When he was standing down below at the bottom,
they rolled down the largest mill-stone and thought they had broken his
skull, but he cried, “Chase away those hens from the well, they are
scratching in the sand up there, and throwing the grains into my eyes,
so that I can’t see.” So the bailiff cried, “Sh-sh,” and pretended to
frighten the hens away. When the head-servant had finished his work, he
climbed up and said, “Just look what a beautiful neck-tie I have on,”
and behold it was the mill-stone which he was wearing round his neck. The head-servant now wanted to take his reward, but the bailiff again
begged for a fortnight’s delay. The clerks met together and advised him
to send the head-servant to the haunted mill to grind corn by night,
for from thence as yet no man had ever returned in the morning alive. The proposal pleased the bailiff, he called the head-servant that very
evening, and ordered him to take eight bushels of corn to the mill, and
grind it that night, for it was wanted. So the head-servant went to the
loft, and put two bushels in his right pocket, and two in his left, and
took four in a wallet, half on his back, and half on his breast, and
thus laden went to the haunted mill. The miller told him that he could
grind there very well by day, but not by night, for the mill was
haunted, and that up to the present time whosoever had gone into it at
night had been found in the morning lying dead inside. He said, “I will
manage it, just you go away to bed.” Then he went into the mill, and
poured out the corn. About eleven o’clock he went into the miller’s
room, and sat down on the bench. When he had sat there a while, a door
suddenly opened, and a large table came in, and on the table, wine and
roasted meats placed themselves, and much good food besides, but
everything came of itself, for no one was there to carry it. After this
the chairs pushed themselves up, but no people came, until all at once
he beheld fingers, which handled knives and forks, and laid food on the
plates, but with this exception he saw nothing. As he was hungry, and
saw the food, he, too, place himself at the table, ate with those who
were eating and enjoyed it. When he had had enough, and the others also
had quite emptied their dishes, he distinctly heard all the candles
being suddenly snuffed out, and as it was now pitch dark, he felt
something like a box on the ear. Then he said, “If anything of that
kind comes again, I shall strike out in return.” And when he had
received a second box on the ear, he, too struck out. And so it
continued the whole night. He took nothing without returning it, but
repaid everything with interest, and did not lay about him in vain. At
daybreak, however, everything ceased. When the miller had got up, he
wanted to look after him, and wondered if he were still alive. Then the
youth said, “I have eaten my fill, have received some boxes on the
ears, but I have given some in return.” The miller rejoiced, and said
that the mill was now released from the spell, and wanted to give him
much money as a reward. But he said, “Money, I will not have, I have
enough of it.” So he took his meal on his back, went home, and told the
bailiff that he had done what he had been told to do, and would now
have the reward agreed on. When the bailiff heard that, he was
seriously alarmed and quite beside himself; he walked backwards and
forwards in the room, and drops of perspiration ran down from his
forehead. Then he opened the window to get some fresh air, but before
he was aware, the head-servant had given him such a kick that he flew
through the window out into the air, and so far away that no one ever
saw him again. Then said the head-servant to the bailiff’s wife, “If he
does not come back, you must take the other blow.” She cried, “No, no I
cannot bear it,” and opened the other window, because drops of
perspiration were running down her forehead. Then he gave her such a
kick that she, too, flew out, and as she was lighter she went much
higher than her husband. Her husband cried, “Do come to me,” but she
replied, “Come thou to me, I cannot come to thee.” And they hovered
about there in the air, and could not get to each other, and whether
they are still hovering about, or not, I do not know, but the young
giant took up his iron bar, and went on his way. 91 The Gnome

There was once upon a time a rich King who had three daughters, who
daily went to walk in the palace garden, and the King was a great lover
of all kinds of fine trees, but there was one for which he had such an
affection, that if anyone gathered an apple from it he wished him a
hundred fathoms underground. And when harvest time came, the apples on
this tree were all as red as blood. The three daughters went every day
beneath the tree, and looked to see if the wind had not blown down an
apple, but they never by any chance found one, and the tree was so
loaded with them that it was almost breaking, and the branches hung
down to the ground. Then the King’s youngest child had a great desire
for an apple, and said to her sisters, “Our father loves us far too
much to wish us underground, it is my belief that he would only do that
to people who were strangers.” And while she was speaking, the child
plucked off quite a large apple, and ran to her sisters, saying, “Just
taste, my dear little sisters, for never in my life have I tasted
anything so delightful.” Then the two other sisters also ate some of
the apple, whereupon all three sank deep down into the earth, where
they could hear no cock crow. When mid-day came, the King wished to call them to come to dinner, but
they were nowhere to be found. He sought them everywhere in the palace
and garden, but could not find them. Then he was much troubled, and
made known to the whole land that whosoever brought his daughters back
again should have one of them to wife. Hereupon so many young men went
about the country in search, that there was no counting them, for every
one loved the three children because they were so kind to all, and so
fair of face. Three young huntsmen also went out, and when they had
travelled about for eight days, they arrived at a great castle, in
which were beautiful apartments, and in one room a table was laid on
which were delicate dishes which were still so warm that they were
smoking, but in the whole of the castle no human being was either to be
seen or heard. They waited there for half a day, and the food still
remained warm and smoking, and at length they were so hungry that they
sat down and ate, and agreed with each other that they would stay and
live in that castle, and that one of them, who should be chosen by
casting lots, should remain in the house, and the two others seek the
King’s daughters. They cast lots, and the lot fell on the eldest; so
next day the two younger went out to seek, and the eldest had to stay
home.