sneaked away abashed home to the palace. But he took particularly good care that no one should know of the adventure he had in the night.

On the third evening another courtier went to try his luck. He went to the old man's cot, sat down by the young damsel, and extolled her beauty, as females, for the most part, readily listen to the praise of their own charms. The princess affected to hear all this trifling prattle with great pleasure, and seemed very friendly. When it grew late, and people were retiring for the night, the courtier would positively not go away, but begged for permission to remain. Singorra yielded to his wish, but on a sudden exclaimed: "Ah! now I recollect that I have not shut the calf in; and that I must not forget.' The courtier was instantly ready, and offered to do it for her. She thanked him, and said: "The calf is difficult to catch; tell me when you have got him fast." Well, I have got him now," answered the courtier, holding the calf by the tail. princess then cried out:

"Calf hold man, and man hold calf,

And run over hill, and run over dale,
Until the lightsome day."

The

Now a ludicrous race began; the calf bounding over both hill and dale, and the courtier behind him, with his hands fastened to the calf's tail. In this fashion they ran the whole night until sunrise, when the courtier was so weary that he could hardly move. He then returned to the palace, and thought it would not greatly redound to his honour, if it were known how his expedition had terminated.

While all this was taking place the king and queen, after consulting with each other, resolved that the prince should marry. The prince willingly acceded to the proposal, departed for a foreign land, and betrothed himself to a fair princess. Preparations were afterwards made for the marriage, and all was pleasure and glee over the whole palace. It one day so happened that the prince was out with his fair young bride, and came to the hut where Singorra abode with the old blind man. As they were driving by, the horses became restive, broke the pole, dashed the chariot in pieces, and ran off, so that no one could catch them. Now there was no lack of puzzling

and considering how the young couple were to get back to the royal palace; and the three courtiers before-mentioned stared at each other. At length one of them said: "I know where we can get a new pole. If the young lass who dwells in this cottage will lend us the shutter-bar which lies on the roof, I am sure it would do for a pole." Another said: “I know how we can repair the chariot. If the same young girl will lend us the door of her cot, I am certain it would answer the purpose." The third said: "The worst is how to get horses. But if the young lass will lend us her calf, I am pretty sure that he is able to draw the whole chariot, be it ever so heavy." As now no other course seemed to present itself, the prince sent to the young maiden, and begged the loan of the shutter-bar, the cottagedoor, and the calf. With this request the princess instantly complied, but with the condition that she should be present at the prince's wedding. This he promised her. The bar was now turned into a pole, and fitted admirably; the door was likewise placed in the chariot, and also fitted. Last of all the calf was harnessed to the vehicle; and so the prince and his young bride rode home to the king's palace with pleasure and merriment.

On the day fixed for the wedding, Singorra arrayed herself in a silk-embroidered kirtle, adorned herself with costly ornaments, and proceeded to the palace. Her kirtle was resplendent with red gold at every seam, and she herself so lovely that all were wonderstruck, and thought that she must be the daughter of a king. The weddingguests then sat down to table, and the eyes of all were turned to the stranger damsel, to see how she would act. When a short time had elapsed, Singorra drew forth a box, in which were three little birds and three small gold corns. When the maiden raised the lid, the birds hopped out, and flew over the middle of the table to where the bridegroom was sitting. Two of them had each a gold corn in its mouth; but the third had forgotten its corn. Thereupon the other two birds said to it, See, thou hast forgotten thy gold corn, as the king's son forgot Singorra." At the same instant there rose as it were a light in the prince's memory, and it rushed into his mind how he had forfeited both truth and honour to his beloved Singorra. He started up

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from the table, clasped her to his breast, and said: " Thee, or no one in all the world, will I have; for thou art my betrothed."

At this incident great confusion arose in the hall, and the guests looked with surprise at each other. The bridegroom then related all that had taken place from the day on which he was carried off by the mermaid, and what great devotion the young maiden had constantly shown him. The stranger princess was then sent back to her father with great pomp and every mark of honour. But the prince celebrated his marriage with the fair Singorra, the festivities of which lasted many days.

1. In a variation from South Småland, it is related that there was a king and a queen who had no children. On this account the king was sorely grieved, and consulted an aged woman who came to the palace. The woman comforted him, saying: "It is well that thou hast no son, for he would be destined to be taken by the Mermaid." But the king would not be content. Then said the fortune-teller: "As thou art so anxious to have a son, know that the queen is pregnant; but be careful not to let the prince go near any water before he is twelve years old, else the Mermaid will have power over him." Having so spoken, the old woman went her way.

It came to pass exactly as the old woman had predicted; for the queen found herself pregnant, and gave birth to a son who was called Anesidei. The king was overjoyed at this event, and caused a tower to be built, in which the young prince should be reared until he was grown up. When he had attained his twelfth year the king ordered a grand feast to be prepared, and fetched his son from the tower with great solemnity. But as the prince was crossing over a bridge, he was changed to a drop of blood, and fell into the water. Thus the king experienced the truth of the aged crone's prediction.

It is afterwards related how Anesidei came to the Mermaid, and met with a beautiful handmaiden named Meserimei. This young girl helped him in his tasks, and they vowed to each other eternal faith and affection. When the prince had undergone all the Mermaid's trials, and fetched things for the wedding from her sister, the young couple resolved on taking flight together. Then said Meserimei : "Go and sit on the high stone, and call the palfrey on which the crone rode when she was a bride." The prince did so, and returned with the horse, which they both mounted and rode away; but the Mermaid, who had observed their flight, went in pursuit of them. When she caught sight of them, she transformed the land before them into a large sea; but Meserimei had skill to turn it again into land. So the

Mermaid was forced to return; but the prince came up out of the sea, not far from his father's palace.

The conclusion accords with story No. II. The king's son rides to his father's palace; but is persuaded to drink a bowl of milk, and so forgets his beloved and everything that had befallen him. He then courts a fair princess in a foreign land. But Meserimei gets employment in the palace as dairy-maid, and befools the three courtiers, as above related.

At the prince's wedding Meserimei is present, clad in most splendid attire. During dinner she casts three gold pearls on the table for her two doves; but the cock takes all three, and leaves nothing for the hen. The little dove thereupon says: "Out upon thee! thou deceivest thy mate, as Anesidei deceived Meserimei." When the king's son hears this the third time, he wakes as from a dream, and recognises his true betrothed.

2. According to a variation from Roslagen, the young princess is named Solfalla. The story has, moreover, the following deviations from the foregoing, No. II.

The prince's second trial consists in his being set to cut down all the trees in the sea-forest, and set them on their roots again. The prince and Solfålla then take flight, and are pursued first by one of the puppets that is changed into a tap-shaped cloud, and travels through the air. The princess then transforms herself and her lover into two rats, playing by the wayside. The Mermaid now sends the second puppet, in the same form; but Solfålla transforms herself and her lover into a duck and a drake. The Mermaid next sends the third puppet, but to no better purpose; the princess changes herself and bridegroom into two trees, and the puppet passes them unnoticed. At last the Troll herself goes after them, and traverses the air like a thick cloud. Solfålla then transforms herself and the prince into a goose and a gander. But the Mermaid perceives her artifice, and transforms herself into a fox, and is on the point of snapping up the goose; but at the same instant the sun rises, at which the goose cries out: "Ha! ha! master Reynard, look behind you, there is a beautiful girl coming." The Mermaid turns about, and, on seeing the sun, is split in two through the middle, and so gets her death.

When the prince returns home to the palace he forgets Solfålla's injunction not to kiss his mother, and so forgets his bride and everything that had befallen him. But the king's daughter takes shelter in a cottage in the forest, and befools the prince, as is above related of the courtiers. The conclusion of the story accords, in other respects, with what is given above.

3. In a variation from South Småland, the prince is named Flod, and the princess Flodina. They have both been carried off by the Mermaid, and agree to escape together. In their flight they are pursued by their mistress, but transform themselves first into a thornbush with a bird in it, then into a church with a priest, and, lastly, into two ducks. When the Mermaid sees the ducks, she lies down to drink the water out of the sea; but drinks too much, and bursts in pieces.

4. A version from Östergötland relates, that there was a queen who encountered a violent storm at sea, and was forced to promise what she carried under her girdle. Shortly after she gave birth to a son, who was named Tobe. But hardly was the child born, when the Mermaid assumed an eagle's plumage, flew into the queen's chamber, and carried him off.

Tobe now grew up in the Mermaid's mansion, where he met with a fair young handmaiden, named Sara. The children contracted a reciprocal affection, and resolved to flee together. Sara then spat on the hearth, on the pile of wood, and in the cellar, bidding them answer for her. She took with her a stone, a brush, and a horsecloth, and so fled with her lover. When the Mermaid was aware of their flight she pursued them in a dense cloud. Sara then cast the stone behind her, which grew to a large mountain, so that the Troll could not pass it, but had to go home for her rock-springer. Tobe and Sara in the meanwhile continued their flight with all speed. But the Mermaid came after them again, when the young maiden threw the brush, and a thick forest sprang up, so that the Troll could not proceed, and now had to go home for her wood-cutter. After a little while she was again after them, when Sara threw the horsecloth, and a large lake arose. The Troll was now obliged to return home for her dog, that was named Glufsa. The Troll and Glufsa then lay down to drink the lake dry, but, drinking too much, they both burst.

When Tobe was about to solemnize his marriage with the foreign princess, Sara threw corn to the fowls in the yard; but the cock pecked up all that was thrown; at which the hens cried out: "The cock serves us as Tobe served Sara." The prince instantly recognises his true bride, and makes her his queen.

5. In a version from Westergötland, it is told that there was a king's son, named Andreas, who had a wicked stepmother. The Troll-wife wished to destroy the young prince, but he was saved by a young maiden, named Messeria, and at length fled with her. Before they began their flight the maiden cut herself in the little finger of the left hand, and let three drops of blood fall on the floor, saying that they should answer for her when she was away.

The queen now sent her men to catch the two fugitives; but Messeria formed a little church by the way, transformed the prince into a priest, and herself into the sexton. So the men, being unable to find them, turned back. The queen then went herself after them; but Messeria formed a lake, and changed herself and her lover into two large fishes. When the queen reached the shore the fishes came forth, and would swallow her up; for they well knew that if she only got to taste a drop of water, she would have them again in her power.

6. In a very remarkable version from North Småland, the scene of the story is removed from the sea to a hill on land; and for the Mermaid we have an ordinary Mountain-troll. The following is an outline of the story. There was once a king's son, who one day in summer was out gathering strawberries, when a Troll came and enticed him into a mount. There he met with a young maiden, who in like man