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<v Speaker 1>The Black Bull of Noroway written by Flora Annie Steele.

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<v Speaker 1>Long ago in Norway, there lived a lady who had

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<v Speaker 1>three daughters. Now, they were all pretty, and one night

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<v Speaker 1>they fell a talking of whom they meant to marry.

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<v Speaker 1>And the eldest said, I will have no one lower

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<v Speaker 1>than a king, and the second said, I will have

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<v Speaker 1>none lower than a lord. But the third, the prettiest

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<v Speaker 1>and the merriest, tossed her head and said, with a

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<v Speaker 1>twinkle in her eye, why so proud as for me,

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<v Speaker 1>I would be content with the black Bull of Norroway.

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<v Speaker 1>At that the other sisters bade her be silent and

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<v Speaker 1>not talk lightly of such a monster. No doubt, the

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<v Speaker 1>Black Bull of Norroway was held to be a horrible monster.

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<v Speaker 1>But the youngest daughter would have her laugh. So she

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<v Speaker 1>said three times that she would be content with the

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<v Speaker 1>Black Bull of Norroway. Well, it so happened that the

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<v Speaker 1>very next morning a king had come to ask the

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<v Speaker 1>hand of the eldest daughter in marriage. So there were

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<v Speaker 1>great rejoicings over the wedding, and the bride and bridegroom

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<v Speaker 1>drove away. Then the next thing that happened was that

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<v Speaker 1>a lord came swinging along the road, and he wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to marry the second daughter. So they were wed, and

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<v Speaker 1>there were great rejoicings, and the bride and bridegroom drove away.

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<v Speaker 1>Now after this there was only the youngest, the prettiest,

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<v Speaker 1>and the merriest of the sisters left, and she became

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<v Speaker 1>the apple of her mother's eye. So you may imagine

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<v Speaker 1>how the mother felt when one morning a terrible bellowing

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<v Speaker 1>was heard at the door, and there was a great,

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<v Speaker 1>big black bull waiting for his bride. She wept and

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<v Speaker 1>she wailed, and at first the girl ran away and

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<v Speaker 1>hid herself for fear. But there the bull stood waiting,

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<v Speaker 1>and at last the girl came up and said, I

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<v Speaker 1>promised I would be content with the black Bull of Norway,

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<v Speaker 1>and I must keep my word. Farewell, mother, you will

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<v Speaker 1>not see me again. Then she mounted on the black

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<v Speaker 1>bull's bag and it walked away with her quietly. The

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<v Speaker 1>bull chose the smoothest parts and the easiest roads, so

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<v Speaker 1>that at last the girl grew less afraid. But she

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<v Speaker 1>became very hungry and was nigh to faint when the

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<v Speaker 1>black bull said to her, in quite a soft voice,

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<v Speaker 1>that wasn't a bellow at all. Eat out of my

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<v Speaker 1>left ear, drink out of my right, and said, by

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<v Speaker 1>what you leave to serve the tomorrow's night. So she

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<v Speaker 1>did as she was bid, and lo, the left ear

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<v Speaker 1>was full of delicious things to eat, and the right

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<v Speaker 1>was full of the most delicious rings, and there was

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<v Speaker 1>plenty left over for several days. Thus they journeyed on

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<v Speaker 1>through many dreadful forests, and the black bull never paused

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<v Speaker 1>for bite. But ever the girl he carried ate out

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<v Speaker 1>of his left ear, and rank out of his right,

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<v Speaker 1>and said, by what she left to serve the tomorrow's night.

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<v Speaker 1>And she slept soft and warm on his broad back.

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<v Speaker 1>So it came to pass that he grew tired and

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<v Speaker 1>was limping with one foot. When just as the sun

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<v Speaker 1>was setting, they came to a beautiful palace where princes

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<v Speaker 1>and princesses were enjoying themselves with party on the green grass. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>though the company greatly wondered at the strange companions, they

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<v Speaker 1>asked the girl to join them, and ordered the grooms

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<v Speaker 1>to lead away the black bull to a field. But

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<v Speaker 1>the girl, remembering all the black bull done for her,

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<v Speaker 1>said not, so he will stay with me. Then, seeing

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<v Speaker 1>a large thorn in the foot, with which he had

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<v Speaker 1>been limping. She stooped down and pulled it out, and

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<v Speaker 1>lo and behold. In an instant, to everyone's surprise, there

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<v Speaker 1>appeared not a frightful, monstrous bull, but one of the

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<v Speaker 1>most beautiful princes ever beheld, who fell at his deliverer's feet,

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<v Speaker 1>thanking her for having broken his cruel enchantment. A wicked

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<v Speaker 1>woman who wanted to marry him, had, he said, spelled

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<v Speaker 1>him until a beautiful girl of her own free will

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<v Speaker 1>should do him a favor. But he said, the danger

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<v Speaker 1>is not all over. You have broken the enchantment by

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<v Speaker 1>night that by day has to be overcome. So the

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<v Speaker 1>next morning the prince had to resume the form of

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<v Speaker 1>a bull, and they set out together. And they rode

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<v Speaker 1>till they came to a dark and horrible valley, And

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<v Speaker 1>here he bade her dismount and sit on a great rock.

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<v Speaker 1>Here you must stay, he said, while I go and

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<v Speaker 1>fight the wicked lady. And mind move neither hand nor

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<v Speaker 1>foot while I am away, else I shall never find

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<v Speaker 1>you again. If everything around you turns blue, I shall

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<v Speaker 1>have beaten the wicked one. But if everything turns red,

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<v Speaker 1>she will have conquered me. And with that and a

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<v Speaker 1>tremendous roaring bellow, he set off to find his enemy. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>she sat as still as a mouse, moving neither hand

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<v Speaker 1>nor feet, nor even her eyes, and waited and waited

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<v Speaker 1>and waited. Then at last everything turned blue. The girl

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<v Speaker 1>overcame with joy to think that her lover was victorious.

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<v Speaker 1>That she forgot to keep still, and lifting one of

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<v Speaker 1>her feet, crossed it over the other. So she waited

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<v Speaker 1>and waited, and waited long she sat, but the prince

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<v Speaker 1>never found her. At last she rose and went to

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<v Speaker 1>seek her lover through the whole wide world. So the

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<v Speaker 1>girl journeyed on until one day, in a dark forest,

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<v Speaker 1>she came to a little hut where an old woman

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<v Speaker 1>gave her food and shelter. At last she gave her

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<v Speaker 1>three nuts, a walnut, a filbert, and a hazel nut,

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<v Speaker 1>with these words, when your heart is like to break,

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<v Speaker 1>and once again is like to break, crack a nut,

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<v Speaker 1>and in its shell that will be that suits you well.

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<v Speaker 1>After this, she felt heartened up and wandered on till

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<v Speaker 1>she came to a castle, where the courtyards were full

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<v Speaker 1>of cooks and bakers, some running this way, some running that,

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<v Speaker 1>and also busy that they did not know what to

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<v Speaker 1>do first. Then she heard the horns of hunters and

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<v Speaker 1>cries of room room for the Duke of Norroway and

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<v Speaker 1>his bride. And who should ride past by the beautiful

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<v Speaker 1>prince she had but half unspelled, and by his side

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<v Speaker 1>was the wicked woman, who was determined to marry him

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<v Speaker 1>that very day. Well at the sight, she felt that

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<v Speaker 1>her heart was indeed like to break, and over again

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<v Speaker 1>was like to break, so that the time had come

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<v Speaker 1>for her to crack one of the nuts. So she

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<v Speaker 1>broke the walnut as it was the biggest, and out

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<v Speaker 1>of it came a wonderful little woman, spinning wool as

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<v Speaker 1>fast as she ever could. Now. When the wicked woman

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<v Speaker 1>saw this wonderful thing, she offered the girl her choice

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<v Speaker 1>of anything in the castle for it, if you will

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<v Speaker 1>put off your wedding with the prince for a day

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<v Speaker 1>and let me watch in his room tonight, said the girl.

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<v Speaker 1>You shall have it now. Like all wicked women, the

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<v Speaker 1>bride wanted everything her own way, and so she made

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<v Speaker 1>sure that her groom safe. She consented, But before the

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<v Speaker 1>duke went to rest, she gave him with her own

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<v Speaker 1>hands a hot drink, so made that anyone who drank

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<v Speaker 1>it would sleep till morning. Thus, though the girl was

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<v Speaker 1>allowed alone into the princess chamber, and though she spent

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<v Speaker 1>the live long night sighing and singing, far have I

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<v Speaker 1>sought for THEE? Long have I wrought? For thee near?

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<v Speaker 1>Am I brought to thee dear Duke Honoroway, Wilt you

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<v Speaker 1>say no to me? The Prince never awakened, but slept on,

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<v Speaker 1>so when they came the girl had to leave him,

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<v Speaker 1>without his ever knowing she had been there. Then once

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<v Speaker 1>again her heart was like to break, and over and

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<v Speaker 1>over again like to break, and she cracked the filbert nut.

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<v Speaker 1>But it was the next biggest, and out of it

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<v Speaker 1>came a wonderful little woman, spinning away as fast as

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<v Speaker 1>ever she could spin. Now, when the witch bride saw

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<v Speaker 1>this wonderful thing, she once again put off her wedding

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<v Speaker 1>so that she might possess it. And once again the

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<v Speaker 1>girl spent the livelong night in the Prince's chamber, sighing

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<v Speaker 1>and singing, far have I sought for thee? Long have

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<v Speaker 1>I wrought? For thee near? Am I brought to thee

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<v Speaker 1>dear dyuknor Away? Wilt you say no to me? But

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<v Speaker 1>the prince, who had drunk the sleeping drink from the

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<v Speaker 1>hands of his witch bride, never stirred, and when dawn came,

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<v Speaker 1>the girl had to leave him, without his ever knowing

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<v Speaker 1>she had been there. Then, indeed, the girl's heart was

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<v Speaker 1>like to break, and over and over and over again.

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<v Speaker 1>So she cracked the last nut, the hazel nut, and

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<v Speaker 1>out of it came the most wonderful little woman, spinning

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<v Speaker 1>away a yarn as fast as she could spin. And

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<v Speaker 1>this marvel delighted the witch bride so much that once

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<v Speaker 1>again she consented to put off her wedding for a day,

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<v Speaker 1>and allowed the girl to watch in the Duke's chamber

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<v Speaker 1>the night through, in order to possess it. Now. It

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<v Speaker 1>so happened that when the Duke was dressing that morning,

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<v Speaker 1>he heard his servants talking amongst themselves of the strange

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<v Speaker 1>sighing and singing they had heard in the night, And

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<v Speaker 1>he asked his faithful old servant, what do you mean?

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<v Speaker 1>And the old servant, who hated the wicked bride, said,

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<v Speaker 1>if the Master will take no sleeping drink tonight, mayhap

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<v Speaker 1>he may also hear what for two nights has kept

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<v Speaker 1>me awake. At this the prince marveled greatly, and when

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<v Speaker 1>the wicked bride brought him his evening drink, he made

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<v Speaker 1>excuse it was not sweet enough, and while she went

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<v Speaker 1>away to get honey to sweeten it, he poured away

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<v Speaker 1>the drink and made her belief that he had swallowed it.

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<v Speaker 1>So that night, when dark had come and the girl

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<v Speaker 1>stole into his chamber with a heavy heart, thinking it

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<v Speaker 1>would be the very last time she would ever see him,

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<v Speaker 1>the prince was really broad awake, and when she sat

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<v Speaker 1>down by his bedside and began to sing, far have

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<v Speaker 1>I sought for thee? He knew her voice at once

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<v Speaker 1>and clasped her in his arms. Then he told her

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<v Speaker 1>how he had been in the power of the wicked

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<v Speaker 1>woman and had forgotten everything, but that now he remembered all,

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<v Speaker 1>and that the spell was broken forever. So the wedding

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<v Speaker 1>feast served for their marriage, since their wicked bride, seeing

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<v Speaker 1>her power was gone, quickly fled the country and was

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<v Speaker 1>never heard of again.