Interactive Reading

Ola stopped at the smokehouse. He stuffed a large
sausage into his knapsack. Then he set out, following the
path that wound along the stream.
The path took Ola high into the mountains. It led to
the foot of a rushing waterfall.
Ola stood by the falls, listening. He heard music in
the tumbling water that sounded like notes played on a
harp. The sweet, mysterious music sang to the waterfall.
It danced in the silver spray. Ola had never heard anything
so beautiful in his life. There is magic in this place, he
thought.
“Grim!” he called. “Fosse-Grim, are you here?”
A curious creature emerged from the pool beneath the
falls. Its skin was mottled green, and it cradled a harp in its
arms. Strands of green, silky hair, like long threads of algae,
hung to its shoulders. It drew its fingers across the harp and
spoke in a voice like splashing water.
“What do you want, boy?”
“I need your help, Grim,” Ola said. “I want to play the
fiddle so badly.”
“Let me hear you.”
Ola took his fiddle from his knapsack. Tuning the
strings as best he could, he took up his bow and began
to play.
“Stop! Stop!” cried the grim. “You’re hurting my ears!
There is nothing I can teach you, boy. You want to play
70
Underline the words in the
paragraph beginning at line
75 that personify the music—
that is, that describe the
music doing things that only
humans do.
In the paragraph beginning
at line 82, what similes does
the writer use to help you
imagine what the grim looks
like? Underline them.
280 Interactive Reading: Teacher’s Edition
80
Most folk tales have very
strong plot lines. Folk tales
focus more on the story than
they do on the characters. At
this point in the plot, what
does the main character
want? What problems does
he have getting what he
wants?
He wants to play the
The fiddler put down his tankard. He leaned over
to Ola and whispered in his ear, “How badly do you want
to play?”
“Oh, very badly, sir!”
“I was once like you,” the fiddler said. “I, too, wanted
to play badly. And I did. Very badly! So I went to see the
fosse-grim.”
“Who’s that?” Ola asked.
“The fosse-grim is a troll. He lives below a waterfall.
Sometimes, if you listen closely, you’ll hear him playing his
harp. The grim is a master musician. He can play any
instrument. He can teach you how to play your fiddle. But
he won’t do it for nothing. You must bring him a gift. The
greater the gift, the greater the learning.”
“What sort of gift should I bring?” Ola asked.
“The fosse-grim likes meat,” the fiddler said. “Bring
A tankard (line 43) is a large
drinking cup with a handle
and often a hinged lid.
A troll (line 51) is a figure in
Scandinavian folklore. Trolls
are from a race of imaginary
beings, often with special
powers or skills.
50
What detail on this page
explains the story’s title?
The word grim in the
title refers to the troll.
him something to eat.”
fiddle. The problem is
that he plays badly.
90
mottled (mät√¥ld) adj.:
streaked or spotted in
different colors or shades.
badly. And you do!”
The next day Ola finished his chores early. He took his
fiddle and set out for the mountains. “I’m going to practice
awhile,” he told his family.
“Come back before dark,” his father said. “I don’t want
the trolls to get you.”
“Take something to eat in case you get hungry,” his
mother added.
No one told Ola not to go. As much as they cared
about him, they were grateful not to have to hear him
practicing.
60
• • • • • • Notes • • • • • •
Chapter 8
Pupil Pages 292–329
Algae (al√j≤) are microscopic
organisms found in damp
places.
Ola and the Grim 321
320 Chapter 8 You the Critic