|| A folktale from Denmark ||
There was once a handsome young man by the name of Tom. He worked hard in his small farm and provided for his parents and himself. An uncle passed on and left him his house and farm. As he was now quite well to do and settled, he set out to find a bride for himself.
Tom wanted a wife who was intelligent and industrious and kind to his parents.
One day he rode over to a rich farmer who lived in the neighborhood and who had three daughters, all of whom were ready to be married at once.
He had seen them, although he had never talked with any of them and thought well of all three. These girls are all very beautiful and none of them spoke outside, so the people thought they were wise.
“Any one of them would them would do finely as my bride”, he thought.
When Tom visited their house, he was received kindly and was shown into the room where the three girls sat spinning diligently. They nodded kindly to him and smiled, but did not utter a sound, as their mother had strictly forbidden them to do so.
The farmer led the talking, while his wife waited on them with good food and drinks. The girls kept spinning, and looked at the young man at the table, and glanced at each other and at the ceiling and out of the windows, but none of them spoke.
After a while one sister happened to break her yarn. “My yaln bloke!”, she exclaimed.
“Tie it adain,” advised her sister.
“Mamma told us we say nodin’, and now we can’d sdop dalkin!” broke in the third one.
When Tom heard these grown girls talk like babies he hurried away. He needed a wife who could help him manage the home and barn and his parents. She needed to be able to talk distinctly.
He proceeded to another farm, where they had a daughter who was said to be a very fine girl. Tom went into the house and saw her. If the first three ones had been too silent, this one was fluent and talked fine. But she was talkative than any other girl he had ever met. She talked like a house on fire, non-stop, while her spinning wheel went more rapidly than any engine.
“How long does it take you to use up such a bag of flax (fibre or thread used in spinning) ?” asked Tom.
“Oh,” she said, “I use up a couple of them every day.”
“That’s quite a lot. Wonder if she is indeed telling the truth”, he thought. He decided to test.
While she left the room a few minutes, Tom took the key to the chest of drawers, that was sitting nearby and stuffed it into the head of flax.
When she returned they finished their conversation. He bid her parents and the girl good-bye, promising to call again in a week. A
fter a week, Tom visited again. When he came into the room the girl was busy polishing the spinning wheel.
She bid him welcome, and invited him to sit down. They got to talking and Tom was offered tea and refreshments.
“You know!”, she said. “We have been missing the key of that chest of drawers ever since you were here. We are unable to find it, I have not been able to get my things!”
On hearing this, Tom went over and pulled the key out of the head of flax. It was the same key, and the very same head of flax that he had seen a week before.
Clearly, she did not spin like she claimed she did, otherwise she would have certainly found the key. He knew her word could not be depended upon; and bidding her good-bye he left at once.
Some time he travelled afterwards in the company of few travellers. From them he heard of a girl who was very pretty and good, but especially wise and thoughtful in all practical matters. Her parents were said to be the same.
Tom saddled his horse and rode over to that town to see her. The whole family was at home and received the young man very kindly.
“Kindly make yourself at home, you must have travelled far and must be hungry and tired”, welcomed the father of the girl.
The daughter was asked to bring bread and cheese from the kitchen.
The daughter went into the kitchen and sat thinking, “Should I get him bagel or rye bread, should I get him brie or parmesan cheese. If he likes the bread and cheese, then we will be married”.
After a while, her mother came and enquired what was taking so long. When she heard the reason, she too sat down thinking, “Indeed, this is an important decision”. The same thing happened with the father.
Tom grew tired of waiting, he went himself into the kitchen and found the whole family sitting on the floor and looking extremely thoughtful.
When he found that the reason, he understood the indecisiveness and told mischievously, “Keep thinking, I’ll return soon” Mounting his horse, he rode away.
Towards night, he stopped at a small inn.
The innkeeper’s daughter served the guests food and drink. Beginning with the eldest guest, she served delicious food to everyone in small portions and served them again after sometime.
One man complained, ” You silly lass! Why don’t you give more food. That way you don’t need to serve a second time and I don’t have to wait”. She responded, ” Good man, we serve to avoid wastage of good food and wine. It would do you good to eat slowly and enjoy your food too, we don’t want stomachs to be upset, do we?”
The man, who overheard this, was impressed her thoughtfulness and asked the innkeeper for her hand.
They were married and lived happily ever after!
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