Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-02-27
The Three Sisters Who :
Fell Into HE hOu1I0i|.
A Story to he Taken
.'with a Grain of Salt"
FROM THE NORWEGIAN.

She was so poor that she possessed moth
ing but hen. and that she held as dear
as her eyesight. She cackled for Ii and
tended IL both early and late. But one
day. sure enough. the hen was lost. Then
the woman went round about the place.
and sought and called for it. but the hen
was gone. clean gone.
"fou must 30 out and try to find our
hen," she said to the eldest daughter.
I'VE must have II again. even il we have
to so into the mountain for IT," SO the
daughter said she would go and look aft
er 1t. and she ran hither and thther and
sought aud shouted, but no hen could
she find. But just then she heard a voice
calling, as 1t appeared. from a long way
In the mountain;
The hens running about in the u,ouniaini
The hens scratching about in the mountaint''
Away she went to see where the voice
came from. but at the foot OF precipice
she fell right through trapdoor, deep.
deep down into vault underground.
She wandered through many chambers,
each one finer than the last. and when
she reached the farthest one great ugly
mountain troll came up to her and said
"Will s9u be my sweetheart"
mo" she said. indeed | will not" and
she wanted TO go mp again at once to see
after her hen. At this the troll was so
angry that he took her and twisted her
head off and threw her body and head.
too. down into the cellar.
The mother sat at home waiting and
waiting. but no daughter came back.
She waited a good long time. but when
she could neither hear nor see anything
about her she said to the middle daugh-
ter that she would have to go out and
look after her sister. land you may call
after the hen at the same time" she said.
So the second sister went out. and IL
happened with her just as with the first:
she went and sought and shouted, and
she. too. heard the voice calling far off
In the mountain:
The hens running about In the mountain
The hens scratching about in the mountain
That was queer, she thought, and she
would go aud see what 1t was. SO she
fell through the trapdoor, too, deep, deep
down into the vault. There she went
through all the chambers. and in the far
thest one the mountain troll came to her
and asked her II she would be his sweet
heart No. indeed. she would not. for
she wanted to go up again at once TO look
after the hen that had strayed away.
So then the troll was angry, took her and
twisted her head of and threw her head
and her body. too. down into the cellar.
Now. when the woman had sat and
waited for the second daughter ever so
long and she could neither hear nor see
anything of her she said to the youngest:
.Now you'll have TO go out and look after
IL n, lad tnk hat ba
hen went away. but IL would be worse
stiil IL we should never find your sisters
again. But you can be calling for the
hen at the same time that you are look
ing for them"
She went the same road as her sisters
and fell through the trap and saw them
lying there 10 the vault. Just as she had
shut the door the troll came to her.
xviii you be my sweetheart be ask
ed
YES. willingly I will" said the girl
for she knew well enough what bad be-.
come Of her sisters.
When the troll heard II. he gave her
beautiful clothes. the most delightful she
could wish for. and everything else she
could desire. SO happy was he that at
. last some one would br his sweetheart.
when she had been there some time, il
happened one day that she was more low
spirited and quiet than she generally was.
so the troll asked her what she was mop
ing about.
oh" said the girl. at is because
cannot 90 to see my mother, and she is
certain to he both hungry aud thirsty.
and there is no one with her"
well. yon cart 70 to her. said the
troll, but you can stuff some food in
sack, and I'll take ii TO her"
She thanked him and said she would
do so. but at the bottom OF the sack she
put a lot Of gold and silver aud then lit
tie food on the top. aud then she told the
sroll the sack was ready. but he must not
Cook into it, He promised her that he
would not. and when the troll went out
she watched him through a hole in the
trapdoor. and when he had gone part
OF the way he said:
This sack is so heavy ! will Just look
what there is in it," and he was about 10
unite the string when the girl called out;
~ see sou still. | see you still"'
"Bother your eyes. and you. too" said
the troll. but he dared not try it again.
So at last he came to where the widow
lived. threw the sack in at the door and
said:
There's some food from your daugh-
ter, and she's all right. You make your
mind easy about that"
After the girl had been in the mountain
some time longer il happened that goat
fell down through the trapdoor.
who sent for you. you long haired
beast?" said the troll. and he was SO mad
that be took the goat. twis"s It's Esac
of and threw IL down into III fi.2r.
"oh. dear. whatever did 90 that
FORT" said the girl Il should ! 10 have
had thar goat down here to ami me.
.You don't need TO pull SUI D face
about H." said the troll. Il Dan soon
bring the life back into the goat. @fea
be took down pot that hung on TIE wen.