The Devil’s Magic Mill Part 3: Why the Sea is Salty

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Stay awhile, and listen: I shall tell you what became of the Devil’s Magic Mill when the miserly brother had at last returned it to his poor brother.

Now, the poor brother indeed had a good heart, but also was not the most prudent or the sharpest tool in the shed. He had asked the mill to grind him and his family a fine house to live in, true, but he asked the mill to give a roof of pure gold because it was “pretty”. So the once-poor brother and his wife and children lived a fair and happy life on top of a hill on the seaside, in a lovely house with a golden roof whish shone like a beacon in the sun across the sea.

Now, if there’s anything to be said about bright beacons on the sea, it’s that seafarers cannot miss such a sight, and one captain was so awed at the sight of a golden-roofed house on a hill.; He hurriedly docked his ship, ran up to the house, and kindly asked to speak with the lord and lady of the manor. The couple welcomed the captain and told him their story of the magic mill. The captain pleaded to the couple that they sell the mill to him for a thousand gold pieces, for he was a wealthy captain. The once poor brother and wife agreed that they were quite well off now and could afford to part with magic mill for good. The deal was struck, and the captain tear-eyed and overjoyed, took the mill back to his ship and sailed off.

Any salty dog will tell you that salt, indeed, is the most precious thing to them, and that’s exactly the first thing the captain asked the mill to grind for him. The mill did grind salt, salt and more salt – fine salt, table salt, coarse sea salt, and the captain whooped and jumped for joy. Alas, the once-poor brother also forgot to impart the magic words to stop the mill to the captain, and soon, the cabin soon was bursting with salt.

Soon, the entire deck began to creak dangerously from all the salt on board, and inevitably, under the weight of the salt, the ship split in twain and sank to the bottom of the sea, captain, mill, salt, and all.  

No one knows where the mill now rests. But one thing is for sure – up to this very day, the mill continues to grind all the salt it can from the bottom of the sea, and this is why the sea is salty.

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