WORLD OF STORIES FOR KIDS

NORWEGIAN FOLK TALES

Three strong waves

IN THE old days they believed in skipper's yarn like gospel.
YOUR OLD grand-grandfather or something like that told a very special story a lot of times. He had been sailing with a particular skipper as boy one summer, but when they were going out on a trip in the autumn, he got a sullen fit and would not join the ship.
      The skipper rather liked him, for although he was a young hand, he was very handy, and knew his work well. Besides, he was a big and strong lad, and was not frightened to bend his back over a rope. In fact, he was almost as useful as an able seaman already, and always in a merry, lively mood. He often kept up the spirits of all on board, so the skipper did not like the idea of losing him.
      But the lad had no mind to spend the autumn nights on salt water. He would, however, stay on board till the cargo was in and they were ready to sail.
      Then one Sunday, when the crew had liberty ashore, and the skipper was gone to see a timber-dealer about some planks and firewood for deck cargo, the boy was to keep on board and look after the vessel. And this lad was born on a Sunday, and had found a card with the four of clubs; therefore he was a seer. So he could see the supernatural people, but they could not see him.
      All at once, as he sat forward in the forecastle, he heard someone speaking in the hold. He peeped through a crevice and saw three coal-black ravens sitting on a cross beam and talking about their husbands, whom they were all tired of and whom they wished at the bottom of the sea. It was easy to understand that they were witches who had turned themselves into ravens.
      "But are you sure that nobody hears us?" asked one of the ravens. The boy knew by the voice that it was the skipper's wife.
      "No of course not," said the other two, who were the wives of the first and second mates, "there is none on board."
      "Well, then I'll tell you; I know a good way to get rid of them," said the skipper's wife, and jumped closer to the other two; "we'll make ourselves into three heavy seas, and strike the vessel and sink it with all hands."
      The other ravens thought that was the great way of doing it. Now they remained some time and talked about the time and place.
      "But I suppose no one hears us?" said the skipper's wire again.
      "Well, you know that," answered the other two.
      "You see, there is a remedy they could use against us which, if it were used, would be a serious thing for us and would cost our lives."
      "What is that, sister," said one of the mates' wives.
      "But are you sure that no one hears us? I thought I saw some smoke from the forecastle."
      "You know there isn't anyone! We've looked into every corner. They forgot to put out the fire in the stove, that's the reason it smokes," said the mates' wives. "Tell about the remedy!"
      "If they buy three cords of birch logs," said the witch, "- but they must be exact measure and there is to be no bargaining about the price - and if they throw overboard the one cord of logs, piece by piece, when the first sea comes, and the second cord, piece by piece, when the second sea comes, and the third cord, piece by piece, when the third sea comes, then it's all over with us."
      "Yes, that's true, sister, then it's all over with us, then it's all over with us!" said the mates' wives; "but nobody knows it." They screeched and laughed aloud, and then they flew up through the main hatch, and screeched and gobbled like ravens.
      When they were ready to sail, the lad would not for the life of him go on the ship for all the skipper talked to him and promised him. There was no help for it, he would on no account go in the ship. At last they asked him if he was afraid, since it was getting so late in the autumn. Maybe he would rather sit in the chimney-corner behind his mother's petticoats?
      "No," said the lad, he was not afraid; he thought they never had seen any sign of his being afraid, or using tricks as the land crabs might do. He would prove it to them, for now he would go with them in the ship, but on the condition that they bought three cords of birch logs, exactly measured, and that he was to have the command of the ship, as if he was the skipper, on a certain day.
      The skipper asked the meaning of this, and if he had ever heard of a boy taking the command of a vessel?
      The lad answered that it was much the same to him, but if they wouldn't buy three cords of birch logs, and obey him, as if he was the captain for one day only - and he would tell them what day beforehand - he wouldn't set his foot on board any more. Still less would he dirty his hands in pitch and tar on board that ship. That's what he said.
      The skipper thought it was a very strange idea, and that he was a strange lad altogether, but he agreed at last, because he had set his heart on having the boy with him, and I suppose he thought he could easily manage him when they got out to sea.
      The mate was of the same opinion. "Oh! never mind! Let him take the command! If we go to seaward we'll have to give him a hand!" said the mate.
      So the birch logs were bought and correctly measured, and no bargaining was made about the price, and then they sailed.
      When the day arrived that the boy was to be skipper, the weather was calm and fine, but he called all men to reef sails, so the ship had scarcely any sail on her. It was just about the time when the middle watch was over and the morning watch was called. Both skipper and crew smiled and said:
      "It's easy to see who has command of the ship now; why not full the sails altogether?"
      "Not yet," said the lad, "but very shortly."
      Suddenly a squall burst on them, so violent that they thought the ship would have capsized. If they had not reefed the sails there was no doubt they would have foundered when the first squall struck the ship.
      The lad now ordered them to throw out the first cord of birch logs, but piece by piece, only one at a time, never two, and they must not touch the other two cords of wood.
      "The crew was smart in carrying out his orders now, and they did not laugh any more at him, but threw the birch logs overboard, piece by piece. When the last piece went over the side they heard a moaning as from one who is in the last pangs of death, and the next moment the squall was over.
      "The Lord be praised!" said the crew.
      "Well, I must say that you have saved both ship and cargo, and I'll report it to the owners - and stand by it," said the skipper.
      "Oh yes, that's all very well, but we haven't done with it yet," said the lad, "we'll have it worse directly," and he ordered them to furl every sail but the mizen.
      The second squall came still stronger than the first, and the crew were in a great fright. Just as it was blowing at its hardest the lad told them to throw the other cord of logs overboard. They did; they threw piece by piece, and took good care not to touch the third cord. When the last log went over the side they heard a deep groaning and wind went down.
      "We have one bout left now, and that will be the worst," said the boy, and ordered every man to his post, while the ship only went under bare poles.
      The last squall was worse than both the forerunners; the ship gave a lurch and they thought it would never right itself again. The seas washed over deck and gunwale. But the lad ordered them to throw overboard the last cord of logs, piece by piece, not two at a time. When the last log went over the side they heard the moaning of one who dies a hard death. When the wind had gone down, the sea was red as blood as far as they could see.
      When all was over the captain and the mates said they would write to their wives.
      "You may as well leave that alone," said the lad. "You haven't got any wives any more!"
      "What nonsense is that, you young whelp? No wives?" said the captain.
      "Have you finished them off, perhaps?" said the first mate.
      "Oh dear, we've all had a hand in that," answered the boy. Then he told them what he had heard and seen the Sunday he was on board keeping watch, when the crew had liberty ashore, and the skipper went to see the timber-dealer.
      When they came home they heard that their wives had disappeared the day before the storm. They had never been seen or heard of since.

BACK