The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-04-07

What of your wealth if your heart is
bare?
IT'S to love and be loved that makes life
so fair.
No. neishbor mine, can tell you true,
Indeed, I'd rather be than you.
THE STORY OF THE MAELSTROM.
AND HOW 1T HAPPENED THAT THE SEA
BECAME SALT
DER READERS:
You, who have read the recent sketch
in this magazine, about Asbjornson's COL
lection of Norway's folklore tales, may
be interested in a translation Of one Of
them. have chosen the story Of the
MaeIstrom because every one has heard
of it, and very many have a masnified
notion of its horrors-if the inconveni-
ences of bit of rough water deserves SO
big 4 name.
Geographers, like some other men,
have sometimes given evidence of a
greater imagination than love of research,
but | would not be the iconoclast to
shake your faith in the most of what
they have written. The story, as given
by the books, has complexion very like
The Old Man of the Sea, or the Midgard
Serpent. 1t has two good qualities, how
ever-enough truth to give it constitu-
ton, and enough myth to make it fasci-
mating and keep it moving.
Stories, like snowballs. grow by rolling,
SO it is no wonder that the fame of the
rocky eddy (the tabled origin of which is
given in this tale,) where the little craft
of the ancient fishermen dared not meet
a storm, begun as it was in mystery and
land of the Asas and the elves, should
reach us in the stature and garb we find
it; or that our book-makers, with their
drop of Morse blood, their inheritance of
Morse myth and bent of thought, together
with the matter-cf-fact qualities of the
Anglo A merican, should accept and trans
cribe it as truth, and picture it as .
mighty cauldron of mountain waves,
drawing some luckless ship down end
wise to grusome caves, and making hor-
ribe the thought of travel on the grand,
ford cleft coast of Norway.
But you would rather hear Asbjorn-
son talk than me, So here is the story.
Once, a long, long time ago, there we're
two brothers, one of whom was rich and
the ether poor. When Christmas eve
came, the poor one had not crumb in
the house either of meat or bread, and 80
he went to his brother aud begged him
for a little Tor Christmas, in the namo OF
God.
This was b. no means the first item
the brother had been obliged to give to
him, neither was he particularly glad to
do SO now.
eff You will do what ask of you, you
shall have whole ham, said he.
The poo: one promised that immediate.
ly, and thanked him besides.
There it is, then. Now go straight
to Helvede,''* said the rich one, throw
ing the ham over to him.
well, what l have promised will
do said the other, taken the ham and
walking Off
He walked and walked all day long,
and after dark he came to place which
was brilliantly lighted.
"Here it is, you will see,' thought the
man with the ham.
Out in the wood-house there was an
old man, with long, white beard, chop.
ping wood.
Good evening to you! Where are you
going so late ~ said the man.
81 am going to Helvede, suppose, il
am on the right road" answered the
poor man.
"Well you have gone rightly enough
it is here said the old man. As soor
as you 60 N they will all want to bu.
| oul III POI ID q lao Ailu VI iOo>
in IIelvede; but you are not to sell i
unless you get that hand mill that stand
behind the door for it. Then when yot
c,me out again will teach you to oper
ate the mill, it is useful for little o
everything
Well, the man with the ham Thanked
him for the good suggestion, and knock
ed at the door Of Fauden.+ When h
came i'll it happened as the old man ha
said; all the devils, both great and smal
swarmsd around him like ants around
worm, one outbidding another for tn
ham.
BY good rights my wife and ough
to have had it for Christmas dinner
but, since you are SO eager for it, | nigh
as well give it up" said the man. "Bu
if am to sell it, want the hand mi
which stands behind the door owe
there"
Fauden was reluctant about agreein
to that, and higgled and chartered wit
the man; but he persisted in his demand
{ and &C Fauden handed it over.
When the man came out into the var,
he asked the old wood chopper how /
was to operate the mill, and, when /
had found out, he thanked him, and S,
OF toward home, the swiftest he coul,
but, for all that, he did not get home b
fore the clock struck twelve on Chris
mas night.
why, where in all the world ha,
you been?" said his wife Here ha,
sat, hour after hour, wishing and wal
ing, without SO much as two splinters
cross under the Christmas porridge- pot
"Well, l could not come any soone
had little of everything go afte
and long road too. But now you sha
, see" said the man.
He sat the mill on the table, and ma,
it first grind light, then cloth, and tn,
food and drink, all that was good for
Christmas dinner, and the mill groul
lust as he commanded it.