In former days, when a child came into the world, his mother was known
as a "heathen," until she could take him to church to be christened.
And it was not safe for her to leave the house unless she carried
steel about her in some shape or form. Now once there was one of these
"heathen" women in Norra Ryd, in the parish of Hanger, who prepared
lunch for the mowers, and went out and called them in to eat. Then one
of the mowers said to her: "I cannot come, for my sheaf is not yet
bound." "I will bind it for you," said the woman. The mowers went in
and ate, but saw no more of her. They went back into the field, and
were about to take up their work again, but still neither saw nor
heard her. They began to search, and hunted for a number of days; but
all in vain. Time passed, till it was late in the fall. One day the
weather was clear and sunny. To this very day there is a cotter's hut,
called Kusabo, that stands on a hill named Kusas, and the cotter who
lived there went to look for a horse. And there on the hillside he saw
the woman sitting who had disappeared, and she was sewing. It was not
far from Kusabo to Norra Ryd, so he recognized her at once. He said
"O, you poor thing, and here you sit!" "Yes," said she, "but you must
never mention it to Lars"--that was her husband--"for I shall never
return from this place. Even now I am only allowed to sit outside for
a little while."