y chattered and talked about many things; and they told
_Halvor_ about this thing and that; and so he asked them if they had
never had any children.

Yes, yes, they had once a lad whose name was _Halvor_, but they didn't
know whither he had wandered; they couldn't even tell whether he were
dead or alive.

"Couldn't it be me, now?" said _Halvor_.

"Let me see; I could tell him well enough," said the old wife, and
rose up. "Our _Halvor_ was so lazy and dull, he never did a thing; and
besides, he was so ragged, that one tatter took hold of the next
tatter on him. No; there never was the making of such a fine fellow
in him as you are, master."

A little while after the old wife went to the hearth to poke up the
fire, and when the blaze fell on _Halvor's_ face, just as when he was
at home of old poking about in the ashes, she knew him at once.

"Ah! but it is you after all, _Halvor_?" she cried; and then there was
such joy for the old couple, there was no end to it; and he was forced
to tell how he had fared, and the old dame was so fond and proud of
him, nothing would do but he must go up at once to the farmer's, and
show himself to the lassies, who had always looked down on him. And
off she went first, and _Halvor_ followed after. So, when she got up
there, she told them all how _Halvor_ had come home again, and now
they should only just see how grand he was, for, said she, "he looks
like nothing but a King's son."

"All very fine," said the lassies, and tossed up their heads. "We'll
be bound he's just the same beggarly ragged boy he always was."

Just then in walked _Halvor_, and then the lassies were all so taken
aback, they forgot their sarks in the ingle, where they were sitting
darning their clothes, and ran out in their smocks. Well, when they
were got back again, they were so shamefaced they scarce dared look at
_Halvor_, towards whom they had always been proud and haughty.

"Aye, aye," said _Halvor_, "you always thought yourselves so pretty
and neat, no one could come near you; but now you should just see the
eldest _Princess_ I have set free; against her you look just like
milkmaids, and the midmost is prettier still; but the youngest, who is
my sweetheart, she's fairer than both sun and moon. Would to Heaven
they were only here," said _Halvor_, "then you'd see what you would
see."

He had scarce uttered these words before there they stood, but then he
felt so sorry, for now what they had said came into