Ash Lad tricks a troll into chopping wood for him -- and finally into cutting open its own belly in a porridge-eating contest.
Ash Lad and the Troll's Contest (also known as "The Boy Who Had an Eating Match with the Troll") is a classic Ash Lad tale collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe. It tells of a boy with an axe, a hungry troll and a pot of porridge. Read on and see how Ash Lad fares in the forest!
🏡 An Old Farmer and His Three Sons – a Classic Ash Lad Tale
Once upon a time there was a farmer who had three sons. He was old and frail, and his farm was not large. Still, he had a big, fine forest, and he wanted his sons to chop wood there to pay off some of his debt.
In the end he got them to agree to it, and the eldest son set off first. But as soon as he began chopping at a shaggy old spruce, a great, huge troll came forward.
"If you chop in my forest, I'll kill you!" said the troll.
The boy was scared out of his wits, threw down his axe, and ran home as fast as he could. He told his father everything, but the farmer called him a coward and said that trolls had never frightened him when he was young.
⚔️The Two Eldest Brothers Fail in This Ash Lad Tale
The next day the second son went out to chop wood, but it went exactly as it had with the eldest. He'd barely swung the axe a few times before the troll came forward and threatened him. The boy dropped his axe and ran home even faster than his brother had.
Their father grew angry and said that trolls had never frightened him when he was young.
👦Ash Lad Meets the Troll – a Classic Tale with a Troll
On the third day, Ash Lad wanted to try his luck.
"You?" laughed the two eldest. "You, who've never even been past the front door — do you really think you can manage it?"
Ash Lad didn't answer, but simply asked for a good packed lunch to take along. His mother had little to give, but she gave him a piece of cheese, and he set off.
When he had been chopping for a while, the troll came forward.
"If you chop in my forest, I'll kill you!" it roared.
But Ash Lad wasn't the least bit frightened. He took out his cheese and squeezed it so that the whey spurted out.
"If you don't hold your tongue," he said, "I'll squeeze you the way I'm squeezing the water out of this white stone!"
The troll's eyes went wide. "No, please, spare me!" it begged. "I'll help you chop."
And so Ash Lad got the troll to work for him, and together they felled a great many trees.
🔥Ash Lad's Cunning Plan to Outwit the Troll
When evening came, the troll invited Ash Lad home with him. There Ash Lad was to build up the fire in the hearth, while the troll went to fetch water for the porridge. But the buckets were so heavy that Ash Lad couldn't manage to lift them.
"It's hardly worth bothering with these little thimbles," he said. "I'll fetch the whole well instead!"
"No, please, no!" the troll burst out. "I can't lose my well! You build up the fire, and I'll fetch the water."
🍵What Was Eaten? The Porridge Contest in the Boy Who Had an Eating Match with the Troll
When the porridge was cooked, Ash Lad suggested an eating contest.
"That suits me just fine!" said the troll, licking its lips.
Ash Lad tied a leather sack in front of himself and spooned more porridge into the sack than he actually ate. When the sack was full, he took out his sheath-knife and cut a hole in it.
The troll watched him, but said nothing.
"I'm barely half full yet!" said Ash Lad. "Do as I did — cut a hole in your belly, and you'll have room for more!"
"But surely that hurts?" asked the troll.
"Not at all, nothing to speak of!" answered Ash Lad.
The troll took its sheath-knife, drew a deep breath and did just as Ash Lad had done. Then it gave one long sigh, tipped back in its chair, and asked for no more porridge that night. Ash Lad took all the silver and gold he found in the troll's mountain and went home. With it, his father was finally able to pay off his debt.
THE END
🌟The moral: cleverness and cunning can overcome even the greatest challenges!
