perceived that all the sand-hills east of Aalborg were completely covered with little Troll people, who had all pointed red caps on their heads. Ever since that time there have been no dwarfs seen in Vendoyssel.

In the summer-time the troop of the dwarfs came in great numbers down from the hills into the valley, and joined the men that were at work, either assisting them, or merely looking on. They especially liked to be with the mowers in the nay-making season, seating themselves, greatly to their satisfaction, on the long thick branch of a maple-tree, among the dense foliage. But one time some mischief loving people came by night and sawed the branch nearly through. The unsuspecting dwarfs, as usual, sat down on it in the morning; the branch snapped in two, and the dwarfs were thrown to the ground. When the people laughed at them they became greatly incensed, and cried out

"O how is heaven so high,

And perfidy so great!

Here to-day and never more."

As being people of their word, they never let themselves be seen there again.

Ir was the custom of the dwarfs to seat themselves on a large piece of rock, and thence to look on the hay-makers when at work. But some mischievous people lighted a fire on

the rock and made it quite hot, and then swept off all the coals. In the morning, the little people coming to take their usual station, burned themselves in a lamentable manner. Full of anger, they cried out, "Oh, wicked world! Oh, wicked world!" called aloud for vengeance, and disappeared for ever.

By the Norwegians the Hill-folk are believed to dwell in caves and mountains; and when they show themselves, to have a handsome human form. The common people seem to connect with them a deep feeling of melancholy, as if bewailing a half-quenched hope of redemption. There are only a very few old persons now who can tell anything more about them, than of the sweet singing that may occasionally, on summer nights, be heard out of their hills, when one stands still and listens, or, as it is expressed in the ballads, lays his ear to the Elve-hill; but no one must be so cruel as, by the slightest word, to destroy their hopes of salvation, for then the sprightly music will be turned into weeping and lamentation. The Norwegians call the Elves, Huldra-folk, and their music, Huldrastaat; it is in the minor key, and of a sweet, plaintive sound. The mountaineers sometimes play it, and profess to have learned it by listening to the underground-people among the hills and rocks. There is also a tune called the Elf-king's tune, which several of the good fiddlers know right well, but never venture to play; for, as soon as it begins, both old and young, and even inanimate objects, are impelled to dance, and the player cannot stop unless he can play the air backwards,

F

or that some one comes behind him and cuts the strings of his fiddle.

The underground Elves are said to love cleanliness about houses and place, and to reward such servants as are neat and cleanly. There was one time, it is said, a servant girl, who was, for her cleanly, tidy habits, greatly beloved by the Elves, particularly as she was careful to carry away all dirt and foul water to a distance from the house, and they once invited her to a wedding. Everything was conducted in the greatest order; and they made her a present of some chips, which she took good-humouredly and put into her pocket. But when the bride-pair was coming, there was a straw unluckily lying in the way; the bridegroom got cleverly over it, but the poor bride fell on her face. At the sight of this the girl could not restrain herself, but burst out a laughing, and that instant the whole vanished from her sight. Next day, to her great amazement, she found that what she had taken to be nothing but chips, were so many pieces of pure gold.

THE GRATEFUL BEASTS.

THERE was once a man, who had scarcely any money, but with the little that was left him he set off to travel the wide world. Then the first place he came to was a village, where the young people were running about, crying and shouting. "What is the matter!" asked he. "See here," said they, "we have got a mouse that we make dance to please us. look at him how funny it is! How he jumps about!" But

Do

the man pitied the poor little thing, and said, "Let the mouse go, and I will give you some money." So he gave them some, and took the mouse and let it run away, and it soon jumped into a hole that was close by.

Then he travelled on and came to another village, and there the children were making an ass dance and cut capers, at which they laughed and shouted, and gave the animal no So the man gave them some of his money to let the poor beast go away in peace.

rest.

At the next village he came to, the young people had got a dancing-bear, and when he did not like it, and growled, they were quite pleased. Then he gave them, too, some money to set the beast free, and the bear was very glad to get on his four feet again, and walked away.

After a while it came to pass that this good man fell into trouble, and was taken before the judge, and condemned to be thrown into the water in a box, with the lid full of holes to let in air, and a jug of water and a loaf of bread were also given him.

When he was now in the water, swimming about very sorrowfully, he heard the box beat against the shore, and then something nibbling, and biting, and pulling at the lock; all on a sudden it fell off, the lid flew open, and there stood his old friends, the little mouse, the ass, and the bear; and all helped him because he had been kind to them.

But now they did not know what to do next, and began to consult together; when on a sudden a beautiful white stone came swimming along that looked like an egg. Then the bear said, "That's a lucky thing: this is the wonderful stone, and whoever gets it has only to wish for every thing else that

he wants."

So the man picked up the stone, and wished for a palace and a garden, and a stud of horses; and he had no sooner wished it but there he was, sitting in his castle, with a garden, and fine stables and horses; and all was so fine and beautiful, that he could never cease wondering and gazing at it.

"I

After a little time, some merchants passed by that way. "See," said they, "what a noble palace! The last time we were here it was nothing but a sandy desert." As they were very eager to know how all this had happened, they went in and asked the owner how it had been so quickly built. did nothing myself," said he, "it was the wonderful stone that did all."."—" What a strange stone that must be!" said they; so then he invited them in and showed it to them. They were then very eager to buy it, and offered him all their fine merchandise for it; and being so taken with them," in the fickleness of his heart, he was fool enough to think that the fine goods were worth more than his wonderful stone, which he therefore gave to them.

Scarcely was the stone, however, out of his hands before all his good fortune was gone, and he found himself shut up in his box in the river, with a jug of water and loaf of bread by his side. The faithful beasts, the mouse, the ass, and the bear, when they saw his distress, came directly to help him; but they found they could not burst open the lock this time, for it was a great deal stronger than before. Then the bear said, "We must find the wonderful stone again, or all our labour will be in vain."

The merchants, meantime, had taken up their abode in the palace; so away went the three beasts, and when they came