In the village of Rønde, where sea fog rolled in like spilled milk and the cliffs told stories when the wind howled just right, there lived a boy named Esben. He was the youngest of seven brothers, and the only one whose pockets held more pebbles than coin, and more ideas than muscle.
While his brothers fished, fought, and married, Esben roamed the forest, collecting mushrooms, talking to trees, and listening to the ravens croak warnings from atop the church steeple.
One day, as a harsh winter loomed and Esben’s family mocked his empty hands, he wandered deeper into the woods than ever before. There, in the heart of the frostbitten forest, stood a raven taller than a man, with feathers as dark as shipwrecked sails and eyes like glistening ink.
“You’re not afraid of the cold,” said the Raven.
“I’m more afraid of being useless,” Esben replied.
The Raven cocked his head. “Then let us strike a bargain.”
The Bargain in the Raven’s Eye
“I will grant you three things,” said the Raven, pacing like a merchant at a market stall. “First, a pouch that fills with silver at dawn. Second, a cloak that makes you invisible to those who mean you harm. And third, a tongue sharp enough to talk your way out of a dragon’s mouth.”
“And what do I give you in return?” Esben asked, already imagining a cottage by the fjord, a belly full of stew, and a life where no one called him useless again.
“Only your name,” the Raven said with a low chuckle.
Esben, who had never seen his name do much for him, agreed.
The moment he spoke the bargain aloud, the Raven opened its beak wide and swallowed Esben’s name like a berry.
Silver in the Pouch, Shadows on the Soul
Life changed quickly.
With the pouch of silver, Esben became the richest lad in Rønde. He bought his brothers’ boats, their houses, even the chair their mother sat in. The cloak kept jealous men at bay. The sharp tongue got him into the jarl’s court, where nobles clapped for his wit and maidens dreamed of his smile.
But a nameless man walks strangely through the world.
When the village priest asked his name for the marriage scroll, Esben’s mouth went dry. At markets, people began to whisper: “He’s not one of us.” Babies cried when he passed, and dogs growled as if he stank of something old and wrong.
Then, one night, Esben dreamed he stood at the edge of the sea, and the Raven waited, black wings spread wide.
“Even silver rusts in time,” it said. “Are you ready to pay the rest of the price?”
The Raven’s game: The Cleverness That Cracks Curses
Waking in terror, Esben rushed to the cliffs where he’d first met the Raven. There, the trees had withered and the snow didn’t melt. The Raven sat atop a stone cairn, sharpening its beak on bone.
“I want my name back,” Esben shouted.
“A bargain is a bargain,” said the Raven.
“But a clever man keeps a fourth gift: wit born of regret.”
The Raven squawked in delight. “Then strike a new bargain. You must best me in a game of truths. One lie, and your name is mine forever.”
Esben agreed.
The game began.
“I was born the seventh son,” Esben said.
“True.”
“I have kissed a princess and lived to tell it.”
“True, though barely,” said the Raven.
“I would strike the same bargain again.”
“Liar,” croaked the Raven.
Lightning split the sky. The forest shivered.
Esben’s name fluttered from the Raven’s beak like a feather and landed in his chest. His shoulders straightened. The shadows that had followed him slipped away.
Moral of the Tale
Never sell your name, for a name is more than letters. It is memory, meaning, and the map back home. Riches gained without roots become prisons; cleverness must always serve the soul that wields it. The Raven’s Bargain teaches that wit without identity is noise, but wit reclaimed through truth becomes legacy.
Knowledge Check
1. What is the moral of the folktale “The Raven’s Bargain”?
The story teaches a lesson about identity and consequences, showing how even the clever must face the cost of forgotten roots.
2. What cultural group does the tale “The Raven’s Bargain” come from?
This folktale originates from the Danish tradition in Europe.
3. Why did Esben give away his name?
In the tale, Esben gave away his name out of desperation and a desire to be useful and respected, which sets the plot in motion.
4. How does the folktale “The Raven’s Bargain” explain the power of names?
The story offers a traditional explanation that names hold personal essence and losing them leads to alienation and spiritual disconnection.
5. Is “The Raven’s Bargain” considered a trickster tale, ghost story, or moral fable?
“The Raven’s Bargain” is a trickster tale that reflects the values and dangers of cleverness within Danish folklore.
6. How is this folktale relevant to modern readers?
The message of “The Raven’s Bargain” remains relevant as it teaches timeless truths about self-worth, the dangers of shortcuts, and the importance of identity.
Origin: This story comes from the Danish tradition of Europe.
