Why the Sea is Salt Part -2
'Keep walking straight ahead,' said the woodcutters. 'Turn neither left nor right, and soon you will be at Hiysi's hut. But listen carefully. Hiysi loves meat. He will offer you silver and gold and precious stones in gratitude. Don't accept any of those. Ask instead for his millstone. If he tries to offer you something else, refuse. Ask only for his millstone.'
The poor man thanked the woodcutters, and walked on. Very soon he saw a hut. He went inside, and there sat Hiysi, the Wood-Goblin himself.
'Why have you come here?' asked Hiysi.
'I have brought you a gift,' said the poor man. 'A cow's hoof.' And he held out the piece of meat to Hiysi.
'Meat!' cried Hiysi in delight. 'Quick, give it to me! I haven't eaten meat for thirty years!' Hiysi grabbed the hoof and ate it.
'Now I shall give you a gift in return,' said the Wood-Goblin. 'Here, take some silver,' he said, pulling out a handful of silver coins.
'No, I don't want any silver,' said the poor man.
'Gold, then?' offered Hiysi, pulling out two handfuls of gold coins.
'No. I don't want gold either,' said the poor man.
'How about some precious stones?' asked Hiysi. 'Diamonds, rubies, sapphires?'
'No, thank you, I don't want any of those either,' said the poor man.
'Well, what do you want then?' asked Hiysi.
'I want your millstone,' replied the poor man.
'My millstone!' exclaimed Hiysi. 'No, you can't have that. But I can give you anything else you like.'
'That's very kind of you,' said the poor man, 'but I only want your millstone.'
Hiysi did not know what to do. He had eaten the cow's hoof, and could not let the poor man go without a gift in return.
'Oh well,' he said at last. 'I suppose I must let you have my millstone. Take it. But do you know how to use it?'
'No,' said the poor man. 'Tell me.'
'Well,' explained Hiysi, 'this is a magic millstone. It will give you whatever you wish for. Just make your wish and say Grind, my millstone! When you have enough and want the millstone to stop, just say Enough and have done! And it will stop. Now go!'
The poor man thanked Hiysi, and wrapping the magic millstone in his tattered cloak, began walking back towards his home.
He walked and he walked and he walked, and at last reached his home. His wife was weeping, having given him up for dead. 'Where have you been?' she cried. 'I thought I'd never see you again!'
Why the Sea is Salt cont'd... 
0 Comments