Tales from the Fjeld: A Second Series of Popular Tales

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Asbjørnsen Peter Christen. Tales from the Fjeld: A Second Series of Popular Tales

PREFACE

TALES FROM THE FJELD

OSBORN'S PIPE

THE HAUNTED MILL, AND THE HONEST PENNY

THE DEATH OF CHANTICLEER, AND THE GREEDY CAT

PETER THE FORESTER AND GRUMBLEGIZZARD

PETER'S THREE TALES

THE COMPANION

THE SHOPBOY AND HIS CHEESE, AND PEIK

KARIN'S THREE STORIES

PETER'S BEAST STORIES

MASTER TOBACCO

THE CHARCOAL-BURNER

THE BOX WITH SOMETHING PRETTY IN IT

THE THREE LEMONS

THE PRIEST AND THE CLERK

FRIENDS IN LIFE AND DEATH

THE FATHER OF THE FAMILY

THREE YEARS WITHOUT WAGES

OUR PARISH CLERK

SILLY MEN AND CUNNING WIVES

TAPER TOM

THE TROLLS IN HEDALE WOOD

THE SKIPPER AND OLD NICK

GOODY GAINST-THE-STREAM

HOW TO WIN A PRINCE

BOOTS AND THE BEASTS

THE SWEETHEART IN THE WOOD

HOW THEY GOT HAIRLOCK HOME

OSBORN BOOTS AND MR. GLIBTONGUE

THIS IS THE LAD WHO SOLD THE PIG

THE SHEEP AND THE PIG WHO SET UP HOUSE

THE GOLDEN PALACE THAT HUNG IN THE AIR

LITTLE FREDDY WITH HIS FIDDLE

MOTHER ROUNDABOUT'S DAUGHTER

THE GREEN KNIGHT

BOOTS AND HIS CREW

THE TOWN-MOUSE AND THE FELL-MOUSE

SILLY MATT

KING VALEMON, THE WHITE BEAR

THE GOLDEN BIRD

Отрывок из книги

We were up on the Fjeld, Edward and I and Anders our guide, in quest of reindeer. How long ago it was we will not ask; for after all it was not so very long ago. How did we get there? Well; if you must know we went up to the head of the Sogne Fjord in a boat, and then we drove up the valley in carioles till we were tired, and then we took to our legs, and, now, about three P.M., we were on the Fjeld making for the Sœter or Shieling, where we were to pass the night. On this our first day, we did not expect to meet deer, so on we plodded over the stony soil slanting across the Fjeld which showed its long shoulder above us, while far off glared the snowy peaks, and the glaciers stooped down to meet the Fjeld, for as the Norse proverb says, if the dale won't come to the mountain, the mountain must meet the dale. On we went, Anders cheering the way by stories of Huldror and Trolls, and running off hither and thither to fetch us Alpine plants and flowers. All at once, in one of these flights which had brought him up to the very edge of the shoulder above us, we saw his tall form stiffen as it were against the sky, and, in another moment, he had fallen flat, beckoning us to come cautiously to him. As we reached him stooping and running, he whispered "There they are, away yonder;" and sure enough, about half a mile further on, close under the shoulder, which broke off into an immense circular valley or combe, we could make out two stags, three hinds, and some fawns, at play. It was a strange sight to see the low, thick-set stags with their heavy palmated antlers, leaping over one another and over the hinds, and the hinds and fawns in turn following their example. "A sure sign of rain and wind," said Anders. "It will blow a hurricane and pour in torrents to-morrow, mark my words. I never looked to find them so low down; let us try to get at them." We crept down then, well under cover of the shoulder, and, led by Anders, went on till he said we were opposite the spot where the deer were at play. "But, by all the powers," said he, "be sure to take good aim both of you, and bring down each a stag. I will take one of the hinds, but I will not fire before you." And now began the real stalk; we had about three hundred yards against the wind to crawl on our hands and feet over stones, and gravel, and dry grass, and brambles, and dwarf willow, before we could get to the edge of the shoulder, and look down on the deer. For nearly the whole distance all went well, our bellies clove to the dust like snakes, as we wormed our way. But, alas! when we were not ten yards from the edge, Edward uttered a cry and sprang to his feet. Anders and I did the same without the cry, only to see the deer off at full speed down the combe, followed by a volley of oaths and a billetless bullet from the old flint rifle which Anders carried. For myself I turned to Edward and felt very much as though I should like to send my bullet through him.

"Why, in the name of all that is unholy, did you utter that yell and scare them away."

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"At the inn where he turned in, the board was laid with a rod for each man who sat at it. The merchant thought it very strange, for he couldn't at all make out what they were to do with all these rods; but he sate him down, and thought he would watch well what the others did, and do like them. Well! as soon as the meat was set on the board, he saw well enough what the rods meant; for out swarmed mice in thousands, and each one who sate at the board had to take to his rod and flog and flap about him, and naught else could be heard than one cut of the rod harder than the one which went before it. Sometimes they whipped one another in the face, and just gave themselves time to say, 'Beg pardon,' and then at it again.

"'Hard work to dine in this land!' said the merchant. 'But don't folk keep cats here?'

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