The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-20
A WONDERFUL QUERN
HOW TIE NORWEGIANS EXPLAIN
WHY THE SEA is SALT.

the Rich One The Old sailor Who
Wanted the Ouern to Grind Salt.
There is an old fashioned Norwegian
folktale that accounts in a very curious
way for the salt in the sea. According
to the story, the waters of the ocean were
not always salt. But long ago. before
Columbus sailed in his little ~caravels. be-
fore the Vikings crossed over to Iceland
and Martha's Vineyard. even before ST.
Brendan rowed his boat made of skins
sewed together across from Ireland TO
the mouth of the Chesapeake. there were
two brothers living away up in the
norrhland. One was very rich. and the
other was very poor. One brother had
herds of cattle and fiocks of fat noun
tain sheep. while the poor one had just
about nothing at all except a wife and
ever so many children.
One Christmas eve there was nothing
in the house for them to eat. and the
poor mans wife said to her husband:
If ] had "A rich brother us you have.
l would 90 and ask HIM for something
for these poor children to Eat. Tomor-
roy will be Christmas day, and there is
not a crust of bread il the house.
So he went to his brother and told him
how much they nee ed his help. The
rich man gave him nice fitch Of bacon
and told him to &c to an old magician
who liyedeolnewhtre in the mountains.
| do not know WIN, he sent the poor man
to the magician, or the latter did not
bear a very good name il the ~neighbor-
hood. However. when he came to the
magician's stronghold everybody about
the place wanted TO buy his fitch of ba-
con. He could not understand why it
was, but he thoughtif there was somuch ,
demand for the bacon he would at least |
make the best bargain he could for it.
We'll" he said, Il ought by rights to
take this bacon home to my good dame |
for our dinner tomorrow, but since You
all seem to have set your hearts on it !
suppose you must have it. If | sell it,
however. ! want a good price for it,"
They Offered him a good ROM, sum.
but that would not 90.
= will 1t Ven lav. l." ie said. If
you will give me lI.at .-I1 rol.etar bn-
hind the door"
! quern i - -. tliGss ta.t i.
would lie very har! = tl5I nowadays }e. ,
cause they have -eInr ost nE fashion. ut
If you will ingk l3tse&sct.ol.urE - If5i
when | first heard tals Story. Wa vi
see that "a qtern l. 4 G..... I T -i.no.3E
corn by hand. and thaf II consists # fEfe +
large stones. %au'uyper as.d Il low ,na. .
the upper n having = Is1tile by With
it may be turned around ou the lower
o grinding the corn ~ grain bat vpen
them.
The old magician at first laughed out
right al the idea Of any ores thinking
that he would part with his gaern. hut
the owner Of the bacon insisted that lie
would be satisfied with nothing less than
that, 50 he finally got it.
When he reached his own door, the
clock was striking Il and his wife Wa.
waiting for him. ready to scOld him for
staying so long.
what III the world kept YOU SO long,
she asked. And what are we goin. TO
do with that old quern when we nave no
corn to grina:"
Then he told her Of his trading the ba-
o for the quern. She was dreadfully
put out about it, and especially at the
loss of the bacon, which would have
made them "a good hot dinner and then
would nave lasted them a week, sliced
cold.
Just wait a minute" said her hus-
band, before YOU begin to complain,
and see if did not do right this time
And putting the quern On the table he
told 1t to grind enough good things to
make a first rate dinner for 12 hungry
mouths. His wife could hardly believe
her eyes as she stood there and watched
the auern grinding out dainties enough
TO last a week.
The rich brother CHANGED to hear how
we'll his poor brothers family was liv-
ing, and when he came and saw hat an
elegant table they kept he was envious
and wanted to know where they got the
money to buy the things. For a long
time they kept the secret of the old
guern, but somehow it got out at last.
They We're so proud of it that they could
not help telling all about it, and the rich
brother insisted on buying the quern.
Finally they let him nave it for $500.
1t kept on grinding for its new owner,
sure of what it would do next, SO he
made his brother take it bach at the
same price. The poor man was glad to
get it back again. and it ground out un-
told riches for himself and his family. j
They had everything they desired. among
other things a golden house to live in.
and the people came from every land to
see the magniticence of the family that
owned the wonderful quern.
One day a stranger. an old eaman who
had peer all around the then known
world, came TO see the quern, and want
ed it to grind salt.
1t is supposed that the owner of the
auern was rich enough by tins time. for
he let IL 20 for a moderate sum, and
fearing that be might repent of having
sold it the old sailor put to sea al
once with his prize. anxious to know