Askeladden and His Wit – A Norwegian Tale of Cleverness and Ingenuity

Description: In this Norwegian folktale, Askeladden, a frail but clever young man, encounters a fearsome giant. Using wit and cunning, he defeats the giant, proving that intelligence is more important than physical strength.

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Askeladden who lived in a small village. He was not strong, but he was known for his intelligence. The villagers often turned to Askeladden when faced with a difficult problem, knowing he would find a clever solution.

One day, a giant came to the area, intimidating everyone with his size and strength. He raided villages, demanded tribute, and threatened to destroy anyone who dared oppose him. The villagers turned to Askeladden for help.

Askeladden agreed to confront the giant. He approached him and said, "You are surely strong, but I bet you cannot do what I can."

The giant laughed. "You, a tiny human? What can you do that I can’t?"

Askeladden picked up a small stone and squeezed it in his hand. "Look, I can squeeze water out of this stone!" But instead of a stone, he secretly used a piece of cheese he had hidden in his pocket. When he "squeezed" water from it, the giant was astonished.

"I can do that too!" exclaimed the giant, grabbing a real stone and squeezing it with all his might. Of course, no water came out. The giant frowned, unwilling to admit defeat.

Then Askeladden said, "Fine, let’s compete in skill. Let’s see who can throw a stone the farthest!" The giant agreed. But Askeladden picked up a bird and threw it into the air. The bird flew far beyond the horizon. The giant, seeing this, thought he could never throw a stone that far and gave up.

Finally, Askeladden proposed a test of endurance: "Can you carry a tree from the forest to the village faster than I can?" The giant agreed. While the giant carried a massive tree trunk, Askeladden climbed onto the tree and sat on top of it. When the giant finally reached the village, exhausted, Askeladden jumped off and said, "See? I got here faster!"

The giant, humiliated, left forever. The village was saved, and Askeladden’s name became a symbol of cleverness and ingenuity.

Moral: Intelligence and cunning can defeat even the mightiest opponent.

Questions for Children:

• Why did Askeladden choose to compete with the giant in skill rather than strength?
• How did his cleverness help him defeat the giant?
• What other qualities, besides intelligence, could help in such a situation?