s, and the longer he listened to him, the more
thoughtful he became.

"I wonder why you told me that story?" remarked the boy.

"I just happened to think of it as I stood here, gazing up at
Sonfjaellet," replied the raven.

Now they had travelled farther down Lake Ljusna and in an hour or so
they came to Kolsaett, close to the border of Haelsingland. Here the raven
alighted near a little hut that had no windows--only a shutter. From the
chimney rose sparks and smoke, and from within the sound of heavy
hammering was heard.

"Whenever I see this smithy," observed the raven, "I'm reminded that, in
former times, there were such skilled blacksmiths here in Haerjedalen,
more especially in this village--that they couldn't be matched in the
whole country."

"Perhaps you also remember a story about them?" said the boy.

"Yes," returned Bataki, "I remember one about a smith from Haerjedalen
who once invited two other master blacksmiths--one from Dalecarlia and
one from Vermland--to compete with him at nail-making. The challenge was
accepted and the three blacksmiths met here at Kolsaett. The Dalecarlian
began. He forged a dozen nails, so even and smooth and sharp that they
couldn't be improved upon. After him came the Vermlander. He, too,
forged a dozen nails, which were quite perfect and, moreover, he
finished them in half the time that it took the Dalecarlian. When the
judges saw this they said to the Haerjedal smith that it wouldn't be
worth while for him to try, since he could not forge better than the
Dalecarlian or faster than the Vermlander.

"'I sha'n't give up! There must be still another way of excelling,'
insisted the Haerjedal smith.

"He placed the iron on the anvil without heating it at the forge; he
simply hammered it hot and forged nail after nail, without the use of
either anvil or bellows. None of the judges had ever seen a blacksmith
wield a hammer more masterfully, and the Haerjedal smith was proclaimed
the best in the land."

With these remarks Bataki subsided, and the boy grew even more
thoughtful.

"I wonder what your purpose was in telling me that?" he queried.

"The story dropped into my mind when I saw the old smithy again," said
Bataki in an offhand manner.

The two travellers rose again into the air and the raven carried the boy
southward till they came to Lillhaerdal Parish, where he alighted on a
leafy mound at the top of a ridge.

"I wonder if you know upon what mound you are standi