Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/188

 TABULATION OF FOLKTALES.

chooses a fire, a turning-lathe, and cutting-board with knife. These are taken to castle, and at night boy makes fire in one of the rooms. (7) At midnight voice complains of cold, and, at boy's invitation to come and sit by fire, two huge black cats with fiery eyes leap towards him and sit on either side. Being warmed tbey propose a game at cards. Boy complies, but seeing their long claws says he must first cut them. Seizes cats, screws their feet fast on cutting-board, but, changing his intention, strikes them dead, and throws them out into water. Koom becomes filled with black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains, who yell and pull fire to pieces. After watching them for a while, boy drives some away, kills the rest with cutting-knife, and throws them into fish-pond. (8) Puts fire together and warms himself, grows sleepy, and seeing bed in corner gets in. Bed carries him all over castle, finally turning upside down. Boy extricates himself and sleeps by fire till morning. (9) King arrives, thinks him killed by spirits, and is pitying him, when he awakes. Innkeeper also amazed to see him alive. (10) Boy returns to castle second night and sits by fire. At midnight hears great noise and screaming, and half a man falls down chimney ; then, with more noise and roaring, the other half. Boy looks round after blowing fire and sees the halves united into a frightful man, who usurps his place. Eights for and regains his seat. (11) More men fall down and begin to play at nine-pins with dead men's legs and two skulls. Boy wants to join game, but first rounds the skulls in his lathe. Loses his money over game, but at midnight everything vanishes from sight. Boy sleeps. (12) Relates ' to king next morning how he fared, regretting that he has not yet been made to shudder. Third night six tall men bring in coffin and place it on ground. Boy takes off lid and sees dead man. Warms his own hand at fire and tries to warm dead man's face. Takes him out of coffin, lays him before fire, and rubs his arms to restore circulation. This being fruitless he carries him to bed and lies down beside him. Dead man moves and threatens to strangle boy, whereupon boy shuts him in coffin again, and the six men come and carry it away. (13) Next comes a terrible looking old man, taller than all the rest and with long white beard. Says boy will soon learn to shudder, for he must die. Boy vaunts his strength and will not yield. Old man leads him to smith's forge, takes an axe and strikes anvil into ground. Boy seizes axe and splits another anvil with one blow, striking old man's long beard in with it. Then beats man with iron bar till he cries for mercy and is released. (14) Old man takes him to cellar in castle and shows him three chests full of gold, saying, *' One is for the poor, one for king, and one for thee 1 " Twelve o'clock strikes, spirit disappears, boy left in darkness. Finds his way back to room and sleeps by fire. (15) Relates to king next morning incidents of past night, and, for having delivered castle, is given king's daughter in marriage. (16) Still regrets not having learnt to shudder. Wife becomes angry at this and waiting-maid suggests cure. She procures bucketful of gudgeons from stream in garden, and wife empties them over him whilst he sleeps; He wakes up shuddering.