Northern mythology

DANISH TRADITIONS. 183
tricked in the same manner. See also ' The Devil outwitted ' in Netherlandish
Popular Traditions.
THE LADY OF KIOLBYCV^VRD.
On tlie road from Aalborg ^ to Thisted^ through
Ostrel; there lies in a valley on the left a mansion called
Kiolbygaard, in which there once dwelt a very rich
lad}^,
but who was as wicked as she was rich, and was, moreover,
devoted to sorcery. One of her greatest delights was to
hear that there were carousings and gaming at the inn on
Sundays. Among the servants of the mansion there was
one that stood high above others in her favour, to whom
she frequently showed a large chest containing silver
money, telling him that he might take as much of it as
he would, but he was never able to raise a single piece
from the chest. When he sometimes said that he wished
he had so much money, because life must then be so joyous
and pleasant, she always answered with a sigh "
: Yes,
^'
true ! were there no horrid death !
One night one of her tenants came to the mansion to
pay his rent, but found all in darkness, the family being
in bed. He walked about the place until he came to a
small apartment, in which he saw a hght. On the middle
of the floor he perceived a half-bushel measure, and immediately
a dog of ferocious aspect entered the room,
approached the measure and barked into it, and every time
he barked there fell from his mouth several pieces of silver
money into the measure, nor did he leave the place before
it was quite full. A great desire now came over the man
to take some of these silver coins, and he accordingly
helped himself to thirty new pieces and put them into his
purse. In the morning he went to the lady to pay his
rent ;
but when she saw the new money, she declared that
it had been taken from her. The man then told her what
^
A considerable town in Jutland.