And then the chieftain said unto the elf, "You know the mountain and
its winding ways: bear me upon thy back, and that in haste, to where
those fellows are!" The goblin flew, and in an instant he was by their
side.
He found the villains in a deadly fight, quarreling for the maids; but
seeing him they ceased to wrestle, upon which he said, "I risked my
life to bring away these girls; I would have given each of you a wife:
for doing this you would have murdered me. Now I could kill you, and
you both deserve death at the stake, vile serpents that you are; but
take your lives,--you are too low for me,--and with them take these
women, if they wish to wed with such incarnate brutes as you!"
They went their way; the women followed them along the forest paths,
and ever on. Into this story they return no more.
And then the strong man said to his young bride, "I must return unto my
village; then I'll come again to you; await me here." But she, as one
to elfin magic born, replied, "I warn you of a single thing. When you
again are at your wigwam door a small black dog will leap to lick your
hand. Beware, I say; if he succeed in it, you surely will forget me
utterly." As she predicted so it came to pass.
And so she waited in the lonely wood beside the mountain till a month
was gone, and then arose and went to seek her love. All in the early
dawn she reached the town, and found the wigwam of the sagamore.
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