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Main > Sweden folktales > Fairy tale "Knös"

Knös

He asked for something to drink. "Help yourself, the goblet is on the table!" said the troll. But he got nothing to drink, for though he could move the goblet from its place, he could not raise it.

Then the man with the hill of stone went into the castle and asked for a drink. "Help yourself, the goblet is on the table!" said the troll. And he got nothing to drink either, for though he could move the goblet from its place, he could not raise it.

Then Knös himself went into the castle, and the princess was full of joy and leaped down from the troll's lap when she saw it was he. Knös asked for a drink. "Help yourself," said the troll, "the goblet is on the table!" And Knös took the goblet and emptied it at a single draught. Then he hit the troll across the head with the goblet, so that he rolled from the chair and died.

Knös took the princess back to the royal palace, and O, how happy every one was! The other princesses recognized Knös again, for they had woven silk ribbons into his hair when they had combed it; but he could only marry one of the princesses, whichever one he preferred, so he chose the youngest. And when the king died, Knös inherited the kingdom.

As for Red Peter, he had to go into the nail-barrel.

And now you know all that I know.

NOTE

The leading personage of our first story, Knös (Tecknigar og Toner ur skanska allmogenslif, Lund, 1889, p. 14. From Gudmundstorp, Froste Harad) is one of those heroes of gigantic build, beloved of the North, who even when he eats, accomplishes deeds such as the old Norsemen told of their god Thor: the motive of the goblet with which the hero slays the giant, has been used in the Hymiskvida. (Comp. with v. d. Leyen, Märchen in den Göttsagen der Edda, p. 40.)

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