already begun, and the king was hardly pressed; but just at that moment the youth put the enemy to flight. The king and his attendants wondered who it could be that came to their help; but no one had been near enough to him to speak to him, and when the battle was over he was away. When they returned, the youth was still sitting fast in the swamp, beating and calling to his three-legged jade. They laughed as they passed, and said: "Only look, yonder sits the fool yet."

The next day when they marched out, the youth was still sitting there, and they again laughed and jeered at him; but no sooner had they all passed by than he ran again to the linden, and everything took place as on the previous day. Every one wondered who the stranger warrior was who had fought for them; but no one approached him so near that he could speak to him; of course no one ever imagined that it was the youth.

When they returned in the evening and saw him and his old jade still sticking fast in the swamp, they again made a jest of him; one shot an arrow at him and wounded him in the leg, and he began to cry and moan so that it was sad to hear, whereupon the king threw him his handkerchief that he might bind it about his leg. When they marched forth the third morning there sat the youth calling to his horse, "Hie! wilt thou go? hie! wilt thou go?" "No, no! he will stay there till he starves," said the king's men as they passed by, and laughed so heartily at him that they nearly fell from their horses. When they had all passed, he again ran to the linden, and came to the battle just at the right moment. That day he killed the enemy's king, and thus the war was at an end.

When the fighting was over, the king observed his handkerchief tied round the leg of the strange warrior, and by this he easily knew him. They received him with great joy, and carried him with them up to the royal palace, and the princess, who saw them from her window, was so delighted no one could tell. There comes my beloved also,' said she. He then took the pot of ointment and rubbed his leg, and afterwards all the wounded, so that they were all well again in a moment.

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After this the king gave him the princess to wife. On

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No, that I will not have whatever thou "If thou wilt not

the day of his marriage he went down into the stable to see the horse, and found him dull, hanging his ears and refusing to eat. When the young king-for he was now king, having obtained the half of the realm-spoke to him and asked him what he wanted, the horse said: "I have now helped thee forward in the world, and I will live no longer; thou must take thy sword, and cut my head off." do," said the young king, "thou shalt wilt, and always live without working." do as I say," answered the horse, "I shall find a way of killing thee." The king was then obliged to slay him; but when he raised the sword to give the stroke he was so distressed that he turned his face away; but no sooner had he struck his head off than there stood before him a handsome prince in the place of the horse.

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Whence in the name, of Heaven didst thou come?" asked the king. "It was I who was the horse," answered the prince. Formerly I was king of the country whose sovereign you slew yesterday; it was he who cast over me a horse's semblance, and sold me to the Troll.

As he is killed, I shall recover my kingdom, and you and I shall be neighbouring kings; but we will never go to war with each other.

Neither did they; they were friends as long as they lived, and the one came often to visit the, other.

LILLEKORT.

THERE was once a couple of poor people, who lived in a wretched hut where there was nothing but squalid misery, so that they had neither food nor fire. But if they had a scanty supply of other things, they were blessed with an abundance of children, and every year they added one to the number. They were now just expecting another, at which the good man was so angry that he went about grumbling and muttering, saying that he saw it was quite possible to have more than enough of these God's gifts; and when the time came for the woman's delivery he went to the forest for wood, having no wish to see the new squaller;

he should hear him soon enough, he said, when he screamed for food.

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When the man was gone, the woman gave birth to a fine boy, who had no sooner come into the world than he looked about the room. "Oh, dear mother," said he, “give me some of my brother's old clothes and food for a couple of days, and I will go out in the world and seek my fortune, for I see you have children enough without me.' 'Lord preserve thee, thou poor little creature," said the mother, "thou art too young as yet, that will never do." But the boy persisted in his resolution, and begged and prayed until the mother was obliged to give him some old rags and a little food in a bundle, and away he went to seek his fortune in the wide world, cheerful and happy. He had scarcely left the house when the woman gave birth to another son, who also looked round and said: "Oh, dear mother, give me some of my brother's old clothes and food for a couple of days, and I will go out in the world and find my twin brother, for you have children enough without us." "Lord preserve thee, thou poor little creature," said the mother, “thou art too young as yet, that will never do." But it was to no purpose, the child begged and prayed so long that at last he got some old tatters and some food in a cloth, and set out boldly in the world to find his twin brother. When the younger had gone some way, he perceived his brother at a distance before him, and called out to him to stop. Wait a little," said he, "thou art getting along as if thou wast paid for it; thou shouldst have seen thy youngest brother at all events before going out into the world." The elder brother stopped and looked back, and when the younger had joined him, and told him how it was that he was his brother, he added, "but now let us sit down, and see what provisions our mother has given us ;" and they did so.

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When they had wandered on a little further they came to a stream that flowed through a green meadow; and here the younger proposed that they should give each other a name; for having left home in such a hurry there was no time for it, "so we had better do it here," said he. What wilt thou be called?" said the elder. My name shall be Lillekort," answered the other; "and what wilt thou be called?" "I will

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be named King Lavring," answered the elder. So they baptized each other, and then pursued their journey. When they had walked on for some time, they came to a cross-road, and here they agreed to part, so that each might take his own course. This they did, but they had not gone far when they met each other again. Here they parted anew, each taking a different road; but in a little while they unexpectedly met again, and thus it happened three times. They now agreed that they would go in opposite directions, one to the east and the other to the west. "But shouldst thou ever fall into any danger or misfortune," said the elder, 'then call to me three times and I will come and help thee; but thou must not call upon me until thou art in the greatest need." We shall not meet again so soon then, I think," said Lillekort. They then took leave of each other, Lillekort taking the road to the east, and King Lavring to the west.

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When Lillekort had walked on for some time alone, he met a very old humpbacked woman who had but one eye; this Lillekort snatched out. "Oh, oh!" cried the old woman, "what has become of my eye?" "What will you give me for an eye?" said Lillekort. "I will give you a sword of such a quality that it can overcome a whole army, be it ever so great," answered the woman. "Good! hand it here," said Lillekort. The old woman gave him the sword, and got her eye again. Lillekort then went on, and after wandering for some time, he met another very old crookbacked woman, who also had only one eye; this, too, Lillekort stole before the old woman was aware. what has become of my eye?" cried the hag. you give me for an eye?" said Lillekort. a ship which can go both in fresh water and in salt, over mountains and deep valleys," answered the old woman. "Good! hand it here," said Lillekort. The old crone then gave him a little tiny ship, so small that he could put it into his pocket, and so she got her eye again, and they went their several ways. After wandering on for a long while, he met, for the third time, a very old hunchbacked woman, who had but one eye; this also Lillekort stole, and when the old crone screamed, and cried, and asked what had become of her eye, Lillekort said: "What will you give me

Oh, oh ! "What will "I will give you

for an eye? e?" "I will give you the art to brew a hundred lasts of malt in one brewing." So for that art the old woman got her eye again, and each went their several ways.

When Lillekort had gone a little further, he thought it was worth while making a trial of his ship; so taking it out of his pocket, he first placed one foot in it, and then the other; but no sooner had he put one leg in, than it became much larger, and when he stood upright with both legs in, it became as large as a ship that sails on the sea. Lillekort then said: 66 Go through fresh water and salt water, over mountains and through deep valleys, and do not stop till thou comest to the king's palace." And away flew the ship, as swift as a bird in the air, till it came quite near to the king's palace, and there it stopped. In the window of the palace persons were standing and watching Lillekort as he approached, and were all so astonished that they ran out to see who it could be that came travelling through the air in a ship. But while the people were running down from the royal palace, Lillekort had stepped out of his ship and put it into his pocket; for no sooner had he stepped out, than it became as small as when the old woman gave it to him; so that there was nothing to be seen save a little ragged urchin standing on the shore. The king asked him whence he came. But the boy said, he did not know, neither did he know how he came there, but supplicated most earnestly to be taken into the king's service, saying, that if there were nothing else he could do, he could carry wood and water for the cook-maid; and so he got leave to remain. When Lillekort came up to the palace, he saw that the whole was hung with black, both inside and out, even the walls and roof: he asked the cook what it meant. "I will tell thee," answered the girl. "The king's daughter has been promised to three Trolls, and next Thursday evening one of them will come to fetch her. The knight Röd has undertaken to rescue her, but God knows whether he will be able; so thou canst well imagine there is sorrow and misery enough here." When Thursday evening came, the knight Röd conducted the princess down to the sea-shore (for there she was to meet the Troll), and he was to remain to protect her; but he did not do much harm to the Troll, I trow, for no sooner had the princess seated herself on the shore, than