In the oldest extant version of this ballad (circa 1600-1650), an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task; she responds with a list of tasks which he must first perform, thus evading rape.
在这首民歌现存最早的版本中（约1600–1650），一位精灵扬言要将一位年轻女子劫持为他的情侣，除非她能完成一项不可能的任务；她以一连串的要他必须先完成的任务作为回应，从而避免被强暴。