| There was once a poor servant-girl who was industrious and cleanly |
| and swept the house every day, and emptied her sweepings on the |
| great heap in front of the door. One morning when she was just |
| going back to her work, she found a letter on this heap, and as |
| she could not read, she put her broom in the corner, and took the |
| letter to her employers, and behold it was an invitation from |
| the elves, who asked the girl to hold a child for them at its |
| christening. The girl did not know what to do, but, at length, |
| after much persuasion, and as they told her that it was not |
| right to refuse an invitation of this kind, she consented. |
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| Then three elves came and conducted her to a hollow mountain, |
| where the little folks lived. Everything there was small, but |
| more elegant and beautiful than can be described. The baby's |
| mother lay in a bed of black ebony ornamented with pearls, the |
| covers were embroidered with gold, the cradle was of ivory, the |
| bath-tub of gold. The girl stood as godmother, and then wanted |
| to go home again, but the little elves urgently entreated her to |
| stay three days with them. So she stayed, and passed the time in |
| pleasure and gaiety, and the little folks did all they could to |
| make her happy. At last she set out on her way home. But first |
| they filled her pockets quite full of money, and then they led |
| her out of the mountain again. When she got home, she wanted to |
| to begin her work, and took the broom, which was still standing |
| in the corner, in her hand and began to sweep. Then some |
| strangers came out of the house, who asked her who she was, and |
| what business she had there. And she had not, as she thought, |
| been three days with the little men in the mountains, but |
| seven years, and in the meantime her former masters had died. |
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| A certain mother had her child taken out of its cradle by the |
| elves, and a changeling with a large head and staring eyes, |
| which would do nothing but eat and drink, lay in its place. |
| In her trouble she went to her neighbor, and asked her advice. |
| The neighbour said that she was to carry the changeling into the |
| kitchen, set it down on the hearth, light a fire, and boil |
| some water in two egg-shells, which would make the changeling |
| laugh, and if he laughed, all would be over with him. The |
| woman did everything that her neighbor bade her. When she put |
| the egg-shells with water on the fire, goggle-eyes said, I am as |
| old now as the wester forest, but never yet have I seen anyone |
| boil anything in an egg-shell. And he began to laugh at it. |
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| Whilst he was laughing, suddenly came a host of little elves, who |
| brought the right child, set it down on the hearth, and took the |
| changeling away with them. |
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