Once 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 was 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.
[Illustration: "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.]
Next Thursday evening came the _White Bear_ to fetch her, and she got
upon his back with her 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 then there's
nothing 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 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."
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," said the _White
Bear_; "but don't forget what I told you, else you'll make us both
unlucky."
"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
her. 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, the _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."
[Illustration: "Tell me the way, then," she said, "and I'll search you
out."]
"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.
[Illustration: And then she lay on a little green patch in the midst of
the gloomy thick wood.]
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 she tossed about. Here the lassie asked if she knew
the way 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
neighbour. 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. Here 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 she'll tell you all about it;
and when you get there, just 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, late 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'll 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. 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'll 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.
"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_, 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 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, 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.
[Illustration: The North Wind goes over the sea.]
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.
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 windows 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 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 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.
"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 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_.
[Illustration: And flitted away as far as they could from the Castle that
lay East of the Sun and West of the Moon.]