Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/232

210 fool them best, and then we'll see which is the silliest." That was what they said once, and so it was settled.

Now when the first husband, Master Northgrange, came home from the wood, his goody said—

"Heaven help us both! what is the matter? you are surely ill, if you are not at death's door!"



"Nothing ails me but want of meat and drink," said the man.

"Now, Heaven be my witness!" screamed out the wife, "it gets worse and worse. You look just like a corpse in face; you must go to bed! Dear! dear! this never can last long! And so she went on till she got her husband to believe he was hard at death's door, and she put him to bed; and then she made him fold