. The book of romance; . stened on their headshelmets that they had made the day before from thelump of gold. In the centre of Slagfids helmet was thegreen stone, and in the centre of Eigils was the bluestone, and in the centre of Waylands was the red stone;and when they were ready they put their reindeer intotheir sledges, and set out over the snow. When they reached the mountains where only yester-day they had been digging they saw by the light of themoon a host of little men running to meet them. Theywere dressed all in grey, except for their caps, which werered; they had red eyes, too, and
. The book of romance; . stened on their headshelmets that they had made the day before from thelump of gold. In the centre of Slagfids helmet was thegreen stone, and in the centre of Eigils was the bluestone, and in the centre of Waylands was the red stone;and when they were ready they put their reindeer intotheir sledges, and set out over the snow. When they reached the mountains where only yester-day they had been digging they saw by the light of themoon a host of little men running to meet them. Theywere dressed all in grey, except for their caps, which werered; they had red eyes, too, and black tongues, whichnever ceased chattering. These were the mountain elves,and when they came near they formed themselves into afairy ring, and sang while they danced around it: Will you leave us ? Will you leave us ? Slagfid, Eigil, and Wayland, sons of a King. Is not the emerald better than grass ? Is not the ruby better than roses ? Is not the sapphire better than the sky ? Why do you leave the mountains of Finmark ?. xns T^nraa loomari by x;na stvamx WAYLAND THE SMITH 297 But Eigil was impatient and struck his reindeer, thatwilling beast which flies like the wind and needs not thetouch of a whip. It bounded forward in surprise, andknocked down one of the elves that stood in its the hands of his brothers laid hold of the reins, andstopped the reindeer, and sang again: The Finlanders world, the Finlanders joy, Lies under the earth ;Seek not without what we offer not the elves, small and dark though they be. The best is within, do not seek it without : The Finlanders world, the Finlanders joy. Lies under the earth, Slagfid struck his reindeer. It bounded forward andstruck down an elf who stood in its road. Then hisbrothers stood in its path, and stopped the reindeer, andsang: Because Slagfid struck his reindeer, Because Eigil struck his reindeer,Our hatred shall follow time of weal, a time of woe, a time of grief, a time of joy. Because Wayland a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectarthurk, bookyear1902
