Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/382

360 for the needles, the lad stuck them into the hay, and soon set off home.

So when he got home, he said, "Now, I have taken the toll, and got something to live on."

"What did you get?" asked the goody.

"Oh," said he, "there came three chaps, each with his load of hay. They each gave me a wisp of hay, so that I got a little sledge-load; and next, I got two needles from a pedlar."

"What did you do with the hay?" asked the goody.

"I tried it between my teeth; but it tasted only of grass, so I threw it into the river."

"You ought to have spread it out on the byre-floor," said the goody.

"Well, I'll do that next time, mother," he said.

"And what, then, did you do with the needles?" said the goody.

"I stuck them in the hay."

"Ah!" said his mother, "you are a born fool. You should have stuck them in and out of your cap."

"Well, don't say another word, mother, and I'll be sure to do so next time."

Next day, when the lad stood down at the foot of the bridge again, there came a man from the mill with a sack of meal, and wanted to cross.

"You can't cross till you pay the toll," said the lad.

"I've no pence to pay it with," said the man.

"Well, you can't cross," said the lad; "but goods are good pay." So he got a pound of meal, and the man had leave to cross.