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Chap. XLVIII.
THE RIVAL NISSES.
265
washy woman, with little twiddling corkscrew curls
ranged around her face. An angel is represented as
opening the heavens, and beckoning her with the
consoling words—“The stars open, and you shall then
regain above what you have lost below.”
A two hours’ drive — same sort of country—very
English, pleasing, and compressed—orchards and hops—
cottage-gardens, still gay with summer flowers, the
“Bright-star,”* “Night-light,” f “Steel-cap,” J and the
more poisonous “Knight-spur.” § The peasant children
sit, as in England, at the cottage doors, stringing chains
of the “ Thousand Joy ” (tusynd fryd), as they here term
the daisy.
Not far to the right lies the village of Ryslinge, a
very bad neighbourhood from all accounts, where the
ghosts are still heard ploughing at night-time, and
apparitions torment the affrighted peasantry. In the
last century a farmer was so afflicted by their spiritual
torments he addressed himself to the parish priest,
himself a wizard, how to lay them. Very wise was
the advice given—“Leave the ghosts in peace, they will
die out by degrees, and, after a time, will only appear
once in a century.” This same farmer had the luck
to house the parish Niss, who dwelt in his “high-loft,”
patronized by every one except the watch-dog, who
could not bear him. This Niss was a great thief,
extra-parochial; he stole corn from the adjoining
hamlet of Lørup, while the Niss of that parish returned
the compliment. The farmers at last held a Ting,
and it was decided some one should be set to watch:
* Lychnis: Pragtstierne. t Aconite : Stormhat.
t Ænothcra : Natlys. § Larkspur: Bidderspur.
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