The Bride's mother then repeated her question to the goat family, who
denied any knowledge of the Trolls with a series of terrified bleats.
"There is only _you_, then," said the Bride's mother to the old horse.
"You have served us faithfully, and we have been kind masters to you.
Tell me: do you know anything of Terli or the Wood-Trolls?"
"I do," said the old horse with dignity. "I can tell you more than
anyone else dreams of;" and he stepped from his stall with an air of
the greatest importance.
The old woman sat down upon an upturned stable-bucket, and prepared to
listen.
"Just before the wedding," commenced the horse, "I was passing through
the village with old master, when we stopped to drink. No sooner had I
got my nose into the Fountain than, _heuw!_ Terli had hold of me, and
not an inch would he loosen his grip till I promised to let him see
the wedding by getting the Wood-Trolls to stop up the Church Fountain.
What was I to do? I was forced to agree, and from that promise comes
all the misery of the Bride and Bridegroom."
The old horse then went on to explain what Terli had done on the
wedding day, while the Bride's mother jumped up from the water-bucket
with a cry of delight.
"All will be well now. You have done us the greatest possible service,
and shall live in leisure for the rest of your life," she said; and
ran out of the stables towards the house, before the astonished
animals could recover themselves.
"I've found it all out," she cried to her husband. "Now all we have to
do is to catch Terli."
"Not so easy, wife," said the Bride's father, but the old woman smiled
in a mysterious manner.
"Leave it to me, husband, _I_ shall manage it. Our children will be
happy again to-morrow, you will see."
