Peter Christen Asbjørnsen

“ Then the man asked if he wouldn't like to have a servant.
"No," said the lad; "I am wont to be my own servant, therefore I have need of none; and even if I wanted one ever so much, I have no means to get one, for I have no money to pay for his food and wages."
"You do need a servant, that I know better than you," said the man, "and you have need of one whom you can trust in life and death. If you won't have me as a servant, you may take me as your companion, I give you my word I will stand you in good stead, and it shan't cost you a penny. ”

“ Then they drank his home-coming ale, till the news spread far and wide over seven kingdoms, and when they had got to the end of the feast, they had carting and carrying all the winter both with the billygoats and the twelve horses which his father had before they got all that gold and silver safely carted home. ”

“ After a long, long time, they came to a Sound; then the companion took the ball of yarn, and threw it so hard against the rock on the other side of the stream, that it bounded back, and after he had thrown it backwards and forwards a few times it became a bridge. On that bridge they went over the Sound, and when they reached the other side, the man bade the lad to be quick and wind up the yarn again as soon as he could, for, said he—
"If we don't wind it up quick, all those witches will come after us, and tear us to bits." ”

“ Meanwhile the lad and his companion went about in the hill, and the man broke open all the chests and drawers till he found what he sought, and that was a golden ball of yarn. That he set his heart on, and he promised the old witch to set her free if she would give him the golden ball. ”

“ So he took the sword and went off with it, and left her still sitting there.
When they had gone far, far away over naked fells and wide wastes, they came to another crossfell. There, too, the companion knocked and bade them open the door, and the same thing happened as happened before; the rock opened, and when they had got a good way into the hill another old witch came up to them with a chair and begged them to sit down. "Ye may well be weary," she said.
"Sit down yourself," said the companion. And so she fared as her sister had fared ”