Why the Sea is Salt facts for kids

Why the Sea Is Salt (Norwegian: Kvernen som maler på havsens bunn) is a famous Norwegian fairy tale. It means "the mill that grinds at the bottom of the sea." This story was collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their book Norske Folkeeventyr.

Later, Andrew Lang included this tale in his popular book The Blue Fairy Book in 1889. The story is about a magical mill that explains why the ocean is salty. It is a type of folk tale known as "The Magic Mill." Other similar stories include The Water Mother and Sweet porridge.

The Magic Mill Story

This fairy tale tells the story of a poor man and a special grinding mill.

The Poor Brother's Journey

One Christmas Eve, a very poor man went to his rich brother to ask for food. His rich brother promised him some ham or bacon. But there was a condition: the poor man had to go to a place called Hel. In some versions, this place is called the Dead Men's Hall or the Devil's dam. Even though it sounded scary, the poor man agreed because he was so hungry.

On his way, in some versions of the story, the poor man met an old man. The old man told him that when he reached Hel, people would want to buy his food. The old man warned him to only sell it for a special hand-mill hidden behind the door. He also said he would teach the poor man how to use it. It took a lot of talking, but the poor man managed to get the hand-mill. The old man then showed him its magic.

In a Greek version of the story, the poor man simply brought a lamb to the devils. He told them he would take whatever they offered, and they gave him the magical mill.

A Magical Christmas Feast

The poor man took the mill home to his wife. They used it to grind out everything they needed for a wonderful Christmas feast. The mill could make lights, a tablecloth, delicious meat, and even ale! They ate very well and had a big celebration on the third day.

The Secret Revealed

The poor man's rich brother was amazed by how much food they had. He wondered where it all came from. Either the poor man had too much to drink and told his secret, or his children innocently let it slip. Eventually, the poor man showed his rich brother the magical hand-mill.

His rich brother really wanted the mill and finally convinced the poor man to sell it. In the Norse version, the poor brother did not teach him how to use it properly. The rich brother tried to grind out herrings and broth. But the mill worked too fast and soon flooded his entire house! The poor brother refused to take the mill back until he was paid as much as he had paid for it. In the Greek version, the rich brother took the mill with him on a ship to a city called Constantinople.

Why the Sea is Salty

In the Norse story, a ship captain wanted to buy the hand-mill from the rich brother. He eventually persuaded him to sell it.

In all versions of the tale, the new owner took the mill out to sea. They wanted it to grind out salt. The mill started grinding salt, and it ground so much that it sank the boat! But the magical mill didn't stop there. It kept on grinding salt at the bottom of the sea. That is why, according to this old fairy tale, the sea is salty to this very day!