Ringing the bells till they rocked the steeple;
"Go," cried the Mayor, "and get long poles!
Poke out the nests and block up the holes!
Consult with carpenters and builders
And leave in our town not even a trace
Of the rats!"--when suddenly, up the face
Of the piper perked in the market-place,
With a "First, if you please, my thousand guilders!"
A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue;
So did the Corporation too.
For council-dinners made rare havoc
With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;
And half the money would replenish
Their cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.
To pay this sum to a wandering fellow
With a gypsy coat of red and yellow!
"Beside," quoth the Mayor, with a knowing wink,
"Our business was done at the river's brink;
We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,
And what's dead can't come to life, I think.
So, friend, we're not the folks to shrink
From the duty of giving you something for drink,
And a matter of money to put in your poke;
But as for the guilders, what we spoke
Of them, as you very well know, was in joke.
Besides, our losses have made us thrifty;
A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!"
The piper's face fell, and he cried,
"No trifling! I can't wait! beside,
I've promised to visit by dinner time
Bagdat, and accept the prime
Of the head cook's pottage, all he's rich in,
For having left, in the Caliph's kitchen,
Of a nest of scorpions no survivor,--
With him I proved no bargain-driver;
With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver!
And folks who put me in a passion
May find me pipe to another fashion."
"How?" cried the Mayor, "d'ye think I'll brook
Being worse treated than a cook?
Insulted by a lazy ribald
With idle pipe and vesture piebald?
You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst,
Blow your pipe there till you burst!"
Once more he stept into the street;
And to his lips again
Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;
And ere he blew three notes (such sweet
Soft notes as yet musician's cunning
Never gave the enraptured air)
There was a rustling that seemed like a bustling
Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling;
Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,
Little hands clapping, and little tongues chattering;
And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering,
Out came the children running;
All the little boys and girls,
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter.
The Mayor was dumb, and the Council stood
As if they were changed into blocks of wood,
Unable to move a step, or cry
To the children merrily skipping by,--
And could only follow with the eye
That joyous crowd at the piper's back.
But how the Mayor was on the rack,
And the wretched Council's bosoms beat,
As the piper turned from the High Street
To where the Weser rolled its waters
Right in the way of their sons and daughters!
However, he turned from south to west,
And to Koppelberg Hill his steps addressed,
And after him the children pressed;
Great was the joy in every breast.
"He never can cross that mighty top!
He's forced to let the piping drop,
And we shall see our children stop!"
When lo, as they reached the mountain's side,
A wondrous portal opened wide,
As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed;
And the piper advanced and the children followed;
And when all were in, to the very last,
The door in the mountain-side shut fast.
Did I say all? No! One was lame,
And could not dance the whole of the way;
And in after years, if you would blame
His sadness, he was used to say,--
"It's dull in our town since my playmates left!
I can't forget that I'm bereft
Of all the pleasant sights they see,
Which the piper also promised me;
For he led us, he said, to a joyous land,
Joining the town and just at hand,
Where waters gushed and fruit trees grew,
And flowers put forth a fairer hue,
And everything was strange and new;
The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here,
And their dogs outran our fallow deer,
And honey-bees had lost their stings,
And horses were born with eagle's wings;
And just as I became assured
My lame foot would be speedily cured,
[Illustration: A WONDROUS PORTAL OPENED WIDE]
The music stopped and I stood still,
And found myself outside the Hill,
Left alone against my will,
To go now limping as before,
And never hear of that country more!'
FRITHIOF THE BOLD
Adapted by GRACE E. SELLON
Ingeborg was the favored child of King Bele of Sognland--favored not
only by the king, but, it would seem, by the gods themselves; for
while she possessed great beauty and a disposition of rare loveliness,
her brothers, Helge and Halfdan, were endowed neither with comeliness
nor with the bravery and the gentler virtues of true princes. Indeed,
King Bele seemed to have good cause for regarding Frithiof, the
stalwart son of his loyal friend Thorsten, with greater affection than
he bestowed upon his own sons, for Frithiof was fearless in danger and
could surpass all other youths in feats of strength, yet was so mild-
mannered and noble-hearted that from the first he found great pleasure
in the companionship of the little princess Ingeborg.
With so much satisfaction did King Bele look upon this comradeship
that when Ingeborg was but a small child he gave her into the care of
her foster-father, Hilding, under whose guardianship Frithiof also had
been placed. Thus thrown constantly into each other's company, the
youth and his child playmate found delight in daily expeditions
through the forest and on the firth; [Footnote: Firth, an arm of the
sea.] and rare times they had.
"Her pilot soon he joyed to glide,
In Viking*-guise, o'er stream and tide:
Sure, hands so gentle, heart so gay,
Ne'er plauded rover's young essay!
"No beetling lair, no pine-rocked nest,
Might 'scape the love-urged spoiler's quest:
Oft ere an eaglet-wing had soared,
The eyry mourned its parted hoard.
"He sought each brook of rudest force,
To bear his Ing'borg o'er its source:
So thrilling, midst the wild alarm,
The tendril-twining of her arm."
[Footnote: From Longfellow's translation of portions of Tegner's
Frithiof Saga.]
*[Footnote: Viking, the name of the Norse sea-pirates who coasted the
shores of Europe in the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries. The name is
derived from wick, a kind of creek or inlet which these plunderers
used as harbors.]
As the years passed, and Ingeborg became lovelier and Frithiof more
brave and noble each day, their pleasure in each other's company grew
deeper and more absorbing. From this state of happy content, however,
Frithiof was to be rudely awakened by the faithful Hilding, who could
see a great disappointment looming in the path of his young charge.
Calling Frithiof to him one day, he said:
"Thou knowest the grief I would feel to see thee unhappy. For thy own
good I warn thee that it is not possible for Ingeborg ever to be
thine. Thou dost forget that she is the king's daughter, and can trace
her lineage even to All-father Odin, [Footnote: Odin, the father of
the Norse gods. From his lofty throne in Asgard, home of the gods, he
could survey and govern all heaven.] while thou art a mere subject in
this realm."
"Ah, but strength and prowess, the gifts of Thor [Footnote: Thor, the
eldest son of Odin, superior in strength to all the other Norse gods.
He was renowned for the possession of a wonderful hammer, which, after
being cast at an object, came back of itself to the hand of him who
had thrown it, a magic belt that greatly increased his strength; and a
pair of iron gloves that gave him strength and skill in throwing his
hammer.] himself, must rank above the dignity of kings. Ingeborg, the
white lily, shall be mine," retorted Frithiof in angry pride, and took
himself off, apparently unheeding the counsel.
Nevertheless, when he thought later of Hilding's words and of the
hostile feelings that Halfdan and Helge bore him because of envy of
his prowess, he became troubled in mind.
It was not long after this that both Bele and his loyal Thorsten,
after impressing many a word of wisdom upon the hearts and minds of
their heirs, died peacefully and were placed so near each other that
in death, as in life, they seemed always together.
Helge and Halfdan now became the kings of Sogn and Frithiof went to
live on the estate of Framnas, left him by his father. Great indeed
was his inheritance, for he came into possession of the wonderful
sword Angurvadel, on the blade of which were mystic runes [Footnote:
Runes, letters or characters of ancient Scandinavian alphabets. The
literal meaning of rune, a secret or mystery, is explained by the fact
that at first these symbols could be read only by a few.] dull in
times of peace, but fiery red in war; the magic ring or armlet made by
Vaulund the smith, and the ship Ellida, built in the shape of a dragon
and swifter in its flight than any eagle.
[Illustration: THEY HAD BECOME BETROTHED]
These gifts of good fortune, however, failed to satisfy the new master
of Framnas. So greatly did he miss the presence of Ingeborg that he
could find content in no occupation and wandered about in
restlessness. At length he determined to dispel his loneliness by
filling his great house with guests and holding a feast that should
cause him to be remembered ever afterwards for boundless hospitality.
Just at this time came Helge and Halfdan with their sister Ingeborg to
visit him. Then indeed did Frithiof's gloom take flight as he sat by
Ingeborg's side or with her roamed the woods and fields, living over
again the days of their happy comradeship and building hopes for an
even happier reunion in the future. In renewing their love, they had
secretly become betrothed, and thus the hours of the visit sped all
too swiftly.
After the departure of Ingeborg it seemed to Frithiof that all joy had
gone out of the world. His dark mood returned, and dismal fears began
to haunt him day and night. Unable longer to endure this desperate
state, he acted upon a sudden resolve, and set sail in his ship,
Ellida, for the home of the princess, determined to ask formally for
her hand in marriage. It was a daring project; but Frithiof was a
fearless suitor.
Having anchored his boat on the shore of the firth, he advanced at
once to where the two kings were "seated on Bele's tomb,"
administering law to the common people.
In a voice that reechoed round the valleys and peaks, Frithiof cried,
"Ye kings, my love is Ing'borg fair;
To ask her in marriage I here repair;
And what I require
I here maintain was King Bele's desire!"
[Footnote: Spalding's translation of Tegner's Frithiof Saga.]
The bold words and kingly bearing of the youth drew to him the
admiring gaze of all the great assembly. But Helge looked at him, at
first in astonishment; then, in deep scorn.
"The hand of my sister, the Princess Ingeborg, is for none of such
mean estate as thou. Wouldst thou enter our household? Accept then the
place of serving-man," the king at length replied disdainfully.
At these slighting words Frithiof was so moved by rage that he would
have slain the king then and there had not the place been hallowed by
Bele's tomb. As it was, he split the royal shield in two with his
mighty sword; then, drawing himself up to his full height, he turned
abruptly and strode back to his ship, with head held loftily and eyes
flashing with terrible anger.
Scarcely had he returned home when he was visited by his foster-father
Hilding who, strange as it may seem, had come to ask his aid in behalf
of Ingeborg and her brothers.
"The one whom thou lovest has given herself up to grief in the temple
of Balder, [Footnote: Balder, the much-loved god of spring.] where she
spends each day in tears," Hilding mournfully began. "Her fate is
sealed, as is that of the whole kingdom, if thou wilt not help us
resist King Ring of Ringland who, notwithstanding his great age, has
demanded Ingeborg's hand in marriage, and in anger is marching against
us because his request has been refused," continued the faithful old
guardian beseechingly.
Frithiof was playing at chess with his companion Bjorn, and to all
appearance did not hear nor heed the words of Hilding. His wounded
pride cried for revenge. However, by artful remarks concerning the
moves that were being made on the board, he let it be known that he
was aware of the king's peril but would allow himself to be concerned
only for the welfare of Ingeborg. When at length Hilding pressed for
an answer, Frithiof cried out:
"Haste! tell the sons of royal Bele
I wear not a retainer's steel;*
For wounded honor bids divide
The sacred bond it once revered."
[Footnote: Longfellow's translation.]
*[Footnote: Retainer's steel, the sword of a subject]
Filled with secret dismay by Hilding's unsuccessful mission, Helge and
Halfdan set forth at once to meet the invading King Ring. Scarcely had
they departed when Frithiof, impelled by pity for Ingeborg, went to
seek her in Balder's temple. Sympathy had indeed blinded Frithiof's
better judgment, for the spot on which the temple stood was held so
sacred that the law forbade it to be used for lover's trysts.
Regardless of peril, he approached Ingeborg, who, fearful for his
safety, implored him to return to Framnas; but the reckless youth,
defying Balder's wrath, remained to assure the unhappy princess of his
lasting devotion to her welfare.
"By the honor of my race, I swear that thou wilt ever be dearer to me
than all things else beside," declared Frithiof solemnly, with bowed
head. And then, giving Ingeborg the Vaulund ring, with her he made a
vow that their troth should never be broken.
Little did they know how soon their words were to be proved vain! Even
then were Helge and Halfdan coming back to Sogn to fulfill the promise
made King Ring that Ingeborg should become his bride; and even then
did Frithiof's violation of Balder's shrine cry out accusingly,
demanding grim punishment.
Immediately upon Helge's return he learned of Frithiof's misdeed.
Summoning the offender to him, he asked, in awful tones: "Hast thou
aught to say in denial of the grave charge that stands against thee
for defiling the sanctuary?"
"According to the law, the charge is just," calmly answered Frithiof.
"Then get thee hence at once," cried Helge. "Sail to the Orkney
Islands and there let us see if thy boldness will avail to secure from
Earl Angantyr the long-due tribute money. If thou succeed, return; but
if thou fail, let shame for thy empty boasts and overweening pride
keep thee from these shores forever."
The thought of parting seemed so cruel that Frithiof tried to persuade
Ingeborg to go with him to the sunny land of Greece. "There shalt thou
dwell in queenly fashion, and I myself will be thy most devoted
subject," he pleaded.
Ingeborg, faithful to duty, replied: "My brothers now take my father's
place in my life, and I cannot be happy unless I have their consent to
my marriage."
In deep dejection Frithiof then set sail in Ellida, Ingeborg watching
him from the shore with a heavy and foreboding heart. Hardly had the
ship got under way when there arose a terrible storm, caused by two
witches whom Helge had paid to use their evil power against his enemy.
For days the storm raged, until it seemed that the dragon-ship must be
wrecked.
"As made with defeat,
It blows more and more hard;
There is bursting of sheet,
There is splintering of yard.
O'er and o'er the half-gulfed side,
Flood succeeding flood is poured;
Fast as they expel the tide,
Faster still it rolls aboard.
Now e'en Frithiof's dauntless mind
Owned the triumph of his foe;
Louder yet than wave and wind
Thus his thundering accents flow!
'Haste and grasp the tiller,
Bjorn, with might of bear-paw!
Tempest so infuriate
Comes not from Valhalla.*
Witchcraft is a-going;
Sure, the coward Helge
Spells* the raging billows!
Mine the charge to explore.'"
[Footnote: Longfellow's translation]
*[Footnote: Valhalla, the palace of Odin, in Asgard, the home of the
gods.]
*[Footnote: Spells, bewitches]
Had the prayers of Ingeborg at length availed? Even as he was gazing
out over the waters, Frithiof beheld the two witches floating before
him on the back of a great whale. Then it was that his ship Ellida,
intelligent and faithful as a human servant, saved him from the power
of the crafty Helge. Bearing down quickly upon the evil-workers, it
despatched one of them with its sharp prow, while Frithiof, with one
thrust of his weapon, destroyed the other. But the vessel was filled
with water, and the sailors were forced to bale continually. In this
desperate plight the Orkney Islands were reached, and the exhausted
crew were borne ashore. Frithiof, too, was worn with fatigue, yet he
carried eight of his men at one time from the ship to safety.
When Ellida put into harbor, Earl Angantyrand his warriors were in the
midst of a drinking-bout at the palace. The old attendant Halvar,
while refilling the Earl's horn [Footnote: Horn, a drinking vessel,
horn shaped, or made of horn.] with mead, [Footnote: Mead, a drink
made of honey and water.] called the attention of the party to the
incoming vessel.
"A ship that can weather such a sea must be no other than Ellida,
bearing the doughty son of my good friend Thorsten," exclaimed
Angantyr, rising to get a better view.
At these words of praise the keenest envy was aroused in Atle and
several of his companions who were most celebrated in that realm for
their skill and prowess as huntsmen and warriors; and in a body they
went down to the shore to challenge the far-famed youth of Norway.
Again did the magic Angurvadel stand its owner in good stead. Atle's
sword having been broken, Frithiof cast aside his own weapon, and the
two men wrestled until the latter threw his opponent and stood over
him victor.
"Now had I my sword, thou should'st die," cried Frithiof. "Get thy
weapon," calmly replied Atle. "I give thee my word I will await thy
return."
Frithiof recovered Angurvadel, but as he was about to plunge it into
Atle's body he was so moved by the fearlessness of the vanquished man
that he spared his life. Earl Angantyr then warmly welcomed the son of
his noble friend Thorsten, and because of the memory of this
friendship agreed to pay the required tribute.
[Illustration: FRITHIOF BEHELD THE TWO WITCHES]
Not until spring did Frithiof return to Sogn. When he arrived in his
native land he learned of two direful events. Helge had destroyed the
estate at Framnas, and had given Ingeborg as a bride to King Ring.
Into such a furious passion did the news put him, that he went at once
to seek out Helge. The two kings with their wives were worshipping in
Balder's temple. Unable to suppress his rage, Frithiof advanced toward
Helge and thrust Angantyr's tribute into the very face of the king.
Then, finding that Helge's wife was wearing the magic ring that
Ingeborg had been forced to give up, Frithiof tried to wrest this from
its wearer, and in doing so caused the queen to drop into the fire an
image of the god Balder. In the effort to avert this disaster
Halfdan's wife let fall a second image, and immediately the temple
burst into flames.
Had not Frithiof been the most dauntless of all the sons of Norway, he
would have been prostrated with fear for the consequences of this
terrible sacrilege. Could he longer escape the avenging anger of
Balder? Summoning all his courage, he ran to the shore and immediately
embarked in Ellida. Swiftly the dragon-ship skimmed the waves, while
Helge paced up and down the shore in helpless wrath, all of his
vessels having been destroyed by the companions of his fleeing enemy.
For three years thereafter Frithiof roved the seas as a viking,
overcoming the great sea-pirates, and taking from them their rich
spoils. At length, when he had become very wealthy, he tired of his
ceaseless roaming and came to feel that nothing would satisfy him but
to see Ingeborg again. Then, despite the protests of Bjorn, he set out
for Norway to visit the kingdom of Ringland.
Arrived at the king's palace he entered, disguised as an old man, and
humbly seated himself among the servants. Soon those about him began
to make fun of his forlorn appearance, whereupon he seized a youth
standing near, and raising him high above his head, twisted him about
as though he weighed no more than a mere babe. This surprising test of
strength drew the attention of the entire party, and the king
questioned: "Who art thou, and where didst thou pass the night just
gone?"
"In Anguish was I nurtured, Want is my homestead bright.
Now come I from the Wolf's den, I slept with him last night"
[Footnote: Longfellow's translation]
came in a quavering voice from Frithiof.
But the king, intent upon further discovery, bade the stranger remove
his shaggy cloak. Then Frithiof knew that deception was no longer
possible, and, throwing off his cloak, he stood forth in all the might
of his manhood. Even had it not been otherwise possible to recognize
him, the Vaulund ring worn on his arm would have betrayed its owner.
At once his eyes traveled to Ingeborg, who blushed deeply, while the
king feigned ignorance.
So much favor did Frithiof find with the aged monarch, that he was
besought to remain at the court during the winter. On one occasion he
repaid this hospitality by saving the lives of the king and queen when
they were on their way to a feast. The ice over which they were
passing broke, and they would have sunk into the river below had not
Frithiof by main force pulled the pony and sleigh out of the water.
Somewhat later, while accompanying the royal party on a visit to the
woods and fields where the new beauty of the springtime could be fully
enjoyed, Frithiof was left alone with King Ring. Feeling weary, the
old man lay down upon a cloak spread for him by his companion, and
fell asleep with his head upon the younger man's knee. As he lay thus,
a coal-black raven from a near-by tree called in hoarse whispers to
Frithiof: "Take his life, now that he is in thy power." But from
another bough a bird, white as snow, admonished him: "Respect old age
and be true to the trust that has been placed in thee." Thereupon
Frithiof cast his sword from him as far as it could be thrown. Soon
the king aroused himself from the sleep that he had merely pretended,
and said in kindly tones:
"I know thee now to be a brave and loyal friend; and thy
trustworthiness shall be rewarded, Frithiof. Do not be surprised that
I speak thy name, for I have known thee from the first. Even now the
darkness of death is closing round me, and when the light of Midgard
[Footnote: Midgard, the name given in Norse mythology to earth, as
distinguished from Asgard (the home of the gods) and Hel (the lower
world).] fades from my sight, I shall die willing that thou marry
Ingeborg and rule my kingdom until my young son shall have grown to
manhood."
Frithiof, whose noble nature had been deeply touched by the king's
generosity, would have departed from Ringland soon afterward, but with
great difficulty was prevailed upon to stay. And so it came about that
when in a little time the king died, the long years of trial endured
by Ingeborg and Frithiof were brought to an end, and their constancy
was rewarded. To fill the measure of their joy, Halfdan, who was now
reigning alone, Helge having died, became reconciled to them and
gladly agreed to their union. Indeed, it was he who led his sister to
the altar in the restored temple of Balder and gave her into the safe-
keeping of her faithful lover.
When you think how old your grandmother and grandfather seem, and then
remember that they have lived less than a hundred years, you feel that
a story which has been living for hundreds of years is indeed very
old. Such a story is the one that you have just been reading. Many
more children than you could possibly imagine, if you were trying to
picture them all in one place--especially children of Norway, Sweden
and Denmark--have delightedly read or listened to this same
interesting tale.
The Frithiof saga,[Footnote: Saga, an ancient Scandinavian legend, or
mythical or historical tale.] as the story is called, did not appear
in its present form until the fourteenth century, though it is
believed to have existed, at least in part, in earlier ages. It has
been told and retold by writers of Norway and Sweden, translated into
many languages, and even made into a celebrated epic[Footnote: Epic, a
narrative poem concerned usually with historic deeds and characters,
and written in a style of marked dignity and grandeur.] poem by the
Swedish poet, Tegner.
Of course in the fourteenth century the people of northern Europe no
longer thought that Odin, Balder and the other gods mentioned in the
story lived in Valhalla and ruled the world. But at that time many did
believe in magic and in the evil power of witches; and it is
altogether probable that the wonderful ship Ellida, which possessed
human intelligence and could save its master from shipwreck; the
witches traveling about on the whale's back; the talking birds, and
the magical ring and sword would have seemed far less astonishing to
these people than would our great ocean steamships and men-of-war, our
railroad trains and trolley cars, our telephones and talking-machines,
and many other modern wonders in which we fully believe.