ells long, also five hundred men, and provisions for them all for fifteen weeks; for I must go far out to sea." Well, that he might have, but the king was apprehensive that he had no ship large enough to carry all these things. "I have a ship myself," said Lillekort, taking the ship which the old woman had given him, out of his pocket. The king laughed at him, and thought he was joking; but Lillekort only begged he might have what he requested, and then the king should see. All was now brought to him, and Lillekort ordered the chain to be placed first in the ship; but there was no one able to lift it, and there was not room in the little tiny ship for many at once. Lillekort then took hold of one end of the chain, and laid some links in the ship, when it began to get larger and larger, and at length it grew to such a size that not only the chain but the five hundred men and all the provisions, together with Lillekort, had abundance of room in it. "Go now over salt water and fresh water, over hill and dale, and stop not until thou comest to the place where the king's daughter is," said Lillekort to the ship; and instantly it sailed away so that it piped and whistled around it. When they had thus 66 sailed far far away, the ship stopped in the midst of the ocean. Now we are arrived," said Lillekort; "but now it behoves us to consider how we shall get from hence." He then took the chain, and fastened one end of it round his body. "I must now go down to the bottom of the sea,” said he, "but when I pull the chain, to signify that I wish to come up again, you must all pull as one man, or you will all perish as well as myself." Hereupon he plunged into the water, and a yellow whirlpool surrounded him. He sank and sank, and at length came to the bottom; there he saw a large mountain with a door in it, by which he entered. When he was come into the mountain, he saw the princess; she was sitting at work; but when she looked at Lillekort, she clasped her hands together and exclaimed: "God be praised! I have not seen a Christian man since I came here." "I am come to rescue you," said Lillekort. "Ah! thou wilt not succeed," replied the king's daughter, "thou wilt never succeed; for should the Troll see thee, he will take thy life." It is well you mention him," said Lillekort. "Where is he? I am anxious to see him." 66 The king's daughter then told him, that the Troll was gone out in search of some one who could brew a hundred lasts of malt in one brewing, because he was to have a great feast, and a less quantity would not suffice. "That I can do," answered Lillekort. 66 66 66 66 No; there is no "Just now there "If only the Troll were not of so hasty a temper, I could tell him that," replied the princess; "but he is so ferocious, that I fear he will tear thee in pieces the moment he comes in and sees thee; but I must devise some expedient thou canst hide thyself in this closet, then we shall see what is to be done." Lillekort did so, and scarcely had he crept in the closet and concealed himself, before the Troll returned: "Hui! here is a smell of Christian blood," cried he. There flew a bird over the roof with the bone of a Christian man in its beak, and dropped it down the chimney," answered the princess. "I threw it away as soon as I could; but I suppose it is that you smell." "Yes, that must be it," said the Troll. The princess then asked him, if he had found any one who could brew a hundred lasts of malt at one brewing. one who can do it," replied the Troll. was one here who said he could do it," said the king's daughter. Then why didst thou not detain him? thou who art always so shrewd, for thou knewest very well that I wanted such a person," answered the Troll. Nor did I let him go," replied the king's daughter; "but you are always so hasty that I thought it best to shut him up in the closet; so if you have not got any one else, here he is.” "Let him come in," said the Troll. When Lillekort came in, the Troll asked him, "if it were true that he could brew a hundred lasts of malt at one brewing?" Yes," replied Lillekort. "It is well that I have met with thee," said the Troll; "so begin directly, but Lord have mercy on thee, if thou dost not brew the beer strong." 'Oh, don't be alarmed on that score," answered Lillekort, and immediately set to work. 'But I must have many more Trolls to carry the liquor," said Lillekort; "for these I have got are but poor hands." He then got so many that the place swarmed, and the brewing went on well. When the wort was ready, they must all taste it, first the Troll himself, and afterwards the others; but Lillekort had brewed it so strong that no 66 66 66 sooner had they drunk of it than they fell down dead like so many flies. At last there was no one left there but a miserable old woman, who lay behind the stove. "Oh! poor thing," said Lillekort, "thou must have a drink of the beer as well as the rest;" and so he went and brought her a jugful from the bottom of the vat, and gave it to her, and then she was disposed of as well as the rest. As he stood looking about, he cast his eyes on a large chest: this he filled with gold and silver, then binding the chain round it, and also round himself and the princess, he pulled with all his strength. Hereupon the crew raised them safely up. When Lillekort was again in the ship, he said: Go through salt water and fresh water, over hill and dale, and stop not before thou comest to the king's palace." Immediately the ship sailed away, so that the yellow billows foamed around it. When those in the palace saw the ship approaching, they were not slow in going out to meet it with song and music, and received Lillekort with great joy; but the happiest of all was the king, who now had got his other daughter back again. But Lillekort was ill at ease, as both the princesses would have him for a husband, and he would have her alone whom he had first saved, which was the youngest. He often walked about pondering what he should do to possess the one of his choice; yet would not willingly offend the other. One day as he went hither and thither thinking about it, it occurred to him, that if he only had his brother, King Lavring, with him, who was so like himself, that no one in the palace could distinguish the one from the other, he could have the elder princess with the half of the kingdom, while for himself the other half would be amply sufficient. No sooner had he thought upon this plan than he went outside of the palace and called upon King Lavring. But no King Lavring came. He called again and a little louder, but no, still no one came. He then cried a third time with all his strength, and there stood his brother before him. "I said that thou shouldst not call on me before thou wast in the greatest difficulty," said he to Lillekort, "and here is not so much as a fly that can hurt thee;" hereupon he began beating him so that Lillekort rolled about the field. "Oh, shame upon thee to strike me," said Lillekort, "I who have won first one king's daughter and the half of the kingdom, and then another daughter with the other half of the realm, and now thought of giving thee one of the princesses and of dividing the kingdom with thee-dost thou think it just to strike me thus ?" When King Lavring heard this he begged forgiveness of his brother, and immediately they were good friends again, as before. "Thou knowest," said Lillekort, "that we are so alike that no one can distinguish the one from the other. Change clothes with me, and go up to the palace, and the princesses will think it is I. The one who kisses thee first thou shalt have, and I will take the other." For he well knew that the elder was the stronger, and so could easily guess how it would be. This King Lavring was quite willing to do; he changed clothes with his brother and went up to the palace. When he entered the princesses' apartment, they thought it was Lillekort, and both ran at the same moment towards him; but the elder, who was the larger and stronger, pushed her sister aside, threw her arms round King Lavring's neck and kissed him. Thus he obtained the elder daughter of the king, and Lillekort the younger. One can well imagine that there was such a wedding, that it was heard of and talked of over seven kingdoms. THE THREE AUNTS. 66 THERE was once a poor man who lived in a hut far away in the forest, and supported himself on the game. He had an only daughter, who was very beautiful, and as her mother was dead and she was grown up, she said she would go out in the world and seek her own living. It is true, my child," said her father, "that thou hast learnt nothing with me but to pluck and roast birds; but it is, nevertheless, well that thou shouldst earn thy bread." The young girl therefore went in search of work, and when she had gone some way, she came to the royal palace. There she remained, and the queen took such a liking to her that the other servants became quite jealous; they, therefore, contrived to tell the queen that the girl had boasted she could spin a pound of flax in twenty-four hours, knowing that the queen was very fond of all kinds of handiwork. Well, if thou hast said it, thou shalt do it," said the queen to her. "But I will give thee a little longer time to do it in." The poor girl was afraid of saying she never had spun, but only begged she might have a room to herself. This was allowed, and the flax and spinning-wheel were carried up to it. Here she sat and cried, and was so unhappy she knew not what to do; she placed herself by the wheel and twisted and twirled at it without knowing how to use it; she had never even seen a spinning-wheel before. 66 66 66 But as she so sat, there came an old woman into the room. "What's the matter, my child?" said she. Oh," answered the young girl, "it is of no use that I tell you, for I am sure you cannot help me!" That thou dost not know," said the crone. "It might happen, however, that I could help thee." 'I may as well tell her," thought the girl; and so she related to her, how her fellow-servants had reported that she had said she could spin a pound of flax in twentyfour hours. "And poor I," added she, "have never before in all my life seen a spinning-wheel; so far am I from being able to spin so much in one day." 'Well, never mind,' said the woman, if thou wilt call me Aunt on thy wedding day, I will spin for thee, and thou canst lie down to sleep." That the young girl was quite willing to do, and went to bed. 66 In the morning when she woke, all the flax was spun and lying on the table, and was so fine and delicate that no one had ever seen such even and beautiful thread. The queen was delighted with the beautiful thread she had now got, and on that account felt more attached to the young girl than before. But the other servants were still more jealous of her, and told the queen she had boasted that in twentyfour hours she could weave all the thread she had spun. The queen again answered: "If she had said that, she should do it; but if it were not done within the exact time, she would allow her a little longer." The poor girl durst not say no, but begged she might have a room to herself, and then she would do her best. Now she again sat crying and lamenting, and knew not what to do, when another old woman came in, and asked: " What ails thee, my child?" The girl would not at first say, but at length told her what |