Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/302

280 As soon as the miller's man heard that, he was so taken aback he did not know which way to turn, and so he asked the lad what he should do.

"Take and change clothes with me, and hide yourself behind the door," said the lad, "and then he will not know that it isn't me. And if he lays hands on any one, then it will not be you, but me."

It was some time before they had changed clothes and dressed again, and the old hunks began to be afraid lest the lad should have run away. So he posted down to the mill door.

"Where is he?" he said to the lad, who stood there as white as a miller.

"Oh, he was here just now," said the lad. "I think he went and hid himself behind the door."

"I'll teach you to hide behind the door, you rogue," said the old hunks, as he seized the man in a great rage, and hurried him off to the gallows, and hanged him in a breath; and all the while he never knew it was not the lad that he hanged.

After that was done, he wanted to go into the mill to talk to his man, who was busy grinding. Meantime the lad had wedged up the upper millstone, and was feeling under it with his hands.

"Come here, come here," he called out as soon as he saw the old hunks, "and you shall feel what a wonderful millstone this is."

So the man went and felt the millstone with one hand.

"Nay, nay," said the lad, "you'll never feel it unless you take hold of it with both hands."

Well, he did so; and just then the lad snatched out