ABSTRACT

In Steenholt there was once a miller, who had the bad luck that every seven years his mill burnt down, exactly to the day, and then all the people who were in the mill were killed as well. Now there came a journeyman miller one time, who wanted to find work. Then the master says ‘No,’ he can’t give him any work; the day after tomorrow will be just seven years since his mill was burnt, it will burn up again. The journeyman says, give him the mill, then it won’t burn up. The master says, ‘We can try it; if the mill doesn’t burn up, I’ll give it to him and he shall have my daughter as well.’—Now when the night came, the journeyman stayed all alone in the mill, he makes the doors and windows fast shut, but at ten o’clock something knocks on the door. The journeyman won’t let anyone in and says, ‘Tonight everything in the mill is going to be killed; just you stay outside.’ The man says, ‘Just let me in, it could be that I can be your rescuer tonight.’ So he lets him in and invites him to the table. Now when he makes a light, he sees a carl who has a great bear.