Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/66

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Tales from the Fjeld

first thing it bawled out when it chipped the egg was, "Herrings and brose, porridge and milk."

So they called it "Grumblegizzard."

Ugly as it was, they were still glad to have it, at first; but it was not long before it got so greedy that it ate up all the meat in their house. When they boiled a kettle of soup or a pot of porridge, which they thought would be enough for all six, it tossed it all down its own throat. So they would not keep it any longer.

"I've not known what it is to have a full meal since this changeling crept out of the egg-shell," said one of them, and when Grumblegizzard heard all the rest were of the same mind, he said he was quite willing to be off. If they did not care for him, he didn't care for them; and with that he strode off from the farm.

After a long time he came to a farmer's house, which lay in a stone country, and there he asked for a place. Well, they wanted a labourer, and the goodman set him to pick up stones off the field. Yes! Grumblegizzard gathered the stones from the field, and he took them so big that there were many horse-loads in them, and whether they were big or little, he stuffed them all into his pocket. 'Twas not long before he was done with that work, and then he wanted to know what he was to do next.

"I've told you to pluck out the stones from the field," said the goodman; "you can't be done before you begin, I trow."

But Grumblegizzard turned out his pockets and threw the stones in a heap. Then the goodman saw that he had done his work, and felt he ought to keep a