Peter Christen Asbjørnsen,translated by George Webbe Dasent

“ Next morning when folk went to the church there lay her cloak on the steps of the porch, but it was tom into a thousand bits. My mother had seen it often before, and I fancy she saw one of the pieces, too; but that doesn’t matter, — it was a short, bright-red cloth cloak, with hare-skin lining and edging, just such as were still worn when I was a child. Now-a-days, it is rare to see one, but there are some old women yet here in town, and at the Widows’ home, whom I see wearing just such cloaks at Christmas time.”
That was Mother Skau’s story. ”

“ Well, when Katie took the place she was to be cook; and a fine stout strapping lassie she was. One night, when she had to get up to brew, the rest of the servants said to her, ‘ Now you must mind and take care not to get up too early; before the clock strikes two you mustn’t put the wort on the fire. ’
“‘ Why not? ’ she asked.
“‘You know, well enough, there’s a brownie here; and you ought to know, too, he doesn’t like to be roused so early; and so before the clock strikes two, you’re not to think of meddling with the wort, ’ they said. ”

“ I’m afraid! No. Lieutenant, you tell something; when you tell us a story I’m never afraid, you always tell it so funnily!”
Then another proposed that I should tell them about the brownie who danced a reel with the lassie. Now, this was an undertaking into which I was very unwilling to put my foot, because there was singing in it as well as telling; but as they wouldn’t let me off, I began to hem and cough in order to get my very discordant voice ready to sing the words of the reel, when to the joy of the children, and to my rescue, in came the pretty niece I spoke of. ”

“ But he got on well at the coppersmith’s in spite of all their hammering and pounding, for people said the gudewife put him a bowl of custard in the loft every Thursday evening, and so one can’t wonder that they soon got rich; for the brownie helped them, and drew money to them.’
“That was what ’Stina said about the brownie,” said Mother Skau, “and true it is that they prospered and became well to do; but whether that was the brownie’s work I’m sure I can’t say.”
Here the old dame began to wheeze and cough after the exertion of telling such a very long story. ”

“ So I had to tell her all about my fever, and received in return a long and detailed account of her gout and asthmatic afflictions, which by good luck was broken off by the noisy entry of the children from the kitchen, whither they had been to pay a visit to the old housekeeper and domestic calendar, ’Stina. ”