plenty of fish of all kinds. But when he got home at night and told
his story, how he had got all that fish, his wife fell a-weeping and
moaning, and was beside herself for the promise which her husband had
made, for she said, 'I bear a babe under my girdle.'

Well, the story soon spread, and came up to the castle; and when the
king heard the woman's grief and its cause, he sent down to say he
would take care of the child, and see if he couldn't save it.

So the months went on and on, and when her time came the fisher's
wife had a boy; so the king took it at once, and brought it up as his
own son, until the lad grew up. Then he begged leave one day to go
out fishing with his father; he had such a mind to go, he said. At
first the king wouldn't hear of it, but at last the lad had his way,
and went. So he and his father were out the whole day, and all went
right and well till they landed at night. Then the lad remembered he
had left his handkerchief, and went to look for it; but as soon as
ever he got into the boat, it began to move off with him at such
speed that the water roared under the bow, and all the lad could do
in rowing against it with the oars was no use; so he went and went
the whole night, and at last he came to a white strand, far far away.

There he went ashore, and when he had walked about a bit, an old, old
man met him, with a long white beard.

'What's the name of this land?' asked the lad.

'Whiteland', said the man, who went on to ask the lad whence he came,
and what he was going to do. So the lad told him all.