t once the husband and wife were
invited to a christening in the neighbourhood. The lady, however, seemed
reluctant to go, making the feminine excuse that the distance was too
far to walk. Her husband told her to fetch one of the horses from the
field. "I will," said she, "if you will bring me my gloves, which I left
in the house." He went, and, returning with the gloves, found that she
had not gone for the horse, so he jocularly slapped her shoulder with
one of the gloves, saying: "Go, go!" Whereupon she reminded him of the
condition that he was not to strike her without a cause, and warned him
to be more careful in future. Another time, when they were together at a
wedding, she burst out sobbing amid the joy and mirth of all around her.
Her husband touched her on the shoulder and inquired the cause of her
weeping. She replied: "Now people are entering into trouble; and your
troubles are likely to commence, as you have the second time stricken me
without a cause." Finding how very wide an interpretation she put upon
the "causeless blows," the unfortunate husband did his best to avoid
anything which could give occasion for the third and last blow. But one
day they were together at a funeral, where, in the midst of the grief,
she appeared in the highest spirits and indulged in immoderate fits of
laughter. Her husband was so shocked that he touched her, saying:
"Hush, hush! don't laugh!" She retorted that she laughed "because
people, when they die, go out of trouble"; and, rising up, she left the
house, exclaiming: "The last blow has been struck; our marriage contract
is broken, and at an end! Farewell!" Hurrying home, she called together
all her fairy cattle, walked off with them to the lake, and vanished in
its waters. Even a little black calf, slaughtered and suspended on the
hook, descended alive and well again to obey his mistress' summons; and
four grey oxen, which were ploughing, dragged the plough behind them as
they went, leaving a well-marked furrow, that remains to this day "to
witness if I lie." The remaining version, with some differences of
detail, represents the same eccentric pessimism on the lady's part
(presumably attributable to the greater spiritual insight of her
supernatural character), as the cause of the husband's not unwarranted
annoyance and of his breach of the agreement. She had borne him three
fair sons; and although she had quitted her husband for ever, she
continued to manifest herself occasio