ONCE upon a time, and a time before that, there lived in the Northlands in the Kingdom of Hrolf, a beautiful princess named Ma.

She had many suitors from all parts, but two noble princes, Agnay and Volund, were far more persistent and determined than the rest.

Unable to decide between them, Ma sought her father’s advice. ‘Both are princes,’ she said, ‘both fine horse-men and one as handsome as the other. How shall I choose?’

At this, King Hrolf summoned the two princes to his court. ‘Guarding the northern and southern entrances to my Kingdom are two identical hills,’ he said. Stake one hill each and on it build a castle fit for a princess. Whoever shall finish first will marry Princess Asa. But one thing. You must complete the task for no more money than this.’ And so saying the King gave each prince one thousand crowns in gold (a modest fortune in those days). The two princes began at once, though with rather different attitudes of mind.

Prince Agnay reasoned thus: ‘It is a race,’ he said, ‘so speed is of the essence. I will engage many labourers who will have to work for low wages. We will use local stone because it is convenient and cheap, if a little difficult to work. We won’t waste time with proper scaffolding, we will sleep rough and eat what wild berries can be found on the hill.’

Prince Volund was of a different mind: ‘Building castles is long, laborious and often dangerous work,’ he said. ‘I will engage only enough men that I can pay fair wages. We will

haul stone from across the mountains because it is easier to work. We must cut down pine forests as scaffolding and to make proper shelters for the men, and we will engage full-time hunters to keep us well supplied with deer and wild boar.~

‘Furthermore,’ said Prince Volund, ‘every man who helps me build this castle shall have a part ownership of it, which will entitle him and his family to seek refuge here in times of trouble.’

At the end of the first summer, King Hrolf came to view the progress. Agnay’s castle was half complete, but poor Volund had only just begun. The people laughed at Volund. ‘It will doubtless be a very fine castle when it’s finished,’ they mocked. ‘What a pity there will be no princess to live in it.’ King Hrolf wasn’t so sure.

Then winter came. And as you know, winters in the Northlands are very severe. Cold hands found Agnay’s stone even harder to work. Accidents, caused by the lack of scaffolding, trebled. The berries disappeared from the hillside, and where there had been grass for a bed, now there was snow.

Mumblings and grumblings became visible discontent, and one by one Agnay’s men downed what tools they had and asked, ‘Why should we work under these conditions?’ Volund’s labourers knew they would gain lifelong security for their families from the finished castle. They went to Volund and said, ‘Because we are so far behind in the race, we have looked around and found ways of being more efficient.’

And so it was that as Agnay fell into disarray, Volund went from strength to strength. And, as you will have guessed by now, one summer and winter later he not only finished first, but had built by far the most beautiful castle.

At the wedding, which by all accounts was a splendour in itself, King Hrolf took Volund to one side. ‘I have gained more than a son,’ he said.

‘In this part of the Northlands, the lessons that you have taught will never be forgotten.’

Rubel Farms