Secret Life of Trolls

Special Limited Preview

Edition

Heidi Herman

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written
permission of the Author, except where permitted by law.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this
novel are products of the authors imagination and are used fictitiously.

Preview - First Edition.

Copyright 2017 Heidi Herman

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 998281674
ISBN-13: 978-0-9982816-7-4
 CONTENTS

Grlas Magic Spindle 1

The Sunstone 4
The Monster Worms Afternoon 8
 GRLAS MAGIC SPINDLE

A long time ago in the far-away country of Iceland, there lived a

horrible ogress named Grla. She made her home high in a mountain
cave where she lived with her troll husband, Leppali and their one
hundred and twenty troll children.
All throughout Iceland and even many countries beyond, people
feared Grla. Everyone knew she was grotesquely ugly and a mean,
nasty creature who would stomp through the countryside looking for
bad or lazy children who did not do their chores. When she found
one, she would snatch them up and throw them in a bag slung over
her shoulder. When she had collected as many as she could carry, she
would head home and lock them away in her caves dungeon.
Grla was famous among trolls for her delicious cooking. Other
trolls would make up excuses to stop at her cave around mealtime
hoping for an invitation to dinner. Grlas favorite dish to prepare
was Bad Kids Stew. In fact, it was so popular that Grla would have
her trollchildren help her collect up the main ingredient, bad children.
One day, Grla was at home in her cave and she overheard a group
of her trollsons talking in hushed whispers. Sneaking a peek in the
cavern, she saw the huddled group and knew without counting that
there were thirteen in the circle.
She did not understand these thirteen boys. She and Leppali
had over a hundred children, and this group of troll-brothers were
different. They were strange. The stuck together, supported and
helped each other and mostly just seemed nice. This was very odd
troll behavior. They were a mischievous lot and played most of their
pranks around Christmas, which had earned them the group
nickname of Yule Lads.
I hate how she makes us go with her, complained Stubby.
Me too, grumbled Door Slammer.
These stupid tunics, mumbled Skyr Gobbler, if it werent for
these things, he said pulling on the hem, everything would be fine.

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 No one would ever notice us! agreed Sausage Swiper.
Yeah, with these, they cant help but notice! cried Stubby.
I have a plan my brothers, Window Peeper assured them all as
he smiled, trust me! I can fix it so we dont have to punish bad
children anymore.
Grla frowned as she listen to her troll-children. This was no
good at all. She was the most feared ogre in all the land and no one
dared cross her.
As she listened from the passageway, she realized they had
discovered her secret. The tunics she had made herself and carefully
mended them when they frayed, or made new ones as they wore out.
She made all the familys clothing but some of the clothes were
different and very special.
Grla had a magic spindle and distaff, and she would weave very
special clothing for her family. She would create thread laced with
magic spells and then use it to make her cloth. Grla was a sei-witch
and she could make special fabric that, when worn, made people see
what the magic spell made them see. When Grla or anyone else
wore the tunics made from the magic cloth, people saw them as
hideously ugly and terrifying.
Grla smirked as she thought of her favorite descriptions. A
terrified farmer swore the troll had three heads and three eyes on the
face of each head and a set of eyes on the back of each one. The
farmer wife had said, no, she saw only one head, but the creature had
a third eye in the back on its head, there were huge curling horns, a
long knotted beard, and ears that attached to her nose and dangled
down to her shoulders.
The magic fabric made each person see what was most
frightening to him or her. No one saw the same thing and everyone
was terrified. The magic spindle created cloth with strong magic that
would last as long as the fabric was whole. Any time the garment
would become threadbare and worn the spell became weak. Grla
used the magic spindle and distaff every spring and fall to create
magic-filled fabric for new clothes.
The Yule Lads had discovered the secret of the magic fabric. If
they stopped wearing the clothes, people would see them as ugly
trolls, but not nearly as scary. She had to keep this from happening.
No one must ever know about the magic spindle and distaff.

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 Pulling herself up to her full twelve-foot height, she spun into
the room with her most terrifying frown, glaring down at the group.
The Lads all jumped to their feet and scattered throughout the
room.
Lagarfljt shouted Gully Gawk, naming their secret hideout where
they would all meet later.
He ran with Sheep Cote Clod, Stubby and Door Sniffer. Spoon
Licker, Bowl Licker, Skyr Gobbler and Meat Hook all took off in the
opposite direction. Pot Scraper, Sausage Swiper, Door Slammer and
Candle Beggar all ran around Grla to allow Window Peeper to
escape.
He ran as fast as his troll legs would let him, skidding around the
sharp corners and shuffling through the winding pathways to his
mothers secret spinning room. He heard the ruckus behind him
grow so1er as he ran further. He found his way to the hidden room.
Panting and wheezing, he pushed his thick glasses up on his nose as
he quickly looked around the room. He whooped in triumph as he
saw the magic spindle. Grabbing it, he ran from the room and made
his way out of the cave.
With his troll-brothers running wildly through the cave tunnels,
hooting and shouting, the echoes made a terrible racket. Grla lunged
from one to the other, grabbing but too slow to hold on. One by
one, they scrambled away, scampering and daring through the
mountain passes and out of sight.
Grla stood scowling as Lepp and their other seven troll children
joined her. She angrily told them the story and had to admit the truth
to them. The Lads had stolen the magic spindle and as their clothes
wore out, she could no longer repair them with magic thread.
Gradually, the magic wore thin. They became less horrible and scary.
Today, Grla, Lepp and their troll children are just average ugly trolls
and most people dont even remember them enough to be afraid.

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 THE SUNSTONE

There once was a Viking named Agnarr who sailed to Iceland.

Leaving his longboat at the beach, he set off to explore the island
with his Viking crew. He knew his boat would be safe there. A1er all,
there were very few people in Iceland in those days, and who would
dare steal from a Viking?
As he walked away with his men, a small brown mouse poked
his head up and watched them. The mouse was Tassi and he had
been a resident of the longboat for several years. As they sailed back
and forth, Tassi enjoyed exploring each new land and sampling the
endless supply of new foods. He stretched out along the wide bench,
sunning himself in the summer sun, when suddenly a shadow crossed
over him. He sat up and looked around.
Strange, he thought, it must have been a bird. and he laid
back down.
Just as he started to close his eyes again, he caught a quick
movement at the end of the boat. Tassi looked around slowly.
Everything seemed to be in order. The oars were all neatly lined up,
the boxes of food and supplies tied down in the center, and the
prized Sunstone hung at the bow, glinting and sparkling in the bright
sunshine.
Ship captains used the position of the sun in the sky to navigate
their ships. The Vikings used the rare stone to navigate on cloudy
days when they couldnt see the sun. Otherwise, they would not be
able to tell which direction they were going if it were cloudy or
raining. The Sunstone was a crystal spar that they could only find in
Iceland.
As Tassi watched, a strange-looking creature jumped into the
boat and quick as a wink snatched up that glittery rock, disappearing
back over the side rail. Tassi stared, shocked, as the little man

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scampered away with his prize. This simply would not do! Without
the Sunstone, the Viking captain would not be able to navigate except
on sunny days. Their adventures and exploring would end.
Tassi jumped over the side of the boat and ran as quickly as he could
after the creature. Stop Thief he shouted, You, stop there.
The little man paid him no attention and quickly disappeared
from sight. Tassi looked around in desperation. He spotted a bird
with a black and white body and bright orange-colored feet and beak.
It was a puffin. He knew this bird was very smart and could fly very
fast.
Mr. Puffin! he shouted, his whiskers shaking violently as he
ran, Mr. Puffin!
The puffin turned to look and the tiny mouse scampering
excitedly toward him.
Well, hello there little one! he said, cocking his head as he
looked down.
Mr. Puffin, thank goodness you are here! said the little mouse
in his squeaky little voice, I am Tassi and I sail with the Viking
Agnarr.
Good Morning, Tassi, I am Fimm, at your servicehow can I
help you? the Puffin said as he bowed to the little mouse.
I was standing guard on our Viking longboat as everyone else
went exploring, when a strange little man with thick eyeglasses
jumped on board and stole the Sunstone! Tassi explained quickly.
To his surprise, the Puffin chuckled and shook his head. That
would be Window Peeper you saw. He is one of the Yule Lads and
often swipes the most sparkly and glittery trinkets. You are in luck,
Tassi, I can indeed help you.
Oh thank you Tassi said, relieved.
Window Peeper would take the Sunstone to the Yule Lad cave.
There are not too many who know where that is, and not too many
that would want to. The Yule Lads are not known to be very nice
and most people avoid them. The puffin winked, but sometimes
rumors are not true.
Will I be able to get the Sunstone back? Tassi was worried.
I will take you to one of the Hidden Folk. They are the most
powerful magical creatures in Iceland. They will know where the
cave is. Get on and I will fly you there. He bent down and Tassi
quickly scrambled on his back.

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 Fimm took off and flew several miles, to a tall cliff wall covered
in a creepy fog. Fimm spoke quietly, You stay here, I must ask for
help from the Hidden Folk privately. They may choose to tell me
where the Yule Lads cave is, but I warn you they may not share the
secret.
Tassi watched as Fimm approached an opening in the wall. As if
by magic, a beautiful creature appeared, smiling and nodding. Fimm
bobbed his head back and fluttered his wings. Tassi watched as
Fimm pointed this way and that, spreading his wings wide and
gesturing. Tassi thought Fimm told quite a story. The beautiful
woman nodded and smiled. She leaned down and spoke at length
into Fimms ear, then stood and pointed to a spot high in the
mountains. As Tassi watched, she disappeared in the swirl of fog.
Fimm came back to where Tassi had waited.
That was Sigga. She is a very old and wise member of the
Hidden Folk. She showed me where the Yule Lads cave is. I can fly
us there, but you will have to sneak in and steal back the Sunstone.
All thirteen Yule Lads may be there since this time of year. Just be
very quiet and dont get caught! he warned.
Tassi nodded.
A puffin can fly as fast as a horse can gallop. Fimm flew at his
top speed toward the cave Sigga had pointed out. He landed on a tiny
ledge and as quick as Window Peeper had stolen the Sunstone, Tassi
jumped off and scampered into the hidden cave.
Fimm paced nervously as he waited for Tassi. Minutes clicked by
and Fimm worried about his new little friend.
Suddenly, he heard squeaks and shouts from inside the cave. A
rustling noise grew louder by the entrance to the cave.
My treasure a voice called out, sounding distressed.
Get him, another shouted
What is that thing? a voice echoed, with other shouts and
thumps drowning out the words.
Fimm saw a brown blur come flying out at top speed, barreling
right for him. He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he saw it was
Tassi, the Sunstone sparkling as it dangled from its leather string
grasped tightly between the mouses jaws.
Four odd-looking trolls ran out of the cave, looking around in
confusion. Mice were uncommon in Iceland and none of them had
ever seen one before. They thought this might be some kind of

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magical shape-shifter.
Tassi ran this way and that, weaving to avoid the trolls. He
never lost his grip on the Sunstone and finally made it to the waiting
puffin. Fimm scooped him up on his back and took off from the
cliff, flying straight back to the beach.
In short order, Fimm dropped Tassi and the precious Sunstone
back at the longboat, just as the Viking Agnarr and his crew appeared
in the distance. Tassi scrambled to replace the Sunstone to its
rightful place as the Vikings boarded the longboat.
Tassi looked at his new friend, lifting a back leg to wave
goodbye. Fimm watched as Tassi sailed away on his next adventure,
but knew they would see each other again the next time Agnarrs
longboat brought Tassi back to Iceland.

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 THE MONSTER WORMS
AFTERNOON

Loftur is the Lagarfljt Monster Worm. He has lived in Lake

Lagarfljt on the Eastern coast of Iceland for hundreds of years. He
remembered a time when he could move around and visit other
lands. Back then, would often go to the banks of the lake and snatch
a cow or woolly sheep to snack on when they got too close to the
waters edge. He looked sadly toward the land now. The Sami
warriors from Finland had weighed down his tail so he could not
reach that far. He was stuck in the center of the lake.
Long ago, he had behaved badly. He had been very upset and
was concerned about the earthquakes and changes in the lake water.
The crater of Laki was grumbling and he knew a volcano was going
to erupt. As a descendent of the powerful Icelandic Dragon
Guardian, it was his job to protect the people. He tried to warn the
people who lived in the valley, but none of them understood. He
tried to reach out to the hidden folk, but they knew the volcano was
going to erupt and had already left for safety. Loftur thought if he
caused enough trouble, someone would bring one of the hidden folk
or perhaps a troll-wife to come and talk to him.
He had gone too far, eaten too many of the cattle and been seen
by too many Icelanders and they were all afraid. None of the magical
creatures would come to talk with him. The townspeople became
afraid to go near the lake. Instead, they sent their best fishermen to
catch him. When that didnt work, they sent a longboat of Viking
warriors with long spears to try to kill him. He was too fast for them.
Finally, they called in the Sami warriors who fought him for days.
The Sami were the best and fiercest of all the Viking warriors. Loftur
didnt want to hurt them, so he wriggled and he slithered and evaded
the best he could. They were fierce warriors, and won in the end.
They weighed down his tail with heavy boulders so he could move a

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little, but he could no longer reach land or the cattle.
After the warriors weighed him down, the volcano erupted. The
eruption went on for months. The air was thick with ash; lava flowed
through the farms and destroyed the crops. Many people had to
move away to find new homes. Loftur felt very bad he had not been
able to help, but that was a very long time ago.
He missed the freedom he used to have and he missed visiting
with his family that lived far away.
On this particular sunny afternoon, Loftur again felt the earth
rumble and the water began to ripple. Earthquakes were very
common in Iceland but todays were different. Closer. He felt the
earth shift again, then again. Suddenly, a strong ripple come across
the water and the entire pile of stones weighing him down slid away
with a thump.
He was free!
Loftur zipped and flipped through the water. He slid onto the
shore, feeling the slick mud under his belly then quickly slipped back
into the water before anyone saw him. Oh, how wonderful it felt to
be free.
He couldnt wait to visit his friends and family he had missed for
so long. They would be so surprised. With a quick swish of his tail,
Loftur headed for the underwater caves and the tunnels they hid. He
selected one that would lead him to Scotland, to a very special
someone who lived in a Loch there. His new adventures were just
beginning.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heidi Herman is a native of Illinois with a proud Scandinavian heritage.

Having an Icelandic mother, she grew up with stories of brave fishermen,
mischievous trolls and adventurous Vikings. After a career in
telecom consulting, Heidi was inspired by her mothers memoirs, and
began writing, once again being immersed in the childhood fascination of
legend, lore and imaginative stories. She turned her focus to fiction
writing, researching and modernizing Icelandic folk tales and stories from
the Sagas.

She currently lives in Illinois with her two Schoodles, Dusty and Thor. She
spends much of her time researching and writing about Iceland, having
several novels and more childrens stories in development. She partners
with her Icelandic mother to give presentations on Iceland, attends
Scandinavian events, and pursues adventure all along the way.

Other books by Heidi Herman available at Hekla Publishing LLC:

Guardians of Iceland and other Icelandic Folk Tales

Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lad

The Icelandic Yule Lads Mayhem at the North Pole

Icelandic Yule Lads & Other Legends Coloring Book

Homestyle Icelandic Cooking for American Kitchens

www.heklapublishing.com

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