Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/260

238 and settle the strife between them and share the horse, so that each should get what he ought to have.

So the lad took his sword, and shared the horse as well as he could. To the lion he gave the carcass and the greater portion; the falcon got some of the entrails and other tit-bits; and the ant got the head. When he had done, he said—

"Now I think it is fairly shared. The lion shall have most, because he is biggest and strongest; the falcon shall have the best, because he is nice and dainty; and the ant shall have the skull, because he loves to creep about in holes and crannies."

Yes! they were all well pleased with his sharing; and so they asked him what he would like to have for sharing the horse so well.

"Oh," he said, "if I have done you a service, and you are pleased with it, I am also pleased; but I won't be paid."

Yes; but he must have something, they said.

"If you won't have anything else," said the lion, "you shall have three wishes."

But the lad knew not what to wish for; and so the lion asked him if he wouldn't wish that he might be able to turn himself into a lion; and the two others asked him if he wouldn't wish to be able to turn himself into a falcon and an ant. Yes! all that seemed to him good and right; and so he wished these three wishes.

Then he threw aside his sword and wallet, turned himself into a falcon, and began to fly. So he flew on and on, till he came over a great lake; but when he had almost flown across it he got so tired and sore on