The Brown Fairy Book, part 6 · page 21 2101“You will have to fast if you want the spirits to make you strong and wise, and the sooner you begin the better.”102“Very well,” said the boy, “what do I do first?”103“Lie down on those buffalo skins by the door of the hut,” answered she; and the boy lay down, and the squirrels and little bears and the birds came and talked to him.104At the end of ten days the old woman came to him with a bowl of the same food that he had eaten before.105“Get up, my grandson, you have fasted long enough.106Have the good spirits visited you, and granted you the strength and wisdom that you desire?”107“Some of them have come, and have given me a portion of both,” answered the boy, “but many have stayed away from me.”108“Then,” said she, “you must fast ten days more.”109So the boy lay down again on the buffalo skins, and fasted for ten days, and at the end of that time he turned his face to the wall, and fasted for twenty days longer.110At length the witch called to him, and said:111“Come and eat something, my grandson.”112At the sound of her voice the boy got up and ate the food she gave him.113When he had finished every scrap she spoke as before: “Tell me, my grandson, have not the good spirits visited you all these many days that you have fasted?”114“Not all, grandmother,” answered he; “there are still some who keep away from me and say that I have not fasted long enough.”115“Then you must fast again,” replied the old woman, “and go on fasting till you receive the gifts of all the good spirits.116Not one must be missing.”117The boy said nothing, but lay down for the third time on the buffalo skins, and fasted for twenty days more.118And at the end of that time the witch thought he was dead, his face was so white and his body so still.119But when she had fed him out of the bowl he grew stronger, and soon was able to sit up.120“You have fasted a long time,” said she, “longer than anyone ever fasted before.121Surely the good spirits must be satisfied now?”122“Yes, grandmother,” answered the boy, “they have all come, and have given me their gifts.”123This pleased the old woman so much that she brought him another basin of food, and while he was eating it she talked to him, and this is what she said: “Far away, on the other side of the great river, is the home of the Bad One.124In his house is much gold, and what is more precious even than the gold, a little bridge, which lengthens out when the Bad One waves his hand, so that there is no river or sea that he cannot cross.125Now I want that bridge and some of the gold for myself, and that is the reason that I have stolen so many boys by means of my ball.126I have tried to teach them how to gain the gifts of the good spirits, but none of them would fast long enough, and at last I had to send them away to perform simple, easy little tasks.127But you have been strong and faithful, and you can do this thing if you listen to what I tell you!128When you reach the river tie this ball to your foot, and it will take you across—you cannot manage it in any other way.129But do not be afraid; trust to the ball, and you will be quite safe!”130The boy took the ball and put it in a bag.131Then he made himself a club and a bow, and some arrows which would fly further than anyone else’s arrows, because of the strength the good spirits had given him.132They had also bestowed on him the power of changing his shape, and had increased the quickness of his eyes and ears so that nothing escaped him.133And in some way or other they made him understand that if he needed more help they would give it to him.1 2← previousThe Brown Fairy Book, part 5next →The Brown Fairy Book, part 7↑ back to The Brown Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/6/page/2/