Norwegian Folktales
Page 8
“Oh, a likely story!” said the girls, tossing their heads. “He can’t be anything but the ragamuffin he always was.”
At that moment Halvor came in, and the girls were so flustered when they saw him that they left their kirtles by the hearth where they had been sitting and ran out in just their petticoats. When they came back again, they were all so ashamed that they hardly dared look at Halvor, with whom they had always been so grand and haughty before.
The princesses wanted to sit and rest a bit.
“Well, you always thought you were so fine and beautiful that there was no one like you, but you should see the eldest princess I have freed,” said Halvor. “Beside her you look like shepherd girls. And the next eldest princess is still more beautiful; but the youngest, who is my sweetheart, is more beautiful than the sun and moon. If only they were here so you could see them for yourself!”
Hardly had he said this, before they stood there. But now Halvor felt so badly, as he remembered what he had promised the princesses. At the farm they had a feast, and a great fuss was made over the princesses. But they would not stay there. “We want to go down to your parents, and look around for a while,” they said to Halvor. So he went along.
On their way they came to a large lake, and close by was a lovely green slope where the princesses wanted to sit and rest a bit, and look out over the water. When they had been sitting there for a while, the youngest princess said, “Let me comb your hair for a while, Halvor.” Well, Halvor laid his head in her lap, and then she started combing, and it wasn’t long before Halvor was asleep.
Then she took her ring off his finger and replaced it with another one, and then she said to her sisters, “Take my hand, as I am taking yours, and let us wish together that we were in Soria Moria Castle.”
When Halvor woke up, he realized at once that he had lost the princesses, and he began to wail and lament, and was so disheartened that he could not be consoled. And for all his parents pleaded with him, he would not stay at home, but bade them farewell, saying that he might never see them again, for if he didn’t find the princesses again, life would not be worth living.
He had three hundred dalers left, so he put them in his pocket and set out on the way. When he had walked some distance, he met a man with a good horse; he wanted to buy it, so he started bargaining with the man.
“To tell the truth, I hadn’t thought of selling it,” said the man, “but if we can agree on a price —”
Halvor asked what he wanted for it.
“I didn’t pay much for it, nor is it worth much, either. It’s a good horse to ride on, but it’s not much of a draught horse. It will always carry you and your bag, if you walk a while and ride a while.”
At last they agreed on the price, and Halvor put his knapsack on the horse and went on his way, sometimes riding and sometimes walking.
At dusk he came to a green meadow, and there stood a great tree under which he sat down. He let the horse loose to graze, and took his knapsack off the horse. At daybreak he continued on his way, for he could not rest, and was eager to find the princesses. So he walked and rode the whole day, through a deep forest where there were many grassy clearings which shone very prettily through the trees. He did not know where he was nor where he was going, but he took no more time to rest than was needed for the horse to get a little to eat when they came to one of the green spots, and he himself took out his knapsack. He walked and he rode, and thought the forest would never come to an end.
Towards the second evening Halvor saw a light shining through the trees. “If only someone were up, I could warm myself and get something to eat,” he thought.
When he came to the light, he saw it was a miserable little hut, and through the window he saw an old man and an old woman inside. Their hair looked like grey moss, and the woman’s nose was so long that she sat by the hearth and used it to rake the coals with.
“Good evening,” said Halvor.
“Good evening,” answered the old woman. “But what is your errand here? Christian folk haven’t been here for over a hundred years.”
Well, Halvor said that he was on his way to Soria Moria Castle, and asked if she could show him the right way.
“No,” said the old woman, “but soon the Moon will come up and I will ask him. He should know, for he shines on everything.”
When the Moon rose bright and clear over the treetops, the old woman went outside.
“Oh Moon! Oh Moon!” she shrieked. “Can you tell me the way to Soria Moria Castle?”
“Soon the Moon will come up and I will ask him.”
“No, I cannot,” said the Moon, “for the time I shone there, a cloud was in the way.”
“But just wait a while longer,” said the old woman to Halvor. “Soon the West Wind will come by here, and he might know, for he puffs and blows in every direction.”
“Well, well, have you a horse too?” asked the old woman when she came in again. “Don’t let him stand here by the door and starve. Let the poor creature loose in the field to fill his belly instead! But wouldn’t you like to swap it?” she said. “We have a pair of old boots here, in which you can cover a distance of fifteen miles with every step you take. And you can have the boots in exchange for your horse. Then you will be at Soria Moria Castle so much the sooner.”
Halvor was quite willing to swap the horse for the boots, and the old woman was so glad to get the horse that she was ready to dance with joy. “For now I can ride to church, I too,” she said.
But Halvor was still very restless, and wanted to leave the place at once, but the old woman said there was no hurry. “Lie down on the bench and sleep a little, for we have no bed for you,” she said. “I shall keep an eye out for the West Wind when he comes.”
All of a sudden the West Wind came roaring so that the walls shook and groaned. The old woman ran outside.
“West Wind! West Wind! Can you tell me the way to Soria Moria Castle? There is someone here who is going there.”
“Yes, I know the way very well,” said the West Wind. “I am just going to dry some clothes for the wedding which is going to take place there. If he is quick on his feet, he may come along with me.”
Halvor rushed out.
“You will have to hurry, if you want to keep up with me,” said the West Wind, and he set off over hill and dale, and mountain and valley; and it was all Halvor could do to keep up.
“Well, I have no time to be with you any longer,” said the West Wind, “for first I have to blow down a strip of fir trees, before I come to the bleaching place and dry the clothes. But if you will keep to the path running along the edge of the hill, you will come to some girls who are washing clothes, and then you are not far from Soria Moria Castle.”
After a while Halvor came to the girls who were washing, and they asked if he had seen anything of the West Wind. He was to come to dry clothes for the wedding.
“Yes,” said Halvor, “he is only over knocking down a strip of fir trees. He will be here soon.” Then he asked them the way to Soria Moria Castle.
They showed him the road, and when he reached the castle, the courtyard was so full of people and horses that it was swarming. But Halvor’s clothes were now so torn and tattered from following the West Wind through bushes and shrubs, that he kept out of sight until dinner time on the day of the wedding.
When, as was the custom, the guests were to drink to the bride, and the master of ceremonies drank with them all, his turn came to drink with Halvor. Halvor drank the toast, then dropped into the glass the ring the princess had placed on his finger when he lay by the water, and bade the master of ceremonies take the glass to the bride and greet her from him. Then the princess got up from the table at once.
“Who deserves best to get one of us,” she said, “the one who has freed us, or the groom beside me?”
There was only one answer to that, they all felt, and when Halvor heard it, he wasn’t long in stepping out of his rags and getting spruced up as a bridegroom.
Then she threw out the other one, and was wedded to Halvor.
THE PRINCESS WHO ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE THE LAST WORD
There was once a king; he had a daughter who was so wayward and willful in her speech that she always had to have the last word, and therefore he promised that the one who could make her hold her tongue should get the princess and half the kingdom into the bargain.
There were plenty who wanted to try, you may believe, for it’s not everyday one can get a king’s daughter and half a kingdom just for the asking. The gate to the king’s manor didn’t stop swinging for a moment; they came in flocks and droves, from east and west, both riding and walking. But there was no one who could make the princess stop talking. At last the king made it known that those who tried but couldn’t would be branded on both ears with that big branding iron of his — he wouldn’t have all this running to his manor for nothing.
Now there were three brothers who had also heard tell of the princess, and, as they weren’t well off at home, they wanted to go out and try their luck, and see if they could win the king’s daughter and half the kingdom. They were on good terms and got along pretty well, and so they went together, all three.
When they had gone a bit of the way, the youngest brother, who was called the Ash Lad, found a dead magpie.
“Look what I found! Look what I found!” he shouted.
“What’ve you found?” asked his brothers.
“I found a dead magpie,” he said.
“Fie! Drop it! What are you going to do with that?” said the two, who always thought they were the wisest.
“Oh, I’ve nothing better to do, and nothing better to carry, so I’ll just take it along with me,” said the Ash Lad.
When they had gone a bit farther, the Ash Lad found an old willow hank, so he picked it up.
“Look what I found! Look what I found!” he shouted.
“What’ve you found now?” said the brothers.
“I found a willow hank,” he replied.
“Pooh! What are you going to do with that? Drop it!” said the two.
“I’ve nothing better to do, and nothing better to carry, so I’ll just take it along with me,” said the Ash Lad.
When they had gone a little farther, he found a bit of a broken saucer. This he also picked up.
“Boys! Look what I found! Look what I found!” he said.
“Well, what did you find now?” asked the brothers.
“A bit of broken saucer,” he said.
“Ugh! Now that was something to take along! Drop it!” they said.
“Oh, I’ve nothing better to do, and nothing better to carry, so I’ll just take it along with me,” replied the Ash Lad.
When they had gone a little farther, he found a crooked ram’s horn, and just after he found the mate to it.
“Look what I found! Look what I found, boys!” he shouted.
“What’ve you found now?” said the others.
“Two ram’s horns,” replied the Ash Lad.
“Ugh! Drop them! What are you going to do with them?” they said.
“Oh, I’ve nothing better to do, and nothing better to carry, so I’ll just take them along with me,” said the Ash Lad.
In a little while he found a wedge.
“But fellows, look what I found! Look what I found!” he shouted.
“That’s a mighty lot of finding you’ve been doing! What have you found this time?” said the two eldest.
“I found a wedge,” he replied.
“Oh, drop it! What are you going to do with that?” they said.
“I’ve nothing better to do, and nothing better to carry, so I’ll just take it along with me,” said the Ash Lad.
As they walked over the fields by the king’s manor — where manure had recently been spread — the Ash Lad bent down and picked up a worn-out shoe sole.
“Say, fellows! Look what I found! Look what I found!” he said.
“If only you’d find a little sense by the time you got there!” said the two. “What did you find this time?”
“A worn-out shoe sole,” he replied.
“Ugh! That was really something to pick up! Drop it! What are you going to do with it?” said the brothers.
“Oh, I’ve nothing better to do, and nothing better to carry, so I’ll just take it along with me, if I’m to win the princess and half the kingdom,” said the Ash Lad.
“Yes, you’re likely to do that, you are!” said the two.
Then they were let in to the princess — first the eldest.
“Good day,” he said.
“Good day yourself,” she said, twisting and turning.
“No, you’re not worn-out, but this is!” replied the boy.
“It’s terribly warm in here,” he said.
“It’s warmer in the coals,” replied the princess. There lay the branding iron, ready and waiting. When he saw that, his courage failed him right away, and so it was all up with him.
The middle brother didn’t fare any better.
“Good day,” he said.
“Good day yourself,” she said, starting to squirm.
“It’s terribly hot in here,” he said.
“It’s hotter in the coals,” she said. At that, he too lost both voice and speech, and so it was out with the iron again.
Then came the Ash Lad.
“Good day,” he said.
“Good day yourself,” she replied, twisting and turning.
“It’s good and warm in here,” said the Ash Lad.
“It’s warmer in the coals,” she replied. A third one didn’t make her temper any sweeter.
“I suppose I can roast my magpie there, then?” he asked.
“I’m afraid she’ll burst,” said the king’s daughter.
“Oh, that’ll be no trouble! I’ll put this willow hank around it,” replied the boy.
“It’s too wide!” she said.
“I’ll drive in a wedge!” said the boy, and took out the wedge.
“The fat’ll run off her!” said the king’s daughter.
“I’ll catch it in this!” replied the boy, and held up the bit of broken saucer. “You’re twisting my words!” said the princess.
“No! Your words aren’t twisted, but this is!” replied the boy, and took out one of the ram’s horns.
“Well! I’ve never seen the like!” shouted the princess.
“Here’s the like of it!” said the boy, and took out the other one.
“You’re bent on wearing me out, aren’t you?” she said.
“No, you’re not worn-out, but this is!” replied the boy, and pulled out the shoe sole.
So the princess had to hold her tongue!
“Now you’re mine!” said the Ash Lad, and so he got her, and half the realm and kingdom into the bargain.
THE ASH LAD WHO HAD AN EATING MATCH WITH THE TROLL
There was once a farmer who had three sons. He was badly off, and old and feeble, and his sons wouldn’t turn their hands to a thing. To the farm belonged a large, good forest, and there the father wanted the boys to chop wood and see about paying off some of the debt.
At last he got them around to his way of thinking, and the eldest was to go out chopping first. When he had made his way into the forest, and had started chopping a shaggy fir tree, a big, burly Troll came up to him.
“If you’re chopping in my forest, I’m going to kill you!” said the Troll.
When the boy heard that, he flung aside the axe and headed for home again as best he could. He got home clean out of breath, and told them what had happened to him. But his father said he was chicken-hearted. The Trolls had never scared him from chopping wood when he was young, he said.
On the next day the second son was to set out, and he fared just like the first. When he had struck the fir tree a few blows with his axe, the Troll came up to him, too, and said, “If you’re chopping in my forest, I�
�m going to kill you!”
The boy hardly dared look at him. He flung aside the axe and took to his heels just like his brother, and just as fast. When he came home again, his father became angry and said that the Trolls had never scared him when he was young.
On the third day the Ash Lad wanted to set out.
“You?” said the two eldest. “You’ll certainly manage it — you who’ve never been beyond the front door!”
He didn’t say much to that, the Ash Lad didn’t, but just asked for as big a lunch as possible to take with him. His mother had no curds, so she hung the cauldron over the fire to curdle a little cheese for him. This he put in his knapsack, and set out on his way.
When he had been chopping for a little while, the Troll came to him and said, “If you’re chopping in my forest, I’m going to kill you!”
“I’ll squeeze you the way I’m squeezing the water out of this white stone!”
But the boy wasn’t slow. He ran over to the knapsack to get the cheese, and squeezed it till the whey spurted. “If you don’t hold your tongue,” he shrieked to the Troll, “I’ll squeeze you the way I’m squeezing the water out of this white stone!”
“Nay, dear fellow! Spare me!” said the Troll. “I’ll help you to chop!”
Well, on that condition the boy would spare him, and the Troll was clever at chopping, so they managed to fell and cut up many cords of wood during the day.
As evening was drawing nigh, the Troll said, “Now you can come home with me. My house is closer than yours.”
Well, the boy went along, and when they came to the Troll’s home, he was to make up the fire in the hearth, while the boy was to fetch water for the porridge pot. But the two iron buckets were so big and heavy that he couldn’t so much as budge them.
So the boy said, “It’s not worth taking along these thimbles. I’m going after the whole well, I am!”
“Nay, my dear fellow,” said the Troll. “I can’t lose my well. You make the fire and I’ll go after the water.”
When he came back with the water, they cooked up a huge pot of porridge.