askedthemammastork.

"inournestonthemoor.iandtheyoungoneswillcarrythembyturnsduringourflightacross;andaswereturn,shouldtheyprovetooheavyforus,weshallbesuretofindplentyofplacesonthewayinwhichwecanconcealthemtillournextjourney.certainlyonesuitofswan'sfeatherswouldbeenoughfortheprincess,buttwoarealwaysbetter.inthosenortherncountriesnoonecanhavetoomanytravellingwrappers."

"noonewillthankyouforit,"saidstork-mamma;"butyouaremaster;and,exceptingatbreedingtime,ihavenothingtosay."

intheviking'scastleonthewildmoor,towhichthestorksdirectedtheirflightinthefollowingspring,thelittlemaidenstillremained.theyhadnamedherhelga,whichwasrathertoosoftanameforachildwithatemperlikehers,althoughherformwasstillbeautiful.everymonththistempershoweditselfinsharperoutlines;andinthecourseofyears,whilethestorksstillmadethesamejourneysinautumntothehill,andinspringtothemoors,thechildgrewtobealmostawoman,andbeforeanyoneseemedawareofit,shewasawonderfullybeautifulmaidenofsixteen.thecasketwassplendid,butthecontentswereworthless.shewas,indeed,wildandsavageeveninthosehard,uncultivatedtimes.itwasapleasuretohertosplashaboutwithherwhitehandsinthewarmbloodofthehorsewhichhadbeenslainforsacrifice.inoneofherwildmoodsshebitofftheheadoftheblackcock,whichthepriestwasabouttoslayforthesacrifice.toherfoster-fathershesaidoneday,"ifthineenemyweretopulldownthinehouseaboutthyears,andthoushouldestbesleepinginunconscioussecurity,iwouldnotwakethee;evenifihadthepoweriwouldneverdoit,formyearsstilltinglewiththeblowthatthougavestmeyearsago.ihaveneverforgottenit."butthevikingtreatedherwordsasajoke;hewas,likeeveryoneelse,bewitchedwithherbeauty,andknewnothingofthechangeintheformandtemperofhelgaatnight.withoutasaddle,shewouldsitonahorseasifshewereapartofit,whileitrushedalongatfullspeed;norwouldshespringfromitsback,evenwhenitquarrelledwithotherhorsesandbitthem.shewouldoftenleapfromthehighshoreintotheseawithallherclotheson,andswimtomeettheviking,whenhisboatwassteeringhometowardstheshore.sheoncecutoffalonglockofherbeautifulhair,andtwisteditintoastringforherbow."ifathingistobedonewell,"saidshe,"imustdoitmyself.

theviking'swifewas,forthetimeinwhichshelived,awomanofstrongcharacterandwill;but,comparedtoherdaughter,shewasagentle,timidwoman,andsheknewthatawickedsorcererhadtheterriblechildinhispower.itwassometimesasifhelgaactedfromsheerwickedness;foroftenwhenhermotherstoodonthethresholdofthedoor,orsteppedintotheyard,shewouldseatherselfonthebrinkofthewell,waveherarmsandlegsintheair,andsuddenlyfallrightin.hereshewasable,fromherfrognature,todipanddiveaboutinthewaterofthedeepwell,untilatlastshewouldclimbforthlikeacat,andcomebackintothehalldrippingwithwater,sothatthegreenleavesthatwerestrewedonthefloorwerewhirledround,andcarriedawaybythestreamsthatflowedfromher.

buttherewasonetimeofthedaywhichplacedacheckuponwastheeveningtwilight;whenthishourarrivedshebecamequietandthoughtful,andallowedherselftobeadvisedandled;thenalsoasecretfeelingseemedtodrawhertowardshermother.andasusual,whenthesunset,andthetransformationtookplace,bothinbodyandmind,inwardsandoutwards,shewouldremainquietandmournful,withherformshrunktogetherintheshapeofafrog.herbodywasmuchlargerthanthoseanimalseverare,andonthisaccountitwasmuchmorehideousinappearance;forshelookedlikeawretcheddwarf,withafrog'shead,andwebbedfingers.hereyeshadamostpiteousexpression;shewaswithoutavoice,exceptingahollow,croakingsound,likethesmotheredsobsofadreamingchild.

thentheviking'swifetookheronherlap,andforgottheuglyform,asshelookedintothemournfuleyes,andoftensaid,"icouldwishthatthouwouldstalwaysremainmydumbfrogchild,forthouarttooterriblewhenthouartclothedinaformofbeauty."andthevikingwomanwroteruniccharactersagainstsorceryandspellsofsickness,andthrewthemoverthewretchedchild;buttheydidnogood.

"onecanscarcelybelievethatshewaseversmallenoughtolieinthecupofthewater-lily,"saidthepapastork;"andnowsheisgrownup,andtheimageofheregyptianmother,especiallyaboutthe,weshallneverseeheragain;perhapsshehasnotdiscoveredhowtohelpherself,asyouandthewisemensaidshewould.yearafteryearhaveiflownacrossandacrossthemoor,buttherewasnosignofherbeingstillalive.yes,andimayaswelltellyouthatyouthateachyear,wheniarrivedafewdaysbeforeyoutorepairthenest,andputeverythinginitsplace,ihavespentawholenightflyinghereandthereoverthemarshylake,asifihadbeenanowlorabat,butalltonopurpose.thetwosuitofswan'splumage,whichiandtheyoungonesdraggedoverherefromthelandofthenile,areofnouse;troubleenoughitwastoustobringthemhereinthreejourneys,andnowtheyarelyingatthebottomofthenest;andifafireshouldhappentobreakout,andthewoodenhousebeburntdown,theywouldbedestroyed."

"andourgoodnestwouldbedestroyed,too,"saidthemammastork;"butyouthinklessofthatthanofyourplumagestuffandyourmoor-princess.goandstaywithherinthemarshifyoulike.youareabadfathertoyourownchildren,asihavetoldyoualready,whenihatchedmyfirstbrood.ionlyhopeneitherwenorourchildrenmayhaveanarrowsentthroughourwings,owingtothatwilddoesnotknowintheleastwhatsheisabout.wehavelivedinthishouselongerthanshehas,sheshouldthinkofthat,andwehaveneverforgottenourduty.wehavepaideveryyearourtollofafeather,anegg,andayoungone,asitisonlyrightweshoulddo.youdon'tsupposeicanwanderaboutthecourt-yard,orgoeverywhereasiusedtodoinoldtimes.icandoitinegypt,whereicanbeacompanionofthepeople,withoutforgettingmyself.buthereicannotgoandpeepintothepotsandkettlesasidothere.no,icanonlysituphereandfeelangrywiththatgirl,thelittlewretch;andiamangrywithyou,too;youshouldhaveleftherlyinginthewaterlily,thennoonewouldhaveknownanythingabouther."

"youarefarbetterthanyourconversation,"saidthepapastork;"iknowyoubetterthanyouknowyourself."andwiththathegaveahop,andflappedhiswingstwice,proudly;thenhestretchedhisneckandflew,orrathersoaredaway,withoutmovinghisoutspreadwings.hewentonforsomedistance,andthenhegaveagreatflapwithhiswingsandflewonhiscourseatarapidrate,hisheadandneckbendingproudlybeforehim,whilethesun'sraysfellonhisglossyplumage.

"heisthehandsomestofthemall,"saidthemammastork,asshewatchedhim;"butiwon'ttellhimso."

earlyintheautumn,thevikingagainreturnedhomeladenwithspoil,andbringingprisonerswithhim.amongthemwasayoungchristianpriest,oneofthosewhocontemnedthegodsofthelatelytherehadbeen,bothinhallandchamber,atalkofthenewfaithwhichwasspreadingfarandwideinthesouth,andwhich,throughthemeansoftheholyansgarius,hadalreadyreachedasfarashedebyontheschlei.evenhelgahadheardofthisbeliefintheteachingsofonewhowasnamedchrist,andwhofortheloveofmankind,andfortheirredemption,hadgivenuphislife.buttoherallthishad,asitwere,goneinoneearandouttheother.itseemedthatsheonlyunderstoodthemeaningoftheword"love,"whenintheformofamiserablefrogshecrouchedtogetherinthecornerofthesleepingchamber;buttheviking'swifehadlistenedtothewonderfulstory,andhadfeltherselfstrangelymovedbyit.

ontheirreturn,afterthisvoyage,themenspokeofthebeautifultemplesbuiltofpolishedstone,whichhadbeenraisedforthepublicworshipofthisholylove.somevessels,curiouslyformedofmassivegold,hadbeenbroughthomeamongthebooty.therewasapeculiarfragranceaboutthemall,fortheywereincensevessels,whichhadbeenswungbeforethealtarsinthetemplesbythechristianpriests.inthedeepstonycellarsofthecastle,theyoungchristianpriestwasimmured,andhishandsandfeettiedtogetherwithstripsofbark.theviking'swifeconsideredhimasbeautifulasbaldur,andhisdistressraisedherpity;buthelgasaidheoughttohaveropesfastenedtohisheels,andbetiedtothetailsofwildanimals.

"iwouldletthedogslooseafterhim"shesaid;"overthemoorandacrosstheheath.hurrah!