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Popular Tales from the Norse

S >> Sir George Webbe Dasent >> Popular Tales from the Norse




'Ah!' said Dapplegrim, 'that's all the wild beasts that range through
the wood, and they're sent out to stop us. But just cast out the
twelve carcasses of the oxen, that will give them enough to do, and
so they'll forget us outright.'

Yes! the lad cast out the carcasses, and then all the wild beasts in
the wood, both bears, and wolves, and lions--all fell beasts of all
kinds--came after them. But when they saw the carcasses, they began
to fight for them among themselves till blood flowed in streams; but
Dapplegrim and the lad they quite forgot.

So the lad rode far away, and they changed the landscape many many
times, for Dapplegrim didn't let the grass grow under him, as you may
fancy. At last Dapple gave a great neigh.

'Do you hear anything?' he said.

'Yes, I hear something like a colt neighing loud, a long long way
off', answered the lad.

'That's a full-grown colt then', said Dapplegrim, 'if we hear him
neigh so loud such a long way off.'

After that they travelled a good bit, changing the landscape once or
twice, maybe. Then Dapplegrim gave another neigh.

'Now listen, and tell me if you hear anything', he said.

'Yes, now I hear a neigh like a full-grown horse', answered the lad.

'Aye! aye!' said Dapplegrim, 'you'll hear him once again soon, and
then you'll hear he's got a voice of his own.'

So they travelled on and on, and changed the landscape once or twice,
perhaps, and then Dapplegrim neighed the third time; but before he
could ask the lad if he heard anything, something gave such a neigh
across the heathy hill-side, the lad thought hill and rock would
surely be rent asunder.

'Now, he's here!' said Dapplegrim; 'make haste, now, and throw the ox
hides, with the spikes in them, over me, and throw down the tar-
barrel on the plain; then climb up into that great spruce-fir yonder.
When it comes fire will flash out of both nostrils, and then the tar-
barrel will catch fire. Now, mind what I say. If the flame rises, I
win; if it falls, I lose; but if you see me winning take and cast the
bridle--you must take it off me--over its head, and then it will be
tame enough.'

So just as the lad had done throwing the ox hides, with the spikes,
over Dapplegrim, and had cast down the tar-barrel on the plain, and
had got well up into the spruce-fir, up galloped a horse, with fire
flashing out of his nostrils, and the flame caught the tar-barrel at
once. Then Dapplegrim and the strange horse began to fight till the
stones flew heaven high. They fought and bit, and kicked, both with
fore-feet and hind-feet, and sometimes the lad could see them, and
sometimes he couldn't; but at last the flame began to rise; for
wherever the strange horse kicked or bit, he met the spiked hides,
and at last he had to yield. When the lad saw that, he wasn't long in
getting down from the tree, and in throwing the bridle over its head,
and then it was so tame you could hold it with a pack-thread.

And what do you think? that horse was dappled too, and so like
Dapplegrim, you couldn't tell which was which. Then the lad bestrode
the new Dapple he had broken, and rode home to the palace, and old
Dapplegrim ran loose by his side. So when he got home, there stood
the king out in the yard.

'Can you tell me now', said the lad, 'which is the horse I have
caught and broken, and which is the one I had before. If you can't, I
think your daughter is fairly mine.'

Then the king went and looked at both Dapples, high and low, before
and behind, but there wasn't a hair on one which wasn't on the other
as well. 'No', said the king, 'that I can't; and since you've got my
daughter such a grand horse for her wedding, you shall have her with
all my heart. But still, we'll have one trial more, just to see
whether you're fated to have her. First, she shall hide herself
twice, and then you shall hide yourself twice. If you can find out
her hiding-place, and she can't find out yours, why then you're fated
to have her, and so you shall have her.'

'That's not in the bargain either', said the lad; 'but we must just
try, since it must be so'; and so the Princess went off to hide
herself first.

So she turned herself into a duck, and lay swimming on a pond that
was close to the palace. But the lad only ran down to the stable, and
asked Dapplegrim what she had done with herself.

'Oh, you only need to take your gun', said Dapplegrim, 'and go down
to the brink of the pond, and aim at the duck which lies swimming
about there, and she'll soon show herself.'

So the lad snatched up his gun and ran off to the pond. 'I'll just
take a pop at this duck', he said, and began to aim at it.

'Nay, nay, dear friend, don't shoot. It's I', said the Princess.

So he had found her once.

The second time the Princess turned herself into a loaf of bread, and
laid herself on the table among four other loaves; and so like was
she to the others, no one could say which was which.

But the lad went again down to the stable to Dapplegrim, and said how
the Princess had hidden herself again, and he couldn't tell at all
what had become of her.

'Oh, just take and sharpen a good bread-knife', said Dapplegrim,' and
do as if you were going to cut in two the third loaf on the left hand
of those four loaves which are lying on the dresser in the king's
kitchen, and you'll find her soon enough.'

Yes! the was down in the kitchen in no time, and began to sharpen the
biggest bread-knife he could lay hands on; then he caught hold of the
third loaf on the left hand, and put the knife to it, as though he
was going to cut it in two. I'll just have a slice off this loaf', he
said,

Nay, dear friend', said the Princess, 'don't cut. It's I' So he had
found her twice.

Then he was to go and hide; but he and Dapplegrim had settled it all
so well beforehand, it wasn't easy to find him. First he turned
himself into a tick, and hid himself in Dapplegrim's left nostril;
and the Princess went about hunting him everywhere, high and low; at
last she wanted to go into Dapplegrim's stall, but he began to bite
and kick, so that she daren't go near him, and so she couldn't find
the lad.

'Well', she said, 'since I can't find you, you must show where you
are yourself'; and in a trice the lad stood there on the stable
floor.

The second time Dapplegrim told him again what to do; and then he
turned himself into a clod of earth, and stuck himself between
Dapple's hoof and shoe on the near forefoot. So the Princess hunted
up and down, out and in, everywhere; at last she came into the
stable, and wanted to go into Dapplegrim's loose-box. This time he
let her come up to him, and she pried high and low, but under his
hoofs she couldn't come, for he stood firm as a rock on his feet, and
so she couldn't find the lad.

'Well; you must just show yourself, for I'm sure I can't find you',
said the Princess, and as she spoke the lad stood by her side on the
stable floor.

'Now you are mine indeed', said the lad; 'for now you can see I'm
fated to have you.' This he said both to the father and daughter.

'Yes; it is so fated', said the king; 'so it must be.' Then they got
ready the wedding in right down earnest, and lost no time about it;
and the lad got on Dapplegrim, and the Princess on Dapplegrim's
match, and then you may fancy they were not long on their way to the
church.




FARMER WEATHERSKY

Once on a time there was a man and his wife, who had an only son, and
his name was Jack. The old dame thought it high time for her son to
go out into the world to learn a trade, and bade her husband be off
with him.

'But all you do', she said, 'mind you bind him to some one who can
teach him to be master above all masters'; and with that she put some
food and a roll of tobacco into a bag, and packed them off.

Well! they went to many masters; but one and all said they could make
the lad as good as themselves, but better they couldn't make him. So
when the man came home again to his wife with that answer, she said:

'I don't care what you make of him; but this I say and stick to, you
must bind him to some one where he can learn to be master above all
masters'; and with that she packed up more food and another roll of
tobacco, and father and son had to be off again.

Now when they had walked a while they got upon the ice, and there
they met a man who came whisking along in a sledge, and drove a black
horse.

'Whither away?' said the man.

'Well!' said the father, 'I'm going to bind my son to some one who is
good to teach him a trade; but my old dame comes of such fine folk,
she will have him taught to be master above all masters.'

'Well met then', said the driver; 'I'm just the man for your money,
for I'm looking out for such an apprentice. Up with you behind!' he
added to the lad, and whisk! off they went, both of them, and sledge
and horse, right up into the air.

'Nay, nay!' cried the lad's father, 'you haven't told me your name,
nor where you live.'

'Oh!' said the master, 'I'm at home alike north and south, and east
and west, and my name's _Farmer Weathersky_. In a year and a day
you may come here again, and then I'll tell you if I like him.' So
away they went through the air, and were soon out of sight.

So when the man got home, his old dame asked what had become of her
son.

'Well', said the man, 'Heaven knows, I'm sure I don't. They went up
aloft'; and so he told her what had happened. But when the old dame
heard that her husband couldn't tell at all when her son's
apprenticeship would be out, nor whither he had gone, she packed him
off again, and gave him another bag of food and another roll of
tobacco.

So, when he had walked a bit, he came to a great wood, which
stretched on and on all day as he walked through it. When it got dark
he saw a great light, and he went towards it. After a long, long time
he came to a little but under a rock, and outside stood an old hag
drawing water out of a well with her nose, so long was it.

'Good evening, mother!' said the man.

'The same to you', said the old hag. 'It's hundreds of years since
any one called me mother.'

'Can I have lodging here to-night?' asked the man.

'No! that you can't', said she.

But then the man pulled out his roll of tobacco, lighted his pipe,
and gave the old dame a whiff, and a pinch of snuff. Then she was so
happy she began to dance for joy, and the end was, she gave the man
leave to stop the night.

So next morning he began to ask after Farmer Weathersky. 'No! she
never heard tell of him, but she ruled over all the four-footed
beasts; perhaps some of them might know him.' So she played them all
home with a pipe she had, and asked them all, but there wasn't one of
them who knew anything about Farmer Weathersky.

'Well!' said the old hag, 'there are three sisters of us; maybe one
of the other two know where he lives. I'll lend you my horse and
sledge, and then you'll be at her house by night; but it's at least
three hundred miles off, the nearest way.'

Then the man started off, and at night reached the house, and when he
came there, there stood another old hag before the door, drawing
water out of the well with her nose.

'Good evening, mother!' said the man.

'The same to you', said she; 'it's hundreds of years since any one
called me mother.'

'Can I lodge here to-night?' asked the man.

'No!' said the old hag.

But he took out his roll of tobacco, lighted his pipe, and gave the
old dame a whiff, and a good pinch of snuff besides, on the back of
her hand. Then she was so happy that she began to jump and dance for
joy, and so the man got leave to stay the night. When that was over,
he began to ask after Farmer Weathersky. 'No! she had never heard
tell of him; but she ruled all the fish in the sea; perhaps some of
them might know something about him.' So she played them all home
with a pipe she had, and asked them, but there wasn't one of them who
knew anything about Farmer Weathersky.

'Well, well!' said the old hag, 'there's one sister of us left; maybe
she knows something about him. She lives six hundred miles off, but
I'll lend you my horse and sledge, and then you'll get there by
nightfall.'

Then the man started off, and reached the house by nightfall, and
there he found another old hag who stood before the grate, and
stirred the fire with her nose, so long and tough it was.

'Good evening, mother!' said the man.

'The same to you', said the old hag; 'it's hundreds of years since
any one called me mother.'

'Can I lodge here to-night?' asked the man.

'No', said the old hag.

Then the man pulled out his roll of tobacco again, and lighted his
pipe, and gave the old hag such a pinch of snuff it covered the whole
back of her hand. Then she got so happy she began to dance for joy,
and so the man got leave to stay. But when the night was over, he
began to ask after Farmer Weathersky. She never heard tell of him she
said; but she ruled over all the birds of the air, and so she played
them all home with a pipe she had, and when she had mustered them
all, the Eagle was missing. But a little while after he came flying
home, and when she asked him, he said he had just come straight from
Farmer Weathersky. Then the old hag said he must guide the man
thither; but the eagle said he must have something to eat first, and
besides he must rest till the next day; he was so tired with flying
that long way, he could scarce rise from the earth.

So when he had eaten his fill and taken a good rest, the old hag
pulled a feather out of the Eagle's tail, and put the man there in
its stead; so the Eagle flew off with the man, and flew, and flew,
but they didn't reach Farmer Weathersky's house before midnight.

So when they got there, the Eagle said

'There are heaps of dead bodies lying about outside but you mustn't
mind them. Inside the house every man Jack of them are so sound
asleep, 't will be hard work to wake them; but you must go straight
to the table drawer, and take out of it three crumbs of bread, and
when you hear some one snoring loud, pull three feathers out of his
head; he won't wake for all that.'

So the man did as he was told, and after he had taken the crumbs of
bread, he pulled out the first feather.

'OOF!' growled Farmer Weathersky, for it was he who snored.

So the man pulled out another feather.

'OOF!' he growled again.

But when he pulled out the third, Farmer Weathersky roared so, the
man thought roof and wall would have flown asunder, but for all that
the snorer slept on.

After that the Eagle told him what he was to do. He went to the yard,
and there at the stable-door he stumbled against a big gray stone,
and that he lifted up; underneath it lay three chips of wood, and
those he picked up too; then he knocked at the stable-door, and it
opened of itself. Then he threw down the three crumbs of bread, and a
hare came and ate them up; that hare he caught and kept. After that
the Eagle bade him pull three feathers out of his tail, and put the
hare, the stone, the chips, and himself there instead, and then he
would fly away home with them all.

So when the Eagle had flown a long way, he lighted on a rock to rest.

'Do you see anything?' it asked.

'Yes', said the man, 'I see a flock of crows coming flying after us.'

'We'd better be off again, then', said the Eagle, who flew away.

After a while it asked again:

'Do you see anything now?'

'Yes', said the man; 'now the crows are close behind us.'

'Drop now the three feathers you pulled out of his head, said the
Eagle.

Well, the man dropped the feathers, and as soon as ever he dropped
them they became a flock of ravens which drove the crows home again.
Then the Eagle flew on far away with the man, and at last it lighted
on another stone to rest.

'Do you see anything?' it said.

'I'm not sure', said the man; 'I fancy I see something coming far far
away'.

'We'd better get on then', said the Eagle; and after a while it said
again:

'Do you see anything?'

'Yes', said the man, 'now he's close at our heels.'

'Now, you must let fall the chips of wood which you took from under
the gray stone at the stable door', said the Eagle.

Yes! the man let them fall, and they grew at once up into tall thick
wood, so that Farmer Weathersky had to go back home to fetch an axe
to hew his way through. While he did this, the Eagle flew ever so
far, but when it got tired, it lighted on a fir to rest.

'Do you see anything?' it said.

'Well! I'm not sure', said the man; 'but I fancy I catch a glimpse of
something far away.'

'We'd best be off then', said the Eagle; and off it flew as fast as
it could. After a while it said:

'Do you see anything now?'

'Yes! now he's close behind us', said the man.

'Now, you must drop the big stone you lifted up at the stable door',
said the Eagle.

The man did so, and as it fell it became a great high mountain, which
Farmer Weathersky had to break his way through. When he had got half
through the mountain, he tripped and broke one of his legs, and so he
had to limp home again and patch it up.

But while he was doing this, the Eagle flew away to the man's house
with him and the hare, and as soon as they got home, the man went
into the churchyard and sprinkled Christian mould over the hare, and
lo! it turned into 'Jack', his son.

Well, you may fancy the old dame was glad to get her son again, but
still she wasn't easy in her mind about his trade, and she wouldn't
rest till he gave her a proof that he was 'master above all masters'.

So when the fair came round, the lad changed himself into a bay
horse, and told his father to lead him to the fair. 'Now, when any
one comes', he said, 'to buy me, you may ask a hundred dollars for
me; but mind you don't forget to take the headstall off me; if you
do, Farmer Weathersky will keep me for ever, for he it is who will
come to deal with you.'

So it turned out. Up came a horse-dealer, who had a great wish to
deal for the horse, and he gave a hundred dollars down for him; but
when the bargain was struck, and Jack's father had pocketed the
money, the horse-dealer wanted to have the headstall. 'Nay, nay!'
said the man, 'there's nothing about that in the bargain; and
besides, you can't have the headstall, for I've other horses at home
to bring to town to-morrow.'

So each went his way; but they hadn't gone far before Jack took his
own shape and ran away, and when his father got home, there sat Jack
in the ingle.

Next day he turned himself into a brown horse, and told his father to
drive him to the fair.

'And when any one comes to buy me, you may ask two hundred dollars
for me--he'll give that and treat you besides; but whatever you do,
and however much you drink, don't forget to take the headstall off
me, else you'll never set eyes on me again.'

So all happened as he had said; the man got two hundred dollars for
the horse and a glass of drink besides, and when the buyer and seller
parted, it was as much as he could do to remember to take off the
headstall. But the buyer and the horse hadn't got far on the road
before Jack took his own shape, and when the man got home, there sat
Jack in the ingle.

The third day, it was the same story over again: the lad turned
himself into a black horse, and told his father some one would come
and bid three hundred dollars for him, and fill his skin with meat
and drink besides; but however much he ate or drank, he was to mind
and not forget to take the headstall off, else he'd have to stay with
Farmer Weathersky all his life long.

'No, no; I'll not forget, never fear', said the man.

So when he came to the fair, he got three hundred dollars for the
horse, and as it wasn't to be a dry bargain, Farmer Weathersky made
him drink so much that he quite forgot to take the headstall off, and
away went Farmer Weathersky with the horse. Now when he had gone a
little way, Farmer Weathersky thought he would just stop and have
another glass of brandy; so he put a barrel of red-hot nails under
his horse's nose, and a sieve of oats under his tail, hung the
halter, upon a hook, and went into the inn. So the horse stood there
and stamped and pawed, and snorted and reared. Just then out came a
lassie, who thought it a shame to treat a horse so.

'Oh, poor beastie', she said, 'what a cruel master you must have to
treat you so', and as she said this she pulled the halter off the
hook, so that the horse might turn round and taste the oats.

'I'M AFTER YOU', roared Farmer Weathersky, who came rushing out of
the door.

But the horse had already shaken off the headstall, and jumped into a
duck-pond, where he turned himself into a tiny fish. In went Farmer
Weathersky after him, and turned himself into a great pike. Then Jack
turned himself into a dove, and Farmer Weathersky made himself into a
hawk, and chased and struck at the dove. But just then a Princess
stood at the window of the palace and saw this struggle.

'Ah! poor dove', she cried, 'if you only knew what I know, you'd fly
to me through this window.'

So the dove came flying in through the window, and turned itself into
Jack again, who told his own tale.

'Turn yourself into a gold ring, and put yourself on my finger', said
the Princess.

'Nay, nay!' said Jack, 'that'll never do, for then Farmer Weathersky
will make the king sick, and then there'll be no one who can make him
well again till Farmer Weathersky comes and cures him, and then, for
his fee, he'll ask for that gold ring.'

'Then I'll say I had it from my mother, and can't part with it', said
the Princess.

Well, Jack turned himself into a gold ring, and put himself on the
Princess' finger, and so Farmer Weathersky couldn't get at him. But
then followed what the lad had foretold; the king fell sick, and
there wasn't a doctor in the kingdom who could cure him till Farmer
Weathersky came, and he asked for the ring off the Princess' finger
for his fee. So the king sent a messenger to the Princess for the
ring; but the Princess said she wouldn't part with it, her mother had
left it her. When the king heard that, he flew into a rage, and said
he would have the ring, whoever left it to her.

'Well', said the Princess, 'it's no good being cross about it. I
can't get it off, and if you must have the ring, you must take my
finger too.'

'If you'll let me try, I'll soon get the ring off', said Farmer
Weathersky.

'No, thanks, I'll try myself', said the Princess, and flew off to the
grate and put ashes on her finger. Then the ring slipped off and was
lost among the ashes. So Farmer Weathersky turned himself into a
cock, who scratched and pecked after the ring in the grate, till he
was up to the ears in ashes. But while he was doing this, Jack turned
himself into a fox, and bit off the cock's head; and so if the Evil
One was in Farmer Weathersky, it is all over with him now.




LORD PETER

Once on a time there was a poor couple, and they had nothing in the
world but three sons. What the names the two elder had I can't say,
but the youngest he was called Peter. So when their father and mother
died, the sons were to share what was left, but there was nothing but
a porridge-pot, a griddle, and a cat.

The eldest, who was to have first choice, he took the pot; 'for',
said he, 'whenever I lend the pot to any one to boil porridge, I can
always get leave to scrape it'.

The second took the griddle; 'for', said he, 'whenever I lend it to
any one, I'll always get a morsel of dough to make a bannock.'

But the youngest, he had no choice left him; if he was to choose
anything it must be the cat.

'Well!' said he, 'if I lend the cat to any one I shan't get much by
that; for if pussy gets a drop of milk, she'll want it all herself.
Still, I'd best take her along with me; I shouldn't like her to go
about here and starve.'

So the brothers went out into the world to try their luck, and each
took his own way; but when the youngest had gorse a while, the cat
said:

'Now you shall have a good turn, because you wouldn't let me stay
behind in the old cottage and starve. Now, I'm off to the wood to lay
hold of a fine fat head of game, and then you must go up to the
king's palace that you see yonder, and say you are come with a little
present for the king; and when he asks who sends it, you must say,
"Why, who should it be from but Lord Peter."'

Well! Peter hadn't waited long before back came the cat with a
reindeer from the wood; she had jumped up on the reindeer's head,
between his horns, and said, 'If you don't go straight to the king's
palace I'll claw your eyes out.'

So the reindeer had to go whether he liked it or no.

And when Peter got to the palace he went into the kitchen with the
deer, and said: 'Here I'm come with a little present for the king, if
he won't despise it.'

Then the King went out into the kitchen, and when he saw the fine
plump reindeer, he was very glad.

'But, my dear friend', he said, 'who in the world is it that sends me
such a fine gift?'

'Oh!' said Peter, 'who should send it but Lord Peter.'

'Lord Peter! Lord Peter!' said the King. 'Pray tell me where he
lives'; for he thought it a shame not to know so great a man. But
that was just what the lad wouldn't tell him; he daren't do it, he
said, because his master had forbidden him.

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