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Why the Sea is Salty (Norwegian folktale- adapted version)
Thursday, September 8, 2011 @ 11:17 PM |
comment (0) Once upon a time, a really really long time ago, there lived two brothers. One was rich while the other was poor.One Christmas Eve, the poor brother found that he hadn't anything to eat in his house so he went to his brother and begged for food to celebrate Christmas with. The rich brother had been forced to help his brother quite a few times so he wasn't exactly overjoyed to see his brother at his door but he said "if I give you a side of bacon, you must promise to do whatever I tell you to do" The poor brother was desperate so he agreed and thanked him repeatedly. So the rich brother went and got a side of bacon, and said "Here's the side of bacon, now go to hell!" That was pretty rude of the rich brother but I believe both of them took the rich brother's words to be literal 'cause the poor brother replied "I have given my word, so I ought to stick to it". So he took the side of bacon, and went on his way to look for hell. He walked and he walked until it was dusk when the woods were dark and gloomy and the sky was a dusty blue. He finally came to a place where there was a very bright light and outside he saw an old man with a long white beard. The old man told him he had come to hell and that meat was scarce in hell so he ought to go in and exchange the bacon for nothin' less than the quern behind the door. After that, the old man would teach him how to use the quern to grind out almost any kind of food he liked. So he went in and bargained with those associated with hell for the quern behind the door. At first they wouldn't exchange the quern but when they finally did, the poor brother rushed out with the quern and the old man taught him how to use it. After thanking the old man, he rushed back home for the woods were dark and gloomy and there was a Christmas dinner to be had. At first, his wife was upset 'cause he was late and there was no food to be had, so her husband took out the quern and told it what to make. Then she was amazed, for the quern had ground out a table cloth and a table and pretty lights and all sorts of delicious food but try as she might, she couldn't get him to tell her where he had gotten the quern from. So the poor brother invited all his friends over and they feasted all through the 12 days of Christmas. His brother was upset 'cause he was the spiteful sort and the idea of his brother who had just yesterday begged him for bacon yet was now feasting like a king made him fume with anger and jealousy. So he asked the 'poor' brother where he had gotten all the food from but all his brother would say was that it came from behind a door which wasn't in the least helpful. However, the brother with the quern got a bit tipsy from all that wine and merry-making that he told his brother about the quern and even showed it to him upon which his brother made a deal with him to pay him $3oo and in exchange, the drunk brother would be able to keep the quern till harvest time. So the brother with the quern made enough food to last him for a few years and at harvest time in the morning, he passed it to his rich brother who was now less rich than he was. The rich brother was very excited and after receiving the quern, he ground some herbs and herring and broth with the quern so that his men/ field-hands could have some broth for dinner and told the quern "Grind herrings and herbs and broth and grind them good and fast". However, his brother had neglected to tell him how to stop the quern and pretty soon the quern had ground out so much broth that it filled the whole house and swept out into the fields with the man who had ordered the quern to grind broth, running for his life. In the end, he begged his brother to stop the quern but his brother wouldn't unless he got another $300 so the brother paid and also got him to take the quern back. So, with the quern back in his hands, the master of the quern ground gold to cover his plates and his house and people came from all over the world to see the golden house, the rich man, and the magic quern. One day, a sailor came to visit the brother with the quern and the first thing he asked was whether or not it could grind salt. This was because, salt could be used to cure meat and whatnot and also as a means to preserve certain foods and the sailor thought to himself that if he could have the quern, he could voyage for almost as long as he liked and would not need to cross stormy seas in desperate search of food. The brother with the quern wouldn't hear of parting with it, but after much pleading and begging from the sailor, he let him have it for a large sum of money. After receiving the quern, the sailor paid and left as fast as he could for he was afraid that the man would want the quern back, so he never asked how to stop it. The sailor got on his ship and set sail and then he told the quern "Grind me some salt, and grind it good and fast!" The quern did as it was told and ground salt until the ship was full. However, try as he might to stop it, it was no good and the ship eventually sank with a mountain of salt in it. The quern sank to the bottom of the ocean as well and grinds away at this very day, and that is why the sea is salty. |