what was happening at court and in the army's camp. Long-Legs dashed
everywhere, carrying orders. Stone-Slinger struck the first blow in the battle
with a barrage of baked apples. Meanwhile Mountain-Cruncher crunched
up a mountain so that the young couple could get away, and River-Drinker
drank up a river so they could cross dry-shod. Then when the king's army
appeared, River-Drinker spat the river out again and the army was stopped
by the water.
Finally, Mill-Puffer lay in wait. He lay on his back, tucked up his legs, and let go. What a storm struck then! Hats, plumes, capes, and belts flew left and right in the fearful gale. Chariots too, and teams of horses, cannons, battalions, and squadrons -- everything flew like oat chaff. In less than two minutes the battlefield was cleared.
The lad had carried all before him by good white magic, over land and water, before the wedding and after. The king had gotten nowhere at all. And at last his anger subsided.
He told himself that his son-in-law had the fairies on his side and that he might as well get along with a fellow like that. The two of them made up. Now life rolled on in a friendly way for young and old, in good seasons and bad, just like that famous boat that rolled so nicely over land and water.
Folktales