Part 5
THE LAD WHO WENT TO THE NORTH WIND
Once on a time there was an old widow who had one son; and as she was poorly and weak, her son had to go up into the safe to fetch meal for cooking; but when he got outside the safe, and was just going down the steps, there came the _North Wind_ puffing and blowing, caught up the meal, and so away with it through the air. Then the _Lad_ went back into the safe for more; but when he came out again on the steps, if the _North Wind_ didn't come again and carry off the meal with a puff: and, more than that, he did so the third time. At this the _Lad_ got very angry; and as he thought it hard that the _North Wind_ should behave so, he thought he'd just look him up, and ask him to give up his meal.
So off he went, but the way was long, and he walked and walked; but at last he came to the _North Wind's_ house.
"Good day!" said the _Lad_, "and thank you for coming to see us yesterday."
"GOOD DAY!" answered the _North Wind_, for his voice was loud and gruff, "AND THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE ME. WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
"Oh!" answered the _Lad_, "I only wished to ask you to be so good as to let me have back that meal you took from me on the safe steps, for we haven't much to live on; and if you're to go on snapping up the morsel we have, there'll be nothing for it but to starve."
"I haven't got your meal," said the _North Wind_; "but if you are in such need, I'll give you a cloth which will get you everything you want, if you only say, 'Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes!'"
With this the _Lad_ was well content. But, as the way was so long he couldn't get home in one day, so he turned into an inn on the way; and when they were going to sit down to supper he laid the cloth on a table which stood in the corner, and said:
"Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes."
He had scarce said so before the cloth did as it was bid; and all who stood by thought it a fine thing, but most of all the landlady. So, when all were fast asleep at dead of night, she took the _Lad's_ cloth, and put another in its stead, just like the one he had got from the _North Wind_, but which couldn't so much as serve up a bit of dry bread.
So, when the _Lad_ woke, he took his cloth and went off with it, and that day he got home to his mother.
"Now," said he, "I've been to the _North Wind's_ house, and a good fellow he is, for he gave me this cloth, and when I only say to it, 'Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes,' I get any sort of food I please."
"All very true, I daresay," said his mother; "but seeing is believing, and I shan't believe it till I see it."
So the _Lad_ made haste, drew out a table, laid the cloth on it, and said:
"Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes."
But never a bit of dry bread did the cloth serve up.
"Well," said the _Lad_ "there's no help for it but to go to the _North Wind_ again;" and away he went.
So he came to where the _North Wind_ lived late in the afternoon.
"Good evening!" said the _Lad_.
"Good evening!" said the _North Wind_.
"I want my rights for that meal of ours which you took," said the _Lad_; "for, as for that cloth I got, it isn't worth a penny."
"I've got no meal," said the _North Wind_; "but yonder you have a ram which coins nothing but golden ducats as soon as you say to it: 'Ram, ram! make money!'"
So the _Lad_ thought this a fine thing; but as it was too far to get home that day, he turned in for the night to the same inn where he had slept before.
Before he called for anything, he tried the truth of what the _North Wind_ had said of the ram, and found it all right; but, when the landlord saw that, he thought it was a famous ram, and, when the _Lad_ had fallen asleep, he took another which couldn't coin gold ducats, and changed the two.
Next morning off went the _Lad_; and when he got home to his mother, he said:
"After all, the _North Wind_ is a jolly fellow; for now he has given me a ram which can coin golden ducats if I only say: 'Ram, ram! make money!'"
"All very true, I daresay," said his mother; "but I shan't believe any such stuff until I see the ducats made."
"Ram, ram! make money!" said the _Lad_; but if the ram made anything, it wasn't money.
So the _Lad_ went back again to the _North Wind_, and blew him up, and said the ram was worth nothing, and he must have his rights for the meal.
"Well!" said the _North Wind_; "I've nothing else to give you but that old stick in the corner yonder; but its a stick of that kind that if you say: 'Stick, stick! lay on!' it lays on till you say: 'Stick, stick! now stop!'"
So, as the way was long, the _Lad_ turned in this night too to the landlord; but as he could pretty well guess how things stood as to the cloth and the ram, he lay down at once on the bench and began to snore, as if he were asleep.
Now the landlord, who easily saw that the stick must be worth something, hunted up one which was like it, and when he heard the lad snore, was going to change the two; but, just as the landlord was about to take it, the _Lad_ bawled out:
"Stick, stick! lay on!"
So the stick began to beat the landlord, till he jumped over chairs, and tables, and benches, and yelled and roared:
"Oh my! oh my! bid the stick be still, else it will beat me to death, and you shall have back both your cloth and your ram."
When the _Lad_ thought the landlord had got enough, he said:
"Stick, stick! now stop!"
Then he took the cloth and put it into his pocket, and went home with his stick in his hand, leading the ram by a cord round its horns; and so he got his rights for the meal he had lost.
THE THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND
Once on a time there was a fisherman who lived close by a palace, and fished for the _King's_ table. One day when he was out fishing he just caught nothing. Do what he would--however he tried with bait and angle--there was never a sprat on his hook. But when the day was far spent a head bobbed up out of the water, and said:
"If I may have what your wife bears under her girdle, you shall catch fish enough."
So the man answered boldly, "Yes;" for he did not know that his wife was going to have a child. After that, as was like enough, he caught plenty of fish of all kinds. But when he got home at night and told his story, how he had got all that fish, his wife fell a-weeping and moaning, and was beside herself for the promise which her husband had made, for she said, "I bear a babe under my girdle."
Well, the story soon spread, and came up to the castle; and when the _King_ heard the woman's grief and its cause, he sent down to say he would take care of the child, and see if he couldn't save it.
So the months went on and on, and when her time came the fisher's wife had a boy; so the king took it at once, and brought it up as his own son, until the lad grew up. Then he begged leave one day to go out fishing with his father; he had such a mind to go, he said. At first the _King_ wouldn't hear of it, but at last the lad had his way, and went. So he and his father were out the whole day, and all went right and well till they landed at night. Then the lad remembered he had left his handkerchief, and went to look for it; but as soon as ever he got into the boat, it began to move off with him at such speed that the water roared under the bow, and all the lad could do in rowing against it with the oars was no use; so he went and went the whole night, and at last he came to a white strand, far far away.
There he went ashore, and when he had walked about a bit, an old, old man met him, with a long white beard.
"What's the name of this land?" asked the lad.
"Whiteland," said the man, who went on to ask the lad whence he came, and what he was going to do. So the lad told him all.
[Illustration: "You'll come to three Princesses, whom you will see standing in the earth up to their necks, with only their heads out."]
"Aye, aye!" said the man; "now when you have walked a little farther along the strand here, you'll come to three _Princesses_, whom you will see standing in the earth up to their necks, with only their heads out. Then the first--she is the eldest--will call out and beg you so prettily to come and help her; and the second will do the same; to neither of these shall you go; make haste past them, as if you neither saw nor heard anything. But the third you shall go to, and do what she asks. If you do this, you'll have good luck--that's all."
When the lad came to the first _Princess_, she called out to him, and begged him so prettily to come to her, but he passed on as though he saw her not. In the same way he passed by the second; but to the third he went straight up.
"If you'll do what I bid you," she said, "you may have which of us you please."
"Yes;" he was willing enough; so she told him how three _Trolls_ had set them down in the earth there; but before they had lived in the castle up among the trees.
"Now," she said, "you must go into that castle, and let the _Trolls_ whip you each one night for each of us. If you can bear that, you'll set us free."
Well, the lad said he was ready to try.
"When you go in," the _Princess_ went on to say, "you'll see two lions standing at the gate; but if you'll only go right in the middle between them they'll do you no harm. Then go straight on into a little dark room, and make your bed. Then the _Troll_ will come to whip you; but if you take the flask which hangs on the wall, and rub yourself with the ointment that's in it, wherever his lash falls, you'll be as sound as ever. Then grasp the sword that hangs by the side of the flask and strike the _Troll_ dead."
Yes, he did as the _Princess_ told him; he passed in the midst between the lions, as if he hadn't seen them, and went straight into the little room, and there he lay down to sleep. The first night there came a _Troll_ with three heads and three rods, and whipped the lad soundly; but he stood it till the _Troll_ was done; then he took the flask and rubbed himself, and grasped the sword and slew the _Troll_.
So, when he went out next morning, the _Princesses_ stood out of the earth up to their waists.
The next night 'twas the same story over again, only this time the _Troll_ had six heads and six rods, and he whipped him far worse than the first; but when he went out next morning, the _Princesses_ stood out of the earth as far as the knee.
The third night there came a _Troll_ that had nine heads and nine rods, and he whipped and flogged the lad so long that he fainted away; then the _Troll_ took him up and dashed him against the wall; but the shock brought down the flask, which fell on the lad, burst, and spilled the ointment all over him, and so he became as strong and sound as ever again. Then he wasn't slow; he grasped the sword and slew the _Troll_; and next morning when he went out of the castle the _Princesses_ stood before him with all their bodies out of the earth. So he took the youngest for his _Queen_, and lived well and happily with her for some time.
At last he began to long to go home for a little to see his parents. His _Queen_ did not like this; but at last his heart was so set on it, and he longed and longed so much, there was no holding him back, so she said:
"One thing you must promise me. This--only to do what your father begs you to do, and not what mother wishes;" and that he promised.
Then she gave him a ring, which was of that kind that any one who wore it might wish two wishes. So he wished himself home, and when he got home his parents could not wonder enough what a grand man their son had become.
Now, when he had been at home some days, his mother wished him to go up to the palace and show the _King_ what a fine fellow he had come to be. But his father said:
"No! don't let him do that; if he does, we shan't have any more joy of him this time."
But it was no good, the mother begged and prayed so long that at last he went. So when he got up to the palace he was far braver, both in clothes and array, than the other king, who didn't quite like this, and at last he said:
"All very fine; but here you can see my _Queen_, what like she is, but I can't see yours: that I can't. Do you know, I scarce think she's so good-looking as mine."
"Would to Heaven," said the young _King_, "she were standing here, then you'd see what she was like." And that instant there she stood before them.
But she was very woeful, and said to him:
"Why did you not mind what I told you; and why did you not listen to what your father said? Now, I must away home, and as for you, you have had both your wishes."
With that she knitted a ring among his hair with her name on it, and wished herself home, and was off.
Then the young _King_ was cut to the heart, and went, day out day in, thinking and thinking how he should get back to his _Queen_. "I'll just try," he thought, "if I can't learn where Whiteland lies;" and so he went out into the world to ask. So when he had gone a good way, he came to a high hill, and there he met one who was lord over all the beasts of the wood, for they all came home to him when he blew his horn; so the _King_ asked if he knew where Whiteland was.
"No, I don't," said he, "but I'll ask my beasts." Then he blew his horn and called them, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland lay. But there was no beast that knew.
So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes.
[Illustration: So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes.]
"When you get on these," he said, "you'll come to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles off; he is lord over all the birds of the air. Ask him. When you reach his house, just turn the shoes so that the toes point this way, and they'll come home of themselves." So when the _King_ reached the house, he turned the shoes as the lord of the beasts had said, and away they went home of themselves.
So he asked again after Whiteland, and the man called all the birds with a blast of his horn, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland lay; but none of the birds knew. Now, long, long after the rest of the birds came an old eagle, which had been away ten round years, but he couldn't tell any more than the rest.
"Well, well," said the man, "I'll lend you a pair of snow-shoes, and, when you get them on, they'll carry you to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles off; he's lord of all the fish in the sea; you'd better ask him. But don't forget to turn the toes of the shoes this way."
The _King_ was full of thanks, got on the shoes, and when he came to the man who was lord over the fish of the sea, he turned the toes round, and so off they went home like the other pair. After that, he asked again after Whiteland.
So the man called the fish with a blast, but no fish could tell where it lay. At last came an old pike, which they had great work to call home, he was such a way off. So when they asked him he said:
"Know it? I should think I did! I've been cook there ten years, and to-morrow I'm going there again; for now the queen of Whiteland, whose king is away, is going to wed another husband."
"Well!" said the man, "as this is so, I'll give you a bit of advice. Hereabouts, on a moor, stand three brothers, and here they have stood these hundred years, fighting about a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots. If any one has these three things he can make himself invisible, and wish himself anywhere he pleases. You can tell them you wish to try the things, and, after that, you'll pass judgment between them, whose they shall be."
Yes! the _King_ thanked the man, and went and did as he told him.
"What's all this?" he said to the brothers. "Why do you stand here fighting for ever and a day? Just let me try these things, and I'll give judgment whose they shall be."
They were very willing to do this; but, as soon as he had got the hat, cloak, and boots, he said:
"When we meet next time, I'll tell you my judgment," and with these words he wished himself away.
So as he went along up in the air, he came up with the North wind.
"Whither away?" roared the North Wind.
"To Whiteland," said the _King_; and then he told him all that had befallen him.
"Ah," said the North Wind, "you go faster than I--you do; for you can go straight, while I have to puff and blow round every turn and corner. But when you get there, just place yourself on the stairs by the side of the door, and then I'll come storming in, as though I were going to blow down the whole castle. And then when the prince, who is to have your _Queen_, comes out to see what's the matter, just you take him by the collar and pitch him out of doors; then I'll look after him, and see if I can't carry him off."
[Illustration: The King went into the Castle, and at first his Queen didn't know him, he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful.]
Well, the _King_ did as the North Wind said. He took his stand on the stairs, and when the North Wind came, storming and roaring, and took hold of the castle wall, so that it shook again, the prince came out to see what was the matter. But as soon as ever he came, the _King_ caught him by the collar and pitched him out of doors, and then the North Wind caught him up and carried him off. So when there was an end of him, the _King_ went into the castle, and at first his _Queen_ didn't know him, he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful; but when he shewed her the ring, she was as glad as glad could be; and so the rightful wedding was held, and the fame of it spread far and wide.
SORIA MORIA CASTLE
Once on a time there was a poor couple who had a son whose name was _Halvor_. Ever since he was a little boy he would turn his hand to nothing, but just sat there and groped about in the ashes. His father and mother often put him out to learn this trade or that, but _Halvor_ could stay nowhere; for, when he had been there a day or two, he ran away from his master, and never stopped till he was sitting again in the ingle, poking about in the cinders.
Well, one day a skipper came, and asked _Halvor_ if he hadn't a mind to be with him, and go to sea, and see strange lands. Yes, _Halvor_ would like that very much; so he wasn't long in getting himself ready.
How long they sailed I'm sure I can't tell; but the end of it was, they fell into a great storm, and when it was blown over, and it got still again, they couldn't tell where they were; for they had been driven away to a strange coast, which none of them knew anything about.
Well, as there was just no wind at all, they stayed lying wind-bound there, and _Halvor_ asked the skipper's leave to go on shore and look about him; he would sooner go, he said, than lie there and sleep.
"Do you think now you're fit to show yourself before folk," said the skipper, "why, you've no clothes but those rags you stand in?"
But _Halvor_ stuck to his own, and so at last he got leave, but he was to be sure and come back as soon as ever it began to blow. So off he went and found a lovely land; wherever he came there were fine large flat cornfields and rich meads, but he couldn't catch a glimpse of a living soul. Well, it began to blow, but _Halvor_ thought he hadn't seen enough yet, and he wanted to walk a little farther just to see if he couldn't meet any folk. So after a while he came to a broad high road, so smooth and even, you might easily roll an egg along it. _Halvor_ followed this, and when evening drew on he saw a great castle ever so far off, from which the sunbeams shone. So as he had now walked the whole day and hadn't taken a bit to eat with him, he was as hungry as a hunter, but still the nearer he came to the castle, the more afraid he got.