“Not much worth talking about; there ought to be a little food in it,” answered Ashiepattle.
“If you’ll give me a little of it I’ll help you, said the man.
“With all my heart,” said Ashiepattle, “but there is nothing but some oatmeal cakes and a drop of flat beer.”
It didn’t matter what it was, the man said; if he only got some of it he would be sure to help Ashiepattle.
When they came up to an old oak in the wood the man said to the lad, “Now you must cut off a chip and then put it back again in exactly the same place, and when you have done that you can lie down and go to sleep.”
Ashiepattle did as he was told and then lay down to sleep, and in his sleep lie thought he heard somebody cutting and hammering and sawing and carpentering, but he could not wake up till the man called him; then the ship stood quite finished by the side of the oak.
“Now you must go on board and everyone you meet you must take with you,” said the man. Espen Ashiepattle thanked him for the ship, said he would do so, and then sailed away.
When he had sailed some distance he came to a long, thin tramp, who was lying near some rocks, eating stones.
“What sort of a fellow are you, that you lie there eating stones?” asked Ashiepattle. The tramp said he was so fond of meat he could never get enough, therefore he was obliged to eat stones. And then he asked if he might go with him in the ship.
“If you want to go with us, you must make haste and get on board,” said Ashiepattle.