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THE TRAVELLER
- THE traveller stopped, and, throwing down the reins,
- Jumped from his seat;
- He blew his nails, the cold was in his veins
- And nipped his feet.
- A lonely house stood nigh upon the hill,
- And here he asked
- For meat and bread, a shelter from the chill
- Of that night’s blast.
- The countryman stared at the traveller’s face;
- “Come, wife,” called he,
- “Give him our best, but bless my soul, this place
- Would starve a flea.
- “Our best indeed is naught but hard black bread,
- A scanty store!”
- “Unbridle me my milk‐white goats,” then said
- The traveller, Thor.
- “For I will kill them and a feast will make
- For every one;
- But bid your children not to lose or break
- A single bone.”
- “I wonder why,” thought Thialfi, the son,
- And as they ate
- He found a bone, a very little one,
- Upon his plate:
- “There can’t be any harm in breaking this
- To suck the marrow—
- Such lots of bones! if one should go amiss,
- A goat’s no sparrow!”
- Next day the children woke in haste to see
- The traveller start:
- “Now bring the goat‐skins and the bones to me,
- And fetch my cart.”
- Then over the dry bones the traveller stood
- And whispered low;
- Thialfi muttered, “Why, what is the good—?”
- Then he cried, “Oh—o—o!!”
- For by the cart there stood two milk‐white goats
- Alive and well,
- Both sleek and trim with smooth and glossy coats
- And tinkling bell.
- But ah! why is it that one goes so lame
- Across the grass,—
- What greedy little boy have we to blame?
- Alas, alas!
- Then fell Thialfi on his trembling knees,
- “Oh, Sir,” he cried,
- “I broke the bone, but oh, forgive me, please!”
- Kind Thor replied:
- “Since you have told the truth, nor tried to lie,
- You shall go free.”
- A lesson to us all in “wondering why,”
- Then let this be.
