A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Z

Popular Tales from the Norse

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




Well, sure enough, after a while the Queen was brought to bed. First
of all, she had a girl who had a wooden spoon in her hand, and rode
upon a goat; loathly and ugly she was, and the very moment she came
into the world, she bawled out 'Mamma'.

'If I'm your mamma', said the Queen, 'God give me grace to mend my
ways.'

'Oh, don't be sorry', said the girl, who rode on the goat, 'for one
will soon come after me who is better looking.'

So, after a while, the Queen had another girl, who was so fair and
sweet, no one had ever set eyes on such a lovely child, and with her
you may fancy the Queen was very well pleased. The elder twin they
called 'Tatterhood', because she was always so ugly and ragged, and
because she had a hood which hung about her ears in tatters. The
Queen could scarce bear to look at her, and the nurses tried to shut
her up in a room by herself, but it was all no good; where the
younger twin was, there she must also be, and no one could ever keep
them apart.

Well, one Christmas eve, when they were half grown up, there rose
such a frightful noise and clatter in the gallery outside the Queen's
bower. So Tatterhood asked what it was that dashed and crashed so out
in the passage.

'Oh!' said the Queen, 'it isn't worth asking about.'

But Tatterhood wouldn't give over till she found out all about it and
so the Queen told her it was a pack of Trolls and witches who had
come there to keep Christmas. So Tatterhood said she'd just go out
and drive them away; and in spite of all they could say, and however
much they begged and prayed her to let the Trolls alone, she must and
would go out to drive the witches off; but she begged the Queen to
mind and keep all the doors close shut, so that not one of them came
so much as the least bit ajar. Having said this, off she went with
her wooden spoon, and began to hunt and sweep away the hags; and all
this while there was such a pother out in the gallery, the like of it
was never heard. The whole Palace creaked and groaned as if every
joint and beam were going to be torn out of its place. Now, how it
was, I'm sure I can't tell; but somehow or other one door did get the
least bit ajar, then her twin sister just peeped out to see how
things were going with Tatterhood, and put her head a tiny bit
through the opening. But, POP! up came an old witch, and whipped off
her head, and stuck a calf's head on her shoulders instead; and so
the Princess ran back into the room on all-fours, and began to 'moo'
like a calf. When Tatterhood came back and saw her sister, she
scolded them all round, and was very angry because they hadn't kept
better watch, and asked them what they thought of their heedlessness
now, when her sister was turned into a calf.

'But still I'll see if I can't set her free', she said.

Then she asked the King for a ship in full trim, and well fitted with
stores; but captain and sailors she wouldn't have. No; she would sail
away with her sister all alone; and as there was no holding her back,
at last they let her have her own way.

Then Tatterhood sailed off, and steered her ship right under the land
where the witches dwelt, and when she came to the landing-place, she
told her sister to stay quite still on board the ship; but she
herself rode on her goat up to the witches' castle. When she got
there, one of the windows in the gallery was open, and there she saw
her sister's head hung up on the window frame; so she leapt her goat
through the window into the gallery, snapped up the head, and set off
with it. After her came the witches to try to get the head again, and
they flocked about her as thick as a swarm of bees or a nest of ants;
but the goat snorted, and puffed, and butted with his horns, and
Tatterhood beat and banged them about with her wooden spoon; and so
the pack of witches had to give it up. So Tatterhood got back to her
ship, took the calf's head off her sister, and put her own on again,
and then she became a girl as she had been before. After that she
sailed a long, long way, to a strange king's realm.

Now the king of that land was a widower, and had an only son. So when
he saw the strange sail, he sent messengers down to the strand to
find out whence it came, and who owned it; but when the king's men
came down there, they saw never a living soul on board but
Tatterhood, and there she was, riding round and round the deck on her
goat at full speed, till her elf locks streamed again in the wind.
The folk from the palace were all amazed at this sight, and asked,
were there not more on board? Yes, there were; she had a sister with
her, said Tatterhood. Her, too, they wanted to see, but Tatterhood
said 'No':

'No one shall see her, unless the king comes himself', she said; and
so she began to gallop about on her goat till the deck thundered
again.

So when the servants got back to the palace, and told what they had
seen and heard down at the ship, the king was for setting out at
once, that he might see the lassie that rode on the goat. When he got
down, Tatterhood led out her sister, and she was so fair and gentle,
the king fell over head and ears in love with her as he stood. He
brought them both back with him to the Palace, and wanted to have the
sister for his queen; but Tatterhood said 'No'; the king couldn't
have her in any way, unless the king's son chose to have Tatterhood.
That you may fancy the prince was very loath to do, such an ugly
hussy as Tatterhood was; but at last the king and all the others in
the palace talked him over, and he yielded, giving his word to take
her for his queen; but it went sore against the grain, and he was a
doleful man.

Now they set about the wedding, both with brewing and baking; and
when all was ready, they were to go to church; but the prince thought
it the weariest churching he had ever had in all his life. First, the
king drove off with his bride, and she was so lovely and so grand,
all the people stopped to look after her all along the road, and they
stared at her till she was out of sight. After them came the prince
on horseback by the side of Tatterhood, who trotted along on her goat
with her wooden spoon in her fist, and to look at him, it was more
like going to a burial than a wedding, and that his own; so sorrowful
he seemed, and with never a word to say.

'Why don't you talk?' asked Tatterhood, when they had ridden a bit.

'Why, what should I talk about?' answered the prince.

'Well, you might at least ask me why I ride upon this ugly goat',
said Tatterhood.

'Why do you ride on that ugly goat?' asked the prince.

'Is it an ugly goat? why, it's the grandest horse bride ever rode
on', answered Tatterhood; and in a trice the goat became a horse, and
that the finest the prince had ever set eyes on.

Then they rode on again a bit, but the prince was just as woeful as
before, and couldn't get a word out. So Tatterhood asked him again
why he didn't talk, and when the Prince answered he didn't know what
to talk about, she said:

'You can at least ask me why I ride with this ugly spoon in my fist.'

'Why do you ride with that ugly spoon? 'asked the prince.

'Is it an ugly spoon? why, it's the loveliest silver wand bride ever
bore', said Tatterhood; and in a trice it became a silver wand, so
dazzling bright, the sunbeams glistened from it.

So they rode on another bit, but the Prince was just as sorrowful,
and said never a word. In a little while, Tatterhood asked him again
why he didn't talk, and bade him ask why she wore that ugly grey hood
on her head.

'Why do you wear that ugly grey hood on your head?' asked the Prince.

'Is it an ugly hood? why, it's the brightest golden crown bride ever
wore', answered Tatterhood, and it became a crown on the spot.

Now, they rode on a long while again, and the Prince was so woeful,
that he sat without sound or speech just as before. So his bride
asked him again why he didn't talk, and bade him ask now, why her
face was so ugly and ashen-grey?

'Ah!' asked the Prince, 'why is your face so ugly and ashen-grey?'

'I ugly', said the bride; 'you think my sister pretty, but I am ten
times prettier'; and lo! when the Prince looked at her, she was so
lovely, he thought there never was so lovely a woman in all the
world. After that, I shouldn't wonder if the Prince found his tongue,
and no longer rode along hanging down his head.

So they drank the bridal cup both deep and long, and, after that,
both Prince and King set out with their brides to the Princess's
father's palace, and there they had another bridal feast, and drank
anew, both deep and long. There was no end to the fun; and, if you
make haste and run to the King's palace, I dare say you'll find
there's still a drop of the bridal ale left for you.




THE COCK AND HEN THAT WENT TO THE DOVREFELL

Once on a time there was a Hen that had flown up, and perched on an
oak-tree for the night. When the night came, she dreamed that unless
she got to the Dovrefell, the world would come to an end. So that
very minute she jumped down, and set out on her way. When she had
walked a bit she met a Cock.

'Good day, Cocky-Locky', said the Hen.

'Good day, Henny-Penny', said the Cock, 'whither away so early.'

'Oh, I'm going to the Dovrefell, that the world mayn't come to an
end', said the Hen.

'Who told you that, Henny-Penny', said the Cock.

'I sat in the oak and dreamt it last night', said the Hen.

'I'll go with you', said the Cock.

Well! they walked on a good bit, and then they met a Duck.

'Good day, Ducky-Lucky', said the Cock.

'Good day, Cocky-Locky', said the Duck, 'whither away so early?'

'Oh, I'm going to the Dovrefell, that the world mayn't come to an
end', said the Cock.

'Who told you that, Cocky-Locky?'

'Henny-Penny', said the Cock.

'Who told you that, Henny-Penny?' said the Duck.

'I sat in the oak and dreamt it last night', said the Hen.

'I'll go with you', said the Duck.

So they went off together, and after a bit they met a Goose.

'Good day, Goosey-Poosey', said the Duck.

'Good day, Ducky-Lucky', said the Goose, 'whither away so early?'

'I'm going to the Dovrefell, that the world mayn't come to an end',
said the Duck.

'Who told you that, Ducky-Lucky?' asked the Goose.

'Cocky-Locky.'

'Who told you that, Cocky-Locky?'

'Henny-Penny.'

'How you do know that, Henny-Penny?' said the Goose.

'I sat in the oak and dreamt it last night, Goosey-Poosey', said the
Hen.

'I'll go with you', said the Goose.

Now when they had all walked along for a bit, a Fox met them.

'Good day, Foxsy-Cocksy', said the Goose.

'Good day, Goosey-Poosey.'

'Whither away, Foxy-Cocksy?'

'Whither away yourself, Goosey-Poosey?'

'I'm going to the Dovrefell that the world mayn't come to an end',
said the Goose.

'Who told you that, Goosey-Poosey?' asked the Fox.

'Ducky-Lucky.'

'Who told you that, Ducky-Lucky?'

'Cocky-Locky.'

'Who told you that, Cocky-Locky?'

'Henny-Penny.'

'How do you know that, Henny-Penny?'

'I sat in the oak and dreamt last night, that if we don't get to the
Dovrefell, the world will come to an end', said the Hen.

'Stuff and nonsense', said the Fox; 'the world won't come to an end
if you don't get thither. No! come home with me to my earth. That's
far better, for it's warm and jolly there.'

Well, they went home with the Fox to his earth, and when they got in,
the Fox laid on lots of fuel, so that they all got very sleepy.

The Duck and the Goose, they settled themselves down in a corner, but
the Cock and Hen flew up on a post. So when the Goose and Duck were
well asleep, the Fox, took the Goose and laid him on the embers, and
roasted him. The Hen smelt the strong roast meat, and sprang up to a
higher peg, and said, half asleep:

Faugh, what a nasty smell!
What a nasty smell!

'Oh, stuff', said the Fox; 'it's only the smoke driven down the
chimney; go to sleep again, and hold your tongue.' So the Hen went
off to sleep again.

Now the Fox had hardly got the Goose well down his throat, before he
did the very same with the Duck. He took and laid him on the embers,
and roasted him for a dainty bit. Then the hen woke up again, and
sprung up to a higher peg still.

Faugh, what a nasty smell!
What a nasty smell!

She said again, and then she got her eyes open, and came to see how
the Fox had eaten both the twain, goose and duck; so she flew up to
the highest peg of all, and perched there, and peeped up through the
chimney.

'Nay, nay; just see what a lovely lot of geese flying yonder', she
said to the Fox.

Out ran Reynard to fetch a fat roast. But while he was gone, the Hen
woke up the Cock, and told him how it had gone with Goosey-Poosey and
Ducky-Lucky; and so Cocky-Lucky and Henny-Penny flew out through the
chimney, and if they hadn't got to the Dovrefell, it surely would
have been all over with the world.




KATIE WOODENCLOAK

Once on a time there was a King who had become a widower. By his
Queen he had one daughter, who was so clever and lovely, there wasn't
a cleverer or lovelier Princess in all the world. So the King went on
a long time sorrowing for the Queen, whom he had loved so much, but
at last he got weary of living alone, and married another Queen, who
was a widow, and had, too, an only daughter; but this daughter was
just as bad and ugly as the other was kind, and clever, and lovely,
The stepmother and her daughter were jealous of the Princess, because
she was so lovely; but so long as the King was at home, they daredn't
do her any harm, he was so fond of her.

Well, after a time, he fell into war with another King, and went out
to battle with his host, and then the stepmother thought she might do
as she pleased; and so she both starved and beat the Princess, and
was after her in every hole and corner of the house. At last she
thought everything too good for her, and turned her out to herd
cattle. So there she went about with the cattle, and herded them in
the woods and on the fells. As for food, she got little or none, and
she grew thin and wan, and was always sobbing and sorrowful. Now in
the herd there was a great dun bull, which always kept himself so
neat and sleek, and often and often he came up to the Princess, and
let her pat him. So one day when she sat there, sad, and sobbing, and
sorrowful, he came up to her and asked her outright why she was
always in such grief. She answered nothing, but went on weeping.

'Ah!' said the Bull, 'I know all about it quite well, though you
won't tell me; you weep because the Queen is bad to you, and because
she is ready to starve you to death. But food you've no need to fret
about, for in my left ear lies a cloth, and when you take and spread
it out, you may have as many dishes as you please.'

So she did that, took the cloth and spread it out on the grass, and
lo! it served up the nicest dishes one could wish to have; there was
wine too, and mead, and sweet cake. Well, she soon got up her flesh
again, and grew so plump, and rosy, and white, that the Queen and her
scrawny chip of a daughter turned blue and yellow for spite. The
Queen couldn't at all make out how her stepdaughter got to look so
well on such bad fare, so she told one of her maids to go after her in the
wood, and watch and see how it all was, for she thought some of the
servants in the house must give her food. So the maid went after her,
and watched in the wood, and then she saw how the stepdaughter took
the cloth out of the Bull's ear, and spread it out, and how it served
up the nicest dishes, which the stepdaughter ate and made good cheer
over. All this the maid told the Queen when she went home.

And now the King came home from war, and had won the fight against
the other king with whom he went out to battle. So there was great
joy throughout the palace, and no one was gladder than the King's
daughter. But the Queen shammed sick, and took to her bed, and paid
the doctor a great fee to get him to say she could never be well
again unless she had some of the Dun Bull's flesh to eat. Both the
king's daughter and the folk in the palace asked the doctor if
nothing else would help her, and prayed hard for the Bull, for every
one was fond of him, and they all said there wasn't that Bull's match
in all the land. But, no; he must and should be slaughtered, nothing
else would do. When the king's daughter heard that, she got very
sorrowful, and went down into the byre to the Bull. There, too, he
stood and hung down his head, and looked so downcast that she began
to weep over him.

'What are you weeping for?' asked the Bull.

So she told him how the King had come home again, and how the Queen
had shammed sick and got the doctor to say she could never be well
and sound again unless she got some of the Dun Bull's flesh to eat,
and so now he was to be slaughtered.

'If they get me killed first', said the Bull, 'they'll soon take your
life too. Now, if you're of my mind, we'll just start off, and go
away to-night.'

Well, the Princess thought it bad, you may be sure, to go and leave
her father, but she thought it still worse to be in the house with
the Queen; and so she gave her word to the Bull to come to him.

At night, when all had gone to bed, the Princess stole down to the
byre to the Bull, and so he took her on his back, and set off from
the homestead as fast as ever he could. And when the folk got up at
cockcrow next morning to slaughter the Bull, why, he was gone; and
when the King got up and asked for his daughter, she was gone too. He
sent out messengers on all sides to hunt for them, and gave them out
in all the parish churches; but there was no one who had caught a
glimpse of them. Meanwhile, the Bull went through many lands with the
King's daughter on his back, and so one day they came to a great
copper-wood, where both the trees, and branches, and leaves, and
flowers, and everything, were nothing but copper.

But before they went into the wood, the Bull said to the King's
daughter:

'Now, when we get into this wood, mind you take care not to touch
even a leaf of it, else it's all over both with me and you, for here
dwells a Troll with three heads who owns this wood.'

No, bless her, she'd be sure to take care not to touch anything.
Well, she was very careful, and leant this way and that to miss the
boughs, and put them gently aside with her hands; but it was such a
thick wood, 'twas scarce possible to get through; and so, with all
her pains, somehow or other she tore off a leaf, which she held in
her hand.

'AU! AU! what have you done now?' said the Bull; 'there's nothing for
it now but to fight for life or death; but mind you keep the leaf
safe.'

Soon after they got to the end of the wood, and a Troll with three
heads came running up:

'Who is this that touches my wood?' said the Troll.

'It's just as much mine as yours', said the Bull.

'Ah!' roared the Troll, 'we'll try a fall about that.'

'As you choose', said the Bull.

So they rushed at one another, and fought; and the Bull he butted,
and gored, and kicked with all his might and main; but the Troll gave
him as good as he brought, and it lasted the whole day before the
Bull got the mastery; and then he was so full of wounds, and so worn
out, he could scarce lift a leg. Then they were forced to stay there
a day to rest, and then the Bull bade the King's daughter to take the
horn of ointment which hung at the Troll's belt, and rub him with it.
Then he came to himself again, and the day after they trudged on
again. So they travelled many, many days, until, after a long long
time, they came to a silver wood, where both the trees, and branches,
and leaves, and flowers, and everything, were silvern.

Before the Bull went into the wood, he said to the King's daughter:

'Now, when we get into this wood, for heaven's sake mind you take
good care; you mustn't touch anything, and not pluck off so much as
one leaf, else it is all over both with me and you; for here is a
Troll with six heads who owns it, and him I don't think I should be
able to master.'

'No', said the King's daughter; 'I'll take good care and not touch
anything you don't wish me to touch.'

But when they got into the wood, it was so close and thick, they
could scarce get along. She was as careful as careful could be, and
leant to this side and that to miss the boughs, and put them on one
side with her hands, but every minute the branches struck her across
the eyes, and in spite of all her pains, it so happened she tore off
a leaf.

'AU! AU! what have you done now?' said the Bull. 'There's nothing for
it now but to fight for life and death, for this Troll has six heads,
and is twice as strong as the other, but mind you keep the leaf safe,
and don't lose it.'

Just as he said that, up came the Troll:

'Who is this', he said, 'that touches my wood?'

'It's as much mine as yours', said the Bull.

'That we'll try a fall about', roared the Troll.

'As you choose', said the Bull, and rushed at the Troll, and gored
out his eyes, and drove his horns right through his body, so that the
entrails gushed out; but the Troll was almost a match for him, and it
lasted three whole days before the Bull got the life gored out of
him. But then he, too, was so weak and wretched, it was as much as he
could do to stir a limb, and so full of wounds, that the blood
streamed from him. So he said to the King's daughter she must take
the horn of ointment that hung at the Troll's belt, and rub him with
it. Then she did that, and he came to himself; but they were forced
to stay there a week to rest before the Bull had strength enough to
go on.

At last they set off again, but the Bull was still poorly, and they
went rather slowly at first. So, to spare time, the King's daughter
said, as she was young and light of foot, she could very well walk,
but she couldn't get leave to do that. No; she must seat herself up
on his back again. So on they travelled through many lands a long
time, and the King's daughter did not know in the least whither they
went; but after a long, long time they came to a gold wood. It was so
grand, the gold dropped from every twig, and all the trees, and
boughs, and flowers, and leaves, were of pure gold. Here, too, the
same thing happened as had happened in the silver wood and copper
wood. The Bull told the King's daughter she mustn't touch it for
anything, for there was a Troll with nine heads who owned it, and he
was much bigger and stouter than both the others put together; and he
didn't think he could get the better of him. No; she'd be sure to
take heed not to touch it; that he might know very well. But when
they got into the wood, it was far thicker and closer than the silver
wood, and the deeper they went into it, the worse it got. The wood
went on, getting thicker and thicker, and closer and closer; and at
last she thought there was no way at all to get through it. She was
in such an awful fright of plucking off anything, that she sat, and
twisted, and turned herself this way and that, and hither and
thither, to keep clear of the boughs, and she put them on one side
with her hands; but every moment the branches struck her across the
eyes, so that she couldn't see what she was clutching at; and lo!
before she knew how it came about, she had a gold apple in her hand.
Then she was so bitterly sorry, she burst into tears, and wanted to
throw it away; but the Bull said, she must keep it safe and watch it
well, and comforted her as well as he could; but he thought it would
be a hard tussle, and he doubted how it would go.

Just then up came the Troll with the nine heads, and he was so ugly,
the King's daughter scarcely dared to look at him.

'WHO IS THIS THAT TOUCHES MY WOOD?' he roared.

'It's just as much mine as yours', said the Bull.

'That we'll try a fall about', roared the Troll again.

'Just as you choose', said the Bull; and so they rushed at one
another, and fought, and it was such a dreadful sight, the King's
daughter was ready to swoon away. The Bull gored out the Troll's
eyes, and drove his horns through and through his body, till the
entrails came tumbling out; but the Troll fought bravely; and when
the Bull got one head gored to death, the rest breathed life into it
again, and so it lasted a whole week before the Bull was able to get
the life out of them all. But then he was utterly worn out and
wretched. He couldn't stir a foot, and his body was all one wound. He
couldn't so much as ask the King's daughter to take the horn of
ointment which hung at the Troll's belt, and rub it over him. But she
did it all the same, and then he came to himself by little and
little; but they had to lie there and rest three weeks before he was
fit to go on again.

Then they set off at a snail's pace, for the Bull said they had still
a little further to go, and so they crossed over many high hills and
thick woods. So after awhile they got upon the fells.

'Do you see anything?' asked the Bull.

'No, I see nothing but the sky, and the wild fell', said the King's
daughter.

So when they clomb higher up, the fell got smoother, and they could
see further off.

'Do you see anything now?' asked the Bull.

Copyright (c) 2007. famouswriterz.com. All rights reserved.