The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-05
Out Yomm9 Beople.
or THE UNIvERsALIsT.
HOW A FARMER TRICKS A
TROLL

He UNIvERsALIsT.
OW A FARMER TRICKS A
TROLL
BY e. d. G. HOLDEN.
A jolly Troll abode in Kund,
And there in peace lived he,
For many years, as it appears,
With all his family.
was good chap in his way,
Whose way was rather odd,
For in hill, he lived until,
A farmer broke the sod.
Now Trolls are queerish sort of folk,
Who have great store of wealth,
And never care, to sweat hair,
By working for their health.
They love the forest green and stout,
And the soft turf bedight,
On which to prance, and daily dance,
Through all the silent night.
And yet with their peculiar ways.
They are peaceful folk,
For these are those who love repose,
And seldom crack joke.
Some people think them gruesome quite,
Yet take what shape they will,
AS cat, or pig, or giant big.
Are somewhat human still.
Therefore this Troll with manly mien,
The farmer gave reproof.
And querled why, he plowed 80 high
Upon his ancient roof.
"How dare you low upon my house?"
The hill-man gravely said;
"And knock the sto nes about my bones.
And pitch them on my head?"
The farmer eyed the Troll askance;
"This ground is idle quite.
And you and me ought to agree.
To fix the matter right.
81 claim the surface of the ground,
The under part is yours,
And fair plan, 'twixt man and man,
To each his right secures.
"Now let us fix the matter thus
Twill both pillow and SOW.
And every year, while you are here
The product you shall know"
"We'll change about, and each off year
I'll take what grows atop,
And to be square, then for your share,
Shall be the under CROP"
"The first year will take the tops,
And you the under part,
The next, my roots, and bet your boots
No one will get the startp'
"Hol ho!"-Loud laughed the jolly
Troll,
"You are an honest chap;
So it shall be, and 1 agree,
There can be no mishap."
"'Tis better than at first l thought,
For /, the tops have half,
And that is why,-hol hol my eye;
Your kindness makes me laugh"
HE laugheth best, who laugheth last
Aho sui . as JOb olO DOAht
The farmer said; "this year I'll spread
The field with yellow corn.
THAT is your right" outspake the Troll
And I'll be here to see
The harvest prime, and get each time
All that belongs to me"
With that each shook an honest hand;
The Troll went under ground.
While plowman wise, without disguise
The hill he plowed around,
When harvest time had come, be sure
The Troll was there on hand;
So fair, and square, he took his share,
Just as it had been planned.
Next year the farmer changed about;
AS wise men do their crops.
For it must be good husbandry,
To grow some useless tops.
So he apace with carrots red,
And turnips filled the field,
And Troll so blind, was glad to find.
How much his roof could yield.
And thus the farmer got much gain,
With crops so changed about,
And to this day, the legends say,
The trick was not found out.
The Troll was sure he held his own,
And thought the scheme was great,
And never swore, or grumbled more
or rocks about his pate.
He lived for many happy days.
A quasi farming man
Delighted quite, in the good right,
OF the dividing plan.
For still the farmer toiled him well,
And changed the crop each year;
So that the good, he understood,
Would on his side appear.
And well for him the kindly Troll,
Knew all the common crop;
But nder ground, no man is found,
To beat the man on top.
And we'll for him the Troll content
Abode their first good pact,
And never knew, the farmer true,
Outwitted him in fact.
MORAL.
Now all We jolly hill-men hear,
Nor take 1t as reproof;
Don't condescend to let friend
Raise turnips on your roof.
For like as not, with foothold gained,
Upon your domicile,
He'll claim to own, all that has grown
On both sides of the hill,
nd Rapids, Mich.
Scandinavian Mythology, the Troll, or
nan, was good natured dwarf, who
In the hills, and had a peculiar power of
ming any shape that pleased him best, and
ng invisible. except when he wished to be
He could be revengeful, but when well
I'd was kind and obliging, and often a
help to those who lived near his billy
THEIR FIRST VOYAGE.
Irry and Fred were great chums. If
vas seen in a place, the other was
y sure to be not far of. There was
q few days difference in their ages