e from his stone in the
misty foam, and flew right over the island.

Next winter the steersman of a yacht came a wooing. For two years he had
gone about and hugged his misery for her sake, and he got the same
answer.

"If you come again in the summer time, and give me the right gold ring I
will be wedded with, something may come of it."

Out to the Vaer he came again on Midsummer Day.

But when he heard where the gold ring lay, he sat and wept the whole day
till evening, when the sun began to dance north-westward into the sea.

Then the thirteenth cormorant arose, and flew right over the island.

There was nasty weather during the third winter.

There were manifold wrecks, and on the keel of a boat, which came
driving ashore, hung an exhausted young lad by his knife-belt.

But they couldn't get the life back into him, roll and rub him about in
the boat-house as they might.

Then the girl came in.

"'Tis my bridegroom!" said she.

And she laid him in her bosom, and sat with him the whole night through,
and put warmth into his heart.

And when the morning came, his heart beat.

"Methought I lay betwixt the wings of a cormorant, and leaned my head
against its downy breast," said he.

The lad was ruddy and handsome, with curly hair, and he couldn't take
his eyes away from the girl.

He took work upon the Vaer.

But off he must needs be gadding and chatting with her, be it never so
early and never so late.

So it fared with him as it had fared with the others.

It seemed to him that he could not live without her, and on the day when
he was bound to depart, he wooed her.

"_Thee_ I will not fool," said she. "Thou hast lain on my breast, and I
would give my life to save thee from sorrow. Thou shalt have me if thou
wilt place the betrothal ring upon my finger; but longer than the day
lasts thou canst not keep me. And now I will wait, and long after thee
with a horrible longing, till the summer comes."

On Midsummer Day the youth came thither in his boat all alone.

Then she told him of the ring that he must fetch for her from among the
skerries.

"If thou hast taken me off the keel of a boat, thou mayest cast me forth
yonder again," said the lad. "Live without thee I cannot."

But as he laid hold of the oars in order to row out, she stepped into
the boat with him and sat in the stern. Wondrous fair was she!

It was beautiful summer weather, and there was a swell upon the sea:
wave followed upon wa