Topic: Vannmann's Kor

NorseLady

Date: 2007-06-30 12:55 EST
At the base of a willow tree, near a lake below the forest, lived an old, bad-tempered watermann. A mischievous fisk had once stolen his sleep, and since then he had been unable to catch a wink.

One natt a merry journeymann passed by the lakeside. The watermann thrust his green fingers out of the willows and grabbed the traveler by the leg. "I have you now!" he croaked. "Unless you tell me where I can find sleep, I shall take you to the bottom of this lake!"

The journeymann was frightened, but he quickly recovered himself. "You cannot sleep at night?" he asked, pretending to be surprised. "Then, what kind of water do you place beneath your head?"

"Why, water from the spring," the watermann said.

"Ah, then that is it!" You must make your bed with marsh water, for spring water is much too hard," the clever journeymann told him.

The watermann thanked the journeymann for his advice and let him go. That natt he made his bed with marsh water, but again he did not sleep a wink. Needless to say, he became very upset.

One day he caught the journeymann again as he was passing by the lake. "You gave me bad advice," he shouted, "I shall drag you to the bottom!" But the journeymann was undismayed. "Then I shall tell you what you need to do," he calmly replied. "Call together all of the frogs and the other watermen to sing to you a lullaby!"

The crotchety watermann allowed himself to be persuaded, and the next e'ening all of the frogs and other watermen made music enough to crack the eardrums. It was a terrible croaking and wailing, but the watermann in his willow tree felt his eyelids grow heavy, and soon he dropped off into a deep slumber.

Na e'er since then, on moonlit natts you can hear the watermann's choir croaking its harsh song down by the lakeside.