Copyright ©2021 Harriet Cole

Fifteen Pounds of Muscle and Bounce

And Other Uncomfortable Norse Tales

Written by Harriet Cole

Illustrated by C.S. Fritz

Book design and formatting by Albatross Design Co.

Published 2021

The Small-Tooth-Dog Publishing Group

P.O. Box 392

Tolleson, Arizona 85353

USA

staff@smalltoothdog.com

ISBN: 9781947408234

ISBN: 9781947408326 (e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020951796

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To the grandkids who listen to my stories.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A TALE OF A TAIL

THE CAT WHO WANTED TO EAT THE WHOLE WORLD

COTTAGER AND CAT

FIFTEEN POUNDS OF MUSCLE AND BOUNCE

AN ANGRY NISSE IS NO JOKE

MAKE THE KIDHAUS PAY

THE TRUE STORY OF THOR’S HAMMER

GOTTA GET UP THE DOVREFJELL!

A

TALE

OF A

TAIL

IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE the north end of a southbound bear, you will have noticed that bears have truly short and stumpy tails. It was not always thus.

There was a time when Bear had the biggest, longest, fluffiest tail in the entire forest. Bear was exceedingly proud of his tail. He thought that tail gave him the right to be the boss of everybody he met.

One day Fox – who had a pretty splendid tail of his own – stole a string of fish out of the stream. Somebody else had caught those fish, but they were his now, and he was going to have a nice lunch!

However, he ran right into Bear, who looked down at him and said, Where did you get those fish?

Fox did some quick thinking. He did not want to tell Bear he had stolen the fish because Bear would take them away from him. He couldn’t just run away. Bear was too quick. Then he had an idea!

He calmly replied, I caught them.

Bear asked, "And exactly how does a Fox catch fish?"

With this. Fox waved his fluffy tail at Bear. It’s easy.

Bear had never heard of such a thing. He asked, "Could I do that?"

Follow me. Fox led Bear up into the mountains. Soon they came to a lake that was covered with ice.

Here, Fox said. Dig a hole in the ice with your claws and make it just a little bit bigger around than your tail. Then turn around and sit down very carefully so that your tail goes through the ice into the water.

"How is that going to catch