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 MOTHER BERTHA^ StORIES. 127 " ' But, good heavens, what does all this' mean ? ' he asked, and looked round. All the silver plate was yet on the table, but all the fine dishes had turned to moss and mushrooms, dirt and toads, frogs, and all such things. " ' What's the meaning of all this?' he repeated. 'You are sitting here dressed like a bride.' " ' How can you ask such a question ? ' said she. You have been sitting here and talking to me about the wedding all the afternoon.' " ' You are mistaken ; I only came this min ute/ he said. ' But it must have been some one who had tåken my appearance.' " She then began to come back to her senses ; but she was not quite herself for some time afterwards. She told him that she thought she had plainly seen him and their relations and neighbours amongst the people who were there. He took her with him home at once, and that there should come no more witchery to her, they were married there and then while she still was dressed in the finery of the fairies. The crown and the dress were hung up at Melbustad, and they say they are there to this day." " But I have heard that this happened in Valders, Bertha," said I. "No, this happened exactly as I told you in Halland," she answered, " but when I was at home, I heard some one from Valders speak of something which had tåken place there, and which Ill now tell you." " On one of the farms in Valders there was a girl called Barbro, and she was once up at a dairy. She was sitting one day at her work when she suddenly heard some one shouting over in a hill : " ' King Haaken, King Haaken ! ' " ' Yes,' answered King Haaken, till it sounded all over the hills. " ' King Haaken, my son, will you get married ? ' it cried again in the hill. "'Yes, that I will,' said King Haaken, 'if I can have Barbro in the dairy over yonder ! ' " ' Yes, yes, we'll see to that/ Barbro heard the voice in the hill