Askeladden - The Ash Lad Poem by Tor Magnor Solvang

In ashes he would sit and dream,
The youngest son, a quiet gleam.
His brothers laughed, they didn't see,
The strength inside him, wild and free.

A debt to pay, a forest deep,
Where giants in dark shadows sleep.
Per and Pål, they bravely went,
But fear's cold grip, their courage rent.

A troll they met, with fearsome roar,
And home they ran, to their own door.
Then Askeladden, with sack so neat,
A cheese of goat, a clever treat.

The troll appeared, with angry might,
But Askeladden held it tight.
He squeezed the cheese, the whey did spill,
'A stone I crush, with all my will! '

'Another stone, ' he said with pride,
'I'll squeeze you too, nowhere to hide! '
The troll, afraid, then bowed his head,
And chopped the wood, no longer dread.

So Askeladden, wise and bold,
Won more than riches, more than gold.
A princess fair, a kingdom bright,
From ashes dark, to shining light.