A Lad.
Indeed?
Peer.
I went to the smithy, and begged
That he would crack that same nutshell for me.
He promised he would!—laid it down on his anvil;
But Aslak, you know, is so heavy of hand;—
For ever swinging that great sledge-hammer
A Voice from the Crowd.
Did he kill the foul fiend?
Peer.
He laid on like a man.
But the devil showed fight, and tore off in a flame
Through the roof, and shattered the wall asunder.
Several Voices.
And the smith ?
Peer.
Stood there with his hands all scorched.
And from that day onwards, we've never been friends. [General laughter.
Some of the Crowd.
That yarn is a good one.
Others.
About his best.
Peer.
Do you think I am making it up?
Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Heinemann Volume 4).djvu/81
This page needs to be proofread.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/The_collected_works_of_Henrik_Ibsen_%28Heinemann_Volume_4%29.djvu/page81-1000px-The_collected_works_of_Henrik_Ibsen_%28Heinemann_Volume_4%29.djvu.jpg)