Northern mythology

194 NETHERLANDISH TRADITIONS.
— a
his terrified rider. While the poor fellow is struggling to
save himself, Kludde lays himself with his belly flat on
the ground and sets up a fiendish laugh, until his victim,
sullen and angry, shall have worked himself out of his
bath.
Occasionally Kludde assumes the form of a cat, a frog,
a bat, or any other animal.
by two little blue flames, which fluttering
before him.
His approach may be known
and dancing go
These flames are, as far as can be ascertained,
the eyes of the spectre. It is difficult to escape from
Kludde, even by running from him at the utmost speed
m a zigzag ; for, like a snake, he will wind in all directions
with equal rapidity.
When this spectre takes his flight, he cries :
" Kludde,
Kludde \'' w^hence comes his name.
In the neighbourhood of Ostend Kludde is kno\\Ti as a
Water-necker (Water-nix), and in the flat country about
that town as a Werwolf.
As two young men and a girl were going along in the
country, one of them, who was the lover of the girl,
said
to his comrade: "Stop for a moment, I see something
yonder." "What dost thou see?" asked the other.
" Kludde," was the answer. " See, now he is a dog
now he is growing up high—now he is little again—
sheep—no, a cat " and thus he went on talking, while
neither his companion nor the girl could perceive anything.
His friend at length said "
: If thou seest Kludde again,
let me know, and I will go up to him." " Then go now,"
eaid the other, "he is just running before me." His friend
went accordingly, but could see nothing of Kludde.
So it lasted until they came to the house of the young
man who had all along seen the spectre running before
him. Before the house there lay a flat stone, under which