9. The dishonest merchant was now very much frightened. What was to be
done? The mill would not stop grinding; and at last the ship was
overloaded, and down it went, making a great whirlpool where it sank. The
ship soon went to pieces; but the mill stands on the bottom of the sea,
and keeps grinding out "salt, salt, nothing but salt!" That is the
reason, say the peasants of Denmark and Norway, why the sea is salt.
DEFINITIONS.--l. De-vout'ly, in a reverent manner. 5. Re--flect'ing,
throwing back light, heat, etc., as a mirror. Land'-mark, an object on
land serving as a guide to seamen. Ex-traor'--di-na-ry, wonderful. 9.
Whirl'-pool, a gulf in which the water moves round in a circle. Peas'ents,
those belonging to the lowest class of tillers of the soil in Europe.
EXERCISES.--What is a "fairy tale"? What fairy people are told about in
this story? How did the poor man find the way to the land of the dwarfs?
Do you think the old man would have told him if the poor man had not been
so polite? How did the poor man treat his rich brother in return for his
unkindness? How was the greed of the dishonest merchant punished? What is
meant by "strangers from foreign parts"? Where are Denmark and Norway?
V.
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