the smoke and the heat nearly killed the eavesdropper in the loft , and in order to catch his breath and get some fresh air , he tried to crawl out of the look - out in the roof ; yet he was of much heavier build than his brother , stuck fast and could move neither in nor out . then he grew frightened and began to scream ; but the goblins screamed much louder , and roared and howled , and thumped and clamored inside and outside the hut . but when the cock crowed they disappeared , and john nicholas freed himself , too . yet when he returned home from his trip , he had lost his reason , and after that the same cold , sinister screams which are the mark of the troll in the northland , might often be heard sounding from store - rooms and lofts where he happened to be . before his death , however , his reason returned , and he was buried in consecrated ground , as they say . but after that time no human foot ever trod the sand - banks again . they sank , and the meer - folk , it is believed , went to the lekang islands . andrew 's luck held good ; no ship made more successful trips than his own ; but whenever he came to the lekang islands he lay becalmed -- the goblins went aboard or ashore with their goods -- but after a time he had fair winds , whether he happened to want to go to bergen , or sail home . he had many children , and all of them were bright and vigorous , yet every one of them lacked the upper joint of the little finger of his left hand .
why was john nicholas unable to crawl out of the look-out in the roof ?
he was of much heavier build than his brother .
he was of moch heavier build than his brother .