Off he went and repeated to the cow his mother’s words, but she wouldn’t stand still, and he hurried to the house and told his mother.
“Well,” said his mother, “tell the cow there’s a sharp, sharp sword at the belt of the fine, fine laddie from the wars, who is beside the weary, weary lady with golden hair, who sits weeping for a sup of milk.”
He told the cow, but she wouldn’t stand still, and once more he came to the house to advise with his mother.
“Run quick,” said she, “and tell the cow that her head is going to be cut off by the sharp, sharp sword in the hands of the fine, fine laddie from the wars, if she doesn’t give the sup of milk for which the weary, weary lady weeps.”
The little boy went and told the cow, and she concluded she had better stand still. So the little boy milked the big cow, and the weary, weary lady with the golden hair stopped her weeping and got her sup of milk, and the fine, fine laddie from the wars did not have to cut off the cow’s head with his sharp, sharp sword. After that everything went well that didn’t go ill.
A BOTTLE OF BRAINS
ONCE there was a simple-minded fellow who wanted to buy a bottle of brains, for he was always getting into scrapes through his foolishness, and being laughed at by every one. Folk told him he could get whatever he wanted from the wise woman, who lived at the top of the hill, and dealt in potions and herbs and magic spells, and could tell a person all that was going to happen to him. So the simple lad asked his mother if he could seek the wise woman and buy a bottle of brains.
“To be sure,” said she, “for you are in sore need of them, my son; and if I should die, who would take care of a poor, simple fellow such as you are. But mind your manners, and speak fair to her, my lad. These wise folk are easily mispleased.”
After he had eaten supper, off he went to the wise woman on the hill, and there he found her sitting in her kitchen by the fire stirring a big pot.