Selection from the Norse Tales for the Use of Children - Sir George Webbe Dasent
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What happens in the opening tale of the brothers True and Untrue?
CHAPTER I. A SELECTION FROM THE NORSE TALES FOR THE USE OF CHILDREN. true and untrue once on a time there were two brothers one was called true and the other untrue true was always upright and good towards all but untrue was bad and full of lies so that no one could believe what he said their mother was a widow and hadn't much to live on so when her sons had grown up she was forced to send them away that they might earn their bread in the world each got a little scrip with some food in it and then they went their way now when they had walked till evening they sat down on a windfall in the wood and took out their scrips for they were hungry after walking the whole day and thought a morsel of food would be sweet enough
if you're of my mind said untrue i think we had better eat out of your scrip so long as there is anything in it and after that we can take to mine yes true was well pleased with this so they fell to eating but untrue got all the best bits and stuffed himself with them while true got only the burnt crusts and scraps Next morning they broke their fast off True's food, and they dined off it too. And then there was nothing left in his scrip. So when they had walked till late at night and were ready to eat again, True wanted to eat out of his brother's scrip. But Untrue said no, the food was his, and he had only enough for himself. Nay, but you know you ate out of my script so long as there was anything in it, said True.
All very fine, I dare say, answered Untrue. But if you are such a fool as to let others eat up your food before your face, you must make the best of it. For now, all you have to do is sit here and starve. very well said true you're untrue by name and untrue by nature so you have been and so you will be all your life long now when untrue heard this he flew into a rage and rushed at his brother and plucked out both his eyes now try if you can see whether folk are untrue or not you blind buzzard and so saying he ran away and left him poor true there he went walking along and feeling his way through the thick wood blind and alone he scarce knew which way to turn when all at once he caught hold of the trunk of a great bushy lime-tree so he thought he would climb up into it and sit there until the night was over for fear of the wild beasts
when the birds begin to sing he said to himself then i shall know it is day and i can try to grope my way farther on so he climbed up into the lime tree after he had sat there a little time he heard how some one came and began to make a stir and clatter under the tree and soon after others came and when they began to greet one another he found out it was bruin the bear and gray legs the wolf and sly boots the fox and long ears the hare who had come to keep st john's eve under the tree so they began to eat and drink and be merry and when they had done eating they fell to gossiping together at last the fox said shan't we each of us tell a little story while we sit here well the others had nothing against that it would be good fun they said and the bear began for you may fancy he was king of the company
the king of england said bruin has such bad eyesight that he can scarce see a yard before him but if he only came to this lime-tree in the morning while the dew is still on the leaves and took and rubbed his eyes with the dew he would get back his sight as good as ever very true said graylegs the king of england has a deaf and dumb daughter too but if he only knew what i know he would soon cure her last year she went to the communion she let a crumb of the bread fall out of her mouth and a great toad came and swallowed it down but if they only dug up the chancel floor they would find the toad sitting right under the altar rails with the bread still sticking in his throat if they were to cut the toad open and take and give the bread to the princess she would be like other folk again as to her speech and hearing
that is all very well said the fox but if the king of england knew what i know he would not be so badly off for water in his palace for under the great stone in his palace yard is a spring of the clearest water one could wish for if he only knew to dig for it there
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What happens in the opening tale of the brothers True and Untrue?
0:00–3:25:15
2
How does the story shift to the widow and her three daughters?
3:25:15–3:25:46
3
What new adventure begins after the end of chapter 2?
3:25:46–4:08:38
4
How does the tale of the Three Princesses of White‑Land conclude?
4:08:38–5:13:31
5
What tricks does Rich Peter the Peddler use to get rid of the miller’s son?
5:13:31–6:10:06
6
How does the lassie’s foster‑mother punish her for opening the forbidden rooms?
6:10:06–7:06:24
7
What happens when Boots meets the troll and the three ugly aunts?
7:06:24–7:36:19
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