Stranica 317 [317]
THE LITTLE FARMER. — 257
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waiting for his calf; and when he saw the cow-herd coming ¬
through the village without it, he asked what it meant. The
cow-herd answered, “It is still out there eating away, and
never attended to the call, and would not come with the rest.”
Then the Little Farmer said,
“T will tell you what, I must have my beast brought home.”
And they went together through the fields in quest of it,
but some one had stolen it, and it was gone. And the
drover said,
. § Most likely it has run away.”
But the Little Farmer said "Not it!” and brought the
cow-herd before the bailiff, who ordered him for his careless¬
ness to give the Little Farmer a cow for the missing calf. —
So -now the Little Farmer and his wife possessed their
long-wished-for cow; they rejoiced with all their hearts, but
unfortunately they had no fodder for it, and could give it
nothing to eat, so that before long they had to kill it. Its
flesh they salted down, and the Little Farmer went to the
town to sell the skin and buy a new calf with what he got for it.
On the way he came to a mill, where a raven was sitting with
broken wings, and he took it up out of pity and wrapped it in
the skin. The weather was very stormy, and it blew and
rained, so he turned into the mill and asked for shelter. The
miller’s wife was alone in the house, and she said to the
Little Farmer,
_ * Well, come in and lay thee down in the straw,” and she
gave him a piece of bread and cheese. So the Little Farmer
. ate, and then lay down with his skin near him, and the
. millers wife thought he was sleeping with fatigue. After a
while in came another man, and the miller’s wife received him
very well, saying,
‘* My husband is out; we will make good cheer.”
The Little Farmer listened to what they said, and when he
heard good cheer spoken of, he grew angry to think he had
been put off with bread and cheese. For the miller’s wife
presently brought out roast meat, salad, cakes, and wine.
Now as the pair were sitting down to their feast, there
, came a knock at the door.
“Oh dear,” cried the woman, “it is my husband!” Ina
twinkling she popped the roast meat into the oven, the wine
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