Folk-Lore and Legends; Scandinavian | Page 9

is gone away beyond the mountains," so little did he know or
remember of any other object in the world but the lost beauty.
At last he died of grief; and according to a request which he had once
made, his father prepared a grave for him on the place where the bride
was found and lost, though during the fulfilment of this duty he had
enough to do--one while in contending with his crucifix against evil
spirits, and at another, with his sword against wild beasts, which were
no doubt sent thither by the magicians to attack and annoy him. At
length, however, he brought his task to an end, and thereafter it seemed
as if the bride mourned for the youth's untimely death, for there was
heard often a sound of howling and lamentation at the grave. For the
most part, indeed, this voice is like the voices of wolves, yet, at the
same time, human accents are to be distinguished, and I myself have
often listened thereto on dark winter nights.
Alas! that the poor maiden should have ventured again so near the
accursed paths she had once renounced. A few steps in the backward
course, and all is lost!

THE HILL-MAN INVITED TO THE CHRISTENING.
The hill-people are excessively frightened during thunder. When,
therefore, they see bad weather coming on, they lose no time in getting
to the shelter of their hills. This terror is also the cause of their not
being able to endure the beating of a drum. They take it to be the
rolling of thunder. It is, therefore, a good recipe for banishing them to
beat a drum every day in the neighbourhood of their hills, for they
immediately pack up, and depart to some quieter residence.
A farmer lived once in great friendship and concord with a hill-man,
whose hill was in his lands. One time when his wife was about to have
a child, it gave him great perplexity to think that he could not well
avoid inviting the hill-man to the christening, which might, not
improbably, bring him into ill repute with the priest and the other
people of the village. He was going about pondering deeply, but in vain,
how he might get out of this dilemma, when it came into his head to
ask the advice of the boy that kept his pigs, who had a great head-piece,
and had often helped him before. The pig-boy instantly undertook to
arrange the matter with the hill-man in such a manner that he should
not only stay away without being offended, but, moreover, give a good
christening present.
Accordingly, when it was night, he took a sack on his shoulder, went to
the hill-man's hill, knocked, and was admitted. He delivered his
message, gave his master's compliments, and requested the honour of
his company at the christening. The hill-man thanked him, and said--
"I think it is but right I should give you a christening present."
With these words he opened his money-chests, bidding the boy hold up
his sack while he poured money into it.
"Is there enough now?" said he, when he had put a good quantity into
it.
"Many give more, few give less," replied the boy.
The hill-man once more fell to filling the sack, and again asked--
"Is there enough now?"
The boy lifted the sack a little off the ground to see if he was able to
carry any more, and then answered--
"It is about what most people give."
Upon this the hill-man emptied the whole chest into the bag, and once

more asked--
"Is there enough now?"
The guardian of the pigs now saw that there was as much in the sack as
he would be able to carry, so he answered--
"No one gives more, most people give less."
"Come now," said the hill-man, "let us hear who else is to be at the
christening."
"Ah," said the boy, "we are to have a great many strangers and great
people. First and foremost, we are to have three priests and a bishop."
"Hem!" muttered the hill-man; "however, those gentlemen usually look
only after the eating and drinking; they will never take any notice of me.
Well, who else?"
"Then we have asked St. Peter and St. Paul."
"Hem! hem! However, there will be a bye-place for me behind the
stove. Well, and what then?"
"Then Our Lady herself is coming."
"Hem! hem! hem! However, guests of such high rank come late and go
away early. But tell me, my lad, what sort of music is it you are to
have?"
"Music," said the boy, "why, we are to have drums."
"Drums!" repeated the troll, quite terrified. "No, no! Thank you. I shall
stay at home in that case. Give my best respects