There is some resemblance in the first half to a pretty ballad of the northern nations which treats in a brief way the theme of our exquisite romance of 'The Nutbrown Maid:' #Danish#, 'Den Trofaste Jomfru,' Grundtvig, No 249, IV, 494, nine copies, #A-I#, the first three from 16th or 17th century manuscripts, the others from tradition of this century, as are also the following: #K-M#, 'Den Fredløse,' Kristensen, II, 191, No 57: Swedish, 'De sju Gullbergen,' #A#, Afzelius, No 79, III, 71, new ed., No 64, I, 322; #B#, #C#, Grundtvig, IV, 507 f: #Norwegian# #A#, 'Herre Per og stolt Margit,' Landstad, No 74, p. 590; #B#, 'Herr' Nikelus,' Landstad, No 75, p. 594.[121] All tell very much the same tale. A knight carries off a maid on his horse, making her magnificent promises, among which are eight gold castles, Dan. #C#, #D#, #E#, #H#, #I#; one, #K#, #L#, #M#; eight, Norw. #A#; nine, Norw. #B#; seven, Swed. #B#; seven gold mountains, Swed. #A#, perhaps, by mistake of ber_gen_ for bor_gar_[122] She gets her gold together while he is saddling his horse, Dan. #A, C, D, F, H, M#; Swed. #A#; Norw. #A#, #B#. They come to a sea-strand or other water, it is many miles to the nearest land, Dan. #B#, #D#, Swed. #A#, #C#; the lady wishes she were at home, Dan. #E#, #F#, Swed. #B#, #C#. He swims the horse across, Dan. #A#, #B#, #D#, #E#, #F#, #H#, #K#, #L#, #M#; Swed. #A#, #B#, #C# [part of the way, having started in a boat, Norw. #A#, #B#]. The maid wrings her clothes, Dan. #A#, #D#, #K#, #L#; Swed. #A#; Norw. #A#, #B#. She asks, Where are the gold castles which you promised? Dan. #C# 7, #D# 14, #K# 9, #L# 7, #M# 8; Norw. #A# 22, #B# 16.[123] He tells her that he has no gold castle but this green turf, Dan. #C# 8; he needs none but the black ground and thick wood, Dan. #K# 10: he is a penniless, banished man. She offers him her gold to buy him a charter of peace. In all, except Dan. #A#, #B#, #C#, and the incomplete Dan. #I#, Norw. #B#, he goes on to say that he has plighted faith to another woman, and she meekly replies, Then I will be your servant. He continues the trial no further, reveals himself as of wealth and rank, says that she shall have ladies to wait on her, and makes her his queen. The knight is king of England in Dan. #B#, #H#, King Henry, simply, in Dan. #F#. The gold castles prove to be realities: there is in Dan. #E# even one more than was promised.[124] The #Polish# ballads of the class of 'Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight' (see p. 39 f) have thus much in common with 'The Fair Flower of Northumberland:' a maid is induced to go off with a man on horseback, and takes gold with her; after going a certain distance, he bids her return home; in #AA#, #H#, #R#, he gives her her choice whether to return or to jump into the river; she prefers death (cf. #D# 3, 5, p. 116); in all they finally come to a river, or other water, into which he throws her.[125]