should have done myself. A cock! think of that! Why it's as good as an
eight day clock, for every day the cock crows at four o'clock, and we
shall be able to stir our stiff legs in good time. What should we do
with a goose? I don't know how to cook it; and as for my pillow, I can
stuff it with cotton grass. Run out, child, and put up the cock."
"But after all, I haven't the cock either," said Gudbrand, "for when I
had gone a bit farther, I became as hungry as a hunter, so I was forced
to sell the cock for a shilling, for fear I should starve."
"Now, God be praised that you did so!" cried his wife, "whatever you do,
you do it always just after my own heart. What should we do with the
cock? We are our own masters, I should think, and can lie abed in the
morning as long as we like. Heaven be thanked that I have you safe back
again; you who do everything so well, that I want neither cock nor
goose; neither pigs nor kine."
Then Gudbrand opened the door and said,--
"Well, what do you say now? Have I won the hundred crowns?" and his
neighbor was forced to admit that he had.
THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL
Once on a time, there was a man who had a meadow, which lay high upon
the hillside, 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 just go and sleep in the barn in the
outlying field when St. John's night came, for it was no 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. 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 around until 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
sat down to watch in the barn as his brother had done before him. But as
the night wore on, there came on a rumbling and quaking 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."
But Boots did not care a pin for their chattering, and as evening drew
on, he walked up the hillside to the outlying field. There he went
inside the barn and sat 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 himself, "if it isn't worse than this, I can stand
it well enough."
A little while after came another creak and an earthquake, 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 earthquake, 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 sat a little
while, he heard a noise as if a horse were standing just outside the
barn door, and feeding on 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 armor 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?"
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. Then 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 sit long in the barn, even if you had the heart to go as far
as the field."
"Well," said Boots, "all I can say is, I sat in the barn till the sun
rose."
"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 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 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 still as death, and the lad heard how something
was cropping 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 larger and finer than that which came the
year before, and it had a saddle on its back, and a bridle on its head,
and a full suit of mail for a knight lay by its side, all of silver, and
as splendid as you would wish to see.
"Ho, ho!" said Boots to himself; "it's you that gobbles up our hay, is
it?" And with that he took the steel out of his tinder box, and threw it
over the horse's crest; then it 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 hay field."
"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 still hadn't the
heart to sit out in the barn and watch the grass, for they had got so
scared at heart the night they sat there before, that they couldn't get
over the fright. But Boots dared to go; and the very same thing happened
this time that 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 sat a little while, he heard something cropping away at the grass
outside the barn, so he stole again to the door chink, and peeped out,
and there stood a horse outside--far, far bigger and more beautiful than
the two he had taken before. It had a saddle on its back, a bridle on
its head, and a full suit of mail for a knight lay by its side--all of
gold, all more splendid than anything you ever saw.
[Illustration: So he caught up the steel and threw it over the horse]
"Ho, ho!" said the lad to himself, "it's you, is it, that comes here
eating up our hay? I'll soon stop that." So he caught up his steel, and
threw it over the 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 themselves; 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 king's palace. Upon the tip top of the
hill the king's 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 offer the
king had posted on all the church doors in his realm; and had given it
out in many other kingdoms besides. Now, this Princess was so lovely,
that all who set eyes on her loved her. 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 besides; 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 them; and every one in the country who could even
crawl along was off to the hill, for they all were eager to see the man
who was to win the Princess. Thus 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 fellow, 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."
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; 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 kingdom. 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 so the knights had
to give up trying any more.
The 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 born days, and the knight had a 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 that 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 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,--
"Ah, how I wish that he might come up and go 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 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.
The next day, all the princes and knights began to ride again, and you
may fancy they had taken care to shoe their horses well; but it was no
use,--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. 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 stop, and not try to
ride up the hill, for all his trouble would be thrown away. But the
knight paid no heed to them, and rode straight at the hill, and right up
it, till he had gone two-thirds of the way, and then he wheeled his
horse around 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 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 the hill of glass, he rode off so fast that no one could see what
became of him.
At even, 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.
The third day everything happened as it had happened the two days
before. There was no one who could get so much as a yard up the hill;
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 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, he took the third
golden apple from the Princess's lap, and then turned his horse and rode
down again. As soon as he got down he rode off at full speed, and was
out of sight in no time.
Now, when the two brothers got home at even, you may fancy what long
stories 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 this wide world."
Next day all the knights and princes were to pass before the king and
the Princess--that he who had the gold apple might bring it forth; but
one came after another, first the princes, 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 that
we all saw with our own eyes, how a man came and rode up and bore it
off."
So he commanded that everyone who was in the kingdom should come up to
the palace and see if he 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.
"Oh, yes," said they; "we have a brother, but he never carried off the
golden apple. He hasn't stirred out of the dust-hole 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 he came.
"How, now," said the king; "have you 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."
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.
THE HUSBAND WHO WAS TO MIND THE HOUSE
Once on a time there was a man so mean and cross that he never thought
his wife did anything right in the house. So one evening in hay-making
time he came home scolding and tearing, and showing his teeth and making
a fuss.
"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."
The husband thought that would do very well. He was quite willing, he
said.
So, early next morning his goody took a scythe on her shoulders, 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 grew thirsty and went down to the cellar to tap a barrel of
ale. So, just when he was putting the tap into the cask, he heard
overhead the pig come into the kitchen. 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 grunting and rooting
in the cream which was running all over the floor, he became 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 died 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 its stall, and had not had a mouthful to eat or a
drop to drink all the morning, though the sun was high. Then he thought
it was 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 their house lay close up
against a steep rock, and he thought if he laid a plank across to the
roof at the back, he'd easily get the cow up.
But still he could not leave the churn, for there was their little babe
crawling about the floor, and, "If I leave it," he thought, "the child
is sure to upset it."
So he took the churn on his back and went out with it. Then he thought
he'd better water the cow before he turned her out on the thatch, and he
took up a bucket to draw water out of the well. But, as he stooped down
at the brink of the well, all the cream ran out of the churn over his
shoulders, about his neck, and down into the well.
Now it was near dinner time, and he had not even got butter yet. So he
thought he'd best boil the porridge, and he 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 waist. 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 housetop after all, and as she fell she dragged the man up
the chimney by the rope. There he stuck fast. And as for the cow, she
hung halfway 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.
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 chimney, and so when his old dame came
inside the kitchen, there she found him standing on his head in the
porridge pot.
LITTLE FREDDY WITH HIS FIDDLE
Once there was a farmer who had an only son. The lad had had very poor
health so he could not go out to work in the field.
His name was Freddy, but, since he remained such a wee bit of a fellow,
they called him Little Freddy. At home there was but little to eat and
nothing at all to burn, so his father went about the country trying to
get the boy a place as cowherd or errand boy; but there was no one who
would take the weakly little lad till they came to the sheriff. He was
ready to take him, for he had just sent off his errand boy, and there
was no one who would fill his place, for everybody knew the sheriff was
a great miser.
But the farmer thought it was better there than nowhere; he would get
his food, for all the pay he was to get was his board--there was nothing
said about wages or clothes. When the lad had served three years he
wanted to leave, and the sheriff gave him all his wages at one time. He
was to have a penny a year. "It couldn't well be less," said the
sheriff. And so he got three pence in all.
As for Little Freddy, he thought it was a great sum, for he had never
owned so much; but, for all that, he asked if he wasn't to have anything
for clothes, for those he had on were worn to rags. He had not had any
new ones since he came to the sheriff's three years ago.
"You have what we agreed on," said the sheriff, "and three whole pennies
besides. I have nothing more to do with you. Be off!"
So Little Freddy went into the kitchen and got a little food in his
knapsack, and after that he set off on the road to buy himself more
clothes. He was both merry and glad, for he had never seen a penny
before, and every now and then he felt in his pockets as he went along
to see if he had them all three. So, when he had gone far and farther
than far, he got up on top of the mountains. He was not strong on his
legs, and had to rest every now and then, and then he counted and
counted how many pennies he had. And now he came to a great plain
overgrown with moss. There he sat down and began to see if his money was
all right. Suddenly a beggarman appeared before him, so tall and big
that when he got a good look at him and saw his height and length, the
lad began to scream and screech.
"Don't you be afraid," said the beggarman, "I'll do you no harm, I came
only to beg you for a penny."
"Dear me!" said the lad, "I have only three pennies, and with them I was
going to town to buy clothes."
"It is worse for me than for you," said the beggarman, "I have not one
penny, and I am still more ragged than you."
"Well, that is so; you shall have it," said the lad.
When he had walked on a while, he grew weary again, and sat down to
rest. Suddenly another beggarman stood before him, and this one was
still taller and uglier than the first. When the lad saw how very tall
and ugly and long he was, he began to scream again.
"Now, don't you be afraid of me," said the beggar, "I'll do you no harm.
I came only to beg for a penny."
"Oh dear, oh dear!" said the lad. "I have only two pennies, and with
them I was going to the town to buy clothes. If I had only met you
sooner, then--"
"It's worse for me than for you," said the beggarman. "I have no penny,
and a bigger body and less clothing."