Part 38 (1/2)

”'If our brother only would, he has said he was good to get the king's daughter back.'

”You may fancy it was not long before the coachman went to the king with this story, and when the king heard it, he called for Boots, and said,

”'Your brothers say you can bring back my daughter again, and now you must do it.'

”Boots answered, he had never known it was the king's daughter till the king said so himself, and if he could free her and fetch her he would be sure to do his best; but two days he must have to think over it and fit himself out. Yes, he might have two days.

”So Boots took the grey ball of wool and threw it down on the road, and it rolled and rolled before him, and he followed it till he came to the old hag, from whom he had got it. Her he asked what he must do, and she said he must take with him that old gun of his and three hundred chests of nails and horseshoe brads, and three hundred barrels of barley, and three hundred barrels of grits, and three hundred carcases of pigs, and three hundred beeves, and then he was to roll the ball of wool before him till he met a raven and a baby troll, and then he would be all right, for they were both of her stock. Yes, the lad did as she bade him; he went right on to the King's Grange, and took his old gun with him, and he asked the king for the nails and the brads, and meat and flesh, and grain, and for horses and men, and carts to carry them in.

The king thought it was a good deal to ask, but if he could only get his daughter back, he might have whatever he chose, even to the half of his kingdom.

”So when the lad had fitted himself out, he rolled the ball of wool before him again, and he hadn't gone many days before he came to a high hill, and there sat a raven, up in a fir tree. So Boots went on till he came close under the tree, and then he began to aim and point at the raven with his gun.

”'No, no,' cried the raven, 'don't shoot me, don't shoot me, and I'll help you.'

”'Well,' said Boots, 'I never heard of anyone who boasted he had eaten roast raven, and since you are so eager to save your life, I may just as well spare it.'

”So he threw down his gun, and the raven came flying down to him, and said,

”'Here, up on this fell there is a baby troll walking up and down, for he has lost his way and can't get down again. I will help you up, and then you can lead him home, and ask a boon which will stand you in good stead. When you get to the troll's house he will offer you all the grandest things he has, but you should not heed them a pin. Mind you take nothing else but the little grey a.s.s which stands behind the stable door.'

”Then the raven took Boots on his back and flew up on the hill with him, and put him off there. When he had gone about on it a bit, he heard the baby troll howling and whining, because it couldn't get down again. So the lad talked kindly to it, and they got the best friends in the world, and he said he would help it down and guide it to the old troll's house, that it mightn't lose itself on the way back. Then they went to the raven, and he took them both on his back, and carried them off the hill troll's house.

”And when the old troll saw his baby, he was so glad he was beside himself, and told Boots he might come indoors and take whatever he chose, because he had freed his child. Then they offered him both gold and silver, and all that was rare and costly; but the lad said he would rather have a horse than anything else. Yes, he should have a horse, the troll said, and off they went to the stable. It was full of the grandest horses, whose coats shone like the sun and moon; but Boots thought they were all too big for him. So he peeped behind the stable door, and when he set eyes on the little grey a.s.s that stood there, he said,

”'I'll take this one. It will suit me to a T, and if I fall off I shall be no farther from the ground than that ---- high.'

”The old troll did not at all like to part with his a.s.s, but as he had given his word he had to stand by it. So Boots got the a.s.s, and saddle, and bridle, and all that belonged to it, and then he set off. They travelled through wood and field, and over fells and wide wastes. So when they had gone farther than far, the a.s.s asked Boots if he saw anything.

”'No, I see naught else than a hill, which looks blue in the distance,'

said Boots.

”'Oh,' said the a.s.s, 'that hill we have to pa.s.s through.'

”'All very fine, I daresay,' said Boots, for he didn't believe a word of it.

”So when they got close to the hill, an unicorn came tearing along at them, just as if he were going to eat them up all alive.

”'I almost think now I'm afraid,' said Boots.

”'Oh,' said the a.s.s, 'don't say so; just throw it a score or so of beeves, and beg it to bore a hole, and break a way for us through the hill.'

”So Boots did as he was told, and when the unicorn had eaten his fill, they said they would give him a score or two of pigs' carca.s.ses, if he would go before them and bore a hole in the hill, so that they might get through it. So when he heard that he set to work and bored the hole, and broke a way so fast that they had hard work to keep up with him, and when he had done his work they threw him two score of pigs.

”So when they had got well out of that they travelled far away, until they pa.s.sed again through woods and fields and across fells and wide wastes.

”'Do you see anything now?' asked the a.s.s.

”'Now I see naught but the bare sky and wild fells,' said Boots.