THE NORWEGIAN
by Klara Stroebe · from The Norwegian Fairy Book
Adapted Version
This is Leo the Little Bear. He lives in a cozy house. His house is warm. He loves his home. Leo loves sweet honey very much. Honey makes Leo happy.
One morning, Leo wants honey. He looks for his honey jar. The jar is empty. The jar is truly empty. Oh no! No honey for Leo now. Leo feels sad.
Leo feels very sad. He needs honey. He wants honey so much. He must find it. Leo decides to find new honey. He will look for it.
Leo walks into the big forest. Tall trees stand around. The forest is green and quiet. Birds sing softly. He sees a little Squirrel. Squirrel hops on a tree.
Leo asks, "Where is honey?" Squirrel looks. Squirrel says, "Look for flowers!" Flowers mean honey. Leo nods his head. He will look.
Leo walks more in the forest. He searches everywhere. He looks for many flowers. The Bee flies fast. Then he sees a busy Bee.
Leo asks, "Where is honey?" Bee buzzes. Bee says, "Follow me!" I know honey. Leo feels happy. He follows Bee.
Bee flies to a big tree. The tree is very tall. Leo follows the little Bee. The hive looks full. A beehive is high up there.
The beehive is too high. He tries to jump. Leo cannot reach the honey. It is too far. He feels sad again. Oh no!
A wise Owl flies down. Owl has big eyes. She sees Leo's tears. Owl sees sad Leo. Owl asks, "What is wrong, Leo?" Owl is kind.
Leo says, "I want honey." He points up high. "But it is too high!" He sighs sadly. Leo looks at the hive.
Owl wants to help Leo. She is a good friend. Owl flies up to the hive. She uses her wings. Owl gets some sweet honey.
Leo is very happy now! He smiles wide. He has his sweet honey. He eats it all. Yummy, yummy honey!
Leo shares his honey. Sharing is good. He shares with Squirrel. Everyone gets some. He shares with Bee. All friends are happy. He shares with kind Owl.
Everyone is happy now. Leo is happy too. He learned to ask for help. Asking for help is good. He learned to share honey. Sharing makes friends happy. Leo learned many things.
Original Story
THE NORWEGIAN
FAIRY BOOK
EDITED BY
CLARA STROEBE
TRANSLATED BY
FREDERICK H. MARTENS
WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY
GEORGE W. HOOD
NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1922, by
Frederick A. Stokes Company
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
PREFACE
These Norwegian tales of elemental mountain, forest and sea spirits, handed down by hinds and huntsmen, woodchoppers and fisherfolk, men who led a hard and lonely life amid primitive surroundings are, perhaps, among the most fascinating the Scandinavian countries have to offer. Nor are they only meant to delight the child, though this they cannot fail to do. “Grown-ups” also, who take pleasure in a good story, well told, will enjoy the original “Peer Gynt” legend, as it existed before Ibsen gave it more symbolic meanings; and that glowing, beautiful picture of an Avalon of the Northern seas shown in “The Island of Udröst.” What could be more human and moving than the tragic “The Player on the Jew’s-Harp,” or more genuinely entertaining than “The King’s Hares”? “The Master-Girl” is a Candida of fairy-land, and the thrill and glamor of black magic and mystery run through such stories as “The Secret Church,” “The Comrade,” and “Lucky Andrew.” In “The Honest Four-Shilling Piece” we have the adventures of a Norse Dick Whittington. “Storm Magic” is one of the most thrilling sea tales, bar none, ever written, and every story included in the volume seems to bring with it the breath of the Norse mountains or the tang of the spindrift on Northern seas. Much of the charm of the stories lies in the directness and simplicity of their telling; and this quality, which adds so much to their appeal, the translator has endeavored to preserve in its integrity. He cannot but feel that “The Norwegian Fairy Book” has an appeal for one and all, since it is a book in which the mirror of fairy-tale reflects human yearnings and aspirations, human loves, ambitions and disillusionments, in an imaginatively glamored, yet not distorted form. It is his hope and belief that those who may come to know it will derive as much pleasure from its reading as it gave him to put it into English.
Frederick H. Martens.
CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Story DNA
Plot Summary
null
Themes
Emotional Arc
null
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
null
Locations
Norwegian Mountains and Forests
Primitive, elemental surroundings of towering mountains and dense forests, characteristic of the Scandinavian landscape.
Mood: Wild, lonely, rugged, and imbued with a sense of ancient magic and elemental spirits.
The general setting for tales of hinds, huntsmen, and woodchoppers, where mountain and forest spirits reside.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, dramatic Norwegian mountain landscape under a clear, crisp sky, with jagged, snow-dusted peaks rising sharply above a dense, dark green pine forest that fills the midground. Patches of exposed grey rock and sparse, gnarled birch trees cling to the lower slopes. A narrow, winding dirt path is barely visible disappearing into the forest. The air is clear and cold, with long shadows stretching across the valley floor. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Northern Seas and Coastline
The rugged Northern seas, characterized by spindrift and a strong, bracing tang in the air, with a coastline that suggests fjords and rocky shores.
Mood: Wild, untamed, thrilling, and sometimes dangerous, reflecting the harsh beauty of the sea.
The setting for sea tales like 'Storm Magic' and stories of fisherfolk, where sea spirits and maritime adventures unfold.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dramatic view of the Norwegian coastline, where dark, choppy waves crash against steep, grey rock cliffs that plunge into the frigid sea. White spindrift flies high into the air, catching the pale, diffused light of an overcast sky. In the distance, a narrow fjord entrance is visible, flanked by snow-dusted mountains. The air is thick with the mist and tang of the ocean. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Hinds' and Huntsmen's Dwellings
Simple, primitive dwellings of hinds, huntsmen, woodchoppers, and fisherfolk, reflecting a hard and lonely life.
Mood: Cozy, rustic, humble, yet potentially lonely, offering shelter from the harsh outdoor elements.
Where the tales are told and lives are lived, providing a contrast to the wild outdoors.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a humble Norwegian log cabin, with walls constructed from roughly hewn, dark timber logs chinked with moss. A large, stone hearth dominates one wall, with a warm, crackling fire casting flickering light on the rough wooden floorboards. Simple, sturdy wooden furniture, like a table and benches, is arranged near the fire. Animal pelts are draped over a bench for warmth, and a small, deep-set window looks out onto a snowy landscape. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
