When Reynard heard the cock chattering about a hunter,
he took to his heels as fast as he could.
Once on a time Bruin and Reynard owned a field in
common. They had a little clearing up in the
wood, and the first year they sowed rye.
“Now we must share the crop as is fair and right,”
said Reynard. “If you like to have the
root, I’ll take the top.”
Yes, Bruin was ready to do that; but when they had
threshed out the crop, Reynard got all the corn, but
Bruin got nothing but roots and rubbish. He did
not like that at all; but Reynard said that was how
they had agreed to share it.
“This year I have the gain,” said Reynard,
“next year it will be your turn. Then you
shall have the top, and I shall have to put up with
the root.”
But when spring came, and it was time to sow, Reynard
asked Bruin what he thought of turnips.
“Aye, aye!” said Bruin, “that’s
better food than rye,” and so Reynard thought
also. But when harvest time came Reynard got the
roots, while Bruin got the turnip-tops. And then
Bruin was so angry with Reynard that he put an end
at once to his partnership with him.
Once on a time there was a man who had three sons,
Peter, Paul and Espen. Espen was Boots, of course,
because he was the youngest. I can’t say
the man had anything except these three sons, for he
did not possess one penny to rub against another;
and so he told his sons over and over again they must
go out into the world to seek their fortune, for at
home there was nothing to be expected but to starve
to death.
Now, a short way from the man’s cottage was
the King’s palace, and you must know, just against
the King’s windows a great oak had sprung up,
which was so stout and big that it took away all the
light from the king’s palace. The King
had said he would give much gold to any man who could
fell the oak, but no one was man enough to do it, for
as soon as one chip of the oak’s trunk flew
off, two grew in its stead. The King wished also
to have a well dug which was to hold water for the
whole year. All his neighbors had wells, but
he had none, and he thought that a shame.
So the King said he would give to any one who could
dig him such a well as would hold water for the whole
year round, both money and goods, but no one could
do it, for the King’s palace lay high, high up
on a hill, and they could dig but a few inches before
they would come upon rock.
But as the King had set his heart on having these
two things done, he had it given out in all the churches
of his kingdom far and wide, that he who could fell
the big oak in the King’s courtyard, and dig
him a well that would hold water the whole year round,
should have the Princess and half the kingdom.
Well! you may easily know there was many a man who
came to try his luck; but all their hacking and hewing,
and all their digging and delving were useless.
The oak got bigger and stouter at every stroke, and
the rock grew no softer either.
