Why the Sea Has Salt
This is an old story from Norway.
This story is about why there is salt in the sea.
Erik and Hans are brothers.
Erik is poor.
Hans is rich.
"Here is some food," says Hans.
"Now, go. Don't ask me for things after this."
Erik walks home.
On the road, he meets a ghost with a magic mill!
"I'm hungry," says the ghost.
"Give me your food, and I'll give you this mill. The mill will make food for people, but not for ghosts."
The ghost tells Erik two magic words.
One word starts the mill.
The other word stops the mill.
Hans sees the mill at Erik's house.
Hans takes the mill.
But Hans soon gives the mill back to Erik.
"I don't want the mill," says Hans.
"I can't stop it!"
Erik takes the mill again.
Soon, he is a very rich man.
He has a house near the sea.
One day, a fisherman comes.
"Can your mill make salt?" asks the fisherman.
"Yes," says Erik.
The fisherman buys the mill.
But Erik forgets to teach the fisherman how to stop the mill.
The fisherman takes the mill away in his boat.
On the sea, the fisherman needs salt.
He starts the mill.
It makes salt for the fisherman.
The mill makes more and more salt.
The salt makes the boat heavy.
The boat goes down in the water!
Under the water, the mill makes salt.
It doesn't stop.
It never stops!
