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Tales from the Fjeld

the silks and satins flew about as thick as a snowdrift.

But when the old hag saw that, she was all for buying the golden scissors, for she said, "All our tailors can do is no good at all, we have too many to find clothes for."

So the princess said, "It was not for sale for money, but she should have it, if she got leave to sleep with her sweetheart that night."

"Yes," the old hag said, "she might have that leave and welcome; but she herself must lull him off to sleep, and wake him in the morning."

And so when he went to bed she gave him a sleeping draught, so that he could not keep an eye open, for all that the princess cried and wept.

Next day the princess went under the window again, and began to pour out drink from her flask. It frothed like a brook with ale and wine, and it was never empty. So when the old hag saw that, she was all for buying it, for she said—

"For all our brewing and stilling, it's no good, we have too many to find drink for."

But the princess said, "It was not for sale for money, but if she might have leave to sleep with her sweetheart that night, she might have it."

"Well," the old hag said, "she might have that leave and welcome; but she must herself lull him off to sleep, and wake him in the morning."

So when he went to bed she gave him another sleeping draught, so that it went no better that night than the first. He was not able to keep his eyes open, for all that the princess bawled and wept.