Once upon a time there was an old widow who had one son, and, as she was ill, her son had to go up into the barn to fetch meal for cooking. But, just as he was going down the steps of the barn, the North Wind came puffing and blowing, caught up the meal, and took it away through the air.
Then the lad went back into the barn for more; but,when he came out again on the steps, the North Wind came again and carried off the meal with a puff; more than that, he did so the third time.
This made the boy very angry. So off he went to the North Wind"s house. The way was long, but at last he came to his journey"s end.
"Good day, " said the lad, "and thank you for coming to see us yesterday. ""GOOD DAY! " answered the North Wind, for his voice was loud and gruff, "AND THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE ME. WHAT DO YOU WANT? ""Oh, " answered the lad, "I only wished to ask you to be so good as to let me have back that meal you took from me on the barn steps, for we haven"t much to live on. ""I haven"t your meal, " said the North Wind. "But if you are in such need I"ll give you a cloth which will get you everything you want. All you have to say is, "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes!" "The lad took the cloth and set off for home. But, as the way was so long, he couldn"t get home in one day, so he stopped at an inn on the way. When they were going to sit down to supper, he laid the cloth on a table which stood in the corner and said: "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes ! "He had scarcely said so before the cloth did as it was bid. All who stood by thought it a fine thing, but most of all the landlord. So, when all were fast asleep, at dead of night, he took the lad"s cloth, and put another in its place. It was just like the one the boy had got from the North Wind, but it couldn"t so much as serve up a bit of dry bread. So when the lad awoke he took his cloth and went off with it, and that day he got home to his mother. "Now, " said he, "I"ve been to the North Wind"s house, and a good fellow he is, for he gave me this cloth. I have only to say to it, "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes." Then I get any sort of food Iplease. "
"All very true, I dare say, " said his mother; "but seeing is believing, and I shan"t believe it till I see it. "So the lad made haste, drew out a table, laid the cloth on it, and said "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes ! " But never a bit of dry bread did the cloth serve up.
"Well, " said the lad, "there"s no help for it but to go to the North Wind again " and away he went. Late in the afternoon he came to where the North Wind lived.
"Good evening, " said the lad.
"Good evening, " said the North Wind.
"I want to be paid for that meal of ours which you took, " said the lad. "As for that cloth I got, it isn"t worth a penny. ""I have no meal, " said the North Wind; "but over there is a goat which makes gold coins as soon as you say to it, " Goat, goat, make money ! " "So the lad thought this a fine thing. But as it was too far to get home that day, he stopped for the night at the same inn where he had slept before.
Before he called for anything, he said, "Goat, goat, make money! " And there, in a minute, the goat made some gold coins.
When the landlord saw that, he thought it was a wonderful goat. So, when the lad had fallen asleep, he took another which couldn"t make money, and changed the two.
Next morning off went the lad. When he got home to his mother, he said, "After all, the North Wind is a jolly fellow; for now he has given me a goat which can make gold coins if I only say, "Goat, goat, make money!" ""All very true, I dare say, " said his mother. "But I shan"t believe that until I see the coins. ""Goat, goat! Make money! " said the lad; but the goat made no money.
So the lad went back again to the North Wind, and said the goat was worth nothing, and he must be paid for the meal.
"Well, " said the North Wind, " I"ve nothing else to give you but that old stick in the corner; but if you say "Stick, stick, lay on !" it lays on till you say " Stick, stick, now stop!" "So, as the way was long, the lad stayed this night, too, with the landlord. But, as he guessed what had happened to the cloth and the goat, he lay down at once on the bench and began to snore, as if he were asleep. Now the landlord, who saw that the stick must be worth something, hunted up one like it.
When he heard the lad snore, he was going to change the two. But, just as the landlord was about to take it, the lad called out " Stick, stick! lay on! "So the stick began to beat the landlord till he jumped over chairs, and tables, and benches, and yelled androared, "Oh my! Oh my! Bid the stick be still, else it will beat me to death, and you shall have back your cloth and your goat. "When the lad thought the landlord had had enough, he said "Stick, stick, now stop! " Then he took the cloth and put it into his pocket, and went home with his stick in his hand, leading the goat by a cord round its horns. And so he got paid for the meal he had lost.
About the Author.-This is an old Norse story from the far north of Europe. Many of these stories were first written down by Peter Christian Asbj?rnsen (1812-1885), a Norwegian scientist, explorer, and author. They were first translated into English by Sir George Dasent (1817-1896).
About the Story.-Find Norway on the map. Can you guess why many Norse stories are about the north wind and frost giants? What kind of a wind is the north wind in Norway? This is another story that would make a good play for your puppet theatre.