A Dane traveled to India and stayed with a city councilman. The councilman asked if there was nothing interesting that the Dane could report from his homeland. The Dane replied that he knew of nothing worth telling. “Have you no jewels in your country?” asked the Indian. “As far as I know, there are none,” answered the Dane. “Then I will give you three jewels,” said the councilman, “bring them to your king.” He then gave the Dane three small stones.
With these, the Dane then returned to his home and gave them to the king. They took the stones, looked at them and said, “I cannot find that these stones have special value, and I would only with difficulty pay much money for them since I do not know their properties. But I will take them, as I assume that he who sent them expects a gift in return.”
A long time later as the king sat at his table, an unknown man came into the hall, greeted the king and asked if stones from the south weren’t brought to him. “Oh, yes,” answered the king. “Would you like to give the man who sent them a reward?” asked the stranger. “I do not know if they are worthy of a reward,” said the king, “since I don’t know what to do with them.”
“Show them to me,” offered the stranger. The king went and got the stones and gave them to the man. He took them in his hand and said, “These stones have the following properties: when you as much god weigh as the stones are heavy, and put them with the gold, the gold increases by half.”
The king was now very interested and said, “That is a kingly gem!” The stranger took the second stone and said, “This stone has the ability to protect from wounds whoever carries it in battle, even if he himself carries no weapon.”
The king was speechless with awe, and regretted that he ever let the stone out of his hand. The stranger then lifted the third stone up and said, “The property of this stone is, one second I am here, and in the next blink of an eye I am in India.”
With that, he disappeared even though the doors were closed, and was never seen again. It is said that the king was Valdemar the Old, who had many unusual treasures from India.