And then the rhyme refused to cooperate with me. I wish you a speedy recovery!
Even if they did, by now it was too late, because now she could see the trolls approaching the farm, no doubt set on collection the nonexistant payment.
"Seeing no other way than to tell them the truth, the maid walked down to the fence, curtsied deeply and, with much sadness, let them know that she had no price to offer them. 'So no one is willing to give up everything for the sake of love?' asked the old troll crone from the night before in a grave voice. 'No', said the maid, on the verge of tears. 'Neither his mother nor father will do it, and there is no one else who would.' None of the trolls moved or said anything for several long seconds. 'What about yourself, girl?' the crone then said. 'Would you do it?' 'Me? But I'm just a poor maid; I have no wordly possessions I could offer you', the girl, wide-eyed, responded. 'You do have something you could give up', answered the crone. 'You could give us yourself. You could come with us to live the rest of your live under the mountains as our servant.'
The girl thought about the mountains, about having to live her entire life without ever seeing the sun again, without seeing other human beings, without ever again seeing the boy she held so dear, and with only the hideous, frightening trolls as company. 'If it will save the farmer's son', she said, 'I'll do it.' 'Then the trolls will accept your sacrifice', the crone said in her hoarse voice. 'To prove that we speak the truth, we will grant you one more day out in the sun to see that he who was bitten will be better by morning. But tomorrow night, you must be ready to follow us when we come for you. It is then that we will tell you the second thing that is needed to save your master's son.'
And so our poor maid was left to say farewell to everyone and everything she knew, but she was happy nevertheless, trusting the old crone's word that the boy would soon be healthy again. And indeed! By the break of dawn, the farmer's son was well enough to sit up in bed and even walk short distances, even if his fever hadn't completely broken. The maid told him and the farmers of what had happened the previous nights and what she had done, and they were both amazed, and upset that she would be taken from them. 'Tonight we will all wait with you for the trolls to come', they said.
And true enough; come nightfall the maid, the farmers and even the sick boy were waiting outside - the boy sitting down on a wood billet since he was still weak from the poison. As promised, soon after the sun had set completely the trolls came walking up to the fence, the same ugly old crone leading them as every night before. She simply nodded at the farm people and instead only addressed the maid: 'Are you prepared to come with us and our child back to the mountains to serve as our maid?' she asked. 'I am', said the maid. 'But please, let us first know the second thing that's needed to banish the poison.' The crone then pointed at the seated boy, and just like she had done two nights ago, started singing:
The person whom he holds dearest of all Whom he wishes nothing ill to befall Must now kiss the mouth of the biter ere dawn The rest of the poison will then soon be gone But if she is bitten while rescuing him No power can save her from death's grip so grim
When she had finished, everyone's eyes were on the boy. 'Well, lad', said the crone. 'Who on this Earth do you love more than anyone else?'