The Fair Vall Maid

Once upon a time there was a king who had an only daughter. She was friendly and kind, so that she was loved by all who saw her. The king's consort, the queen, also had an only daughter; but this one was naughty in appearance and wicked in disposition, so that she was not well spoken of by anyone. Over here the queen bore a great grudge in her mind, and indulged the king's daughter nothing good. Now that the king was dead, the queen was very mean his stepdaughter, and put her to all sorts of menial chores. But it the poor girl never complained, but was always patient and submissive.
It happened one day that the queen sent her stepdaughter up on the loft, to guard grain. While she now sat and watched, the heavenly one came little birds, and went chirping around the grain-heap, as they had wished ask for some grains. Then the king's daughter felt sorry for the little animals, and she threw them grain out of the bin. She said: »poor little ones birds! I'm so hungry. Here I have had J grain, plucked nicely, and eaten your fill». Now when the sparrows had eaten, they flew away, sat on the roof, and advised how they should reward the maiden for her good heart. Then one of the birds said: "I give her that every time she threads." on the ground there shall grow red roses». The other said: »I give, that she will become more and more beautiful for every day she lives». "And I", added the third, "want to give her that every time she smiles one red gold ring come out of her mouth». Thus spoken, they flew their cow; but everything went to completion as the birds had said, and from that day on The king's daughter is even more lovely than the other, so that friends do not know was to be found, they also searched in seven kingdoms.
When the queen perceived all this, she became even more envious added, and conveyed to herself how her daughter would turn out as fair as her sister. With such intention she sent the princess to likewise guard grain up in the loft. The girl walked, although she carried a large one shame, that they gave her such little things to do. When she now guarded as best, the birds of the sky came, and went chirping around the grain-heap, as if they had wanted to ask for some grains. Then the wicked man's mind ran wild Virgo; she took the broom, chased away the little birds, and said with anger courage: »what the will J here, J naughty birds! unable to think, that a distinguished maiden, such as I, would soil her hands to give your food?” The sparrows now flew to their nest, sat on the roof, and took counsel how they would reward the mean princess for her harsh words. Then said the one: "I give her that every time she treads on the ground shall there grow thistles and thorns.» The other said: "I grant that she shall." become a leader and a leader for every day she lives». "And I," added the third, "wants to give her paws every time she laughs." and frogs jump out of her mouth». Thus spoken, they flew their cow; but everything went into completion as the sparrowhawks had said, and from that day became the queen's daughter even more leader in appearance, and more naughty kind of mind, than she had imparted.
The stepmother and her wicked daughter could no longer bear to see it the beautiful king's daughter before his eyes, but set her to herd cattle in the forest. The poor maiden had to wander about in the ground, like others nursemaids, and it often seemed to her that she suffered great distress and injustice. But the wicked princess stayed with her mother at the king's farm, and rejoiced in his false heart that no one could see the friendly king's daughter, or sense of her beauty.
It happened one day that the beautiful shepherdess was sitting in the forest knitting on a mitten, while her cattle grazed. Then some young lads came passing by. When they saw the friendly face, there she sat sewing like that lazily, they were very much captivated by her beauty, went forward, saluted in a courtly whisper, and asked: "Why is the beautiful maiden sitting here knitting like that?" diligently?” The king's daughter what:
»Napp, Napp, in habit',
I intend to have the king's son af Danemark.»
At this speech, the journeymen were amazed, and both men came along the king's farm. But the maiden would not listen to their speech, but gave them red gold rings, that they would leave her alone. The journeymen left then went on their way, and came home. But they could not tire of tell about the beautiful shepherdess who met them in the forest, and so it was much talked about throughout the royal court about her friendship and wealth.
When all this came to the young king's son, he felt a fierce desire to see the fair maiden, and perceive if all were true, as the journeymen had told. He now went hunting with his hawks and dogs, and came far away in the forest to the place where the king's daughter sat and knitted on his mitten. The prince came forward, saluted in a courtly whisper, and asked: "Why sit J here beautiful maiden, and sew so diligently?" Mon what:
»Napp, Napp, in habit',
I intend to have the king's son af Danemark.»
When the king's son heard this, he was strangely at ease, and asked if the maid would not follow him home to his farm. Then smiled the princess; at the same time a red gold ring fell out of her mouth, and at she got up to go, lo and behold, red roses ran up her footsteps. Now the king's son's face was turned to her, so that he confessed who he was, and asked if the young woman did not want to be his queen. The princess hunted to this, and let him understand at the same time that she was not inferior he to family and descent. Then they drew together to the king's court, and the king's daughter became the prince's consort. But everyone treated her well, and The king's son loved her more than anything else in the world.
At these papers, the mean stepmother became even more envious in her opinion heart, and did not so much think of anything as how she could cause his stepdaughter's misfortune, and make his own daughter queen in her place. Then it happened that there was a great war, so that the king's son must go away; but the queen was pregnant, and would fall into child-bed. Now was the stepmother's chance, he said the king's court, and showed himself very friendly to all. But when the young the queen fell ill, and no one was with her, the stepmother left with treachery, put his own daughter in her place, and replaced the right queen to a little duck, who lay and sat in the river outside the king's yard.
Some time after that the feast was over, and the young king went home, full of longing to see his beautiful bride again. When he now arrived in the sofa cabin, and finding the poor step-sister on the bed, he became very sad, and asked why his wife had changed so much in appearance. The treacherous one The stepmother was immediately ready, and answered: 'It will come from her illness, and passes well'. The king spurred further: »before runno gold rings every time my queen smiled, now run paws and frogs; of old red roses grew in her tracks, now grow thistles and thorns: what could be the cause of all this?” But the wicked queen laid kindly his words, and answered: 'as she is, she remains, and not differently, until the king can take blood from a small spirit, which swimming around in the river'. The king asked: »how can I get blood of that spirit?” The stepmother said: 'well, it must be taken between new and below'. The king now gave orders that the little spirit should be captured; but the bird escaped all snares, however they might be laid.
On Thursday night, while everyone was sleeping, the watchmen noticed how one white port, who in allo resembled the queen, rose from the elf and entered in the kitchen. The princess had a small dog, which she loved very much. He was called _Nappe_. When she now entered the ladder house, what did she:
»Nappy little one! my dog,
Now, have you got any food to give me tonight?”
'No but, have I not so, my wife!' answered the dog.
The king's daughter what:
"Is the troll pack sleeping with my little young prince, in the high loft?"
'Yes, but does she do so, my wife!' said the dog.
The king's daughter said again:
»Now I will come here two more Thursday evenings, and then never again.» Then she sighed heavily, went down to the elf, and was changed into one little spirit, such as add.
The next Thursday night everything went down the same way. Since the people have gone to rest, the guards noticed a white shape, which rose from the elf and left into the kitchen. How now everyone loved the young queen, they wondered much above, and went secretly to listen to what she had to say and do. But when the king's daughter entered the ladder house, what did she:
»Nappy little one! my dog,
do you have any food to give me tonight?”
'No but, have I not so, my wife!' answered the dog.
The king's daughter asked again:
"Is the troll pack sleeping with my little young prince, in the high loft?"
'Yes, but does she do so, my wife!' said the dog.
The queen continued: "Now I come here for another Thursday night, and then never again». Then she began to weep bitterly, and returned to the elf, from where she was changed into a little duck, who played around outside the water. But when the men sensed all this, a strange thing occurred to them, so that they went profitably to their master, and told him what they had heard and seen. Then the king fell into deep thought, and told the guards to send him word, when the guise should appear for the third time.
On the third Thursday night, after everyone had gone to rest, the king's daughter rose out of the water again, and went to the royal court. When she entered the steger-house, as was her custom, she spoke to her dog, and what:
»Nappy little one! my dog,
do you have any food to give me tonight?”
'No but, have I not so, my wife!' answered the dog. The King's daughter asked again:
"Is the troll pack sleeping with my little young prince, in the high loft?"
'Yes, but does she do so, my wife!' answered the dog.
Then the queen sighed heavily, and said: "Now I will never come here again." Then she began to cry bitterly, and went out to turn back down the river. But the king had stood behind the door and listened to their conversation. When the shape was about to go on its way, he took his silf-bodda knife and wounded her left little finger, so that there came forward three drops of blood. Then the spell was lifted, the queen awoke as if out of a difficult dream, and said: "ha! hey! were _you_ there?” Then fell she happily put her husband around her neck, and he carried her up to the high loft to her maiden cottage.
The young king's daughter now told her consort everything she had done, and they rejoiced from the bottom of their hearts to have each other again. The king then went in to the stepmother, where she was sitting by her daughter's bed; but the false queen had the child on her arm, and pretended to be very weak after his illness. Now when the king came in, he greeted it the old troll-woman, and asked: »If someone wanted to destroy my sick queen, and throw her into the elf, -- tell me, what would he be worth for pay?” The wicked stepmother did not think that her treachery was betrayed, but immediately replied: "Well, it would be well worth putting in a barrel of nails, and rolled down the mountain.» Then the king became angry, got up, and said: »so you have now passed your own sentence, and it will go with you as you yourself have said." The magic pack was then put in a nail-barrel, and rolled down the mountain, and her daughter, the false queen, had to make the same journey. But the king took his rightful queen, and lived with her in peace and happiness. Then I wasn't there anymore.