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Popular Tales from the Norse

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




'Yes, I see a little castle far, far away', said the Princess.

'That's not so little though', said the Bull.

After a long, long time, they came to a great cairn, where there was
a spur of the fell that stood sheer across the way.

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

'Yes, now I see the castle close by', said the King's daughter, 'and
now it is much, much bigger.'

'Thither you're to go', said the Bull. 'Right underneath the castle
is a pig-sty, where you are to dwell. When you come thither you'll
find a wooden cloak, all made of strips of lath; that you must put
on, and go up to the castle and say your name is "Katie Woodencloak",
and ask for a place. But before you go, you must take your penknife
and cut my head off, and then you must flay me, and roll up the hide,
and lay it under the wall of rock yonder, and under the hide you must
lay the copper leaf, and the silver leaf, and the golden apple.
Yonder, up against the rock, stands a stick; and when you want
anything, you've only got to knock on the wall of rock with that
stick.'

At first she wouldn't do anything of the kind; but when the Bull said
it was the only thanks he would have for what he had done for her,
she couldn't help herself. So, however much it grieved her heart, she
hacked and cut away with her knife at the big beast till she got both
his head and his hide off, and then she laid the hide up under the
wall of rock, and put the copper leaf, and the silvern leaf, and the
golden apple inside it.

So when she had done that, she went over to the pig-sty, but all the
while she went she sobbed and wept. There she put on the wooden
cloak, and so went up to the palace. When she came into the kitchen
she begged for a place, and told them her name was Katie Woodencloak.
Yes, the cook said she might have a place--she might have leave to be
there in the scullery, and wash up, for the lassie who did that work
before had just gone away.

'But as soon as you get weary of being here, you'll go your way too,
I'll be bound.'

No; she was sure she wouldn't do that.

So there she was, behaving so well, and washing up so handily. The
Sunday after there were to be strange guests at the palace, so Katie
asked if she might have leave to carry up water for the Prince's
bath; but all the rest laughed at her, and said:

'What should you do there? Do you think the Prince will care to look
at you, you who are such a fright!'

But she wouldn't give it up, and kept on begging and praying; and at
last she got leave. So when she went up the stairs, her wooden cloak
made such a clatter, the Prince came out and asked:

'Pray who are you?'

'Oh! I was just going to bring up water for your Royal Highness's
bath', said Katie.

'Do you think now', said the Prince, 'I'd have anything to do with
the water you bring?' and with that he threw the water over her.

So she had to put up with that, but then she asked leave to go to
church; well, she got that leave too, for the church lay close by.
But, first of all, she went to the rock, and knocked on its face with
the stick which stood there, just as the Bull had said. And
straightway out came a man, who said:

'What's your will?'

So the Princess said she had got leave to go to church and hear the
priest preach, but she had no clothes to go in. So he brought out a
kirtle, which was as bright as the copper wood, and she got a horse
and saddle beside. Now, when she got to the church she was so lovely
and grand, all wondered who she could be, and scarce one of them
listened to what the priest said, for they looked too much at her. As
for the Prince, he fell so deep in love with her, he didn't take his
eyes off her for a single moment.

So, as she went out of church, the Prince ran after her, and held the
church door open for her; and so he got hold of one of her gloves,
which was caught in the door. When she went away and mounted her
horse, the Prince went up to her again, and asked whence she came.

'Oh! I'm from Bath', said Katie; and while the Prince took out the
glove to give it to her, she said:

Bright before and dark behind,
Clouds come rolling on the wind;
That this Prince may never see
Where my good steed goes with me.

The Prince had never seen the like of that glove, and went about far
and wide asking after the land whence the proud lady, who rode off
without her glove, said she came; but there was no one who could tell
where 'Bath' lay.

Next Sunday some one had to go up to the Prince with a towel.

'Oh! may I have leave to go up with it?' said Katie.

'What's the good of your going?' said the others; 'you saw how it
fared with you last time.'

But Katie wouldn't give in; she kept on begging and praying, till she
got leave; and then she ran up the stairs, so that her wooden cloak
made a great clatter. Out came the Prince, and when he saw it was
Katie, he tore the towel out of her hand, and threw it into her face.

'Pack yourself off, you ugly Troll', he cried; 'do you think I'd have
a towel which you have touched with your smutty fingers?'

After that the Prince set off to church, and Katie begged for leave
to go too. They all asked what business she had at church--she who
had nothing to put on but that wooden cloak, which was so black and
ugly. But Katie said the priest was such a brave man to preach, what
he said did her so much good; and so she at last got leave. Now she
went again to the rock and knocked, and so out came the man, and gave
her a kirtle far finer than the first one; it was all covered with
silver, and it shone like the silver wood; and she got besides a
noble steed, with a saddle-cloth broidered with silver, and a silver
bit.

So when the King's daughter got to the church, the folk were still
standing about in the churchyard. And all wondered and wondered who
she could be, and the Prince was soon on the spot, and came and
wished to hold her horse for her while she got off. But she jumped
down, and said there was no need, for her horse was so well broke, it
stood still when she bid it, and came when she called it. So they all
went into church; but there was scarce a soul that listened to what
the priest said, for they looked at her a deal too much; and the
Prince fell still deeper in love than the first time.

When the sermon was over, and she went out of church and was going to
mount her horse, up came the Prince again, and asked her whence she
came.

'Oh! I'm from Towelland', said the King's daughter; and as she said
that, she dropped her riding-whip, and when the Prince stooped to
pick it up, she said:

Bright before and dark behind,
Clouds come rolling on the wind;
That this Prince may never see
Where my good steed goes with me.

So away she was again; and the Prince couldn't tell what had become
of her. He went about far and wide asking after the land whence she
said she came, but there was no one who could tell him where it lay;
and so the Prince had to make the best he could of it.

Next Sunday some one had to go up to the Prince with a comb. Katie
begged for leave to go up with it, but the others put her in mind how
she had fared the last time, and scolded her for wishing to go before
the Prince--such a black and ugly fright as she was in her wooden
cloak. But she wouldn't leave off asking till they let her go up to
the Prince with his comb. So, when she came clattering up the stairs
again, out came the Prince, and took the comb, and threw it at her,
and bade her be off as fast as she could. After that the Prince went
to church, and Katie begged for leave to go too. They asked again
what business she had there, she who was so foul and black, and who
had no clothes to show herself in. Might be the Prince or some one
else would see her, and then both she and all the others would smart
for it; but Katie said they had something else to do than to look at
her; and she wouldn't leave off begging and praying till they gave
her leave to go.

So the same thing happened now as had happened twice before. She went
to the rock and knocked with the stick, and then the man came out and
gave her a kirtle which was far grander than either of the others. It
was almost all pure gold, and studded with diamonds; and she got
besides a noble steed, with a gold broidered saddle-cloth and a
golden bit.

Now when the King's daughter got to the church, there stood the
priest and all the people in the churchyard waiting for her. Up came
the Prince running, and wanted to hold her horse, but she jumped off,
and said:

'No; thanks--there's no need, for my horse is so well broke, it
stands still when I bid him.'

So they all hastened into church, and the priest got into the pulpit,
but no one listened to a word he said; for they all looked too much
at her, and wondered whence she came; and the Prince, he was far
deeper in love than either of the former times. He had no eyes, or
ears, or sense for anything, but just to sit and stare at her.

So when the sermon was over, and the King's daughter was to go out of
the church, the Prince had got a firkin of pitch poured out in the
porch, that he might come and help her over it; but she didn't care a
bit--she just put her foot right down into the midst of the pitch,
and jumped across it; but then one of her golden shoes stuck fast in
it, and as she got on her horse, up came the Prince running out of
the church, and asked whence she came.

'I'm from Combland', said Katie. But when the Prince wanted to reach
her the gold shoe, she said,

Bright before and dark behind,
Clouds come rolling on the wind;
That this Prince may never see
Where my good steed goes with me.

So the Prince couldn't tell still what had become of her, and he went
about a weary time all over the world asking for 'Combland'; but when
no one could tell him where it lay, he ordered it to be given out
everywhere that he would wed the woman whose foot could fit the gold
shoe.

So many came of all sorts from all sides, fair and ugly alike; but
there was no one who had so small a foot as to be able to get on the
gold shoe. And after a long, long time, who should come but Katie's
wicked stepmother, and her daughter, too, and her the gold shoe
fitted; but ugly she was, and so loathly she looked, the Prince only
kept his word sore against his will. Still they got ready the
wedding-feast, and she was dressed up and decked out as a bride; but
as they rode to church, a little bird sat upon a tree and sang:

A bit off her heel,
And a bit off her toe;
Katie Woodencloak's tiny shoe
Is full of blood--that's all I know.

And, sure enough, when they looked to it the bird told the truth, for
blood gushed out of the shoe.

Then all the maids and women who were about the palace had to go up
to try on the shoe, but there was none of them whom it would fit at
all.

'But where's Katie Woodencloak?' asked the Prince, when all the rest
had tried the shoe, for he understood the song of birds very well,
and bore in mind what the little bird had said.

'Oh! she think of that!' said the rest; 'it's no good her coming
forward. Why, she's legs like a horse.'

'Very true, I daresay', said the Prince; 'but since all the others
have tried, Katie may as well try too.'

'Katie', he bawled out through the door; and Katie came trampling
upstairs, and her wooden cloak clattered as if a whole regiment of
dragoons were charging up.

'Now, you must try the shoe on, and be a Princess, you too,' said the
other maids, and laughed and made game of her.

So Katie took up the shoe, and put her foot into it like nothing, and
threw off her wooden cloak; and so there she stood in her gold
kirtle, and it shone so that the sunbeams glistened from her; and,
lo! on her other foot she had the fellow to the gold shoe.

So when the Prince knew her again, he grew so glad, he ran up to her
and threw his arms round her, and gave her a kiss; and when he heard
she was a King's daughter, he got gladder still, and then came the
wedding feast; and so,

Snip, snip, snover,
This story's over.




THUMBIKIN

Once on a time there was a woman who had an only son, and he was no
taller than your thumb; and so they called him Thumbikin.

Now, when he had come to be old enough to know right and wrong, his
mother told him to go out and woo him a bride, for now she said it
was high time he thought about getting a wife. When Thumbikin heard
that, he was very glad; so they got their driving gear in order and
set off, and his mother put him into her bosom. Now they were going
to a palace where there was an awfully big Princess, but when they
had gone a bit of the way, Thumbikin was lost and gone. His mother
hunted for him everywhere, and bawled to him, and wept because he was
lost, and she couldn't find him again.

'_Pip, Pip_', said Thumbikin, 'here I am'; and he had hidden
himself in the horse's mane.

So he came out, and had to give his word to his mother that he
wouldn't do so any more. But when they had driven a bit further on,
Thumbikin was lost again. His mother hunted for him, and called him,
and wept; but gone he was, and gone he stayed.

'_Pip, Pip_', said Thumbikin at last; and then she heard how he
laughed and tittered, but she couldn't find him at all for the life
of her.

'_Pip, Pip_, why, here I am now!' said Thumbikin, and came out
of the horse's ear.

So he had to give his word that he wouldn't hide himself again; but
they had scarce driven a bit further before he was gone again. He
couldn't help it. As for his mother, she hunted, and wept, and called
him by name; but gone he was, and gone he stayed; and the more she
hunted, the less she could find him in any way.

'_Pip, Pip_, here I am then', said Thumbikin.

But she couldn't make out at all where he was, his voice sounded so
dull, and muffled.

So she hunted, and he kept on saying, 'Pip, here I am', and laughed
and chuckled, but she couldn't find him; but all at once the horse
snorted, and it snorted Thumbikin out, for he had crept up one of his
nostrils.

Then his mother took him and put him into a bag; she knew no other
way, for she saw well enough he couldn't help hiding himself.

So, when they came to the palace, the match was soon made, for the
Princess thought him a pretty little chap, and it wasn't long before
the wedding came on too.

Now, when they were going to sit down to the wedding-feast, Thumbikin
sat at the table by the Princess's side; but he had worse than no
seat, for when he was to eat he couldn't reach up to the table; and
so if the Princess hadn't helped him up on to it, he wouldn't have
got a bit to eat.

Now it went good and well so long as he had to eat off a plate, but
then there came a great bowl of porridge--that he couldn't reach up
to; but Thumbikin soon found out a way to help himself; he climbed up
and sat on the lip of the bowl. But then there was a pat of melting
butter right in the middle of the bowl, and that he couldn't reach to
dip his porridge into it, and so he went on and took his seat at the
edge of the melting butter; but just then who should come but the
Princess, with a great spoonful of porridge to dip it into the
butter; and, alas! she went too near to Thumbikin, and tipped him
over; and so he fell over head and ears, and was drowned in the
melted butter.




DOLL I' THE GRASS

Once on a time there was a King who had twelve sons. When they were
grown big he told them they must go out into the world and win
themselves wives, but these wives must each be able to spin, and
weave, and sew a shirt in one day, else he wouldn't have them for
daughters-in-law.

To each he gave a horse and a new suit of mail, and they went out
into the world to look after their brides; but when they had gone a
bit of the way, they said they wouldn't have Boots, their youngest
brother, with them--he wasn't fit for anything.

Well, Boots had to stay behind, and he didn't know what to do or
whither to turn; and so he grew so downcast, he got off his horse,
and sat down in the tall grass to weep. But when he had sat a little
while, one of the tufts in the grass began to stir and move, and out
of it came a little white thing, and when it came nearer, Boots saw
it was a charming little lassie, only such a tiny bit of a thing. So
the lassie went up to him, and asked if he would come down below and
see 'Doll i' the Grass'.

Yes, he'd be very happy, and so he went.

Now, when he got down; there sat Doll i' the Grass on a chair; she
was so lovely and so smart, and she asked Boots whither he was going,
and what was his business.

So he told her how there were twelve brothers of them, and how the
King had given them horses and mail, and said they must each go out
into the world and find them a wife who could spin, and weave, and
sew a shirt in a day.

'But if you'll only say at once you'll be my wife, I'll not go a step
further', said Boots to Doll i' the Grass.

Well, she was willing enough, and so she made haste and span, and
wove, and sewed the shirt, but it was so tiny, tiny little. It wasn't
longer than so--------long.

So Boots set off home with it, but when he brought it out he was
almost ashamed, it was so small. Still the King said he should have
her, and so Boots set off, glad and happy to fetch his little
sweetheart. So when he got to Doll i' the Grass, he wished to take
her up before him on his horse; but she wouldn't have that, for she
said she would sit and drive along in a silver spoon, and that she
had two small white horses to draw her. So off they set, he on his
horse and she on her silver spoon, and the two horses that drew her
were two tiny white mice; but Boots always kept the other side of the
road, he was so afraid lest he should ride over her, she was so
little. So, when they had gone a bit of the way, they came to a great
piece of water. Here Boots' horse got frightened, and shied across
the road and upset the spoon, and Doll i' the Grass tumbled into the
water. Then Boots got so sorrowful because he didn't know how to get
her out again; but in a little while up came a merman with her, and
now she was as well and full grown as other men and women, and far
lovelier than she had been before. So he took her up before him on
his horse, and rode home.

When Boots got home all his brothers had come back each with his
sweetheart, but these were all so ugly, and foul, and wicked, that
they had done nothing but fight with one another on the way home, and
on their heads they had a kind of hat that was daubed over with tar
and soot, and so the rain had run down off the hats on to their
faces, till they got far uglier and nastier than they had been
before. When his brothers saw Boots and his sweetheart, they were all
as jealous as jealous could be of her; but the King was so overjoyed
with them both, that he drove all the others away, and so Boots held
his wedding-feast with Doll i' the Grass, and after that they lived
well and happily together a long long time, and if they're not dead,
why they're alive still.




THE LAD AND THE DEIL

Once on a time there was a lad who was walking along a road cracking
nuts, so he found one that was worm-eaten, and just at that very
moment he met the Deil.

'Is it true, now', said the lad, 'what they say, that the Deil can
make himself as small as he chooses, and thrust himself in through a
pinhole?'

'Yes it is', said the Deil.

'Oh! it is, is it? then let me see you do it, and just creep into
this nut', said the lad.

So the Deil did it.

Now, when he had crept well in through the worm's hole, the lad
stopped it up with a pin.

'Now, I've got you safe', he said, and put the nut into his pocket.

So when he had walked on a bit, he came to a smithy, and he turned in
and asked the smith if he'd be good enough to crack that nut for him.

'Aye, that'll be an easy job', said the smith, and took his smallest
hammer, laid the nut on the anvil, and gave it a blow, but it
wouldn't break.

So he took another hammer a little bigger, but that wasn't heavy
enough either.

Then he took one bigger still, but it was still the same story; and
so the smith got wroth, and grasped his great sledge-hammer.

'Now, I'll crack you to bits', he said, and let drive at the nut with
all his might and main. And so the nut flew to pieces with a bang
that blew off half the roof of the smithy, and the whole house
creaked and groaned as though it were ready to fall.

'Why! if I don't think the Deil must have been in that nut', said the
smith.

'So he was; you're quite right', said the lad, as he went away
laughing.




THE COCK AND HEN A-NUTTING

Once on a time the cock and the hen went out into the hazel-wood to
pick nuts; and so the hen got a nutshell in her throat, and lay on
her back, flapping her wings.

Off went the cock to fetch water for her; so he came to the Spring
and said:

'Dear good friend Spring give me a drop of water, that I may give it
to Dame Partlet, my mate, who lies at death's door in the hazel-
wood.'

But the Spring answered:

'You'll get no water from me until I get leaves from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Linden, and said:

'Dear good friend Linden, give me some of your leaves, the leaves
I'll give to the Spring, and the Spring'll give me water to give to
Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in the hazel-wood.'

'You'll get no leaves from me', said the Linden, 'until I get a red
ribbon with a golden edge from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Virgin Mary.

'Dear good Virgin Mary, give me a red ribbon with a golden edge, and
I'll give the red ribbon to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves,
the leaves I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, and
the water I'll give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's
door, in the hazel-wood.'

'You'll get no red ribbon from me', answered the Virgin Mary, 'until
I get shoes from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Shoemaker and said

'Dear good friend Shoemaker, give me shoes, and I'll give the shoes
to the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary'll give me a red ribbon, the red
ribbon I'll give to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves, the
leaves I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, the
water I'll give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in
the hazel-wood.'

'You'll get no shoes from me', said the Shoemaker, 'until I get
bristles from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Sow and said:

'Dear good friend Sow, give me bristles, the bristles I'll give to
the Shoemaker, the Shoemaker'll give me shoes, the shoes I'll give to
the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary'll give me a red ribbon, the red
ribbon I'll give to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves, the
leaves I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, the
water I'll give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in
the hazel-wood.'

'You'll get no bristles from me', said the Sow, 'until I get corn
from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Thresher and said:

'Dear good friend Thresher, give me corn, the corn I'll give to the
Sow, the Sow'll give me bristles, the bristles I'll give to the
Shoemaker, the Shoemaker'll give me shoes, the shoes I'll give to the
Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary'll give me a red ribbon, the red ribbon
I'll give to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves, the leaves
I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, the water I'll
give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in the hazel-
wood.'

'You'll get no corn from me', said the Thresher, 'until I get a
bannock from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Baker's wife and said:

'Dear good friend Mrs. Baker, give me a bannock, the bannock I'll
give to the Thresher, the Thresher'll give me corn, the corn I'll
give to the Sow, the Sow'll give me bristles, the bristles I'll give
to the Shoemaker, the Shoemaker'll give me shoes, the shoes I'll give
to the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary'll give me a red ribbon, the red
ribbon I'll give to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves, the
leaves I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, the
water I'll give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in
the hazel-wood.'

'You'll get no bannock from me', said the Baker's wife, until I get
wood from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Woodcutter and said:

'Dear good friend Woodcutter, give me wood, the wood I'll give to the
Baker's wife, the Baker's wife'll give me a bannock, the bannock I'll
give to the Thresher, the Thresher'll give me corn, the corn I'll
give to the Sow, the Sow'll give me bristles, the bristles I'll give
to the Shoemaker, the Shoemaker'll give me shoes, the shoes I'll give
to the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary'll give me a red ribbon, the red
ribbon I'll give to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves, the
leaves I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, the
water I'll give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in
the hazel-wood.'

'You'll get no wood from me', answered the Woodcutter, 'until I get
an axe from you.'

So the Cock ran to the Smith and said:

'Dear good friend Smith, give me an axe, the axe I'll give to the
Woodcutter, the Woodcutter'll give me wood, the wood I'll give to the
Baker's wife, the Baker's wife'll give me a bannock, the bannock I'll
give to the Thresher, the Thresher'll give me corn, the corn I'll
give to the Sow, the Sow'll give me bristles, the bristles I'll give
to the Shoemaker, the Shoemaker'll give me shoes, the shoes I'll give
to the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary'll give me a red ribbon, the red
ribbon I'll give to the Linden, the Linden'll give me leaves, the
leaves I'll give to the Spring, the Spring'll give me water, the
water I'll give to Dame Partlet my mate, who lies at death's door in
the hazel-wood.'

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