“What can I do for you, my good woman?” he asked.
“Please reach me your hand and help me out. I’ve had nothing to eat for a year and I can’t get out without help.”
Olaf willingly reached down and pulled the old woman up. Then he gave her food from his bag and brought her water from a spring. She ate a large share of Olaf’s store while he good-naturedly looked on. When she had finished, she drew from her pocket a magic horn.
“Take this for your pains,” said she. “It is a wonderful horn and will help you in many ways. If you blow into the small end of it, you will scatter to the four winds whatever you wish away from you. If you blow into the large end of it, you will bring near you whatever you wish. If you should lose it, or if by chance it should be stolen from you, a wish will bring it back again.”
“A wonderful help it will be to me,” said Olaf, as he took it eagerly from the old woman’s hand.
He sauntered on again, and after some time he came to the palace of the king. The rabbits were put into his charge, and Olaf’s heart beat high when he thought of the princess he might win.
The next morning he took the rabbits out into the meadow. They danced about in high glee for several hours. But about noon, Olaf noticed two of them scamper away to the woods. These two were soon followed by others. “Very well,” said Olaf, “go away from me if you like.” He blew into the small end of the magic horn, and then cried out, “Be off, every one of you!” and away they scattered in every direction.
Olaf then ate his noonday lunch and stretched himself out for a nap on the soft green bank. When he awoke, the sun was low in the west. He took up the magic horn and blew into the large end of it. From every direction came the frisky rabbits dancing and hopping about him. Olaf counted them and was well pleased to find exactly the right number. When he reached the palace with the rabbits, he saw that the king, the queen, and the princess were on the lookout for him. Also he noticed that each one counted the rabbits and then glanced at the others in wonder.
“Alas!” sighed the princess, “how I wish he were of noble birth! But a farmer’s lad! Dear me!”
Day after day Olaf took the rabbits out to browse in the meadow. At noon he scattered them in the deep wood, and when the sun began to sink behind a distant hill, he gathered them together and led them back to the palace.