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THE LITTLE FARMER. 261 |
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"All right; but first you must go down below and look about you a little," and they rolled the cask into the water.
Upon that the farmers went home, and when they reached the village, there they met the Little Farmer driving a flock of sheep, and looking quite calm and contented. The farmers were astonished and cried,
" Little Farmer, whence come you ? how did you get out of the water ? "
" Oh, easily," answered he, " I sank and sank until I came to the bottom; then I broke through the cask and came out of it, and there were beautiful meadows and plenty of sheep feeding, so I brought away this flock with me."
Then said the farmers, " Are there any left ? "
" Oh yes," answered the Little Farmer, " more than you can possibly need."
Then the farmers agreed that they would go and fetch some sheep also, each man a flock for himself; and the bailiff said, "Me first." And they all went together, and in the blue sky there were little fleecy clouds like lambkins, and they were reflected in the water; and the farmers cried out,
" There are the sheep down there at the bottom."
When the bailiff heard that he pressed forward and said,
" I will go first and look about me, and if things look well, I will call to you."
And he jumped plump into the water, and they all thought that the noise he made meant " Come," so the whole company jumped in one after the other. So perished all the proprietors of the village, and the Little Farmer, as sole heir, became a rich man. |
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