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38 chapters
NOTICE.
NOTICE.
It was said by one of old time that a child’s heart is a holy place, and Scripture in awful words has uttered woe on him who wounds the feelings “of one of these little ones.” So this selection has been made to meet the scruples of those good people who thought some of The Norse Tales too outspoken for their children. Whether these worthy folk were not mistaken; whether here, too, “evil to him who evil thinks” might not have been a fitting answer; it is now needless to ask. The book is printed.
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TRUE AND UNTRUE.
TRUE AND UNTRUE.
ONCE on a time there were two brothers; one was called True, and the other Untrue. True was always upright and good towards all, but Untrue was bad and full of lies, so that no one could believe what he said. Their mother was a widow, and hadn’t much to live on; so when her sons had grown up, she was forced to send them away that they might earn their bread in the world. Each got a little scrip with some food in it, and then they went their way. Now, when they had walked till evening, they sat d
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THE OLD DAME AND HER HEN.
THE OLD DAME AND HER HEN.
ONCE on a time there was an old widow who lived far away from the rest of the world, up under a hill-side, with her three daughters. She was so poor that she had no stock but one single hen, which she prized as the apple of her eye; in short, it was always cackling at her heels, and she was always running to look after it. Well! one day, all at once, the hen was missing. The old wife went out, and round and round the cottage, looking and calling for her hen, but it was gone, and there was no get
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EAST O’ THE SUN AND WEST O’ THE MOON.
EAST O’ THE SUN AND WEST O’ THE MOON.
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
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BOOTS WHO ATE A MATCH WITH THE TROLL.
BOOTS WHO ATE A MATCH WITH THE TROLL.
ONCE on a time there was a farmer, who had three sons; his means were small, and he was old and weak, and his sons would take to nothing. A fine large wood belonged to the farm, and one day the father told his sons to go and hew wood, and try to pay off some of his debts. Well, after a long talk, he got them to set off, and the eldest was to go first. But when he had got well into the wood, and began to hew at a mossy old fir, what should he see coming up to him but a great sturdy Troll. “If you
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BOOTS, WHO MADE THE PRINCESS SAY, “THAT’S A STORY.”
BOOTS, WHO MADE THE PRINCESS SAY, “THAT’S A STORY.”
ONCE on a time there was a king who had a daughter, and she was such a dreadful story-teller that the like of her was not to be found far or near. So the king gave out, that if any one could tell such a string of lies as would get her to say, “That’s a story,” he should have her to wife, and half the kingdom besides. Well, many came, as you may fancy, to try their luck, for every one would have been very glad to have the Princess, to say nothing of the kingdom; but they all cut a sorry figure, f
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THE TWELVE WILD DUCKS.
THE TWELVE WILD DUCKS.
ONCE on a time there was a Queen who was out driving, when there had been a new fall of snow in the winter; but when she had gone a little way, she began to bleed at the nose, and had to get out of her sledge. And so, as she stood there, leaning against the fence, and saw the red blood on the white snow, she fell a-thinking how she had twelve sons and no daughter, and she said to herself, “If I only had a daughter as white as snow and as red as blood, I shouldn’t care what became of all my sons.
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THE GIANT WHO HAD NO HEART IN HIS BODY.
THE GIANT WHO HAD NO HEART IN HIS BODY.
ONCE on a time there was a king who had seven sons, and he loved them so much that he could never bear to be without them all at once, but one must always be with him. Now, when they were grown up, six were to set off to woo, but as for the youngest, his father kept him at home, and the others were to bring back a princess for him to the palace. So the king gave the six the finest clothes you ever set eyes on, so fine that the light gleamed from them a long way off, and each had his horse, which
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THE FOX AS HERDSMAN.
THE FOX AS HERDSMAN.
ONCE on a time there was a woman who went out to hire a herdsman, and she met a bear. “Whither away, Goody?” said Bruin. “Oh, I’m going out to hire a herdsman,” answered the woman. “Why not have me for a herdsman?” said Bruin. “Well, why not?” said the woman. “If you only knew how to call the flock; just let me hear?” “OW, OW!” growled the bear. “No, no! I won’t have you,” said the woman, as soon as she heard him say that, and off she went on her way. So, when she had gone a bit further, she met
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THE CAT ON THE DOVREFELL.
THE CAT ON THE DOVREFELL.
ONCE on a time there was a man up in Finnmark who had caught a great white bear, which he was going to take to the king of Denmark. Now, it so fell out, that he came to the Dovrefell just about Christmas Eve, and there he turned into a cottage where a man lived, whose name was Halvor, and asked the man if he could get house-room there, for his bear and himself. “Heaven never help me, if what I say isn’t true!” said the man; “but we can’t give any one house-room just now, for every Christmas Eve
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PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL.
PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL.
ONCE on a time there was a man who had a meadow which lay high up on the hill-side, 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 t
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HOW ONE WENT OUT TO WOO.
HOW ONE WENT OUT TO WOO.
ONCE on a time there was a lad who went out to woo him a wife. Amongst other places, he came to a farm-house, where the household were little better than beggars; but when the wooer came in, they wanted to make out that they were well to do, as you may guess. Now the husband had got a new arm to his coat. “Pray, take a seat,” he said to the wooer “but there’s a shocking dust in the house.” So he went about rubbing and wiping all the benches and tables with his new arm, but he kept the other all
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THE COCK AND HEN.
THE COCK AND HEN.
Hen —“You promise me shoes year after year, year after year, and yet I get no shoes!” Cock —“You shall have them, never fear Henny penny!” Hen —“I lay egg after egg, egg after egg, and yet I go about barefoot!” Cock —“Well, take your eggs, and be off to the tryst, and buy yourself shoes, and don’t go any longer barefoot!”...
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THE TWO STEP-SISTERS.
THE TWO STEP-SISTERS.
ONCE on a time there was a couple, and each of them had a daughter by a former marriage. The woman’s daughter was dull and lazy, and could never turn her hand to anything, and the man’s daughter was brisk and ready; but somehow or other she could never do anything to her step-mother’s liking, and both the woman and her daughter would have been glad to be rid of her. So it fell one day the two girls were to go out and spin by the side of the well, and the woman’s daughter had flax to spin, but th
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BUTTERCUP.
BUTTERCUP.
ONCE on a time there was an old wife who sat and baked. Now you must know that this old wife had a little son, who was so plump and fat, and so fond of good things, that they called him Buttercup; she had a dog, too, whose name was Goldtooth, and as she was baking, all at once Goldtooth began to bark. “Run out, Buttercup, there’s a dear!” said the old wife, “and see what Goldtooth is barking at.” So the boy ran out, and came back crying out,— “Oh, Heaven help us! here comes a great big witch, wi
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TAMING THE SHREW.
TAMING THE SHREW.
ONCE on a time there was a king, and he had a daughter who was such a scold, and whose tongue went so fast, there was no stopping it. So he gave out that the man who could stop her tongue should have the Princess to wife, and half his kingdom into the bargain. Now, three brothers, who heard this, made up their minds to go and try their luck; and first of all the two elder went, for they thought they were the cleverest; but they couldn’t cope with her at all, and got well thrashed besides. Then B
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SHORTSHANKS.
SHORTSHANKS.
ONCE on a time there was a poor couple who lived in a tumble-down hut, in which there was nothing but black want, so that they hadn’t a morsel to eat, nor a stick to burn. But though they had next to nothing of other things, they had God’s blessing in the way of children, and every year they had another babe. Now, when this story begins, they were just looking out for a new child; and to tell the truth, the husband was rather cross, and he was always going about grumbling and growling, and sayin
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GUDBRAND ON THE HILL-SIDE.
GUDBRAND ON THE HILL-SIDE.
ONCE on a time there was a man whose name was Gudbrand; he had a farm which lay far, far away upon a hill-side, and so they called him Gudbrand on the Hill-side. Now, you must know this man and his goodwife lived so happily together, and understood one another so well, that all the husband did the wife thought so well done there was nothing like it in the world, and she was always glad whatever he turned his hand to. The farm was their own land, and they had a hundred dollars lying at the bottom
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THE BLUE BELT.
THE BLUE BELT.
ONCE on a time there was an old beggar-woman, who had gone out to beg. She had a little lad with her, and when she had got her bag full, she struck across the hills towards her own home. So when they had gone a bit up the hill-side, they came upon a little blue belt, which lay where two paths met, and the lad asked his mother’s leave to pick it up. “No,” said she, “may be there’s witchcraft in it;” and so with threats she forced him to follow her. But when they had gone a bit farther, the lad sa
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WHY THE BEAR IS STUMPY-TAILED.
WHY THE BEAR IS STUMPY-TAILED.
ONE day the Bear met the Fox, who came slinking along with a string of fish he had stolen. “Whence did you get those from?” asked the Bear. “Oh! my Lord Bruin, I’ve been out fishing and caught them,” said the Fox. So the Bear had a mind to learn to fish too, and bade the Fox tell him how he was to set about it. “Oh! it’s an easy craft for you,” answered the Fox, “and soon learnt. You’ve only got to go upon the ice, and cut a hole and stick your tail down into it; and so you must go on holding it
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NOT A PIN TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM.
NOT A PIN TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM.
ONCE on a time there was a man, and he had a wife. Now this couple wanted to sow their fields, but they had neither seed-corn nor money to buy it with. But they had a cow, and the man was to drive it into town and sell it, to get money to buy corn for seed. But when it came to the pinch, the wife dared not let her husband start for fear he should spend the money in drink, so she set off herself with the cow, and took besides a hen with her. Close by the town she met a butcher, who asked,— “Will
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ONE’S OWN CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS PRETTIEST.
ONE’S OWN CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS PRETTIEST.
A SPORTSMAN went out once into a wood to shoot, and he met a Snipe. “Dear friend,” said the Snipe, “don’t shoot my children!” “How shall I know your children?” asked the Sportsman; “what are they like?” “Oh!” said the Snipe, “mine are the prettiest children in all the wood.” “Very well,” said the Sportsman, “I’ll not shoot them; don’t be afraid.” But for all that, when he came back, there he had a whole string of young snipes in his hand which he had shot. “Oh, oh!” said the Snipe, “why did you
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THE THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND.
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 chil
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THE LASSIE AND HER GODMOTHER.
THE LASSIE AND HER GODMOTHER.
ONCE on a time a poor couple lived far, far away in a great wood. The wife was brought to bed, and had a pretty girl, but they were so poor they did not know how to get the babe christened, for they had no money to pay the parson’s fees. So one day the father went out to see if he could find any one who was willing to stand for the child and pay the fees; but though he walked about the whole day from one house to another, and though all said they were willing enough to stand, no one thought hims
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THE THREE AUNTS.
THE THREE AUNTS.
ONCE on a time there was a poor man who lived in a hut far away in the wood, and got his living by shooting. He had an only daughter who was very pretty, and as she had lost her mother when she was a child, and was now half grown up, she said she would go out into the world and earn her bread. “Well, lassie!” said the father, “true enough you have learnt nothing here but how to pluck birds and roast them, but still you may as well try to earn your bread.” So the girl went off to seek a place, an
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THE COCK, THE CUCKOO, AND THE BLACK-COCK.
THE COCK, THE CUCKOO, AND THE BLACK-COCK.
ONCE on a time the Cock, the Cuckoo, and the Black-cock bought a cow between them. But when they came to share it, and couldn’t agree which should buy the others out, they settled that he who woke first in the morning should have the cow. So the Cock woke first. “Now the cow’s mine! Now the cow’s mine! Hurrah! hurrah!” he crew, and as he crew, up woke the Cuckoo. “Half cow! Half cow!” sang the Cuckoo, and woke up the Black-cock. “A like share, a like share; dear friends, that’s only fair! Saw se
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RICH PETER THE PEDLAR.
RICH PETER THE PEDLAR.
ONCE on a time there was a man whom they called Rich Peter the Pedlar, because he used to travel about with a pack, and got so much money, that he became quite rich. This Rich Peter had a daughter, whom he held so dear that all who came to woo her, were sent about their business, for no one was good enough for her, he thought. Well, this went on and on, and at last no one came to woo her, and as years rolled on, Peter began to be afraid that she would die an old maid. “I wonder now,” he said to
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BOOTS AND THE TROLL.
BOOTS AND THE TROLL.
ONCE on a time there was a poor man who had three sons. When he died, the two elder set off into the world to try their luck, but the youngest they wouldn’t have with them at any price. “As for you,” they said, “you’re fit for nothing but to sit and poke about in the ashes.” So the two went off and got places at a palace—the one under the coachman, and the other under the gardener. But Boots, he set off too, and took with him a great kneading-trough, which was the only thing his parents left beh
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THE LAD WHO WENT TO THE NORTH WIND.
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
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THE BEST WISH.
THE BEST WISH.
ONCE on a time there were three brothers; I don’t quite know how it happened, but each of them had got the right to wish one thing, whatever he chose. So the two elder were not long a-thinking; they wished that every time they put their hands in their pockets they might pull out a piece of money; for, said they,— “The man who has as much money as he wishes for is always sure to get on in the world.” But the youngest wished something better still. He wished that every woman he saw might fall in l
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THE THREE BILLY-GOATS GRUFF.
THE THREE BILLY-GOATS GRUFF.
ONCE on a time there were three Billy-goats who were to go up to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was “Gruff.” On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker. So first of all came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge. “Trip, trap; trip, trap!” went the bridge. “ Who’s that tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll. “Oh! it is only I, th
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WELL DONE AND ILL PAID.
WELL DONE AND ILL PAID.
ONCE on a time there was a man who had to drive his sledge to the wood for fuel. So a bear met him. “Out with your horse,” said the Bear, “or I’ll strike all your sheep dead by summer.” “Oh! heaven help me then,” said the man; “there’s not a stick of firewood in the house; you must let me drive home a load of fuel, else we shall be frozen to death. I’ll bring the horse to you to-morrow morning.” Yes! on those terms he might drive the wood home, that was a bargain; but Bruin said, “if he didn’t c
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THE HUSBAND WHO WAS TO MIND THE HOUSE.
THE HUSBAND WHO WAS TO MIND THE HOUSE.
ONCE on a time, there was a man so surly and cross, he never thought his wife did anything right in the house. So, one evening, in hay-making time, he came home, scolding and swearing, and showing his teeth and making a dust. “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.” Yes! the husband thought that would do very well. He was quite willing, he said. So, early next
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DAPPLEGRIM.
DAPPLEGRIM.
ONCE on a time there was a rich couple who had twelve sons; but the youngest, when he was grown up, said he wouldn’t stay any longer at home, but be off into the world to try his luck. His father and mother said he did very well at home, and had better stay where he was. But no, he couldn’t rest; away he must and would go. So at last they gave him leave. And when he had walked a good bit, he came to a king’s palace, where he asked for a place, and got it. Now the daughter of the king of that lan
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THE SEVEN FOALS.
THE SEVEN FOALS.
ONCE on a time there was a poor couple who lived in a wretched hut, far, far away in the wood. How they lived I can’t tell, but I’m sure it was from hand to mouth, and hard work even then; but they had three sons, and the youngest of them was Boots, of course, for he did little else than lie there and poke about in the ashes. So one day the eldest lad said he would go out to earn his bread, and he soon got leave, and wandered out into the world. There he walked and walked the whole day, and when
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THE WIDOW’S SON.
THE WIDOW’S SON.
ONCE on a time there was a poor, poor widow who had an only son. She dragged on with the boy till he had been confirmed, and then she said she couldn’t feed him any longer, he must just go out and earn his own bread. So the lad wandered out into the world, and when he had walked a day or so, a strange man met him. “Whither away?” asked the man. “Oh, I’m going out into the world to try and get a place,” said the lad. “Will you come and serve me?” said the man. “Oh yes; just as soon you as any one
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BUSHY BRIDE.
BUSHY BRIDE.
ONCE on a time there was a widower, who had a son and a daughter by his first marriage. Both were good children, and loved each other dearly. Some time after the man married a widow, who had a daughter by her first husband, and she was both ugly and bad, like her mother. So from the day the new wife came into the house there was no peace for her step-children in any corner; and at last the lad thought he’d best go out into the world, and try to earn his own bread. And when he had wandered a whil
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BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS.
BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS.
ONCE on a time there was a man who had three sons, Peter, Paul, and John. John was Boots, of course, because he was the youngest. I can’t say the man had anything more than these three sons, for he hadn’t one penny to rub against another; and so he told his sons over and over again they must go out into the world and try to earn their bread, for there at home there was nothing to be looked for but starving to death. Now, a bit off the man’s cottage was the king’s palace, and you must know, just
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