"Stop!" cried the old goblin," is that the only house-keeping they

can perform? Can they do anything more than dance and throw about

their legs, and make a whirlwind?"

"You shall soon see what they can do," said the elf king. And then

he called his youngest daughter to him. She was slender and fair as

moonlight, and the most graceful of all the sisters. She took a

white chip in her mouth, and vanished instantly; this was her

accomplishment. But the old goblin said he should not like his wife to

have such an accomplishment, and thought his boys would have the

same objection. Another daughter could make a figure like herself

follow her, as if she had a shadow, which none of the goblin folk ever

had. The third was of quite a different sort; she had learnt in the

brew-house of the moor witch how to lard elfin puddings with

glow-worms.

"She will make a good housewife," said the old goblin, and then

saluted her with his eyes instead of drinking her health; for he did

not drink much.

Now came the fourth daughter, with a large harp to play upon;

and when she struck the first chord, every one lifted up the left

leg (for the goblins are left-legged), and at the second chord they

found they must all do just what she wanted.

"That is a dangerous woman," said the old goblin; and the two sons

walked out of the hill; they had had enough of it. "And what can the

next daughter do?" asked the old goblin.

"I have learnt everything that is Norwegian," said she; "and I

will never marry, unless I can go to Norway."

Then her youngest sister whispered to the old goblin, "That is

only because she has heard, in a Norwegian song, that when the world

shall decay, the cliffs of Norway will remain standing like monuments;

and she wants to get there, that she may be safe; for she is so afraid

of sinking."

"Ho! ho!" said the old goblin, "is that what she means? Well, what

can the seventh and last do?"

"The sixth comes before the seventh," said the elf king, for he

could reckon; but the sixth would not come forward.

"I can only tell people the truth," said she. "No one cares for

me, nor troubles himself about me; and I have enough to do to sew my

grave clothes."

So the seventh and last came; and what could she do? Why, she

could tell stories, as many as you liked, on any subject.

"Here are my five fingers," said the old goblin; "now tell me a

story for each of them."

So she took him by the wrist, and he laughed till he nearly

choked; and when she came to the fourth finger, there was a gold

ring on it, as if it knew there was to be a betrothal. Then the old

goblin said, "Hold fast what you have: this hand is yours; for I

will have you for a wife myself."

Then the elfin girl said that the stories about the ring-finger

and little Peter Playman had not yet been told.

"We will hear them in the winter," said the old goblin, "and

also about the fir and the birch-trees, and the ghost stories, and

of the tingling frost. You shall tell your tales, for no one over

there can do it so well; and we will sit in the stone rooms, where the

pine logs are burning, and drink mead out of the golden

drinking-horn of the old Norwegian kings. The water-god has given me

two; and when we sit there, Nix comes to pay us a visit, and will sing

you all the songs of the mountain shepherdesses. How merry we shall

be! The salmon will be leaping in the waterfalls, and dashing

against the stone walls, but he will not be able to come in. It is

indeed very pleasant to live in old Norway. But where are the lads?"

Where indeed were they? Why, running about the fields, and blowing

out the will-o'-the-wisps, who so good-naturedly came and brought

their torches.

"What tricks have you been playing?" said the old goblin. "I

have taken a mother for you, and now you may take one of your aunts."

But the youngsters said they would rather make a speech and

drink to their good fellowship; they had no wish to marry. Then they

made speeches and drank toasts, and tipped their glasses, to show that

they were empty. Then they took off their coats, and lay down on the

table to sleep; for they made themselves quite at home. But the old

goblin danced about the room with his young bride, and exchanged boots

with her, which is more fashionable than exchanging rings.

"The cock is crowing," said the old elfin maiden who acted as

housekeeper; now we must close the shutters, that the sun may not

scorch us."

Then the hill closed up. But the lizards continued to run up and

down the riven tree; and one said to the other, "Oh, how much I was

pleased with the old goblin!"

"The boys pleased me better," said the earth-worm. But then the

poor miserable creature could not see.