Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-12-12
A Norwegian Legend

/ W5OQcuItef named swain. lie WOOed
| Norma. the daughter Of old Petersen,
| the tailor. Norna's heart had gone out
| to Rolf Augentoil, fisherman. The
| woodcutter was wen to do; the fisher
man was poor. Therefore Petersen ia
vored the former.
| Swain scoffed at the good monks OF
St Francis who sang the mass III
| Drontheim's towers and cursed them
all for lazy pack Of shaver fools.
According to the folklore Of the north,
In every tree within the wood there
dweIt guardian spirit. and the chi
pen. shadowy giant, was the king Of
them ALL
Not one Of the woodmen, with the ex-
ceptl0n of Swain. dared to venture into
the wood to chop without having his
ak duly sprinkled with drops OF holy
water and the sign of the cross made
on II. so that the evil power of the
wood spirits would be set at naught.
The evil day that Norma had foreseen
came at last. The old tailor came home
one evening and informed her that he
had settled her fate at last by solemnly
pledging her in marriage with Swain,
and in token of the thing he and Swain
had set their thumbs together in the
presence Of witnesses.
The girl was too full of grief for
words. She could not speak, but only
sat in the corner and moaned, while
old Petersen retired to rest, congratu-
lating himself that the affair was set
tied so easily.
Norma waited until the old man dozed
Off in srumber. and then she hurried out
into the air.
The moon was shining bright. and the
great trees were nodding like so many
huge plumes.
Norma hurried into the forest. anxious
10 find some lonely spot where she
might weep her sad bosom empty.
Beneath a huge tree, upon little
messy mound. she sank. and the tears,
falling freely. glistened in the dim
light like so many great diamonds.
ooh. spirits of the wood" she cried.
''cOme and save me from this terrible
monster. who, with his hateful love.
wishes TO chop down my life as with
his sharp ak he destroys your dwelling
places"
And then. as If in answer to the
girls prayer, all the leaves began to
rustic. but all in time and tune. max
ing most strange but beautiful music.
Norma listened in wonder.
Her invocation to the wood spirits
had been but the agonizing cry of a
breaking heart not spoken with
thought OF an answ er.
A thin, shadowy vapor was gather
ing under the huge branches of the
oak.
vaporlike form advanced toward
the girl and as it came nearer Norma
saw that there was indeed a human
form in the center and that what she
had taken to be vapor was but a sort
of a feecy cloak falling from the
shoulders of the figure.
do not fear" said the strange form.
human shaped. but a giant in size and
oddly clad in a robe of oak leaves Curl
ously woven together. II am the Gni-
pen. the king of all the woodland spir-
its. Maiden what is 1t that you wish?'
Briefly Norma related the terrible
fate that was to be forced upon her.
Then Gnlpen unused for awhile.
81 know the woodcutter WE'LL" he
said at last. MANY of my fine trees
have fallen beneath his ak, and often
have | lowered In the woodland near.
hoping that by some rash word power
would be given me to punish this
wretch. He fears neither the power
of the Masters sign nor the vengeance
OF the wood spirits. but his own rash
ness may lead to his undong. Seek
him IN the morning. and dare him to
fell the old oak known as the Gnipen
tree If he attempts it. perchance you
may be freed"
And then the wonderful spirit faded
away as rapidly as he had appeared.
In the morning Norma used her wo-
mans wits SO well that Swain set out
to fell the Gnipen tree.
The first blow that the woodman
gave the ak rebounded out of his hand
and fell dozen PAGES of.
Il wish the devil was here to take
that AK" Swain cried In anger, adj
vancing to pick up the tool.
Then through the wood came Fran
ciscan monk. all hooded and sandaled.
and Swain Knocked at the holy man.
"Oh. lazy elf. lay aside thy frock and
toll with me-
my arm is not weak. though l wear
frock." the monk replied. and l trow
can fell that tree as we'll as thee"
''If you fell that tree this day. may
the gray Gnipen take thy soul to the
flames below Swain loudly cried.
Up caught the monk the AK and, with
single blow, leveled the oak; then
rising TO a form gigantic. sank with
the wicked Swain to the flames the
woodman had spoken Of. for the gray
monk was the wood spirit In disguise.
Norma married the fisherman and
never forgot at the evening hour To say
a prayer for the salvation of the gray
Gnipen.