Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/254

232 mad," said the man to himself. "Many are mad, and never know it; many have wit, and never show it; but all the same, I'll try her once more."

But as soon as ever he ducked her under the water again, she held her hands up out of the water and began to clip with her fingers like a pair of shears. Then the man fell into a great rage and ducked her down both well and long; but while he was about it, the goody's head fell down below the water, and she got so heavy all at once, that he had to let her go.

"No! no!" he said, "you wish to drag me down with you into the hole, but you may lie there by yourself."

So the goody was left in the river.

But after a while the man thought it was ill she should lie there and not get Christian burial, and so he went down the course of the stream and hunted and searched for her, but for all his pains he could not find her. Then he came with all his men and brought his neighbours with him, and they all in a body began to drag the stream and to search for her all along it. But for all their searching they found no goody.

"Oh!" said the man, "I have it. All this is no good; we search in the wrong place. This goody was a sort by herself; there was not such another in the world while she was alive. She was so cross and contrary, and I'll be bound it is just the same now she is dead. We had better just go and hunt for her up stream, and drag for her above the force; maybe she has floated up thither."

And so it was. They went up stream and sought for her above the force, and there lay the goody, sure enough! Yes! she was well called.