Once upon a time, there was a king who had seven sons. These boys were so precious to him, that he could never be without them all at once: one had to always stay by his side.
When they were all grown up, the six of the oldest brothers wished to leave home to find someone to marry. The youngest one, named Askeladden, had however to remain at the castle, at his father’s command. The others therefore promised bring him back a princess as well.
Before departure, the king granted his six eldest sons the finest clothes anyone had ever seen, and every boy his own stunning horse. All looking like a million dollars, they were finally on their way.
After visiting many royal estates and seen many princesses, they eventually came to a king who had six daughters. These princesses were so beautiful, that the brothers immediately proposed to them. The girls accepted the princes’ courtships, and eventually the six couples were one their way back to the palace. The brothers were so infatuated with their new girlfriends, that they completely forgot their promise to also find a princess for Askeladden, the youngest brother who was left at home.
When they were well on their way, they eventually came to a steep cliff. Little did they know that this was the home of a giant troll. When he came out and saw them, he turned them all into stone, both the princes and the princesses.
"When he came out and saw them, he turned them all into stone..." Illustration by Otto Sinding (1878/1879)
Back at the castle, the king waited and longed for the return of his six sons, but it did not matter how much he pined; the boys remained missing. The king went into great grief, and proclaimed he could never be glad again. “I have lost your brothers,” he said to Askeladden. "I wouldn’t have bothered to live on, if it wasn’t for you."
“But I was going to ask for permission to go out and find them," said Askeladden.
"No, you are not allowed to," his father said. "You’ll just go missing, just as your brothers did."
But Askeladden would not budge, and he begged and pleaded for so long, that the King had to let him go. Giving all his finest horses to his six older sons, he had nothing but an old worn-out horse to give to his youngest. But that did not bother Askeladden – he got on his horse, eager to begin his journey. "Farewell, father!" he said he to the king. "I'll come back, and I will have with me my brothers too". And thus, he went on his way.
When he had ridden a while, he saw a raven lying in the road, flapping his wings. "Oh, dear, I am so hungry! Give me some food, and I'll help you in your utmost need," said the raven.
"I don’t have much food, and you do not seem to be able to help me much," said Askeladden. "That being said, you seem to need it more than I do." And then he gave the raven the bread that he had brought with him.
When he had travelled for some time, he came to a stream. By the riverside, he saw a big salmon that had strayed onto dry land, and could not get back into the water. “Oh, dear! Help me back into the water, and I will help you in your utmost need, "said the salmon.
"I doubt you will be of much help," said Askeladden. "But it's a shame to leave you here to starve to death." And so he assisted the fish back into the water.
After ridden for a long time, he eventually saw a wolf lying weary by the road. "Oh, dear, I am so hungry!” said the wolf. “It’s been two years since I had a proper meal. Let me eat your horse."
"No," said Askeladden. "First I met a raven, and gave him my food. Then I met a salmon, and helped him back into in the water; and now you want my horse. If I say yes, then I have nothing to ride on."
"Please, you must help me," said the wolf. "If you let me have your horse, you can ride on me instead. I will help you in your utmost need.”
"I doubt you will be of much help; that being said, it's a shame to leave you here to starve to death. Take my horse, if you must," said the prince.
When the wolf had eaten the horse, Askeladden took the bridle and tied it to the wolf’s mouth, and laid the saddle on his back. After had eaten his first proper meal in two years, the wolf now was so strong that it set off with Askeladden as if he was light as a feather; never in his life had the prince ridden this fast!
After travelling for a long time, the wolf suddenly stopped in front of a steep rock wall. "Look, this is the trolls' den," he said. "And there you see your six brothers, and right next to them are their six brides; the troll turned them all into stone. There is the door; to free your brothers, you must go in."
“No, I dare not," said the prince. "He will kill me!"
"Oh no," replied the wolf; "when you go in, you will meet a princess. She will let you know what to do to defeat the troll. Just do as she says, and you’ll be fine." And so, Askeladden, although he was very afraid, entered the trolls' den.
The troll itself was fortunately gone, but in one of the rooms Askeladden found the princess, just as the wolf had said. Never before had he seen a princess this beautiful!
"Oh, dear! How did you get here?" the girl exclaimed when she saw him. "You will be killed if you stay here; for very soon the troll will return. No one has succeeded in slaying him, for he does not carry his heart with him."
"Oh, dear! How did you get here?" the girl exclaimed when she saw him." Illustration by Otto Sinding
"Yes, but now I am here," said Askeladden."My brothers got turned into stone, and I will not leave without having tried to save them. And while I’m at it, I will free you too my lady.”
"Then we have to find a way then, don’t we?" said the princess. "Quick, creep in under the bed and listen carefully to what I say to him. And remember to stay still, and do not utter a word. "
And as soon as Askeladden had crawled under the bed, the troll entered his den...
“Ugh!” said the troll. “I smell the blood of a Christian man!”
“Yes, a magpie came flying in with a human bone in its beak, and dropped it down the chimney," said the princess. "I threw it out as quickly as I could, but the smell just won’t go away."
And so the troll said no more about it.
Eventually, darkness came, and they went to bed. After a little while, the princess said: "There was one thing I wanted to ask you."
"And what would that be?" said the troll.
"I was wondering where you keep your heart, since you don’t carry it with you," said the princess.
"Oh, that’s not something that you need to worry about; but if you must know, it is right there under the threshold, "said the troll.
"Oh, then I shall find it, mark my words!” thought Askeladden, who laid still under the bed.
The very next morning, the troll got up early, and straight away set off to the woods. Promptly after his departure, Askeladden and the princess rushed to the threshold to look for his heart. But no matter how much they dug and searched for it, the heart was not to be found.
"He fooled us this time," said the princess, "but next time the tables will have turned." She went out and gathered all the prettiest flowers she could find, and scattered them over the threshold. When the time eventually came for the troll to come back, Askeladden again crawled under the bed as instructed by the princess.
And as soon as Askeladden had crawled under the bed, the troll entered the den.
“Ugh!” said the troll. “I smell the blood of a Christian man!”
“Yes, a magpie came flying in with a human bone in its beak, and dropped it down the chimney," said the princess. "I threw it out as quickly as I could, but the smell just won’t go away."
And so the troll said no more about it. After a while though, he asked who had scattered flowers around the threshold.
"Oh, that would be me," said the princess.
"For what reason?" asked the troll.
"Oh, that’s because I hold you so dear. Now that I know where your heart is, I wanted it to be surrounded by flowers," said the princess.
"Is that so?” said the troll. “Then I’ll have to disappoint you. It’s not there anymore.”
After going to bed, the princess again dared to ask him where the troll kept his heart; for she cared so much about him, that she had to know.
"Oh, that’s not something that you need to worry about; but if you must know, it is in the closet, over there on the wall," said the troll.
"Oh, then I shall find it,” thought Askeladden, together with the princess. “Mark my words!”
The very next morning, the troll yet again got up early, and set off to the woods. Promptly after his departure, Askeladden and the princess rushed to the closet to look for his heart. However, yet again, the heart was not to be found. "We'll have to try again," said the princess, and embellished the closet with flowers and wreaths.
When the time came for the troll to come back, Askeladden crawled under the bed once more.
And in came the troll.
“Ugh!” said the troll. “I smell the blood of a Christian man!”
“Yes, a magpie came flying in with a human bone in its beak, and dropped it down the chimney,"said the princess. "I threw it out as quickly as I could, but the smell just won’t go away."
And so the troll said no more about it. After a while though, he asked who had decorated the closet with flowers and wreaths.
"Oh, that would be me," said the princess.
"And for what reason would that be?" asked the troll.
"Oh, that’s because I hold you so dear. Now that I know where your heart is, I wanted it to be surrounded by flowers," said the princess.
“Surely you are not so crazy to believe that it’s in the closet?” said the troll.
“Well, that’s what you told me, so I had to take your word for it, didn’t I?” said the princess.
“Your silly girl,” replied the troll. “My heart is so well hid, that you’ll never find it.”
“Oh, but you are so dear to me,” cried the princess. “I have to know where your heart is.”
After a little while, the troll could no longer resist the temptation: "Far, far away there is an island," he said. "On that island, there is a church; in that church there is a well; in that well there is a duck; inside the duck there is an egg, and in that egg, there you’ll find my heart."
When morning came, at the brake of dawn, the troll set off to the woods yet again. Askeladden crawled out from under the bed. "Well, then I’m off too," he stated, and bid farewell to the princess.
When he got outside, he found the wolf waiting for him, and Askeladden informed him about what had happened the last three days in the trolls’ den. “If only I could find the way to this church!” he said. The wolf told him to get on his back. “I will help you find the way,” he said, and off they were.
After they had travelled for many, many days, they finally reached the lake. Askeladden got insecure, as he did not know how to cross, but the wolf knew what to do; with the prince on his back he swam across to the island. And so they finally reached the church. The keys to get in however, where in the church tower, hung too high for the prince to get them down.
"You must call for the raven," said the wolf, and the prince did as he was told; immediately the raven flew in and retrieved the key, so the prince could get into the church. When he came to the well, there was a duck quite right, which swam back and forth, just as the troll had said. After spending some time trying to get the ducks’ attention, Askeladden eventually managed to lure it to come, and quickly grabbed it with both hands. As he lifted it out of the water, the bird dropped the egg down into the well. Rather puzzled, Askeladden wondered how he was going to get it back up. "You must call for the salmon," said the wolf; and the prince did as he was told. Immediately the salmon came swimming, and retrieved the egg.
“Now you must squeeze it,” said the wolf. “For his heart is inside the egg.” And as soon as Askeladden squeezed the egg, he heard the troll shrieking load from afar. "Squeeze it again," said the wolf, and when the prince did, the troll cried even more pitiful; he would do anything, he said, if only the prince would stop squeezing his heart.
"Tell him, if he breaks the curse that befell your six brothers and their brides, you will spare his life," said the wolf. Askeladden told the troll, and so the curse was broken; after long been trapped in stone, the princes and their brides were alive and breathing again.
"Now, squeeze the egg one last time," said the wolf. “Make it break!” Askeladden squeezed as hard as he could, and as the egg cracked, so did the troll, bursting into a million pieces.
Finally, Askeladden was on his way back to the trolls’ den, where all of his six brothers were waiting for him, together with their brides. And as he had promised, Askeladden went into the mountain and freed the beautiful princess. Together they all returned home to the palace, where the old king greeted them, overjoyed to have all his sons back safe and sound – and married with such beautiful ladies nonetheless! "But the loveliest of all the princesses, is Askeladdens bride," said the king, "and they shall both sit upon the seat of honor at my table."
And so they celebrated, for days and weeks and months. And if I am not mistaken, the feast is still ongoing, even to this day.
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