Tomte TrueStory Two

Once there was a goodwife who noticed that no matter how great a quantity of meal she took from her storage bins, the store seemed never to diminish. One night she resolved to unravel the mystery by hiding in the barn and keeping watch there.

Sure enough, the night of her vigil she saw a little man dressed in grey wool and wearing a red cap sifting meal with all his might.

Noticing that his clothes were very much worn, she thought to reward him for his labor and the good he had brought her, by making him a new suit. When suit was finished she hung it upon the meal bin, once again hiding herself to see what he would think of his new clothes. When the tomte came again he noticed the new garments, and sure enough, at once he exhanged his tattered clothes for the better. But, when he began to sift he found that the meal made his fine new clothes dusty and he threw the sieve into the corner and said:

"Junker Grand is dusting himself. He shall sift no more."

From that day, all luck vanished from the goodwife's storehouse and she was reduced to beggary.