King Eistein, whose beautiful daughter, Ingeborg, he liked, and his people also advised him not to keep a peasant's daughter with him any longer. When he came home, and he and his wife had gone to bed, Aslaug discovered his intentions by means of her bird (raven, spirit) and revealed to him that she was of royal lineage, and thus regained his affection, chap. 8. Our story is to be found in Colshorn, No. 26; in Zingerle, p. 16O; and in Pröhle's Märchen für die Jugend, No. 49'. In Norway, too, it is not unknown, as is remarked by Asbjörnsen in an account of his journey in the year 1847, p. 2. A Servian story, see Wuk, No. 25, is differently carried out, but allied. Tendlau relates that a woman on her departure, being permitted to take the best thing in the house away with her, has her husband, who is drunk, carried to her father's house, Jüdische Sagen, p. 54.
95.—Old Hildebrand.
From Austria, where he is also called Old Ofenbrand. Another story from German Bohemia varies slightly. At first the woman will on no account admit the man with the basket, she has shut her shutters, and says her husband is from home. But the former has looked through a crevice, and has seen the parson sitting in the room, and at last says, "Will not the worthy gentleman who is within, say a good word for me?" This alarms the woman, and she lets him come in. The man sets the basket up against the wall, lies down on the stove, and pretends to be asleep. Then the woman lays the table, brings meat and drink, and makes merry with the parson. Finally she brings out a large glass, and says, "He who would have a drink now, must first make a rhyme." The parson begins—
"A messenger has gone from me
To Padua town in Italy."
Then the woman—
"With three silver crowns away he has sped,
And into the bargain with two loaves of bread."
And now the man with the basket is to sing, too; he refuses, but at last he sings—
"My basket by the wall doth stand,
And in it sits Old Hildebrand."
Then he opens the basket, and old Hildebrand gets out in a rage, and begins—
"Now I must be out again,
For here inside I can't remain,"
and drives them away with blows. There is also a story from Hesse
