Now, for the first time in his life, he was amazed and crestfallen.
“O God! What have I now done!” he cried.
His knees smote together and the sweat ran copiously from every pore.
“Here you have your reward,” said the Troll woman, who now reappeared and threw a dollar piece to Pelle, so that it fell in his open hand, to which it stuck fast, and hastily picking up the dead child bore it away.
In a rage, Pelle threw the dollar piece after the vanishing figure, at the same time calling out:
“I will take no pay from you for such a deed. Here you have your gift again, you detestable Troll.”
A hoarse laugh answered from the mountain.
Pelle went home. The child was absent. His wife cried, but Pelle kept still and went to the ale house. He had no money with which to buy brandy in order to drown his sorrows, but after his old custom he stuck his fingers in his vest pocket to feel if there might not be a penny there. Behold! There was the dollar piece which he had recently cast from him. He dropped it upon the ale house counter and received a drink which truly made him forget his dead child, his wife, himself, heaven, hell and all.
When he became sober the coin was again found in his pocket. He again threw it away, and several times thereafter, but always found it in his pocket when searching it for money. So he continued to drink more and more daily, until, finally, he drank himself into that sleep that knows no waking.
So goes the story of Pelle Katt and the Trolls in Skurugata. [[45]]