a tale from Tana, from J. A. Friis, Lappiske Sprogprøver (1856)

Told in North Sámi in the Tana valley and printed by Jens Andreas Friis in 1856, in Sámi only. Three brothers go off to learn a trade: one learns to build houses, one to sew shoes, and the eldest goes to thieving school. The king sets him three thefts, each harder than the last. Europe knows the story as the Master Thief; this telling has birch trees by the road, guards who cannot refuse a drink, and a king who would rather be rid of the thief than be made a laughing-stock.

Translation

There were three brothers, and they set off to go to school. The eldest asked the middle brother: "Which school are you going to?" And he said: "I'm going to house-building school." Then he asked the youngest brother: "Which school are you going to?" "Shoe-sewing school!" Then those two asked him: "Which school are you going to?" "I mean to go to thieving school." Then those two said: "Then you'll be under the law for ever." And the thief said: "I'll feed myself and the two of you as well!"

When they came home again from their schooling, they went to the king. The king asked the middle brother: "What have you learned?" And he said: "To build houses." Then he asked the youngest brother: "What have you learned?" And he said: "To sew shoes." Then he asked the eldest brother: "What have you learned?" "Thieving!"

Then the king said: "If you're a thief, then steal an ox of mine from two men, out in the forest, while they're hauling logs." "I'll steal it, all right!" So the thief went into the forest and hanged himself from a young birch by the path. When the two men came along with the ox, the guards said: "There hangs the thief from the birch; come and steal the ox from us now!" He said nothing at all; but when they had gone past, he ran round in a wide curve to get ahead of them, while the two of them went on along the winding road, and he fixed himself to another birch and hung there.

Then the guards came along with the ox. One guard said: "There hangs the thief!" The other said: "That's not the thief, the thief was back there just now!" And there was a quarrel. One said: "Let's go and look back there!" And off the two of them ran. Then the thief, meanwhile, cut through the loop of the traces, took the ox, went off, and set it under the king's window. So he had won that time.

Then the king challenged him: "If you're a thief, then steal my horse out of the stable, past three guards!" The thief promised, went to the town, and bought a soldier-guard's clothes and strong spirits, the kind that go quickly to the head. Then he went off to the guards.

Two guards were outside the door. They asked: "Where is that thief who's supposed to steal the horse tonight?" The thief, who had put on the guard's clothes, said: "He's been drinking in the town, and he's asleep now." Then the horse-guards said to him: "Oh, the wretch, he was supposed to come and steal the horse tonight!" And the thief said to them: "There's nothing to be afraid of from him! Will you have a drink of spirits?" "We will, all right!" The two of them drank the spirits; it went to their heads, and they fell down.

Then the thief asked: "Will you two give me leave to go in there to that man in the stable?" "You'll have it, all right!" So he went in, and the guard who was sitting on the horse's back with a bare sword in his hand asked: "Where is that thief who's supposed to steal the horse tonight?" "There's nothing to be afraid of from him; he's been drinking in the town and he's asleep now!" Then he asked the horse-guard: "Will you have a drink of spirits, comrade?" "I will, all right!" So he drank; the spirits went to his head, and he fell down.

Then the thief took the horse and went out and led it under the king's window. In the morning the king looked out of the window and saw the horse under his window. He said: "Now the thief has killed the guards!" And the king went off to look in the stable. The guards were asleep. Then the thief came to the king and said: "There, I've stolen the horse!" And he got his pay.

The king said: "I don't believe yet that you're a real thief, not until you steal my money-chest from under my bed." "I'll steal it, all right!" So the thief went to the churchyard and dug up a fresh grave there, took the dead body, and dressed it in his own everyday clothes. Then he went up on the ridge of the king's house, put the dead body in a loop of rope, and let it slide down in front of the king's window.

The king looked at the window and said to his wife: "Look, the thief means to come in at the window! Shall I fire at him with the gun?" And the king fired. As the gun went off, the dead body fell to the ground, but the thief himself pulled the rope up.

Then the king looked out of the window and said: "The thief is dead!" And the king began to consult with his guards: "We'd better go and bury him, so that I don't come under the law because a man has been killed in front of my window." So they went off to bury him, and the king with them.

Then the thief came into the king's room, dressed as the king, and took the money-chest and carried it out into the entry hall, and came back into the room himself and kissed the king's wife. Then he began to reckon: "The king may come back soon." So he went out and said: "I'll go and see why my guards have been gone so long." His wife said: "Why did you take the money-chest out into the entry hall?" "There's nothing to be afraid of from the thief any more; he's dead!" Then the king himself came and lay down beside his wife. His wife asked: "Why did you take your money-chest out into the entry hall?" "He didn't take it!" "You did take it, all right, and you kissed me too, back then." Then the king looked for his money-chest, and it was gone.

When morning came, the thief came to the king and said: "Well, I've stolen your money-chest!" "You managed to steal it, all right; but why did you kiss my wife?" "Why did she give leave?" "You are to be put to death today at noon!" "Let them kill me, then; a man has to die once!"

So two gentlemen set off to take the thief to the place of beheading. Now the king's baker's house stood by the road, and the thief said: "Let me go into that house; he's a dear friend of mine. I want to talk with him once more, face to face, about the things of this world." So they let him in. The baker was sifting flour. And the thief said: "My dear friend! Go to the wedding in my place; I've no wish to eat or drink today." "I'll go, all right!"

As soon as he went out, the two gentlemen took him, one by each arm. Then he began to weep: "No, never take me there, I'm the king's baker!" "You'll get your baker's pay, all right, so that you can start fooling the two of us as well." And they took him to the beheading-block and said to the headsman: "Cut quickly now; he tried to fool the two of us on the road!" And he struck off his neck clean through. Then the thief ran out of the baker's house and shouted: "Oho! King, you've killed an innocent man!"

Then the king went to the thief and said: "Don't say any more about it to other people, so that I don't get mixed up in a case at law. I don't want to keep you in my company any longer. I'll send you away to another king and write you a passport saying that you are a thief and steal everything there is."

Colophon

Translated from the North Sámi of Lappiske Sprogprøver: en Samling af lappiske Eventyr, Ordsprog og Gaader, edited by J. A. Friis (Christiania: J. W. Cappelen, 1856), pp. 17–20, the first tale in the group from Tana (Dædno). Friis printed it in Sámi only. The text was transcribed from the page images of the New York Public Library copy and checked against Friis's list of misprints, which has nothing for these pages. Words were checked in the Sámi–Norwegian glossary that Friis printed at the back of the same book, and in his larger Ordbog over det lappiske Sprog (1887). There aše means a cause, a matter and a lawsuit, so the brothers' warning and the king's fear are about coming "under the law"; gavčaldäkki is "in a curve, in a half-circle"; and luojtag is the loop at the front end of the draught-trace, by which it is made fast. Where the king answers his wife "He didn't take it!", the Sámi has the third person (I son valdam), and so does the English. Friis's own parenthetical synonyms for dialect words are kept in the Source Text and not repeated in the English.

No complete English translation of Friis's collection is known to us.

© 2026 Tianmu Anglican Church. This English translation is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: you may share and adapt it for non-commercial use with credit to the Good Works Library, tianmu.org. The source text keeps its own terms. For other uses, see Rights and Reuse.

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Source Text: Suola, gutte suolad buok, mi galgaš læt

North Sámi text as printed by Friis (1856), pp. 17–20, in his orthography; line-end hyphens are joined. Friis's single paragraph is divided here at the same places as the English.

De legje golbma viellja, ja de vulge si skulli. De boarrasamus jærra gaskalamus vielljast: „Gosa ajgok don mannat skulli?“ De son dagja: „Mon manam viste-čækko skulli.“ De jærra nuorramus vielljast: „Gosa ajgok don mannat skulli?“ — „Gama-goarrom skulli!“ De jæraiga dok guöftes: „Gosa ajgok don mannat skulli?“ — „Mon ajgom mannat suollag skulli.“ De dagjab dok guöftes: „De læk don agalaǯǯat aše vuluš.“ Dagja dat suola: „Mon biebmam ječčam ja dodno!“

Dego si dal botte ruoktod skula matkest, de manne si gonagasa lusa. Jærra gonagas gaskalamus vielljast: „Maid læk don mattam?“ De cælka son: „Vistid čækkot.“ De jærra nuorramus vielljast: „Maid læk don mattam?“ De cælka son: „Gabmagid goarrot.“ De jærra son dam boarrasamus vielljast: „Maid læk don mattam?“ — „Suolavuođa!“

De dagja gonagas: „Go læk suola, de suolad must vuovsa guöfte olbma čađa mæcest, go læva hirsaid gæsetæmen.“ — „Suoladam mon galle!“ De manai suola mæccai ja hængasti ječas ladnjai balg' ala. Dego dal boatteb vuovsain, de đagjaba favtak dam, atte: „Suola hænga lanjast; boađe dal monnost vuovsa suoladet!“ De i son jenadam maidege, mutto go dak læiga mæddel mannam, de viekkali son gavčaldäkki ouda-bællai, dam bodda go soaj manaiga dobbe dam mokke-gæjno mield, valdi nubbe ladnjai gidda, ja de hængai dast.

De boatteb favtak oktan vuovsain. Dagja nubbe fagta: „Suola da hænga!“ Cælka nubbe: „I dat læk suola, suola læi æske dobbe jo!“ De šaddai naggo. Cælka nubbe: „Vuolgo gæččat dokko!“ De viekkaleiga. De suola valdi ja čuopai dam bodda luojtag rasta ja valdi vuovsa ja manai ja bijai gonagas lasai vuöllai. De son læi vuojtam dälle.

De gonagas hasta, atte: „Go læk suolo, de suolad must heppuš navetëst golma favta čađa!“ Suola loppedi, manai gavpugi ja osti soaltad-favta biktasid ja njalga vina, mi hoapost oajvai bagjan. De vulgi dokko favtai lusa.

Guöfte favta læva olgo-bæld uvsa. De jærrab soaj: „Gost læ dat suola, mi galga odnaš ija heppuš suoladet?“ Cælka dat suola, gutte læi favta biktasid garvodam: „Son læ dobbe gavpugëst jukkam, ja oađđemen son læ dal.“ De cælkeb heppuš-favtak dam: „Voj, bahha rjeppo, son galgai odne boattet heppuš suoladet!“ De cælka suola dam, atte: „I læk ballo sust! Ajgobættego vinast jukkat?“ — „Ajgo moaj galle!“ De jugaiga soaj vine, de bagjani oajvai, de gaččaiga.

De jærra suola: „Addebættego doaj love ællet dobbe navet sist dom olbma lut?“ — „De oaǯok galle!“ De manai sisa, ja jærra dat fagta, gutte čokka heppuš čielge ald čajus (ravas) miekke giedast: „Gost læ dat suola, mi galgai odnaš ija heppuš suoladet?“ — „I læk ballo sust, son læ gavpugëst jukkam, ja læ dal oađđemen!“ De jærra dam heppuš-favtast: „Ajgokgo don, virde, vinast jukkat?“ — „Ajgom galle!“ De jugai son, de bagjani oajvai dat vidna, de gaččai son.

De suola valdi heppuš ja manai olgus ja doalvoi gonagasa lasai vuöllai. Gonagas iđđedëst gæčasti lasa-raige olgus ja ojni heppuš lasai vuold. De celki: „De læ suola favtaid goddam!“ De vulgi gonagas dokko gæččat naveti. Favtak læk oađđemen. De boatta suola gonagasa lusa ja cælka: „De læm mon heppuš suoladam!“ De oaǯoi balka.

Dagja gonagas: „Im vel jake, atte læk rivtës suola, oudal go suoladak muo rutta-bomba sænga vuold.“ „Suoladam mon galle!“ De manai suola girko-ajdai, ja boltoi (roggai bajas) son dobbe ovta varas havde, valdi dam jabmam rubmaš ja garvoti ječas bæjvalaš adnobiktasi sisa. De manai gonagas viste harje ala, bijai dam jabmam rubmaš macco-baddai ja gurgali vuölas gonagas lasai oudi.

Gonagas gæčasta lasa-rajge ja cælka galgosis: „Gæča, suola ajgo lasa-rajge sisa boattet! dajdam mon bačet bissoin?“ De bači gonagas. Mo bisso bavketi, nu gaččai dat jabmam rubmaš ædnami, mutto suola ješ rotti baddes bajas.

De gonagas lasa-rajge olgus gæčai ja cælka: „Jabmam læ jo suola!“ De arvališgođi gonagas favtaides gujm: „Daidep mi vuölget havdadet su, amam mon šaddat aše vulučën, go mu lasa oudi læ olmuš goddum.“ De vulge si havdadet oktan gonagasain.

De bođi suola gonagasa stoppoi, gonagas hamest, ja valdi rutta-bomba ja guddi fæskari ja bođi ješ stoppoi ja cumesti gonagas galgo. De arvališgođi: „Dajda farga boattet gonagassa.“ De vulgi olgus ja dagja: „Vuölgam gæččat, manne nu gukka javkëk mu favtak.“ Dagja galgo: „Manne valdik rutta-bomba fæskari?“ — „I læk suollagëst æmbo ballo, son læ jo jabmam!“ De bođi gonagas ješ ja nokkai galgos lusa. Jærra galgo: „Manne valdik rutta-bombad fæskari?“ — „I son valdam!“ — „Valdik galle, ja cumestik vela muo dälle.“ De gonagas gæčai rutta-bombas, de læi javkam.

Go iđđed šaddai, de boatta suola gonagasa lusa ja dagja: „Mon læm jo suoladam du rutta-bomba!“ — „Oǯǯuk galle suoladet, mutto mannen cubmik muo galgo?“ — „Mannen addi love?“ — „Galgak goddut odne gaska-bæjve ajge!“ — „Godduččamgis, okti galgam jabmet!“

De vulgiga guöfte hærra doalvot čæve-čuoppam-sagjai dam suollag. De læ gonagasa lajbe-dakke viesso dam balg' ald, ja de cælka suola: „Luojte muo dam viesost ællet, dat læ must hæggalaš virde; mon ajgom sunji vela njalmalaǯǯat sardnot majlmalaš sagaid.“ De lujtiga su sisa. De læ lajbe-dakke jäfoid siktemen (sildemen). De dajai suola: „Virdečam! vuölge muo oudast hæjaidi, must i læk odne jukkam- ja borram-hallo.“ — „Vuölgam galle!“

Dego vulgi olgus, de valdiga guöfte hærra guabbage gietta-bællai. De čierrogođi: „Ale ejsegen muo doalvo dokko, mon læm gonagasa lajbe-dakke!“ — „Galle don lajbe-dakkam balka oaǯok, vaj fillišgoađak vela monno.“ — De doalvoiga soaj su čæve-čuoppam-stoalpo ala ja celkiga čæve-čuoppai: „Čuopa dal hoapost, monno viggai fillit balg'ald!“ De časki čæppat eriti (rasta). De viekkali olgus suola lajbe-dakke viesost ja čurvi: „Oho! gonagas, vigetæme don goddik!“

De gonagas manai suollag lusa ja sardno: „Ale æmbo sarno ærra olbmuidi, amam mon šaddat ašalaǯǯan. Mon im dato æmbo du adnet ječčam særvest, mon vuölgatam du nubbe gonagasa lusa ja čalam dunji pasaid, atte don læk suola ja suoladak buok, mi galgaš læt.“

Source Colophon

J. A. Friis (ed.), Lappiske Sprogprøver (Christiania: J. W. Cappelen, 1856), pp. 17–20. Public domain. Transcribed from the page images of the New York Public Library copy, digitized by Google (Internet Archive identifier lappiskesprogpr00friigoog). Friis's letters are kept as printed, including æ, ä, ö, ë, č, đ, š and ǯ.

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