Page:Younger Edda (Anderson, 1880).djvu/274

 now I will sliow you," said the man. He set the mill on the table, and had it first grind light, then a table-cloth, then food and ale and all sorts of good things for Christmas, and as he commanded the mill ground. The woman expressed her great astonishment again and again, and wanted to know w^here her husband had gotten the mill, but this he would not tell.

"It makes no difference where I have gotten it; you see the mill is a good one, and that the water does not freeze,'- said the man.

Then he ground food and drink, and all good things, for the whole Christmas week, and on the third day he invited his friends: he was going to have a party. When the rich brother saw all the nice and good things at the j^arty, he became very wroth, for he could not bear to see his brother have anything.

"Christmas eve he was so needy that he came to me and asked me for mercy's sake to give him a little food, and now he gives a feast as though he were both count and king," said he to the others.

" But where in hell have you gotten all your riches from? " said he to his brother.

"Behind the door," answered he who owned the mill. He did not care to give any definite account, but later in the evening, when he began to get a little tipsy, he could not help himself and brought out the mill.

"There you see the one that has given me all the riches." said he, and then he let the mill grind both one thing and another. When the brother saw this he was bound to have the mill, and after a long