SORIA MORIA CASTLE

THERE was once upon a time a couple of folks who had a son
called Halvor. Ever since he had been a little boy he had been
unwilling to do any work, and had just sat raking about among the
ashes. His parents sent him away to learn several things, but
Halvor stayed nowhere, for when he had been gone two or three
days he always ran away from his master, hurried off home, and
sat down in the chimney corner to grub among the ashes again.

One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he
hadn't a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign
lands. And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in
getting ready.

How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time
there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become
calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been
driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any
knowledge.

As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor
asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about
him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.

`Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see
thee?' said the skipper; `thou hast no clothes but those rags thou
art going about in!'