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In a village by the
river there lived a very handsome young man, who was content to live
with his sister and employ his time hunting. His sister was very
industrious, and put up many things for the long winters. She was very
plain, and no one cared to marry her, though she was known to be so good
and clever. One day she said to her brother: “My brother, you must now
think of getting a wife. The girls are all dying of jealousy when you go
to see them. How, please choose one and bring her home."
“Well, sister, you ask me a hard thing to do, for I don't like any of
them; but if you say I must marry, well I have to obey you. How, when
they come to see me in the lodge, the one that is able to hang my
blanket on the sunbeam and then see me— for I shall be invisible to
everyone except you—I will marry."
“Well, you have given them a hard task, but I will call the girls
to-morrow."
So he went to invite all the girls to come to see her brother, who, she
said, was going to choose a wife. What excitement reigned ! The next day
early the pretty girls went in, one by one. “Take this blanket, sister,
and hang it on this sunbeam."
The girl tried her best, but it was impossible to do it.
“How, sister, do you see my brother?"
The poor girl had to say no. Then all the girls were tried, but none
could see him or put the blanket
A VERY HIDEOUS OLD WOMAN SKILLED IN MAGIC
on the sunbeam. Now,
there lived in the village a very hideous old-woman, skilled in magic,
and when she heard that the girls had all been refused, she was angry
and went off to the young man’s lodge. When the sister saw her come in,
she knew it was all up with her brother, but she said: “Good day,
sister; can you put the blanket on this sunbeam?”
“Yes, indeed I can,” so she immediately hung the blanket up.
“Now, sister, do you see my brother?”
“Hey! Of course I do; there he sits, dressed in a green coat made of
ducks’ necks, and a cap of the swans’ breasts.”
So the young man lamented his stupidity in refusing the pretty girls mid
having to marry this hateful old thing. Marry he had to, but with very
bad grace. The next day he went out hunting, and she went with him to
bring home the meat, and when far away he turned on her and killed her
and cut her to pieces and went home. The next day he went out again, and
who should he see but his wife coming towards him, singing to a child.
“See our child!” she cried, and he had to go to her. It seems that
during the struggle he had lost some fringe off his coat, and out of
this she made a child. So he tried to kill her again; but after a long
struggle she was the victor, but before he died: “Never let our daughter
stoop down to the east when she goes to gather sticks for the fire.”
Then he died. The old woman went back to the village with the child, and
lived with the young man’s sister. She never would tell what had
happened to him. She was very careful of the child, and as soon as she
could run about, she told her never to stoop down to the east, where the
sun rose from. What would happen silo could not tell. One day when the
girl was about sixteen, she went to gather wood, and forgot all about
the caution, when she stooped down towards the sun. Then she was carried
away and became the mother of the four winds. They all have names, but I
have forgotten them. |
