The Old Troll of Big Mountain

fairy-tale · Sweden · Nordic

A poor cottager and his wife own little more than a small cottage, two goats, and their five-year-old son Olle. While they work as day laborers, they lock Olle in the cottage with bread and milk, letting the goats graze in an enclosure. One evening, they return to find both goats gone — the evil old troll of Big Mountain (Storberget) has stolen them. The loss is devastating, and Olle now gets only water instead of goat milk. Worse, they fear the troll might return for Olle himself. Determined to recover what was taken, Olle sets out despite his young age. Armed with a board with a nail and a w

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