Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/390

 374 and his followers would have been too weak." He likewise explained to them that, for the last days, he had not paid enough heed to the cry of a young crow, which had warned him. Staale was then bound hand and foot, and taken to the magistrate and put to death. On the way down, he begged to be allowed to look back over the valley, but they would not let him do so, and this was well, for, if his wish had been granted, no green leaf or corn would have grown in Sundal for three years.

23. When anyone had passed away by death, and the corpse had to lie in the house, folk were afraid to go near it at night. Folk tell how they have often heard knocking and planing, especially in the place where the boards of the coffin had lain. One often hears tell how many have shown themselves after death, and such is told of a housewife at Opdal. As she was being taken to the grave, they came to a place where the horse was unable to move at all, however much it strained. At last, three new ropes, with which the coffin was bound, sprang asunder, and then they got forward. Her son often met her coming from the store room with a steelyard in her hand. He asked her once why she had not got peace in the grave, and received for an answer,—"I have measured too little and weighed too nicely." So he saw how it was, and, so that she might get rest hereafter, he gave a cow and several bushels of barley to the poor folk, and then he saw her no more.

24. There was once a girl at Övre Nesja, named Gjertrud. She was "deadly" in love with a youth, who did not care in the least for her. She sorrowed so over it that it caused her to die. Some time after, a friend of hers was out fishing in the river, and, as he wended his way homewards in the evening, whom should he meet but Gjertrud, who was clothed, as daily was her wont, in a red bodice, short skirt, and low shoes. They passed close by one another without speaking, but, as he went homewards, he looked back and saw her with her arms round an aspen tree,—and thus she disappeared.

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