reaches king's destination before him. King forgets all about his wooing, looking at her. Asked whence she comes, heroine says: "From Razor-throwing Country." "Many countries have I visited, but never till now have I heard that name." "Well, it is far, far hence," she says; jumps on board, and vanishes. Having changed dress, she asks cook, "Have I been too long away?" "No. . . ." (Similar incidents and replies in connection with towel, galoshes.) On the last occasion she wears sun dress, and is so late returning that she throws ugly cloak over it. (5) Each time the king when speaking has given her a ring with his name on it. Told to carry up his soup, heroine puts the three rings into dish; king discovers them, sends for Thousand-cloak, and asks whether she has another dress. No; her parents were too poor. King sends servant out to buy her beautiful dress; heroine must undress in king's presence; sun dress is thus discovered. "Well, it is you, my love!" king cries. Happy marriage.
A. Segerstedt, Svenska Folksagor och Äfventyr. Stockholm, 1884. P. 3.
"Kråkpelsa" (Crow-cloak).
"Did you ever hear tell of Crow-cloak? She was really a woman, though people used to say she was an awful fool." (1) All the people of the farm go to church; Crow-cloak must stay at home, and is very sad. (2) Mountain-troll comes to comfort her, dresses her in white dress, making her very lovely, and sends her to church, where all look at her in amazement. Her horse is outside. She jumps up, saying: "White before me! black behind me! nobody shall see whither I go." Heroine is sitting in her wonted place when people return talking of beautiful lady. (3) Next Sunday, lest heroine should follow, they pour jug of salt into the ashes, and bid her pick it up. Troll assists, and sends her to church in silver dress and shoes. (4) Third Sunday bag of peas thrown into ashes; troll sends heroine to church in golden dress and shoes. In her hurry to leave heroine does not see trough of tar placed in church doorway, and loses a shoe. All marvel at its small size. (5) Prince will marry whomsoever it fits. Woman at farm wants her daughter to be Queen; chops her heel and cuts her toe; shoe is squeezed on, but birds betray girl on way to church. "What means that singing in the wood?" asks prince. "I suppose the birds are warbling." Prince is suspicious, and returns to farm, but finds nobody, woman having thrust heroine beneath water-butt in courtyard. Prince supposing bride spoke truth returns to church, but more loudly still from every bush is heard: "Chop heel, cut toe; in the courtyard is the girl whom shoe fits." (6) Thither prince returns, seeks and finds heroine, and marries her. Neither woman nor daughter gets any profit for her pains!
