Page:Fairy tales and other stories (Andersen, Craigie).djvu/59

 Rh carried a bundle of firewood which she had collected in the forest. Her apron was tucked up, and John saw that three great stalks of fern and some willow twigs stuck out of it. When she was close to them, her foot slipped; she fell and gave a loud scream, for she had broken her leg, the poor old woman!

John directly proposed that they should carry the old woman home to her dwelling; but the stranger opened his knapsack, took out a little jar, and said that he had a salve there which would immediately make her leg whole and strong, so that she could walk home herself, as if she had never broken her leg at all. But for that he required that she should give him the three rods which she carried in her apron,

'That would be paying well!' said the old woman, and she nodded her head in a strange way. She did not like to giveaway the rods, but then it was not agreeable to lie there with a broken leg. So she gave him the wands; and as soon as he had only rubbed the ointment on her leg, the old mother arose, and walked much better than before—such was the power of this ointment. But then it was not to be bought at the chemist's.

'What do you want with the rods?' John asked his travelling companion.

'They are three capital fern brooms,' replied he. 'I like those very much, for I am a whimsical fellow.'

And they went on a good way.

'See how the sky is becoming overcast,' said John, pointing straight before them. 'Those are terribly thick clouds.'