asked the daughter.
  "That depends upon wind and weather," said the elf king; "theytravel economically. They will come when there is the chance of aship. I wanted them to come over to Sweden, but the old man was notinclined to take my advice. He does not go forward with the times, andthat I do not like."
  Two will-o'-the-wisps came jumping in, one quicker than the other,so of course, one arrived first. "They are coming! they are coming!"he cried.
  "Give me my crown," said the elf king, "and let me stand in themoonshine."
  The daughters drew on their shawls and bowed down to the ground.There stood the old goblin from the Dovre mountains, with his crown ofhardened ice and polished fir-cones. Besides this, he wore abear-skin, and great, warm boots, while his sons went with theirthroats bare and wore no braces, for they were strong men.
  "Is that a hill?" said the youngest of the boys, pointing to theelf hill, "we should call it a hole in Norway."
  "Boys," said the old man, "a hole goes in, and a hill standsout; have you no eyes in your heads?"
  Another thing they wondered at was, that they were able withouttrouble to understand the language.
  "Take care," said the old man, "or people will think you havenot been well brought up."
  Then they entered the elfin hill, where the select and grandcompany were assembled, and so quickly had they appeared that theyseemed to have been blown together. But for each guest the neatest andpleasantest arrangement had been made. The sea folks sat at table ingreat water-tubs, and they said it was just like being at home. Allbehaved themselves properly excepting the two young northern goblins;they put their legs on the table and thought they were all right.
  "Feet off the table-cloth!" said the old goblin. They obeyed,but not immediately. Then they tickled the ladies who waited at table,with the fir-cones, which they carried in their pockets. They took offtheir boots, that they might be more at ease, and gave them to theladies to hold. But their father, the old goblin, was verydifferent; he talked pleasantly about the stately Norwegian rocks, andtold fine tales of the waterfalls which dashed over them with aclattering noise like thunder or the sound of an organ, spreadingtheir white foam on every side. He told of the salmon that leaps inthe rushing waters, while the water-god plays on his golden harp. Hespoke of the bright winter nights, when the sledge bells areringing, and the boys run with burning torches across the smoothice, which is so transparent that they can see the fishes dart forwardbeneath their feet. He described everything so clearly, that those wholistened could see it all; they could see the saw-mills going, themen-servants and the maidens singing songs, and dancing a rattlingdance,- when all at once the old goblin gave the old elfin maiden akiss, such a tremendous kiss, and yet they were almost strangers toeach other.
  Then the elfin girls had to dance, first in the usual way, andthen with stamping feet, which they performed very well; then followedthe artistic and solo dance. Dear me, how they did throw their legsabout! No one could tell where the dance begun, or where it ended, norindeed which were legs and which were arms, for they were all flyingabout together, like the shavings in a saw-pit! And then they spunround so quickly that the death-horse and the grave-pig became sickand giddy, and were obliged to leave the table.
  "Stop!" cried the old goblin," is that the only house-keeping theycan perform?