Swedish Folktales
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Sweet-Laden with Good Milk
Many years ago a servant girl went into the woods one day to find the cattle. The aninals usually grazed in the woods around Soasan. While she was looking for them, she saw two pair of pigmies, a boy and girl, sitting under the shadow of a large pine tree."It is best to be polite when on the trolls' own ground," thought the girl. So she addressed the troll infants in a very friendly way and invited each to partake of some bread and butter that she had with her in her little bag. The children had very large mouths, and ate with exceeding greed.
When the girl was about to leave she heard a voice saying, "As you have taken pity on my children, you shall escape searching after the cows from now on. Go home! They stand at the gate."
From that day the girl no longer had to search for the cows; they came to the gate every night of their own accord, sweet-laden with good milk.
The Alarming Giant Gift
In the parish of Lofta there lies, near the sea, a mountain called Puke Mountain. When the church at Lofta was built, the giant in the mountain, Puke himself, was troubled by the church bells. In the end he became dissatisfied with everything and moved to Gotland, where a skipper found him some time later. The troll then gave the skipper a box and bade him offer it on the altar at Lofta while the people were in church, but cautioned the skipper strongly not to open it before."It' you do as I bid you," said the giant, "you will find a key beneaththe left wing of the church. Take the key with you to Puke Mountain. There you will see a door. Open it with the key. When you are inside you will meet two black dogs. Do not be afraid of them, but press on into the room. There you will find a table and on it many beautiful silver vessels. You may take the largest of them, but if you take anything more, misfortune will overtake you."
The captain kept all this in mind. But when he approached Puke Mountain on his voyage homeward, he and the others on board decided to throw the box overboard onto a small island nearby, for they did not trust the giant full well. This was done, and at once the island was in flames, and even today it is brown and desolate as if a fire had recently swept it.
Great Misfortune
A good old woman once told: "When Lucifer was cast out of heaven on account of his pride, he fell to the earth. There were other spirits too that were cast out with him. Some ended on dry land, some fell into the sea, some into forests and some on mountains. Where they fell, there they remained and found there their field of action. Thus there are sea nymphs, mountain fairies, wood fairies, elves and other spirits.On that day two spirits fell on the rock where this old manor house now stands. A long time later an owner of this estate wished to build himself a house and to have a solid foundation for it, and so he chose this rock.
The mountain king inside it was much displeased with this, but his wife, who was of a milder disposition, pacified him and urged him to wait and do their neighbours no harm still.
When the house was finished, the man married a beautiful young lady who filled their house with sunshine and joy. But one day when the young wife was alone in her workroom, a little woman all at once stood before her. Bowing, she said, "My mistress bids that you visit her, and directs me to say to you that if you consent she will reward you richly."
The young wife wondered much, but promised to follow. The little woman led the way downstairs to the cellar, where she opened a door, until now undiscovered, and revealed a passage into the mountain. Entering the passage, which was long and dark, she finally emerged into a large, well-lighted cave and saw a little woman lying sick and labouring in childbirth. The visiting lady was able to still the pains of the suffering woman, and in return she was given a box filled with precious stones, pearls and jewels. "Take this as a memory of your visit to me," said the woman. Then she saw to it that the young wife was escorted safely back to her own room again.
Time sped on. Everything went well, and in due time the young wife herself became the mother of two beautiful sons. One day while she was away, the boys discovered her hidden box. They had just begun to play with it when their father and she entered. He began at once to question her about the jewels.
"Your curiosity will bring us greater misfortune than you have dreamed of," she said, for she was obliged not to tell.
A few days later an island rose out of a lake nearby. The lord of the manor was eager to go to and inspect it. He wanted his wife and boys to go with him. But his wife foresaw misfortune, and opposed the idea with all her energy and even begged and prayed her husband to postpone his visit, but without avail.
But in the end the man took with him the boys and rowed out to the island. Just as the boat touched the enchanted island the boys jumped onto it, and at the same moment the island and the boys vanished from the father's sight, and were seen no more.
The poor mother mourned herself to death, and the father went to foreign lands, where he also died.
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