Scandinavian literature summaries - 2023

Short summary - The Elfin Hill
Hans Christian Andersen

The lizards are discussing that they are preparing to welcome noble guests in the magic hill. When the hill opened up, an old forest fairy emerged from it, wearing an amber heart on her forehead. She asked the nightjar to spread invitations: to a big ball - everyone, even people, if they talk in their sleep or do something else “on our part”, and to a banquet - only to know, because they were expecting an old Norwegian troll with his sons, for whom it was supposed to give out two daughters of the forest king, and who were "poorly brought up." Arriving at the ball, the sons immediately showed their “good manners”: the rude people put their feet on the table, took off their boots and handed them to the ladies to hold them.

After the dancing, the bride-to-be began: the youngest daughter, putting a chip in her mouth, became invisible, but the troll did not want such a wife for himself or his sons; the second knew how to walk beside her, like her own shadow; the third was a good cook; the fourth, playing the harp, made her do what she wanted ... Then the sons got bored and left. The fifth learned to love everything Norwegian, the sixth refused to show herself, and the seventh knew how to tell fairy tales - the Dovrefjell troll himself married her.

The sons, meanwhile, extinguished the will-o'-the-wisp lights that were preparing for the solemn procession, and refused to marry - they preferred to have fun. After the rooster crowed, the hill closed; the lizards again crawled up the tree and discussed the ball with the worm (they liked the troll, he, the poor blind fellow, liked his sons).