326 Collectanea.
food on the hearth, and this she did. As she sat there she heard music in the room at the side. One of the youths went into this room, and came back with a blue gown, which he wished her to put on that they might go and dance, but to this proposal she answered a determined " Nay." Thereupon the other youth went into the room, and came back with a blue-edged plate on which was Jonbrod^^ and bade her eat it, but that she would not do. So they guided her into a beautiful room, the like of which she had never seen. On the table there stood a quantity of silver things and many portions of fine food. Then it seemed to her that her father came and bade her eat, but she dared not do so.
Then came her mother and carried her into another room, which was even more delightful than the first. On the table stood the finest Rommegrod. ^^ Her parents and the other people of the household sat at table. She seated herself, and she was just directing a spoonful of Grod to her mouth when she heard the far-off ringing of the church bells. Then she knew nothing more till the Grod and everything else had vanished, and she was standing in the midst of all the folk at the Pastor's farm. From that time forward she was always a little odd in her ways.
3. The Girls at Aaker. — At one of the farms of Aaker there once lived two sisters. The one was exceedingly industrious, working both late and early, only now and then for long hours she went ofif to sit in a cow-stall, whilst her sister worked in the cow-shed. When her sister wondered at what she did there, she answered that she had business to talk over in that place as her sister might have elsewhere. A day came when she disappeared entirely, and was not to be found in spite of all possible search. At last, one evening she came back again, and told them how she was soon going to be married. On a certain day they would get a sight of her bridal procession up on Hov mountain. It happened as she said, — the bridal folk appeared in the usual procession. They knew her again quite well, and they saw the bridegroom by her side. There seemed nothing strange in the
^*yc»«3wV/{" iron-bread ") are thin flat cakes, only made for special occasions and baked in waffle-irons.
^^ Romtnegrod is the word used in the Sundal for flodcgrod, literally cream groats, a kind of white porridge, eaten with cream and melted butler.
