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that he isn't in there still？'
Little Klaus gave the farmer his sack with the dry skin； and got
instead a good bushelful of money。 The farmer also gave him a
wheelbarrow to carry away his money and the chest。 'Farewell；'
said Little Klaus； and away he went with his money and the big
chest； wherein sat the sexton。
On the other side of the wood was a large deep river。 The water
flowed so rapidly that you could scarcely swim against the
stream。
A great new bridge had been built over it； on the middle of which
Little Klaus stopped； and said aloud so that the sexton might
hear：
'Now； what am I to do with this stupid chest？ It is as heavy as
if it were filled with stones！ I shall only be tired； dragging
it along； I will throw it into the river。 If it swims home to
me； well and good； and if it doesn't； it's no matter。'
Then he took the chest with one hand and lifted it up a little；
as if he were going to throw it into the water。
'No； don't do that！' called out the sexton in the chest。 'Let me
get out first！'
'Oh； oh！' said Little Klaus； pretending that he was afraid。 'He
is still in there！ I must throw him quickly into the water to
drown him！'
'Oh！ no； no！' cried the sexton。 'I will give you a whole
bushelful of money if you will let me go！'
'Ah； that's quite another thing！' said Little Klaus； opening the
chest。 The sexton crept out very quickly； pushed the empty chest
into the water and went to his house； where he gave Little Klaus
a bushel of money。 One he had had already from the farmer； and
now he had his wheelbarrow full of money。
'Well； I have got a good price for the horse！' said he to himself
when he shook all his money out in a heap in his room。 'This
will put Big Klaus in a rage when he hears how rich I have become
through my one horse； but I won't tell him just yet！'
So he sent a boy to Big Klaus to borrow a bushel measure from
him。
'Now what can he want with it？' thought Big Klaus； and he smeared
some tar at the bottom； so that of whatever was measured a little
should remain in it。 And this is just what happened； for when he
got his measure back； three new silver five…shilling pieces were
sticking to it。
What does this mean？' said Big Klaus； and he ran off at once to
Little Klaus。
'Where did you get so much money from？'
'Oh； that was from my horse…skin。 I sold it yesterday evening。'
'That's certainly a good price！' said Big Klaus； and running home
in great haste； he took an axe； knocked all his four horses on
the head； skinned them； and went into the town。
'Skins！ skins！ Who will buy skins？' he cried through the
streets。
All the shoemakers and tanners came running to ask him what he
wanted for them。 'A bushel of money for each；' said Big Klaus。
'Are you mad？' they all exclaimed。 'Do you think we have money
by the bushel？'
'Skins！ skins！ Who will buy skins？' he cried again； and to all
who asked him what they cost； he answered； 'A bushel of money。'
'He is making game of us；' they said； and the shoemakers seized
their yard measures and the tanners their leathern aprons and
they gave Big Klaus a good beating。 'Skins！ skins！' they cried
mockingly； yes； we will tan YOUR skin for you！ Out of the town
with him！' they shouted； and Big Klaus had to hurry off as
quickly as he could； if he wanted to save his life。
'Aha！' said he when he came home； 'Little Klaus shall pay dearly
for this。 I will kill him！'
Little Klaus' grandmother had just died。 Though she had been
very unkind to him； he was very much distressed； and he took the
dead woman and laid her in his warm bed to try if he could not
bring her back to life。 There she lay the whole night； while he
sat in the corner and slept on a chair； which he had often done
before。 And in the night as he sat there the door opened； and
Big Klaus came in with his axe。 He knew quite well where Little
Klaus's bed stood； and going up to it he struck the grandmother
on the head just where he thought Little Klaus would be。
'There！' said he。 'Now you won't get the best of me again！' And
he went home。
'What a very wicked man！' thought Little Klaus。 'He was going to
kill me！ It was a good thing for my grandmother that she was
dead already； or else he would have killed her！'
Then he dressed his grandmother in her Sunday clothes； borrowed a
horse from his neighbour； harnessed the cart to it； sat his
grandmother on the back seat so that she could not fall out when
he drove； and away they went。 When the sun rose they were in
front of a large inn。 Little Klaus got down； and went in to get
something to drink。 The host was very rich。 He was a very
worthy but hot…tempered man。
'Good morning！' said he to Little Klaus。 'You are early on the
road。'
'Yes；' said Little Klaus。 'I am going to the town with my
grandmother。 She is sitting outside in the cart； I cannot bring
her in。 Will you not give her a glass of mead？ But you will
have to speak loud； for she is very hard of hearing。'
'Oh yes； certainly I will！' said the host； and； pouring out a
large glass of mead； he took it out to the dead grandmother； who
was sitting upright in the cart。
'Here is a glass of mead from your son；' said the host。 But the
dead woman did not answer a word； and sat still。 'Don't you
hear？' cried the host as loud as he could。 'Here is a glass of
mead from your son！'
Then he shouted the same thing again； and yet again； but she
never moved in her place； and at last he grew angry； threw the
glass in her face； so that she fell back into the cart； for she
was not tied in her place。
'Hullo！' cried Little Klaus； running out of the door； and seizing
the host by the throat。 'You have killed my grandmother！ Look！
there is a great hole in her forehead！'
'Oh； what a misfortune！' cried the host； wringing his hands。 'It
all comes from my hot temper！ Dear Little Klaus！ I will give
you a bushel of money； and will bury your grandmother as if she
were my own； only don't tell about it； or I shall have my head
cut off； and that would be very uncomfortable。'
So Little Klaus got a bushel of money； and the host buried his
grandmother as if she had been his own。
Now when Little Klaus again reached home with so much money he
sent his boy to Big Klaus to borrow his bushel measure。
'What's this？' said Big Klaus。 'Didn't I kill him？ I must see
to this myself！'
So he went himself to Little Klaus with the measure。
'Well； now； where did you get all this money？' asked he； opening
his eyes at the heap。
'You killed my grandmothernot me；' said Little Klaus。 'I sold
her； and got a bushel of money for her。'
'That is indeed a good price！' said Big Klaus； and； hurrying
home； he took an axe and killed his grandmother； laid her in the
cart； and drove off to the apothecary's； and asked whether he
wanted to buy a dead body。
'Who is it； and how did you get it？' asked the apothecary。
'It is my grandmother；' said Big Klaus。 'I killed her in order
to get a bushel of money。'
'You are mad！' said the apothecary。 'Don't mention such things；
or you will lose your head！' And he began to tell him what a
dreadful thing he had done； and what a wicked man he was； and
that he ought to be punished； till Big Klaus was so frightened
that he jumped into the cart and drove home as hard as he could。
The apothecary and all the people thought he must be mad； so they
let him go。
'You shall pay for this！' said Big Klaus as he drove home。 'You
shall pay for this dearly； Little Klaus！'
So as soon as he got home he took the largest sack he could find；
and went to Little Klaus and said： 'You have fooled me again！
First I killed my horses； then my grandmother！ It is all your
fault； but you sha'n't do it again！' And he seized Little Klaus；
pushed him in the sack； threw it over his shoulder； crying out
'Now I am going to drown you！'
He had to go a long way before he came to the river； and Little
Klaus was not very light。 The road passed by the church； the
organ was sounding； and the people were singing most beautifully。
Big Klaus put down the sack with Little Klaus in it by the
church…door； and thought that he might as well go in and hear a
psalm before going on farther。 Little Klaus could not get out；
and everybody was in church； so he went in。
'Oh； dear！ oh； dear！' groaned Little Klaus in the sack； twisting
and turning himself。 But he could not undo the string。
There came by an old； old shepherd； with snow…white hair and a
long staff in his hand。 He was driving a herd of cows and oxen。
These pushed against the sack so that it was overturned。
'Alas！' moaned Little Klans； 'I am so young and yet I must die！'
'And I； poor man；' said the cattle…driver； 'I am so old and yet I
cannot die！'