and for ages they were
entirely uninhabited. They were well located between two bodies of water
and two bodies of land; but this no one remarked. Year after year
passed; people settled along Lake Maelar and in the archipelago, but
these river islands attracted no settlers. Sometimes it happened that a
seafarer put into port at one of them and pitched his tent for the
night; but no one remained there long.

"One day a fisherman, who lived on Liding Island, out in Salt Fiord,
steered his boat toward Lake Maelar, where he had such good luck with his
fishing that he forgot to start for home in time. He got no farther than
the four islets, and the best he could do was to land on one and wait
until later in the night, when there would be bright moonlight.

"It was late summer and warm. The fisherman hauled his boat on land, lay
down beside it, his head resting upon a stone, and fell asleep. When he
awoke the moon had been up a long while. It hung right above him and
shone with such splendour that it was like broad daylight.

"The man jumped to his feet and was about to push his boat into the
water, when he saw a lot of black specks moving out in the stream. A
school of seals was heading full speed for the island. When the
fisherman saw that they intended to crawl up on land, he bent down for
his spear, which he always took with him in the boat. But when he
straightened up, he saw no seals. Instead, there stood on the strand the
most beautiful young maidens, dressed in green, trailing satin robes,
with pearl crowns upon their heads. The fisherman understood that these
were mermaids who lived on desolate rock islands far out at sea and had
assumed seal disguises in order to come up on land and enjoy the
moonlight on the green islets.

"He laid down the spear very cautiously, and when the young maidens came
up on the island to play, he stole behind and surveyed them. He had
heard that sea-nymphs were so beautiful and fascinating that no one
could see them and not be enchanted by their charms; and he had to admit
that this was not too much to say of them.

"When he had stood for a while under the shadow of the trees and watched
the dance, he went down to the strand, took one of the seal skins lying
there, and hid it under a stone. Then he went back to his boat, lay down
beside it, and pretended to be asleep.

"Presently he saw the young maidens trip down to the strand to don their
seal skins. At first all was play and laugh