der," said the parson of
Broenoe; "he seems to me to be baling with a sea-boot; and it also seems
to me as if he had neither breeches nor skin upon his legs, and the
upper part of him is neither more nor less than an empty fluttering
leather jacket."

"Parson has seen him before, I think," said Isaac.

Then the parson of Broenoe grew angry.

"By virtue of my sacred office," said he, "I adjure him to depart from
amidships."

"Na, na!" answered Isaac; "and can parson also answer for the plank that
has burst?"

Then the parson bethought him of the evil case he was in.

"The man seems to me mortally strong, and we have great need of him,"
said he; "nor is it any great sin, methinks, to help a servant of God's
over the sea. But I should like to know what he wants in return."

The billows burst, and the blast howled around him.

"Only some two or three shovels of earth on a rotten sea-boot and a
mouldy skin-jacket," said Isaac.

"If you're able to gad about again here below, I suppose there's nothing
against your being able to enter into bliss again, for all that I know,"
bawled the parson of Broenoe; "and you shall have your shovelfuls of earth
into the bargain."

Just as he said this, the water within the skerries all at once became
quite smooth, and the parson's boat drove high and dry upon the
sandbank, so that the mast cracked.

* * * * *

[1] _I.e.,_ at nothing--a house having usually only four walls.

[2] See "The Fisherman and the Draug."

[3] See "The Fisherman and the Draug."

* * * * *

_THE WIND-GNOME_

[Illustration: _THE WIND-GNOME_.]

THE WIND-GNOME

There was once a skipper of Dyrevig called Bardun. He was so headstrong
that there was no doing anything with him. Whatever he set his mind
upon, that should be done, he said, and done it always was.

If he promised to be at a dance, the girls could safely rely upon his
being there, though it blew a tempest and rained cats and dogs.

He would come scudding along on a _Faering_[1] to his father's house
through storm and stress. Row upon row of girls would be waiting for him
there, and he spanked the floor with every one of them in turn, and left
their gallants to cool their heels as best they might.

Cock-of-the-walk he always must be.

He would go shark-fishing too, and would venture with his fishing gaff
into seas where only large vessels were wont to go.

If