At that time, the miller came out into the yard.  Great was his surprise when he saw the hogs tearing at the sack of flour while its owner lay on the ground making no attempt to chase the animals away.

“Why are you lying on the ground?” asked the miller.

“What else can I do now that I’m dead.   Were I alive I’d have driven off your hogs.  Do me a favor, please, and drive the hogs off my sack of flour.”

“Oh, so you’re dead!” he said.  “How very sad!”

Then he took a whip and began flogging the hogs and sent the whip flying over the old farmer’s back, too.  Up jumped the old farmer from the ground.

“Thank you for bringing me back to life,” he said.  “If it weren’t for you I’d be still dead.”

With this, he heaved the sack of flour onto his wagon and drove home.  Till this day, the old farmer has not mentioned death again.

Fairy tales: The Bathing Nymphs

When writers in English translate the German Marchen, Swedish saga, or the Estonian muinasjutt, they must resort to the term fairy tale.  In many ways, this is an unfortunate word, since only a small number of such stories have to do with fairies.  Most tales about fairies relate to traditional beliefs.  Nevertheless, the term is well established and widely accepted.

Fairy tales are stories about how objects stand in relation to mortals.  Many stem from the other world; hence, the objects that mortals receive from the other world are magical.  For example, the hero flies on the eagle’s back, learns the language of animals, and receives a golden ring that has magic powers.

The heroine receives from the sun, moon, or other representatives of the “other world” a golden or silver gown, a golden spinning wheel, golden dishes, and chairs.  The castle where she lives is always golden.  Therefore, gold is the expression of the highest degree of beauty in the fairy tale.  The constant reappearance of the words beautiful and golden is an element that gives the fairy tale its style.