“Is that a hill?” said the youngest of the boys， pointing to the elf hill， “we should call it ahole in Norway.”
“Boys，” said the old man， “a hole goes in， and a hill stands out; have you no eyes inyour heads?”
Another thing they wondered at was， that they were able without trouble to understandthe language.
“Take care，” said the old man， “or people will think you have not been well brought up.”
then they entered the elfin hill， where the select and grand company were assembled， andso quickly had they appeared that they seemed to have been blown together. But for eachguest the neatest and pleasantest arrangement had been made. The sea folks sat at table inGREat water-tubs， and they said it was just like being at home. All behaved themselvesproperly excepting the two young northern goblins; they put their legs on the table andthought they were all right.
“Feet off the table-cloth!” said the old goblin.They obeyed， but not immediately. Then theytickled the ladies who waited at table， with the fir-cones， which they carried in their pockets. Theytook off their boots， that they might be more atease， and gave them to the ladies to hold. But theirfather， the old goblin， was very different; hetalked pleasantly about the stately Norwegian rocks，and told fine tales of the waterfalls which dashedover them with a clattering noise like thunder or thesound of an organ， spreading their white foam onevery side. He told of the salmon that leaps in the rushing waters， while the water-god playson his golden harp. He spoke of the bright winter nights， when the sledge bells are ringing，and the boys run with burning torches across the smooth ice， which is so transparent thatthey can see the fishes dart forward beneath their feet. He described everything so clearly，that those who listened could see it all; they could see the saw-mills going， the men-servantsand the maidens singing songs， and dancing a rattling dance，—when all at once the old goblingave the old elfin maiden a kiss， such a tremendous kiss， and yet they were almost strangersto each other.
then the elfin girls had to dance， first in the usual way， and then with stamping feet，which they performed very well; then followed the artistic and solo dance. Dear me， howthey did throw their legs about! No one could tell where the dance begun， or where itended， nor indeed which were legs and which were arms， for they were all flying abouttogether， like the shavings in a saw-pit! And then they spun round so quickly that the death-horse and the grave-pig became sick and giddy， and were obliged to leave the table.
“Stop!” cried the old goblin， “is that the only house-keeping they can perform? Canthey do anything more than dance and throw about their legs， and make a whirlwind?”
“You shall soon see what they can do，” said the elf king. And then he called his youngestdaughter to him. She was slender and fair as moonlight， and the most graceful of all thesisters. She took a white chip in her mouth， and vanished instantly; this was heraccomplishment. But the old goblin said he should not like his wife to have such anaccomplishment， and thought his boys would have the same objection. Another daughtercould make a figure like herself follow her， as if she had a shadow， which none of the goblinfolk ever had. The third was of quite a different sort; she had learnt in the brew-house of themoor witch how to lard elfin puddings with glow-worms.
“She will make a good housewife，” said the old goblin， and then saluted her with his eyesinstead of drinking her health; for he did not drink much.
Now came the fourth daughter， with a large harp to play upon; and when she struck thefirst chord， every one lifted up the left leg (for the goblins are left-legged)， and at thesecond chord they found they must all do just what she wanted.
“That is a dangerous woman，” said the old goblin; and the two sons walked out of thehill; they had had enough of it. “And what can the next daughter do?” asked the old goblin.
“I have learnt everything that is Norwegian，” said she; “and I will never marry， unless Ican go to Norway.”
then her youngest sister whispered to the old goblin， “That is only because she hasheard， in a Norwegian song， that when the world shall decay， the cliffs of Norway will remainstanding like monuments; and she wants to get there， that she may be safe; for she is soafraid of sinking.”
“Ho! ho!” said the old goblin， “is that what she means? Well， what can the seventhand last do?”
“the sixth comes before the seventh，” said the elf king， for he could reckon; but thesixth would not come forward.
“I can only tell people the truth，” said she. “No one cares for me， nor troubles himselfabout me; and I have enough to do to sew my grave clothes.”
So the seventh and last came; and what could she do? Why， she could tell stories， asmany as you liked， on any subject.
“Here are my five fingers，” said the old goblin; “now tell me a story for each of them.”
So she took him by the wrist， and he laughed till he nearly choked; and when she cameto the fourth finger， there was a gold ring on it， as if it knew there was to be a betrothal.Then the old goblin said， “Hold fast what you have： this hand is yours; for I will have you fora wife myself.”
then the elfin girl said that the stories about the ring-finger and little Peter Playman had notyet been told.
“We will hear them in the winter，” said the old goblin， “and also about the fir and thebirch-trees， and the ghost stories， and of the tingling frost. You shall tell your tales， for noone over there can do it so well; and we will sit in the stone rooms， where the pine logs areburning， and drink mead out of the golden drinking-horn of the old Norwegian kings. Thewater-god has given me two; and when we sit there， Nix comes to pay us a visit， and willsing you all the songs of the mountain shepherdesses. How merry we shall be! The salmonwill be leaping in the waterfalls， and dashing against the stone walls， but he will not be able tocome in. It is indeed very pleasant to live in old Norway. But where are the lads?”