r
father was come, and asked him to go and buy some beef to make broth
with.

'We can get it easier than that!' said the troll.

He fixed an iron spike into one of the beams of the roof, and ran his
head against this till he had knocked several large pieces off his head.
He was just as well as ever after doing this, and they got their broth
without further trouble.

The troll then gave the old man a sackful of money, and laden with this
he betook himself homewards. When he came near his home he remembered
that he had a cow about to calve, so he laid down the money on the
ground, ran home as fast as he could, and asked his wife whether the cow
had calved yet.

'What kind of a hurry is this to come home in?' said she. 'No, the cow
has not calved yet.'

'Then you must come out and help me in with a sackful of money,' said
the man.

'A sackful of money?' cried his wife.

'Yes, a sackful of money,' said he. 'Is that so very wonderful?'

His wife did not believe very much what he told her, but she humoured
him, and went out with him.

When they came to the spot where he had left it there was no money
there; a thief had come along and stolen it. His wife then grew angry
and scolded him heartily.

'Well, well!' said he, 'hang the money! I know what I have learned.'

'What have you learned?' said she.

'Ah! I know that,' said the man.

After some time had passed the man had a mind to visit his second eldest
daughter. His wife again gave him some dry bread to eat, and when he
grew tired and hungry he sat down on the east side of a mound and began
to eat it. As he sat there his daughter came up out of the mound, and
invited him to come inside, which he did very willingly.

Soon after this the troll came home. It was dark by that time, and his
wife bade him go and buy some candles.

'Oh, we shall soon get a light,' said the troll. With that he dipped his
fingers into the fire, and they then gave light without being burned in
the least.

The old man got two sacks of money here, and plodded away homewards with
these. When he was very nearly home he again thought of the cow that
was with calf, so he laid down the money, ran home, and asked his wife
whether the cow had calved yet.

'Whatever is the matter with you?' said she. 'You come hurrying as if
the whole house was about to fall. You may set your mind at rest: the
cow has not calved yet.'

The man now asked her to come and help him home with the two sacks