the place of honor by the youngest
bridegroom. When they had sat at the table for a short time, the
Master-maid took out the cock, and the hen, and the golden apple which
she had brought away with her from the giant's house, and set them on
the table in front of her, and instantly the cock and the hen began to
fight with each other for the golden apple.

"Oh! look how those two there are fighting for the golden apple," said
the King's son.

"Yes, and so did we two fight to get out that time when we were in the
mountain," said the Master-maid.

So the Prince knew her again, and you may imagine how delighted he was.
He ordered the troll-witch who had rolled the apple to him to be torn
in pieces between four-and-twenty horses, so that not a bit of her was
left, and then for the first time they began really to keep the wedding,
and, weary as they were, the sheriff, the attorney, and the bailiff kept
it up too.(1)

(1) Asbjornsen and Moe.

WHY THE SEA IS SALT

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there were two brothers, the one rich
and the other poor. When Christmas Eve came, the poor one had not a bite
in the house, either of meat or bread; so he went to his brother, and
begged him, in God's name, to give him something for Christmas Day. It
was by no means the first time that the brother had been forced to give
something to him, and he was not better pleased at being asked now than
he generally was.

"If you will do what I ask you, you shall have a whole ham," said he.
The poor one immediately thanked him, and promised this.

"Well, here is the ham, and now you must go straight to Dead Man's
Hall," said the rich brother, throwing the ham to him.

"Well, I will do what I have promised," said the other, and he took
the ham and set off. He went on and on for the livelong day, and at
nightfall he came to a place where there was a bright light.

"I have no doubt this is the place," thought the man with the ham.

An old man with a long white beard was standing in the outhouse,
chopping Yule logs.

"Good-evening," said the man with the ham.

"Good-evening to you. Where are you going at this late hour?" said the
man.

"I am going to Dead Man's Hall, if only I am on the right track,"
answered the poor man.

"Oh! yes, you are right enough, for it is here," said the old man. "When
you get inside they will all want to buy your ham, for they don't get
much meat to eat there; but you must not sell it unless