Free Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish Page B

won’t!” snapped Gudrun. “And riskrunning into those two and their savage dog? Whatcould you do, anyhow?”
    â€œOh, well!” said Hilde. “I don’t mean try to fight withthem or anything, but at least I would know if any of ouranimals go missing. Besides, my new friend Peer says hethinks something odd is going on between theGrimssons and the trolls. He’s heard them talking—”
    â€œI feel really sorry for that boy,” interrupted Gudrun.“Eirik, come and eat; your crabs are ready!”
    Eirik sat down happily, rubbing his hands and sniffingthe scented steam rising from his dish. “Ah, you’re a goodgirl, Hilde, you picked a fine big crab for your oldgrandfather.”
    â€œDon’t you think I ought to go up on Troll Fell,Grandpa?” persisted Hilde. She threw out her chest andtossed back her hair, rather fancying herself as thefamily’s gallant guardian, bravely patrolling the hills. “Soif Baldur Grimsson steals our sheep we can at leastcomplain?”
    â€œWell,” began Eirik, working at a meaty claw with thepoint of his knife.
    â€œHilde,” said Gudrun firmly. “I command you, as yourmother, to do no such thing. I’d be worried stiff! It canall be safely left to Ralf, when he comes home. Just stayaway from the mill and the trolls and try to keep out oftrouble!”
    â€œOh, all right,” Hilde grumbled. “Just lead a dull,boring, ordinary life. Yes, I know! You’re right. Butthere’d be no heroes or stories or sagas if everyone actedthat way! I do wish something exciting could happen tome!”
    â€œWell, the exciting thing that can happen to you rightnow,” said Gudrun, wiping the bowls clean with a pieceof stale bread, “is that you can go and milk the cow,which you ought to have done already.”
    Hilde got up slowly and went to do as she was told.She felt flat and grumpy, as if nothing would go right.But once outside she felt better. It was a perfect springevening. Although the sun had set, the wide western skystill reflected light. Hilde loved living so high up thevalley. It was very quiet, except for far-off sheep bleating,and the nearby munching sounds of the cow and thepony tearing up grass. Hilde climbed the steep pasturetowards them, carrying her bucket and stool, her shoessoaking up dew. With surprise she suddenly heard anew sound, the unmistakable high-pitched rattle of milksquirting into a metal pan, accompanied by a weird gruffhumming like a very large bee. Goosebumps rose on herskin. She broke into a run, and saw a small hairy trollsquatting beside Bonny the cow, milking her into acopper pail.
    â€œClear off!” shouted Hilde, swinging her bucket. Thecow tossed her head up and wheeled away, while thetroll snatched up its pail and scampered off up thehillside where Hilde soon lost sight of it in the twilight.She stood panting, hands on hips. “The cheek of it! Hey,Bonny,” she said to the cow, “don’t you know better thanto let trolls come stealing your milk?”
    The cow snorted as though she didn’t care. Hilde hadto soothe and stroke her before she would stand still. Butthe troll had milked her nearly dry, and Hilde went backto the house with no more than a cupful at the bottomof her pail. As she came to the door her mother calledout, “Bring the broom in with you, Hilde.”
    â€œWhat broom?” Hilde asked.
    â€œIsn’t it there?” Gudrun came out. “But I’m sure I leftit right by the door,” she said, annoyed. “I can’t lay myhands on anything… Is that all the milk?” She was evenmore put out when she heard Hilde’s tale.
    â€œThey probably stole the broom too,” said Hilde. “Yousee, mother? It’s not so easy to keep out of trouble.”
    â€œThe little varmints!” said Eirik, peering into themilk bucket. “Worse than rats and mice. They wouldn’tbe so bold if my son