CopenhagenAndItsEnvirons_A

167

Thiele in his entertaining w ork Folkesagn” or " P o p u la r L eg e n d s:” — " F o r m any ages th e din of arm s w as ev ery now and then h eard in the casem ates u n d er K ronborg. No one knew the cause, n o r w as th ere a m an in all th e land found bold enough to descend into them to u n rav el the m ystery . A t la st a s la v e , w ho had forfeited his life , w as offered p a rd o n and liberty on condition o f his en te rin g the dreaded vaults, and bringing in fo rm ation o f w h a t he th ere should m eet w ith. H e w en t dow n, and, com ing to a larg e iron door, w hich, on kn ocking at, opened o f its own accord, saw b efore him a deep vaulted cham ber. F rom the centre of th e ro o f h un g a la m p , n early b u rn t o u t; and b en eath it stood a huge stone ta b le , aro u n d w hich sa t som e steel-clad w a rrio rs , resting th eir bowed h e ad s upon th eir crossed arm s. H e who sat a t the h ead o f the table thenrose up. It w as Holger Danske — H olger the D ane. B u t, as he raised his h ead from his arm s, b u rst the stone table rig h t asu n d er, forinto it his beard had grow n. "G iv e m e th y h a n d !” said he to the slave. T he slave d u rst n o t give him his h a n d ; b u t stretched forth, in s te a d , an iro n b a r , w hich H olger grasped so firm ly , as to leave a deep indent upon it. A t length, releasing his hold, he m u tte red : " It is w ell! I am glad to find th ere still are men in D e n m a rk !’