Folk-Lore and Legends; Scandinavian | Page 4

the night there.
Very early in the morning, before it was light, the giant went to his barn,
and began to thrash, making such a noise that the mountains all around
echoed again. When the boy heard this he collected some stones and
put them in his pouch. Then he climbed up on to the roof of the barn
and made a little hole so that he could look in. Now the giant had by his
side his golden sword, which had the strange property that it clanked
whenever the giant was angry. While the giant was busy thrashing at
full speed, the boy threw a little stone which hit the sword, and caused
it to clank.
"Why do you clank?" said the giant. "I am not angry."
He went on thrashing, but the next moment the sword clanked again.
Once more the giant pursued his work, and the sword clanked a third

time. Then the giant got so angry that he undid the belt, and threw the
sword out of the barn door.
"Lie there," said he, "till I have done my thrashing."
The lad waited no longer, but slipping down from the roof seized on the
sword, ran to his boat, and rowed across the water. On reaching the
other side he hid his treasure, and was full of glee at the success of his
adventure.
The next day he filled his pouch with corn, put a bundle of bast-twine
in his boat, and once more set off to the giant's dwelling. He lay hiding
for a time, and then he saw the giant's three golden hens walking about
on the shore, and spreading their feathers, which sparkled beautifully in
the bright sunshine. He was soon near them, and began to softly lead
them on, scattering corn for them out of his pouch. While they were
picking the boy gradually led them to the water, till at last he got them
into his little boat. Then he jumped in himself, secured the fowl with
his twine, pushed out from the shore, and rowed as quickly as he could
to the other side of the water.
The third day he put some lumps of salt into his pouch, and again
rowed across the lake. As night came on he noticed how the smoke rose
from the giant's dwelling, and concluded that the giant's wife was busy
getting ready his food. He crept up on to the roof, and, looking down
through the hole by which the smoke escaped, saw a large caldron
boiling on the fire. Then he took the lumps of salt out of his pouch, and
threw them one by one into the pot. Having done this, he crept down
from the roof, and waited to see what would follow.
Soon after the giant's wife took the caldron off the fire, poured out the
porridge into a bowl, and put it on the table. The giant was hungry, and
he fell to at once, but scarcely had he tasted the porridge when he found
it too salt. He got very angry, and started from his seat. The old woman
made what excuse she could, and said that the porridge must be good;
but the giant declared he would eat no more of the stuff, and told her to
taste it for herself. She did so, and pulled a terrible face, for she had
never in her life tasted such abominable stuff.
There was nothing for it but she must make some new porridge. So she
seized a can, took the gold lantern down from the wall, and went as fast
as she could to the well to draw some water. She put the lantern down
by the side of the well, and was stooping down to get the water, when

the boy ran to her, and, laying hold of her by the feet, threw her head
over heels into the well. He seized hold of the golden lantern, ran away
as fast as he could to his boat, and rowed across the water in safety.
The giant sat for a long time wondering why his wife was away so long.
At last he went to look for her, but nothing could he see of her. Then he
heard a splashing in the well, and finding she was in the water, he, with
a lot of work, got her out.
"Where is my gold lantern?" was the first thing he asked, as the old
woman came round a little.
"I don't know," answered she. "Somebody came, caught me by the feet,
and threw me into the well."
The giant was very angry at this.
"Three of my treasures," said he, "have gone, and I have now only my
golden harp left. But, whoever the thief may be, he shall not