The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
Accordingly, when it was night he took a sack on his shoulder, went
to the hill-man's hill, knocked, and was admitted. He delivered his
message, giving his master's compliments, and requesting the honour of
his company at the christening. The hill-man thanked him, and said, "I
think it is but right that I should give you a christening-gift." With
these words he opened his money-chests, bidding the boy to hold up his
sack while he poured money into it. "Is there enough now?" said he,
when he had put a good quantity into it. "Many give more, few give
less," replied the boy.
The hill-man then fell again to filling the sack, and again asked, "Is
there enough now?" The boy lifted up the sack a little off the ground to
try if he was able to carry any more, and then answered, "It is about
what most people give." Upon this the hill-man emptied the whole chest
into the bag, and once more asked, "Is there enough now?" The guardian
of the pigs saw that there was as much in it now as ever he was able to
carry, so he made answer, "No one gives more, most people give less."
"Come, now," said the hill-man, "let us hear who else is to be at the
christening?" "Ah," said the boy, "we are to have a great parcel of
strangers and great people. First and foremost, we are to have three
priests and a bishop!" "Hem!" muttered the hill-man; "however, these
gentlemen usually look only after the eating and drinking: they will
never take any notice of me. Well, who else?" "Then we have asked St.
Peter and St. Paul." "Hem! hem! however, there will be a by-place for me
behind the stove. Well, and then?" "Then our Lady herself is coming!"
"Hem! hem! hem! however, guests of such high rank come late and go away
early. But tell me, my lad, what sort of music is it you are to have?"
"Music!" said the boy, "why, we are to have drums." "Drums!" repeated
he, quite terrified; "no, no, thank you, I shall stay at home in that
case. Give my best respects to your master, and I thank him for the
invitation, but I cannot come. I did but once go out to take a little
walk, and some people beginning to beat a drum, I hurried home, and was
just got to my door when they flung the drum-stick after me and broke
one of my shins. I have been lame of that leg ever since, and I shall
take good care in future to avoid that sort of music." So saying, he
helped the boy to put the sack on his back, once more charging him to
give his best respects to the farmer.[183]
_The Troll turned Cat._
About a quarter of a mile from Soröe lies Pedersborg, and a little
farther on is the town of Lyng. Just between these towns is a hill
called Bröndhöi (_Spring-hill_), said to be inhabited by the
Troll-people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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