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THE LITTLE GREY MAN. |
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pancake, and the sour beer into wine. After they had eaten and drank enough, the little old man said: " Because you have been kind-hearted, and shared your dinner with me, I will make you in future lucky in all you undertake. There stands an old tree, cut it down and you will find something good at the root."
Then the old man said, " Farewell," and left him.
The youth set to work, and very soon succeeded in felling the tree—what was his surprise to find sitting at the roots, a goose whose feathers were of pure gold ! He took it up, and instead of going home carried it with him to an inn at a little distance, where he intended to pass the night.
The landlord had three daughters, who looked at the goose with envious eyes—they had never seen such a wonderful bird, and longed to have at least one of its feathers. " Ah," thought the eldest, " I shall soon have an opportunity to pluck one of them f and so it happened, for not long after, the young man left the room. She instantly went up to the bird and took hold of its wing, but as she did so, the finger and thumb remained and stuck fast. In a short time after, the second sister came in with the full expectation of gaining a golden feather, but as she touched her sister to move her from the bird, her hand stuck fast to her sisters dress, and they neither of them could free themselves. At last, in came the third sister with the same intention. in Keep away, keep away V screamed the other two, "in heaven's name keep away."
But she could not imagine why she should keep away. If they were near the golden bird, why should hot she be there ? So she made a spring forward and touched her second sister, and immediately she also was made a prisoner, and in this position they were obliged to remain by the goose all night.
In the morning, the young man came in, took the goose on his arm, and went away without noticing that the three girls were following close behind him. And as he walked quickly, they were obliged to run one behind the other, left or right of him, just as he happened to change the goose from one arm to the other.
In the middle of a field they were met by the parson of the parish, who looked with wonder at the procession as it came near him. " Shame on you !" he cried out. " What are you about, you bold-faced hussies, running after a young mar *tt that way through the fields ? Go home, all of you." |
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