{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/ptn/ptn41.htm","path":"neu/ptn/ptn41.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/ptn/ptn41.htm","text":"Popular Tales from the Norse, by George Webbe Dasent, [1904]\nIn those days when our Lord and St. Peter wandered upon earth, they came once to an old wife's house, who sat baking. Her name was Gertrude, and she had a red mutch on her head. They had walked a long way, and were both hungry, and our Lord begged hard for a bannock to stay their hunger. Yes, they should have it. p. 214 So she took a tiny little piece of dough and rolled it out, but as she rolled it, it grew and grew till it covered the whole griddle.\nNay, that was too big; they couldn't have that. So she took a tinier bit still; but when that was rolled out it covered the whole griddle just the same, and that bannock was too big, she said; they couldn't have that either.\nThe third time she took a still tinier bit\u2014so tiny you could scarce see it; but it was the same story over again\u2014the bannock was too big.\n\"Well,\" said Gertrude, \"I can't give you anything; you must just go without, for all these bannocks are too big.\"\nThen our Lord waxed wroth, and said,\u2014\n\"Since you love me so little as to grudge me a morsel of food, you shall have this punishment,\u2014you shall become a bird, and seek your food between bark and bole, and never get a drop to drink save when it rains.\"\nHe had scarce said the last word before she was turned into a great black woodpecker, or Gertrude's bird, and flew from her kneading-trough right up the chimney; and till this very day you may see her flying about, with her red mutch on her head, and her body all black, because of the soot in the chimney; and so she hacks and taps away at the trees for her food, and whistles when rain is coming, for she is ever athirst, and then she looks for a drop to cool her tongue.","title":"Popular Tales from the Norse: Popular Tales from the Norse: Gertrude's Bird","type":"page"}