 as red and white as milk and blood, and much stronger 
 than he had been before. 
 
 "Do you feel any change?" asked the Horse. 
 
 "Yes," said the lad. 
 
 "Try and lift me, then," said the Horse. 
 
 Oh yes ! he could do that, and as for the sword, he 
 brandished it like a feather. 
 
 "Now saddle me," said the Horse, "and put on the 
 coat of mail, and then take the bramble-bush rod, and 
 the stone, and the pitcher of water, and the pot of 
 ointment, and then we'll be off as fast as we can." 
 
 So when the lad had got on the horse, off they went 
 at such a rate, he couldn't at all tell how they went. But 
 when he had ridden awhile, the Horse said, "I think I 
 hear a noise ; look round ! can you see anything ? " 
 
 '54 
 
"Yes; there are ever so many coming after us, at 
 least a score," said the lad. 
 
 " Aye, aye, that's the Troll coming," said the Horse ; 
 "now he's after us with his pack." 
 
 So they rode on a while, until those who followed 
 were close behind them. 
 
 "Now throw your bramble-bush rod behind you, 
 over your shoulder," said the Horse; "but mind you 
 throw it a good way off my back." 
 
 So the lad did that, and all at once a close, thick 
 bramblewood grew up behind them. So the lad rode on 
 a long, long time, while the Troll and his crew had to go 
 home to fetch something to hew their way through the 
 wood. But at last the Horse said again. 
 
 "Look behind you! can you see anything now?" 
 
 "Yes, ever so many," said the lad, "as many as would 
 fill a large church." 
 
 "Aye, aye, that's the Troll and his crew," 'said the 
 Horse; "now he's got more to back him; but now throw 
 down the stone, and mind you throw it far behind me." 
 
 And as soon as the lad did what the Horse said, up 
 rose a great black hill of rock behind him. So the Troll 
 had to be off home to fetch something to mine his way 
 
 '55 
 
through the rock ; and while the Troll did that, the lad 
 rode a good bit further on. But still the Horse begged 
 him to look behind him, and then he saw a troop like a 
 whole army behind him, and they glistened in the sun 
 beams. 
 
 " Aye, aye," said the Horse^ " that's the 7>0//, and 
 now he's got his whole band with him, so throw the 
 pitcher of water behind you, but mind you don't spill 
 any of it upon me." 
 
 So the lad did that ; but in spite of all the pains he 
 took, he still spilt one drop on the horse's flank. So it 
 became a great deep lake ; and because of that one drop, 
 the horse found himself far out in it, but still he swam 
 safe to land. But when the Trolls came to the lake, they 
 lay down to drink it dry ; arid so they swilled and swilled 
 till they burst. 
 
 " Now we're rid of them," said the Horse. 
 
 So when they had gone a long, long while, they came 
 to a green patch in a wood. 
 
 "Now, strip off all your arms," said the Horse , "and 
 only put on your ragged clothes, and take the saddle off 
 me, and let me loose, and hang all my clothing and 
 your arms up inside that great hollow lime-tree yonder. 
 
 156 
 
Then make yourself a wig of fir-moss, and go up to the 
 king's palace, which lies close here, and ask for a place. 
 Whenever you need me, only come here and shake the 
 bridle, and I'll come to you." 
 
 Yes ! the lad did all his Horse told him, and as soon 
 as ever he put on the wig of moss he became so ugly, and 
 pale, and miserable to look at, no one would have known 
 him again. Then he went up to the king's palace and 
 begged first for leave to be in the kitchen, and bring in 
 wood and water for the cook, but then the kitchen-maid 
 asked him : 
 
 "Why do you wear that ugly wig? Off with it. 
 I won't have such a fright in here." 
 
 "No, I can't do that," said the lad; "for I'm not 
 quite right in my head." 
 
 "Do you think then I'll have you in here about the 
 food," cried the cook. " Away with you to the coach 
 man; you're best fit to go and clean the stable." 
 
 But when the coachman begged him to take his wig 
 off, he got the same answer, and he wouldn't have him 
 either. 
 
 "You'd best go down to the gardener," said he; 
 "you're best fit to go about and dig in the garden." 
 
So he got leave 
 to be with the gar 
 dener, but none of 
 the other servants 
 would sleep with 
 him, and so he had 
 to sleep by himself 
 under the steps of 
 the summer-house. 
 It stood upon 
 beams, and had a 
 high staircase. 
 Under that he got 
 some turf for his 
 bed, and there he lay as well as he could. 
 
 So, when he had been some time at the palace, it 
 happened one morning, just as the sun rose, that the lad 
 had taken off his wig, and stood and washed himself, 
 and then he was so handsome, it was a joy to look at him. 
 So the Princess saw from her window the lovely 
 gardener's boy, and thought she had never seen any one 
 so handsome. Then she asked the gardener why he lay 
 out there under the steps. 
 
 158 
 
"Oh," said the gardener, "none of his fellow-ser 
 vants will sleep with him ; that's why." 
 
 "Let him come up to-night, and lie at the door 
 inside my bedroom, and then they'll not refuse to sleep 
 with him any more," said the Princess. 
 
 So the gardener told that to the lad. 
 
 "Do you think I'll do any such thing?" said the 
 lad. "Why they'd say next there was something between 
 me and the Princess" 
 
 "Yes," said the gardener, "you've good reason to 
 fear any such thing, you who are so handsome." 
 
 "Well, well," said the lad, "since it's her will, I 
 suppose I must go." 
 
 So, when he was to go up the steps in the evening, 
 he tramped and stamped so on the way, that they had 
 to beg him to tread softly lest the King should come to 
 know it. So he came into the Princess* bedroom, lay 
 down, and began to snore at once. Then the Princess 
 said to her maid : 
 
 "Go gently, and just pull his wig off;" and she 
 went up to him. 
 
 But just as she was going to whisk it off, he caught 
 hold of it with both hands, and said she should never 
 
 '59 
 
have it. After that he lay down again, and began to 
 snore. Then the Princess gave her maid a wink, and 
 this time she whisked off the wig ; and there lay the lad 
 so lovely, and white and red, just as the Princess had 
 seen him in the morning sun. 
 
 After that the lad slept every night in the Princess* 
 bedroom. 
 
 But it wasn't long before the King came to hear how 
 the gardener's lad slept every night in the Princess' bed 
 room ; and he got so wroth he almost took the lad's life. 
 He didn't do that, however, but he threw him into' the 
 prison tower; and as for his daughter, he shut her up 
 in her own room, whence she never got leave to stir day 
 or night. All that she begged, and all that she prayed, 
 for the lad and herself, was no good. The King was 
 only more wroth than ever. 
 
 Some time after came a war and uproar in the land, 
 and the King had to take up arms against another king 
 who wished to take the kingdom from him. So when 
 the lad heard that, he begged the gaoler to go to the 
 King and ask for a coat of mail and a sword, and for 
 leave to go to the war. All the rest laughed when the 
 gaoler told his errand, and begged the King to let him 
 
 1 60 
 
The Lad in the Battle. Page 161 
 
have an old worn-out suit, that they might have the fun 
 of seeing such a wretch in battle. So he got that, and 
 an old broken-down hack besides, which went upon 
 three legs, and dragged the fourth after it. 
 
 Then they went out to meet the foe ; but they hadn't 
 got far from the palace before the lad got stuck fast in a bog 
 with his hack. There he sat and dug his spurs in, and 
 cried, "Gee up! gee up!" to his hack. And all the rest 
 had their fun out of this, and laughed, and made game of the 
 lad as they rode past him. But they were scarcely gone, 
 before he ran to the lime-tree, threw on his coat of mail, 
 and shook the bridle, and there came the Horse in a trice, 
 and said : " Do now your best, and I'll do mine." 
 
 But when the lad came up the battle had begun, 
 and the King was in a sad pinch; but no sooner had 
 the lad rushed into the thick of it than the foe was 
 beaten back, and put to flight. The King and his men 
 wondered and wondered who it could be who had come 
 to help them, but none of them got so near him as to 
 be able to talk to him, and as soon as the fight was 
 over he was gone. When they went back, there sat the 
 lad still in the bog, and dug his spurs into his three- 
 legged hack, and they all laughed again. 
 
 161 
 
"No! only just look," they said; "there the fool sits 
 still." 
 
 The next day when they went out to battle, they 
 saw the lad sitting there still, so they laughed again, and 
 made game of him ; but as soon as ever they had ridden 
 by, the lad ran again to the lime-tree, and all happened 
 as on the first day. Every one wondered what strange 
 champion it could be that had helped them, but no one 
 got so near him as to say a word to him ; and no one 
 guessed it could be the lad ; that's easy to understand. 
 
 So when they went home at night, and saw the lad 
 still sitting there on his hack, they burst out laughing at 
 him again, and one of them shot an arrow at him and 
 hit him in the leg. So he began to shriek and to bewail ; 
 'twas enough to break one's heart ; and so the King threw 
 his pocket-handkerchief to him to bind his wound. 
 
 When they went out to battle the third day, the lad 
 still sat there. 
 
 " Gee up ! gee up ! " he said to his hack. 
 
 "Nay, nay," said the Kings men; "if he won't stick- 
 there till he's starved to death." 
 
 And then they rode on, and laughed at him till they 
 were fit to fall from their horses. When they were 
 
 162 
 
gone, he ran again to the lime, and came up to the 
 battle just in the very nick of time. This day he slew 
 the enemy's king, and then the war was over at once. 
 
 When the battle was over, the King caught sight of 
 his handkerchief, which the strange warrior had bound 
 round his leg, and so it wasn't hard to find him out. 
 So they took him with great joy between them to the 
 palace, and the Princess, who saw him from her window, 
 got so glad, no one can believe it. 
 
 "Here comes my own true love," she said. 
 
 Then he took the pot of ointment and rubbed him 
 self on the leg, and after that he rubbed all the wounded, 
 and so they all got well again in a moment. 
 
 So he got the Princess to wife; but when he went 
 down into the stable where his horse was on the day 
 the wedding was to be, there it stood so dull and heavy, 
 and hung its ears down, and wouldn't eat its corn. So 
 when the young King for he was now a king, and 
 had got half the kingdom spoke to him, and asked 
 what ailed him, the Horse said : 
 
 "Now I have helped you on, and now I won't live 
 any longer. So just take the sword, and cut my head 
 off." 
 
 163 
 
"No, I'll do nothing of the kind," said the young 
 King\ "but you shall have all you want, and rest all 
 your life." 
 
 " Well," said the Horse, " if you don't do as I tell 
 you, see if I don't take your life somehow." 
 
 So the King had to do what he asked ; but when he 
 swung the sword and was to cut his head off, he was so 
 sorry he turned away his face, for he would not see the 
 stroke fall. But as soon as ever he had cut off the 
 
 head, there stood 
 the loveliest Prince 
 on the spot where 
 the horse had 
 stood. 
 
 "Why, where 
 in all the world 
 did you come 
 from?" asked the 
 King. 
 
 "It was I who 
 was a horse," said 
 the Prince\ "for 
 I was king of that 
 
 164 
 
land whose king you slew yesterday. He it was who 
 threw this Troll's shape over me, and sold me to the 
 Troll. But now he is slain I get my own again, and you 
 and I will be neighbour kings, but war we will never 
 make on one another." 
 
 And they didn't either ; for they were friends as 
 long as they lived, and each paid the other very many 
 visits. 
 
 165 
 
THE THREE BILLY-GOATS GRUFF 
 
 | NCE on a time there were three Billy-goats ^ who 
 were to go up to the hill-side to make them 
 selves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff" 
 
 On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to 
 cross ; and under the bridge lived a great ugly Troll \ with 
 eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker. 
 
 So first of alF came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to 
 crogs the bridge. 
 
 ''Trip, trap! 
 trip, trap!" went 
 the bridge. 
 
 " WHO'S THAT 
 tripping over my 
 bridge ? " roared 
 the Troll. 
 
 "Oh ! it is 
 only I, the tiniest 
 billy-goat Gruff; 
 and I'm going up 
 to the hill-side to 
 make myself fat," 
 
 167 
 
said the billy-goat, with such a small voice. 
 
 "Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the 
 Troll. 
 
 " Oh, no ! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I 
 am," said the billy-goat ; "wait a bit till the second billy- 
 goat Gruff comes, he's much bigger." 
 
 "Well! be off with you," said the Troll. 
 
 A little while after came the second billy-goat Gruff 
 to cross the bridge. 
 
 " TRIP, TRAP ! TRIP, TRAP ! TRIP, TRAP ! " went the bridge. 
 
 "WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared 
 the Troll. 
 
 "Oh! it's the second billy-goat Gruff ^ and I'm going 
 up to the hill-side to make myself fat," said the billy-goat, 
 who hadn't such a small voice. 
 
 " Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll. 
 
 " Oh, no ! don't take me, wait a little till the big billy- 
 goat Gruff comes, he's much bigger." 
 
 "Very well! be off with you," said the Troll. 
 
 But just then up came the big billy-goat Gruff. 
 
 "TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" 
 went the bridge, for the billy-goat was so heavy that the 
 bridge creaked and groaned under him. 
 
 168 
 
,' bent down to take the rose a big dense snow-drift 
 came and carried them aivay. Page 173 
 
<c 
 
 Aft Afc 
 
 WHO'S THAT tramping over my bridge ? " roared 
 the Troll. 
 
 "IT'S I! THE BIG BILLY-GOAT GRUFF," said 
 
 the billy-goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own. 
 "Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," roared the 
 Troll. 
 
 " Well, come along ! I Ve got two spears, 
 And I '11 poke your eyeballs out at your ears ; 
 I've got besides two curling-stones, 
 And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones.'* 
 
 That was what the big billy-goat said ; and so he flew 
 at the Troll and poked his eyes out with his horns, and 
 .crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out 
 into the burn, and after that he went up to the hill-side. 
 There the billy-goats got so fat they were scarce able to 
 walk home again ; and if the fat hasn't fallen off them, 
 why they're still fat; and so: 
 
 Snip, snap, snout, 
 This tale's told out. 
 
THE THREE PRINCESSES 
 IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN 
 
 were once upon a time a King and Queen 
 who had no children, and they took it so much 
 to heart that they hardly ever had a happy 
 moment. One day the King stood in the portico and 
 looked out over the big meadows and all that was his. 
 But he felt he could have no enjoyment out of it all, since 
 he did not know what would become of it after his time. 
 As he stood there pondering, an old beggar woman came 
 up to him and asked him for a trifle in heaven's name. 
 She greeted him and curtsied, and asked what ailed the 
 King) since he looked so sad. 
 
 " You can't do anything to help me, my good woman," 
 said the King^ "it's no use telling you." 
 
 " I am not so sure about that," said the beggar 
 woman. "Very little is wanted when luck is in the 
 way. The King is thinking that he has no heir to his 
 crown and kingdom, but he need not mourn on that 
 account," she said. " The Queen shall have three 
 daughters, but great care must be taken that they do not 
 come out under the open heavens before they are all 
 
 171 
 
fifteen years old ; otherwise a snowdrift will come and 
 carry them away." 
 
 When the time came the Queen had a beautiful baby 
 girl ; the year after she had another, and the third year 
 she also had a girl. 
 
 The King and Queen were glad beyond all measure ; 
 but although the King was very happy, he did not forget 
 to set a watch at the Palace door, so that the Princesses 
 should not get out. 
 
 As they grew up they became both fair and beautiful, 
 and all went well with them in every way. Their only 
 sorrow was that they were not allowed to go out and play 
 like other children. For all they begged and prayed 
 their parents, and for all they besought the sentinel, it 
 was of no avail ; go out they must not before they were 
 fifteen years old, all of them. 
 
 So one day, not long before the fifteenth birthday of 
 the youngest Princess^ the King and the Queen were out 
 driving, and the Princesses were standing at the window 
 and looking out. The sun was shining, and everything 
 looked so green and beautiful that they felt that they 
 must go out, happen what might. So they begged and 
 entreated and urged the sentinel, all three of them, that 
 
 172 
 
he should let them down into the garden. "He could 
 see for himself how warm and pleasant it was ; no Snowy 
 weather could come on such a day." Well, he didn't 
 think it looked much like it either, and if they must go 
 they had better go, the soldier said ; but it must only be 
 for a minute, and he himself would go with them and 
 look after them. 
 
 When they got down into the garden they ran up and 
 down, and filled their laps with flowers and green leaves, 
 the prettiest they could find. At last they could manage 
 no more, but just as they were going indoors they caught 
 sight of a large rose at the other end of the garden. It was 
 many times prettier than any they had gathered, so they 
 must have that also. But just as they bent down to take 
 the rose a big dense snowdrift came and carried them away. 
 
 There was great mourning over the whole country, 
 and the King made known from all the churches that any 
 one who could save the Princesses should have half the 
 kingdom and his golden crown and whichever princess 
 he liked to choose. 
 
 You can well understand there were plenty who wanted 
 to gain half the kingdom, and a princess into the bargain ; 
 so there were people of both high and low degree who 
 
set out for all parts of the country. But there was no 
 one who could find the Princesses, or even get any tidings 
 of them. 
 
 When all the grand and rich people in the country 
 had had their turn, a captain and a lieutenant came to the 
 Palace, and wanted to try their luck. The King fitted 
 them out both with silver and gold, and wished them 
 success on their journey. 
 
 Then came a soldier, who lived with his mother in a 
 little cottage some way from the Palace. He had dreamt 
 one night that he also was trying to find the Princesses, 
 When the morning came he still remembered what he had 
 dreamt, and told his mother about it. 
 
 " Some witchery must have got hold of you," said the 
 woman, " but you must dream the same thing three nights 
 running, else there is nothing in it." And the next two 
 nights the same thing happened ; he had the same dream, 
 and he felt he must go. So he washed himself and put 
 on his uniform, and went into the kitchen at the Palace. 
 It was the day after the captain and the lieutenant had 
 set out. 
 
 " You had better go home again," said the King, "the 
 Princesses are beyond your reach, I should say ; and 
 
 174 
 
besides, I have spent so much money on outfits that I 
 have nothing left to-day. You had better come back 
 another time." 
 
 " If I go, I must go to-day," said the soldier. u Money 
 I do not want ; I only need a drop in my flask and some 
 food in my wallet," he said ; " but it must be a good 
 walletful as much meat and bacon as I can carry." 
 
 Yes, that he might have if that was all he wanted. 
 
 So he set off, and he had not gone many miles before 
 he overtook the captain and the lieutenant. 
 
 "Where are you going? " asked the captain, when he 
 saw the man in uniform. 
 
 "I'm going to try if I can find the Princesses" 
 answered the soldier. 
 
 "So are we," said the captain, "and since your 
 errand is the same, you may keep company with us, for 
 if we don't find them, you are not likely to find them 
 either, my lad," said he. 
 
 When they had gone awhile the soldier left the high 
 road, and took a path into the forest. 
 
 "Where are you going?" said the captain; "it is best 
 to follow the high road." 
 
 "That may be," said the soldier, "but this is my way." 
 
 '75 
 
He kept to the path, and when the others saw this they 
 turned round and followed him. Away they went further 
 and further, far across big moors and along narrow valleys. 
 
 And at last it became lighter, and when they had got 
 out of the forest altogether they came to a long bridge, 
 which they had to cross. But on that bridge a bear 
 stood on guard. He rose on his hind legs and came 
 towards them, as if he wanted to eat them. 
 
 "What shall we do now?" said the captain. 
 
 "They say that the bear is fond of meat," said the 
 soldier, and then he threw a fore quarter to him, and so 
 they got past. But when they reached the other end of 
 the bridge, they saw a lion, which came roaring towards 
 them with open jaws as if he wanted to swallow them. 
 
 "I think we had better turn right-about, we shall 
 never be able to get past him alive," said the captain. 
 
 " Oh, I don't think he is so very dangerous," said the 
 soldier; "I have heard that lions are very fond of bacon, 
 and I have half a pig in my wallet ; " and then he threw 
 a ham to the lion, who began eating and gnawing, and 
 thus they got past him also. 
 
 In the evening they came to a fine big house. Each 
 room was more gorgeous than the other ; all was glitter 
 
 176 
 
The Troll was quite willing, and before long he fell asleep 
 and began snoring. Page 184 
 
and splendour wherever they looked ; but that did not 
 satisfy their hunger. The captain and the lieutenant 
 went round rattling their money, and wanted to buy some 
 food ; but they saw no people nor could they find a 
 crumb of anything in the house, so the soldier offered 
 them some food from his wallet, which they were not too 
 proud to accept, nor did they want any pressing. They 
 helped themselves of what he had as if they had never 
 tasted food before. 
 
 The next day the captain said they would have to go 
 out shooting and try to get something to live upon* 
 Close to the house was a large forest where there were 
 plenty of hares and birds. The lieutenant was to remain 
 at home and cook the remainder of the food in the 
 soldier's wallet. In the meantime the captain and the 
 soldier shot so much game that they were hardly able to 
 carry it home. When they came to the door they found 
 the lieutenant in such a terrible plight that he was scarcely 
 able to open the door to them. 
 
 "What is the matter with you?" said the captain. 
 The lieutenant then told them that as soon as they were 
 gone a tiny, little man, with a long beard, who went on 
 crutches, came in and asked so plaintively for a penny ; but 
 
 177 
 
no sooner had he got it than he let it fall on the floor, 
 and for all he raked and scraped with his crutch he was 
 not able to get hold of it, so stiff and stark was he. 
 
 "I pitied the poor, old body," said the lieutenant, 
 "and so I bent down to pick up the penny, but then he 
 was neither stiff nor stark any longer. He began to 
 belabour me with his crutches till very soon I was unable 
 to move a limb." 
 
 "You ought to be ashamed of yourself! you, one of 
 the king's officers, to let an old cripple give you a thrash 
 ing, and then tell people of it into the bargain ! " said the 
 captain. " Pshaw ! to-morrow I'll stop at home, and then, 
 you'll hear another story." 
 
 The next day the lieutenant and the soldier went out 
 shooting and the captain remained at home to do the 
 cooking and look after the house. But if he fared no 
 worse, he certainly fared no better than the lieutenant. 
 In a little while the old man came in and asked for a 
 penny. He let it fall as soon as he got it ; gone it was 
 and could hot be found. So he asked the captain to help 
 him to find it, and the captain, without giving a thought, 
 bent down to look for it. But no sooner was he on his 
 knees than the cripple began belabouring him with his 
 
 178 
 
crutches, and every time the captain tried to rise, he got 
 a blow which sent him reeling. When the others came 
 home in the evening, he still lay on the same spot and 
 could neither see nor speak. 
 
 The third day the soldier was to remain at home, 
 while the other two went out shooting. The captain 
 said he must take care of himself, "for the old fellow will 
 soon put an end to you, my lad," said he. 
 
 "Oh, there can't be much life in one if such an old 
 crook can take it," said the soldier. 
 
 They were no sooner outside the door, than the old 
 man came in and asked for a penny again. 
 
 "Money I have never owned," said the soldier, "hut 
 food I'll give you, as soon as it is ready," said he, "but 
 if we are to get it cooked, you must go and cut the 
 wood." 
 
 "That I can't," said the old man. 
 
 "If you can't, you must learn," said the soldier. 
 " I will soon show you. Come along with me down to the 
 wood-shed." There he dragged out a heavy log and cut 
 a cleft in it, and drove in a wedge till the cleft deepened. 
 
 " Now you must lie down and look right along the cleft, 
 and you'll soon learn how to cut wood," said the soldier. 
 
 179 
 
"In the meantime I'll show you how to use the axe." 
 
 The old man was not sufficiently cunning, and did as 
 he was told ; he lay down and looked steadily along the 
 log. When the soldier saw the old man's beard had got 
 well into the cleft, he struck out the wedge; the cleft 
 closed and the old man was caught by the beard. The 
 soldier began to beat him with the axe handle, and then 
 swung the axe round his head, and vowed that he would 
 split his skull if he did not tell him, there and then, where 
 the Princesses were. 
 
 " Spare my life, spare my life, and I'll tell you ! " said 
 the old man. "To the east of the house there is a big 
 mound ; on top of the mound you must dig out a square 
 piece of turf, and then you will see a big stone slab. 
 Under that there is a deep hole through which you must 
 let yourself down, and you'll then come to another world 
 where you will find the Princesses. But the way is long 
 and dark and it goes both through fire and water." 
 
 When the soldier got to know this, he released the 
 old man, who was not long in making off. 
 
 When the captain and lieutenant came home they 
 were surprised to find the soldier alive. He told them 
 what had happened from first to last, where the Princesses 
 SL* Afci i&Kk AEi xXKk ^ngk Aft* 
 
 *^W PUn ITO PljK 9VQ W^ ^jra 
 
 180 
 
were and how they should find them. They became as 
 pleased as if they had already found them, and when they 
 had had some food, they took with them a basket and as 
 much rope as they could find, and all three set off to the 
 mound. There they first dug out the turf just as the old 
 man had told them, and underneath they found a big stone 
 slab, which it took all their strength to turn over. They 
 then began to measure how deep it was ; they joined on 
 ropes both two and three times, but they were no nearer 
 the bottom the last time than the first. At last they had 
 to join all the ropes they had, both the coarse and fine, 
 and then they found it reached the bottom. 
 
 The captain was, of course, the first who wanted 
 to descend ; " But when I tug at the rope you must 
 make haste to drag me up again," he said. He found 
 the way both dark and unpleasant, but he thought he 
 would go on as long as it became no worse. But all at 
 once he felt ice cold water spouting about his ears ; he 
 became frightened to death and began tugging at the rope. 
 
 The lieutenant was the next to try, but it fared no 
 better with him. No sooner had he got through the 
 flood of water than he saw a blazing fire yawning beneath 
 him, which so frightened him that he also turned back. 
 
 SLt 42k Lt dEb ^nfti 
 <^^9 ^^W C^T3 ^^W &&3 
 
 1*1 
 
The soldier then got into the bucket, and down he 
 went through fire and water, right on till he came to the 
 bottom, where it was so pitch dark that he could not see 
 his hand before him. He dared not let go the basket, 
 but went round in a circle, feeling and fumbling about 
 him. At last he discovered a gleam of light far, far 
 away like the dawn of day, and he went on in that 
 direction. 
 
 When he had gone a bit it began to grow light around 
 him, and before long he saw a golden sun rising in the 
 sky and everything around him became as bright and 
 beautiful as if in a fairy world. 
 
 First he came to some cattle, which were so fat that 
 their hides glistened a long way off, and when he had got 
 past them he came to a fine, big palace. He walked 
 through many rooms without meeting anybody. At last 
 he heard the hum of a spinning wheel, and when he 
 entered the room he found the eldest Princess sitting 
 there spinning copper yarn ; the room and everything in 
 it was of brightly polished copper. 
 
 "Oh, dear ; oh, dear ! what are Christian people doing 
 here ? " said the Princess. " Heaven preserve you ! what 
 do you want ? " 
 
" I want to 
 set you free and 
 get you out of the 
 mountain," said 
 the soldier. 
 
 " Pray do not 
 stay. If the troll 
 comes home he 
 will put an end to 
 you at once ; he 
 has three heads," 
 said she. 
 
 " I do not care 
 if he has four," 
 said the soldier. " I am here, and here I shall remain." 
 
 "Well, if you will be so headstrong, I must see if I 
 can help you," said the Princess. 
 
 She then told him to creep behind the big brewing- 
 vat which stood in the front hall ; meanwhile she would 
 receive the troll and scratch his heads till he went to sleep. 
 
 "And when I go out and call the hens you must 
 make haste and come in," she said. " But you must first 
 try if you can swing the sword which is lying on the 
 
 183 
 
table." No, it was too heavy, he could not even move 
 it. He had then to take a strengthening draught from 
 the horn, which hung behind the door; after that he 
 was just able to stir it, so he took another draught, 
 and then he could lift it. At last he took a right, 
 big draught, and he could swing the sword as easily as 
 anything. 
 
 All at once the troll came home; he walked so 
 heavily that the palace shook. 
 
 " Ugh, ugh ! I smell Christian flesh and blood in 
 my house," said he. 
 
 " Yes," answered the Princess , "a raven flew past here 
 just now, and in his beak he had a human bone, which 
 he dropped down the chimney ; I threw it out and swept 
 and cleaned up after it, but I suppose it still smells." 
 
 " So it does," said the troll. 
 
 " But come and lie down and I'll scratch your heads," 
 said the Princess ; "the smell will be gone by the time 
 you wake." 
 
 The troll was quite willing, and before long he fell 
 asleep and began snoring. When she saw he was sleep 
 ing soundly, she placed some stools and cushions under 
 his heads and went to call the hens. The soldier then 
 
 I8 4 
 
As soon as they tugged at the rope, the Captain and the Lieutenant pulled up 
 the Princesses, the one after the other. Page 190 
 
stole into the room with the sword, and with one blow 
 cut all the three heads off the troll. 
 
 The Princess was as pleased as a fiddler, and went 
 with the soldier to her sisters, so that he could also set 
 them free. First of all they went across a courtyard and 
 then through many long rooms till they came to a big 
 door. 
 
 " Here you must enter : here she is," said the Princess. 
 When he opened the door he found himself in a large 
 hall, where everything was of pure silver; there sat the 
 second sister at a silver spinning-wheel. 
 
 "Oh, dear; oh, dear!" she said. u What do you 
 want here?" 
 
 "I want to set you free from the troll," said the 
 soldier. 
 
 "Pray do not stay, but go," said the Princess. "If 
 he finds you here he will take your life on the spot." 
 
 "That would be awkward that is if I don't take his 
 first," said the soldier. 
 
 "Well, since you will stay," she said, "you will have 
 to creep behind the big brewing- vat in the front hall. But 
 you must make haste and come as soon as you hear me 
 calling the hens." 
 
 2 A 185 
 
First of all he had to try if he was able to swing the 
 troll's sword, which lay on the table; it was much larger 
 and heavier than the first one ; he was hardly able to move 
 it. He then took three draughts from the horn and he 
 could then lift it, and when he had taken three more he 
 could handle it as if it were a rolling pin. 
 
 Shortly afterwards he heard a heavy, rumbling noise 
 that was quite terrible, and directly afterwards a troll with 
 six heads came in. 
 
 " Ugh, ugh ! " he said as soon as he got his noses 
 inside the door. "I smell Christian blood and bone in 
 my house." 
 
 " Yes, just think ! A raven came flying past here with 
 a thigh-bone, which he dropped down the chimney," said 
 the Princess. " I threw it out, but the raven brought it 
 back again. At last I got rid of it and made haste to 
 clean the room, but I suppose the smell is not quite gone," 
 she said. 
 
 "No, I can smell it well," said the troll ; but he was 
 tired and put his heads in the Princesses lap, and she went 
 on scratching them till they all fell a-snoring. Then she 
 called the hens, and the soldier came and cut off all the 
 six heads as if they were set on cabbage stalks. 
 
 186 
 
She was no less glad than her elder sister, as you may 
 imagine, and danced and sang ; but in the midst of their 
 joy they remembered their youngest sister. They went 
 with the soldier across a large courtyard, and, after walking 
 through many, many rooms, he came to the hall of gold 
 where the third sister was. 
 
 She sat at a golden spinning-wheel spinning gold yarn, 
 and the room from ceiling to floor glistened and glittered 
 till it hurt one's eyes. 
 
 "Heaven preserve both you and me, what do you 
 want here?" said the Princess. "Go, go, else the trol) 
 will kill us both." 
 
 "Just as well two as one," answered the soldier. The 
 Princess cried and wept ; but it was all of no use, he must 
 and would remain. Since there was no help for it he 
 would have to try if he could use the troll's sword on 
 the table in the front hall. But he was only just able to 
 move it ; it was still larger and heavier than the other two. 
 swords. 
 
 He then had to take the horn down from the wall 
 and take three draughts from it, but was only just able to 
 stir the sword. When he had taken three more draughts 
 he could lift it, and when he had taken another three he 
 
 I8 7 
 
swung it as easily 
 as if it had been a 
 feather. 
 
 The Princess 
 then settled with 
 the soldier to do 
 the same as her 
 sisters had done. 
 As soon as the troll 
 was well asleep she 
 would call the 
 hens, and he must 
 then make haste 
 and come in and 
 put an end to the troll. 
 
 All of a sudden they heard such a thundering, ram 
 bling noise, as if the walls and roof were tumbling in. 
 
 " Ugh ! Ugh ! I smell Christian blood and bone in 
 my house," said the troll, sniffing with all his nine noses. 
 " Yes, you never saw the like ! Just now a raven flew 
 past here and dropped a human bone down the chimney. 
 I threw it out, but the raven brought it back, and this 
 went on for some time," said the Princess; but she got it 
 
 188 
 
buried at last, she said, and she had both swept and 
 cleaned the place, but she supposed it still smelt. 
 
 "Yes, I can smell it well," said the troll. 
 
 "Come here and lie down in my lap and I will 
 scratch your heads," said the Princess. "The smell will 
 be all gone when you awake." 
 
 He did so, and when he was snoring at his best she 
 put stools and cushions under the heads so that she could 
 get away to call the hens. The soldier then came in in 
 his stockinged feet and struck at the troll, so that eight 
 of the heads fell off at one blow. But the sword was 
 too short and did not reach far enough; the ninth head 
 woke up and began to roar. 
 
 "Ugh! Ugh! I smell a Christian." 
 
 " Yes, here he is," answered the soldier, and before 
 the troll could get up and seize hold of him the soldier 
 struck him another blow and the last head rolled along 
 the floor. 
 
 You can well imagine how glad the Princesses became 
 now that they no longer had to sit and scratch the trolls' 
 heads ; they did not know how they could do enough for 
 him who had saved them. The youngest Princess took off 
 her gold ring and knotted it in his hair. They then took 
 
with them as much gold and silver as they thought they 
 could carry and set off on their way home. 
 
 As soon as they tugged at the rope the captain and the 
 lieutenant pulled up the Princesses, the one after the othen 
 But when they were safely up, the soldier thought it was 
 foolish of him not to have gone up before the Princesses, 
 for he. had not very much belief in his comrades. He 
 thought he would first try them, so he put a heavy lump 
 of gold in the basket arid got out of the way. When the 
 basket was half-way up they cut the rope and the lump 
 of gold fell to the bottom with such a crash that the pieces 
 flew about his ears. 
 
 "Now we are rid of him," they said, and threatened 
 the Princesses with their life if they did not say that it was 
 they who had saved them from the trolls. They were 
 forced to agree to this, much against their will, and es 
 pecially the youngest Princess ; but life was precious, and 
 so the two who were strongest had their way. 
 
 When the captain and lieutenant got home with the 
 Princesses you may be sure there were great rejoicings at 
 the palace. The King was so glad he didn't know which 
 leg to stand on; he brought out his best wine from his 
 cupboard and wished the two officers welcome. If they 
 
had never been honoured before they were honoured now 
 in full measure, and no mistake. They walked and strutted 
 about the whole of the day, as if they were the cocks of 
 the walk, since they were now going to have the King 
 for father-in-law. For it was understood they should 
 each have whichever of the Princesses they liked and half 
 the kingdom between them. They both wanted the 
 youngest Princess^ but for all they prayed and threatened 
 her it was of no use ; she would not hear or listen to 
 either. 
 
 They then asked the King if they might have twelve 
 men to watch over her ; she was so sad and melancholy 
 since she had been in the mountain that they were afraid 
 she might do something to herself. 
 
 Yes, that they might have, and the King himself told 
 the watch they must look well after her and follow her 
 wherever she went and stood. 
 
 They then began to prepare for the wedding of the 
 two eldest sisters; it should be such a wedding as never 
 was heard or spoken of before, and there was no end to 
 the brewing and the baking and the slaughtering. 
 
 In the meantime the soldier walked and strolled about 
 down in the other world. He thought it was hard that 
 
he should see neither people nor daylight any more ; but 
 he would have to do something, he thought, and so for 
 many days he went about from room to room and opened 
 all the drawers and cupboards and searched about on the 
 shelves and looked at all the fine things that were there. 
 At last he came to a drawer in a table, in which there lay 
 a golden key ; he tried this key to all the locks he could 
 find, but there was none it fitted till he came to a little 
 cupboard over the bed, and in that he found an old rusty 
 whistle. "I wonder if there is any sound in it," he 
 thought, and put it to his mouth. No sooner had he 
 whistled than he heard a whizzing and a whirring from 
 all quarters, and such a large flock of birds swept down, 
 that they blackened all the field in which they settled. 
 
 "What does our master want to-day?" they asked. 
 
 If he were their master, the soldier said, he would 
 like to know if they could tell him how to get up to the 
 earth again. No, none of them knew anything about 
 that; "But our mother has not yet arrived," they said; 
 "if she can't help you, no one can." 
 
 So he whistled once more, and shortly heard something 
 flapping its wings far away, and then it began to blow so 
 hard that he was carried away between the houses like a 
 
No sooner had he whistled than he heard a whizzing and a whirring from all 
 
 quarters, and such a large flock of birds swept down that they blackened 
 
 all the field in which they settled. Page 192 
 
wisp of hay across the courtyard, and if he had not caught 
 hold of the fence he would no doubt have been blown 
 away altogether. 
 
 A big eagle bigger than you can imagine then 
 swooped down in front of him. 
 
 "You come rather sharply," said the soldier. 
 
 "As you whistle so I come," answered the eagle. So 
 he asked her if she knew any means by which he could 
 get away from the world in which they were. 
 
 "You can't get away from here unless you can fly," 
 said the eagle, " but if you will slaughter twelve oxen for 
 me, so that I can have a really good meal, I will try and 
 help you. Have you got a knife?" 
 
 "No, but I have a sword," he said. When the- eagle 
 had swallowed the twelve oxen she asked the soldier to kill 
 one more for victuals on the journey. " Every time I gape 
 you must be quick and fling a piece into my mouth," she 
 said, " else I shall not be able to carry you up to earth." 
 
 He did as she asked him and hung two large bags of 
 meat round her neck and seated himself among her feathers.. 
 The eagle then began to flap her wings and off they went 
 through the air like the wind. It was as much as the sol 
 dier could do to hold on, and it was with the greatest 
 
 2 B 
 
 '93 
 
difficulty he managed to throw the pieces of flesh into the 
 eagle's mouth every time she opened it. 
 
 At last the day began to dawn, and the eagle was then 
 almost exhausted and began flapping with her wings, but 
 the soldier was prepared and seized the last hind quarter 
 and flung it to her, Then she gained strength and brought 
 him up to earth. When she had sat and rested a while at 
 the top of a large pine-tree she set off with him again at 
 such a pace that flashes of lightning were seen both by 
 sea and land wherever they went. 
 
 Close to the palace the soldier got off and the eagle 
 flew home again, but first she told him that if he at any 
 time should want her he need only blow the whistle and 
 she would be there at once. 
 
 In the meantime everything was ready at the palace, 
 and the time approached when the captain and lieutenant 
 were to be married with the two eldest Princesses, who, 
 however, were not much happier than their youngest 
 sister ; scarcely a day passed without weeping and mourn 
 ing, and the nearer the wedding-day approached the more 
 sorrowful did they become. 
 
 At last the King asked what was the matter with 
 them ; he thought it was very strange that they were not 
 
 194 
 
merry and happy now that they were saved and had been 
 set free and were going to be married. They had to give 
 some answer, and so the eldest sister said they never would 
 be happy any more unless they could get such checkers as 
 they had played with in the blue mountain. 
 
 That, thought the King, could be easily managed, and 
 so he sent word to all the best and cleverest goldsmiths in 
 the country that they should make these checkers for the 
 Princesses. For all they tried there was no one who could 
 make them. At last all the goldsmiths had been to the 
 palace except one, and he was an old, infirm man who had 
 not done any work for many years except odd jobs, by 
 which he was just able to keep himself alive. To him the 
 soldier went and asked to be apprenticed. The old man 
 was so glad to get him, for he had not had an apprentice 
 for many a day, that he brought out a flask from his chest 
 and sat down to drink with the soldier. Before long the 
 drink got into his head, and when the soldier saw this he 
 persuaded him to go up to the palace and tell the King 
 that he would undertake to make the checkers for the 
 Princesses. 
 
 He was ready to do that on the spot; he had made 
 finer and grander things in his day, he said. When the 
 
 J95 
 
King heard there was some one outside who could make 
 the checkers he was not long in coming out. 
 
 "Is it true what you say, that you can make such 
 checkers as my daughters want?" he asked. 
 
 " Yes, it is no lie," said the goldsmith ; that he would 
 answer for. 
 
 "That's well!" said the King. "Here is the gold 
 to make them with ; but if you do not succeed you will 
 lose your life, since you have come and offered yourself, 
 and they must be finished in three days." 
 
 The next morning when the goldsmith had slept off 
 the effects of the drink, he was not quite so confident 
 about the job. He wailed and wept and blew up his 
 apprentice, who had got him into such a scrape while he 
 was drunk. The best thing would be to make short 
 work of himself at once, he said, for there could be no 
 hope for his life ; when the best and grandest goldsmiths 
 could not make such checkers, was it likely that he could 
 do it? 
 
 "Don't fret on that account," said the soldier, "but 
 let me have the gold and I'll get the checkers ready in time ; 
 but I must have a room to myself to work in," he said. 
 This he got, and thanks into the bargain. 
 
The time wore on, and the soldier did nothing but 
 lounge about, and the goldsmith began to grumble, because 
 he would not begin with the work. 
 
 " Don't worry yourself about it," said the soldier, 
 " there is plenty of time ! If you are not satisfied with 
 what I have promised you had better make them yourself." 
 The same thing went on both that day and the next ; and 
 when the smith heard neither hammer nor file from the 
 soldier's room the whole of the last day, he quite gave 
 himself up for lost ; it was now no use to think any longer 
 about saving his life, he thought. 
 
 But when the night came on the soldier opened the 
 window and blew his whistle. The eagle then came and 
 asked what he wanted. 
 
 " Those gold checkers, which the Princesses had 
 in the blue mountain," said the soldier ; " but you'll 
 want something to eat first, I suppose ? I have two 
 ox carcases lying ready for you in the hay-loft yonder ; 
 you had better finish them," he said. When the eagle 
 had done she did not tarry, and long before the sun 
 rose she was back again with the checkers. The 
 soldier then put them under his bed and lay down to 
 sleep. 
 
 197 
 
Early next morning the goldsmith came and knocked 
 at his door. 
 
 " What are you after now again ? " asked the soldier. 
 " You rush about enough in the day, goodness knows ! 
 If one cannot have peace when one is in bed, whoever 
 would be an apprentice here?" said he. 
 
 Neither praying nor begging helped that time ; the 
 goldsmith must and would come in, and at last he was 
 
 let in. 
 
 And then, you may be sure, there was soon an end 
 
 to his wailing. 
 
 But still more glad than the goldsmith were the 
 Princesses, when he came up to the palace with the 
 checkers, and gladdest of all was the youngest Princess. 
 
 "Have you made them yourself?" she asked. 
 
 "No, if I must speak the truth, it is not I," he said, 
 "but my apprentice, who has made them." 
 
 " I should like to see that apprentice," said the Princess. 
 In fact all three wanted to see him, and if he valued his 
 life, he would have to come. 
 
 He was not afraid, either of women-folk or grand-folk, 
 said the soldier, and if it could be any amusement to them 
 to look at his rags, they should soon have that pleasure. 
 
 198 
 
The youngest Princess recognised him at once; she 
 pushed the soldiers aside and ran up to him, gave him her 
 hand, and said : 
 
 "Good day, and many thanks for all you have done 
 for us. It is he who freed us from the trolls in the 
 mountain," she said to the King. "He is the one I will 
 have ! " and then she pulled off his cap and showed them 
 the ring she had tied in his hair. 
 
 It soon came out how the captain and lieutenant had 
 behaved, and so they had to pay the penalty of their 
 treachery with their lives, and that was the end of their 
 grandeur. But the soldier got the golden crown and 
 half the kingdom, and married the youngest Princess. 
 
 At the wedding they drank and feasted both well and 
 long ; for feast they all could, even if they could not find 
 the Princesses, and if they have not yet done feasting and 
 drinking they must be at it still. 
 
THE CAT ON 
 THE DOVREFELL 
 
 |NCE on a time there was a man up in Finnmark 
 who had caught a great white bear, which he 
 was going to take to the King of Denmark. 
 Now, it so fell out, that he came to the Dovrefell just 
 about Christmas Eve, and there he turned into a cottage 
 where a man lived, whose name was Halvor, and asked 
 the man if he could get house-room there for his bear 
 and himself. 
 
 " Heaven never help me, if what I say isn't true ! " 
 said the man ; " but we can't give anyone house-room just 
 now, for every Christmas Eve such a pack of Trolls come 
 down upon us, that we are forced to flit, and haven't so 
 much as a house over our own heads, to say nothing of 
 lending one to anyone else." 
 
 u Oh ? " said the man, "if that's all, you can very well 
 lend me your house ; my bear can lie under the stove 
 yonder, and I can sleep in the side-room." 
 
 Well, he begged so hard, that at last he got leave to 
 stay there ; so the people of the house flitted out, and be 
 fore they went, everything was got ready for the Trolls ; 
 
 2 C 2OO 
 
the tables were laid, and there was rice porridge, and fish 
 boiled in lye, and sausages, and all else that was good, 
 just as for any other grand feast. 
 
 So, when everything was ready, down came the Trolls. 
 Some were great, and some were small; some had long 
 tails, and some had no tails at all \ some, too, had long, 
 long noses ; and they ate and drank, and tasted everything. 
 Just then one of the little Trolls caught sight of the white 
 bear, who lay under the stove; so he took a piece of 
 sausage and stuck it on a fork, and went and poked it up 
 against the bear's nose, screaming out: 
 
 "Pussy, will you have some sausage?" 
 
 Then the white bear rose up and growled, and 
 hunted the whole pack of them out of doors, both great 
 and small. 
 
 Next year Halvor was out in the wood, on the after 
 noon of Christmas Eve, cutting wood before the holidays, 
 for he thought the Trolls would come again ; and just as 
 he was hard at work, he heard a voice in the wood call 
 ing out : 
 
 "Halvor! Halvor!" 
 Well," said Halvor, "here I am." 
 Have you got your big cat with you still ? " 
 
 <c 
 <c 
 
 20 1 
 
"Yes, that I have," said Halvor; "she's lying at 
 home under the stove, and what's more, she has now got 
 seven kittens, far bigger and fiercer than she is herself." 
 
 "Oh, then, we'll never come to see you again," bawled 
 out the Troll away in the wood, and he kept his word ; 
 for since that time the Trolls have never eaten their 
 Christmas brose with Halvor on the Dovrefell. 
 
 20 z 
 
ONE'S OWN CHILDREN 
 ARE ALWAYS PRETTIEST 
 
 SPORTSMAN went out once into a wood to 
 shoot, and he met a Snipe. 
 
 "Dear friend," said the Snipe, "don't shoot 
 my children!" 
 
 " How shall I know your children ? " asked the Sports 
 man. "What are they like?" 
 
 "Oh!" said 
 the Snipe, "mine 
 are the prettiest 
 children in all the 
 wood." 
 
 "Very well," 
 said thzSportsman, 
 "I'll not shoot 
 them ; don't be 
 afraid." 
 
 But for all 
 that, when he 
 came back, there 
 he had a whole 
 
 203 
 
string of young snipes in his hand which he had shot. 
 
 "Oh, oh!" said the Snipe, "why did you shoot my 
 children after all ? " 
 
 "What! these your children!" said the Sportsman; 
 "why, I shot the ugliest I could find, that I did!" 
 
 "Woe is me!" said the Snipe; "don't you know that 
 each one thinks his own children the prettiest in the 
 world?" 
 
 
 
 204 
 
3 
 
 * 
 
 Pdul Elder, 
 

-dS