Collectanea. 201
leave of father, but decline to lend her better clothes to appear in. (3) "Good gracious! are you going to die?" she exclaims; "what shall you leave me ? " Father is surprised to find her still alive, not having seen her for so long. "I have given everything to your sisters." "What, not the little dog as well?" and heroine begs to have it to live with her in kitchen. Father gives it, and dies, and is buried ; two elder sisters are now reigning queens. (4) One day, on going to church, they bid heroine get a certain fish [narrator had forgotten its name] ; or failing, she will be punished. She takes little dog with her to seashore ; merman rises, and asks why she weeps ; brings up the required fish, ties it round dog's neck, together with slip of paper instructing cook how to dress it. (5) He then asks whether she would like to go to church. She has not been for many years. Merman fetches dress, coach, coach- man and footman, and bids her leave church when clergyman descends pulpit, say, "Darkness behind, light before me; no one shall see whither I go," and undress before sisters return. Heroine sits in church beside sisters, who do not know her ; a prince who is present looks at no one else. (6) Heroine returns to seashore after church, and merman gives her her old clothes. Sisters find her at home in wooden gown, and ask for the fish, which is brought. (7) Next Sunday she must procure another fish ; all happens as before. (S) Third Sunday she goes to church in silver coach and six. "Beware that the prince does not catch you!" says the merman. The prince has posted himself behind church-door, and when heroine leaves he gets one of her slippers. She tells merman, who comforts her, saying, "No one else will be able to wear it." (9) Sisters ask for fish, and whilst they tell her of beautiful lady seen in church, prince drives into the court. They invite him to partake of their dinner ; he wants them to try on slipper. One cuts her heel, the other her toe, but a bird sings : " Cut heel, chop toe ; in the kitchen will be found one whom shoe fits." Prince bids them send for cook. " Mary, be quick ! come and try the shoe." " Lend me a dress ! " "No." So she hies to seashore ; merman gives her dress, coach and every- thing, and she drives into court. " There is she whom shoe fits," they say, "but it is not Mary." (10) Still Mary it is, and prince "drinks his wedding with her " (Danish dialect expression).
E. T. Kristensen, Sagn IV, p. 106, No. 420.
(Danish Saga.)
A castle, Fonixberg, was laid waste during the Swedish war. The man at that time in possession of the castle had three daughters. They were taken by a secret underground passage into a vault which was then bricked-up, so that the man's daughters and his treasure of gold and silver might be hidden from the enemy. Sufficient victuals to last a long time were also stored underground. The man was killed in the war, the land laid waste and the castle burnt down ; and the girls, all the
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