mes were Slagfid,
Eigil, and Wayland, all much handsomer and cleverer than their
neighbours. They had some money of their own, but this did not prevent
them working as hard as anyone else; and as they were either very
clever or very lucky, they were soon in a fair way to grow rich.

One day they went to a new part of the mountains which was yet
untouched, and began to throw up the earth with their pick-axes; but
instead of the iron they expected to see, they found they had lighted
upon a mine of gold.

This discovery pleased them greatly and their blows became stronger and
harder, for the gold was deep in the rock and it was not easy to get it
out.

At last a huge lump rolled out at their feet, and when they picked it
up they saw three stones shining in it, one red and one blue and one
green. They took it home to their mother, who began to weep bitterly
at the sight of it. "What is the matter?" asked her sons anxiously,
for they knew things lay open to her which were hidden from others.

"Ah, my sons," she said as soon as she could speak, "you will have much
happiness, but I shall be forced to part with you. Therefore I shed
tears, for I hoped that only death would divide us! Green is the
grass, blue is the sky, red are the roses, golden is the maiden. The
Noras" (for so in that country they called the Fates) "beckon you to a
land where green fields lie under a blue sky, fields where
golden-haired maidens lie among the flowers."

Great was the joy of the three brothers when they heard the words of
their mother; for they hated the looks of the women who dwelt about
them, and longed to see the maidens of the south. Next morning they
rose early and buckled on their swords and coats of mail, and fastened
on their heads helmets that they had made the day before from the lump
of gold. In the centre of Slagfid's helmet was the green stone, and in
the centre of Eigil's was the blue stone, and in the centre of
Wayland's was the red stone; and when they were ready they put their
reindeers into their sledges, and set out over the snow.

PART II.

When they reached the mountains where only yesterday they had been
digging, they saw by the light of the moon a host of little men running
to meet them. They were dressed all in grey, except for their caps,
which were red; they had red eyes, too, and black tongues, which never
ceased chattering.

These were the mountain elves, and when they came near they formed
them