Northern mythology

DANISH TRADITIONS. 191
mistress stood in her place with new horseshoes on her
hands and feet. Then the man related all that had taken
place ; the wife was in consequence turned out of doors^
and never got the horseshoes off her hands and feet.
The North Germans have a story (The Witch with the bridle) very
nearly resembling the foregoing. MUllenhoff, No. 310.
In Ostrel there was at one time a vast number of
witches. A huntsman^ who was in the habit of passing
by the farm of Bailer, always observed in the neighbourhood
either a hare or a wild duck; yet_, notwithstanding
that he shot (and was a sure shot), he never could hit
either the one or the other. He once saw a duck lying
in the water close by the farm, at which he shot many
times, but the duck remained quite still and seemed not
to notice the firing. As now neither shot nor slug would
hit it, he cut a silver button from his jacket, said three
Aves over it and put it into his piece. Now he hit the
duck, which, however, flew out of the water into the farm,
and hid itself in the poultry-house. The huntsman followed
and told the people, who were sitting at supper,
what he had done, and demanded the duck he had shot.
The master told him he might go into the kitchen and
speak to the servant maid, who would see to get him his
duck.
When he entered the kitchen there sat an ugly old
beldam by the chimney, with only one shoe on, while the
blood was running down her leg. She said she had fallen
down and cut herself, but the huntsman knew instantly
that it was the witch that he had shot, and hurried out of
the place with all possible speed.
At Brondsted Mark, in the diocese of Ribe, there is
shown a spot near the forest, where in former days a castle
is said to have stood. In this castle dwelt a lady who