East of the Sun and West of the Moon Part 8

Hereabouts, on a moor, stand three brothers, and here they have stood these hundred years, fighting about a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots. If any one has these three things he can make himself invisible, and wish himself anywhere he pleases. You can tell them you wish to try the things, and, after that, you'll pa.s.s judgment between them, whose they shall be."

Yes! the _King_ thanked the man, and went and did as he told him.

"What's all this?" he said to the brothers. "Why do you stand here fighting for ever and a day? Just let me try these things, and I'll give judgment whose they shall be."

They were very willing to do this; but, as soon as he had got the hat, cloak, and boots, he said:

"When we meet next time, I'll tell you my judgment," and with these words he wished himself away.

So as he went along up in the air, he came up with the North wind.

"Whither away?" roared the North Wind.

"To Whiteland," said the _King_; and then he told him all that had befallen him.

"Ah," said the North Wind, "you go faster than I--you do; for you can go straight, while I have to puff and blow round every turn and corner. But when you get there, just place yourself on the stairs by the side of the door, and then I'll come storming in, as though I were going to blow down the whole castle. And then when the prince, who is to have your _Queen_, comes out to see what's the matter, just you take him by the collar and pitch him out of doors; then I'll look after him, and see if I can't carry him off."

[Ill.u.s.tration: The King went into the Castle, and at first his Queen didn't know him, he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful.]

Well, the _King_ did as the North Wind said. He took his stand on the stairs, and when the North Wind came, storming and roaring, and took hold of the castle wall, so that it shook again, the prince came out to see what was the matter. But as soon as ever he came, the _King_ caught him by the collar and pitched him out of doors, and then the North Wind caught him up and carried him off. So when there was an end of him, the _King_ went into the castle, and at first his _Queen_ didn't know him, he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful; but when he shewed her the ring, she was as glad as glad could be; and so the rightful wedding was held, and the fame of it spread far and wide.

SORIA MORIA CASTLE

Once on a time there was a poor couple who had a son whose name was _Halvor_. Ever since he was a little boy he would turn his hand to nothing, but just sat there and groped about in the ashes. His father and mother often put him out to learn this trade or that, but _Halvor_ could stay nowhere; for, when he had been there a day or two, he ran away from his master, and never stopped till he was sitting again in the ingle, poking about in the cinders.

Well, one day a skipper came, and asked _Halvor_ if he hadn't a mind to be with him, and go to sea, and see strange lands. Yes, _Halvor_ would like that very much; so he wasn't long in getting himself ready.

How long they sailed I'm sure I can't tell; but the end of it was, they fell into a great storm, and when it was blown over, and it got still again, they couldn't tell where they were; for they had been driven away to a strange coast, which none of them knew anything about.

Well, as there was just no wind at all, they stayed lying wind-bound there, and _Halvor_ asked the skipper's leave to go on sh.o.r.e and look about him; he would sooner go, he said, than lie there and sleep.

"Do you think now you're fit to show yourself before folk," said the skipper, "why, you've no clothes but those rags you stand in?"

But _Halvor_ stuck to his own, and so at last he got leave, but he was to be sure and come back as soon as ever it began to blow. So off he went and found a lovely land; wherever he came there were fine large flat cornfields and rich meads, but he couldn't catch a glimpse of a living soul. Well, it began to blow, but _Halvor_ thought he hadn't seen enough yet, and he wanted to walk a little farther just to see if he couldn't meet any folk. So after a while he came to a broad high road, so smooth and even, you might easily roll an egg along it.

_Halvor_ followed this, and when evening drew on he saw a great castle ever so far off, from which the sunbeams shone. So as he had now walked the whole day and hadn't taken a bit to eat with him, he was as hungry as a hunter, but still the nearer he came to the castle, the more afraid he got.

In the castle kitchen a great fire was blazing, and _Halvor_ went into it, but such a kitchen he had never seen in all his born days. It was so grand and fine; there were vessels of silver and vessels of gold, but still never a living soul. So when _Halvor_ had stood there a while and no one came out, he went and opened a door, and there inside sat a _Princess_ who span upon a spinning-wheel.

"Nay, nay, now!" she called out, "dare Christian folk come hither? But now you'd best be off about your business, if you don't want the _Troll_ to gobble you up; for here lives a _Troll_ with three heads."

"All one to me," said the lad, "I'd be just as glad to hear he had four heads beside; I'd like to see what kind of fellow he is. As for going, I won't go at all. I've done no harm; but meat you must get me, for I'm almost starved to death."

When _Halvor_ had eaten his fill, the _Princess_ told him to try if he could brandish the sword that hung against the wall; no, he couldn't brandish it, he couldn't even lift it up.

"Oh!" said the _Princess_, "now you must go and take a pull of that flask that hangs by its side; that's what the _Troll_ does every time he goes out to use the sword."

So _Halvor_ took a pull, and in the twinkling of an eye he could brandish the sword like nothing; and now he thought it high time the _Troll_ came; and lo! just then up came the _Troll_ puffing and blowing. _Halvor_ jumped behind the door.

"HUTETU," said the _Troll_, as he put his head in at the door, "what a smell of Christian man's blood!"

"Aye," said _Halvor_, "you'll soon know that to your cost," and with that he hewed off all his heads.

Now the _Princess_ was so glad that she was free, she both danced and sang, but then all at once she called her sisters to mind, and so she said:

"Would my sisters were free too!"

"Where are they?" asked _Halvor_.

Well, she told him all about it; one was taken away by a _Troll_ to his Castle which lay fifty miles off, and the other by another _Troll_ to his Castle which was fifty miles further still.

"But now," she said, "you must first help me to get this ugly carca.s.s out of the house."

Yes, _Halvor_ was so strong he swept everything away, and made it all clean and tidy in no time. So they had a good and happy time of it, and next morning he set off at peep of grey dawn; he could take no rest by the way, but ran and walked the whole day. When he first saw the Castle he got a little afraid; it was far grander than the first, but here too there wasn't a living soul to be seen. So _Halvor_ went into the kitchen, and didn't stop there either, but went straight further on into the house.

"Nay, nay," called out the _Princess_, "dare Christian folk come hither? I don't know I'm sure how long it is since I came here, but in all that time I haven't seen a Christian man. 'Twere best you saw how to get away as fast as you came; for here lives a _Troll_ who has six heads."

"I shan't go," said _Halvor_, "if he has six heads besides."

"He'll take you up and swallow you down alive," said the _Princess_.

But it was no good, _Halvor_ wouldn't go; he wasn't at all afraid of the _Troll_, but meat and drink he must have, for he was half starved after his long journey. Well, he got as much of that as he wished, but then the _Princess_ wanted him to be off again.

"No," said _Halvor_, "I won't go, I've done no harm, and I've nothing to be afraid about."

"He won't stay to ask that," said the _Princess_, "for he'll take you without law or leave; but as you won't go, just try if you can brandish that sword yonder, which the _Troll_ wields in war."

He couldn't brandish it, and then the _Princess_ said he must take a pull at the flask which hung by its side, and when he had done that he could brandish it.

Just then back came the _Troll_, and he was both stout and big, so that he had to go sideways to get through the door. When the _Troll_ got his first head in he called out:

"HUTETU, what a smell of Christian man's blood!"

But that very moment _Halvor_ hewed off his first head, and so on all the rest as they popped in. The _Princess_ was overjoyed, but just then she came to think of her sisters, and wished out loud they were free. _Halvor_ thought that might easily be done, and wanted to be off at once; but first he had to help the _Princess_ to get the _Troll's_ carca.s.s out of the way, and so he could only set out next morning.

It was a long way to the Castle, and he had to walk fast and run hard to reach it in time; but about nightfall he saw the Castle, which was far finer and grander than either of the others. This time he wasn't the least afraid, but walked straight through the kitchen, and into the Castle. There sat a _Princess_ who was so pretty, there was no end to her loveliness. She too like the others told him there hadn't been Christian folk there ever since she came thither, and bade him go away again, else the _Troll_ would swallow him alive, and do you know, she said, he has nine heads.

"Aye, aye," said _Halvor_, "if he had nine other heads, and nine other heads still, I won't go away," and so he stood fast before the stove.

The _Princess_ kept on begging him so prettily to go away, lest the _Troll_ should gobble him up, but _Halvor_ said:

"Let him come as soon as he likes."

So she gave him the _Troll's_ sword, and bade him take a pull at the flask, that he might be able to brandish and wield it.

Just then back came the _Troll_ puffing and blowing and tearing along.

He was far bigger and stouter than the other two, and he too had to go on one side to get through the door. So when he got his first head in, he said as the others had said: