sten, Jack,"
he said, "grease the cart thoroughly, for we're going to market
to-morrow."

Jack said "Yes," took the grease, and began to scratch his head. He
did not know how to grease a cart. He had never listened when he had
been told, nor looked when he might have seen it; so now he did not
know what to do. Finally, from what he had hitherto learned, he
recollected that the beginning of a cart is at the yoke, that is, the
pole. So he thought he must commence there if he wanted to do the
business thoroughly. He greased the thills, the pole, even the rack
of the cart. Here he stopped, for there was no grease left. So he went
to ask for some.

"Master," he said, after entering the room, "give me some more
grease."

"Why in the world do you want more grease?" replied his master
angrily, "I gave you enough to grease the cart three times over."

Jack said that there had only been enough for the thills, pole, and
rack. When his master heard such words, he took Jack by the ear, led
him out, and gave him such a beating that never again in his whole
life did he forget that only the axles of a cart are to be greased.
Well, what was the mother's darling to do--he was obliged to bear it,
and then pay attention, that he might learn how to grease a cart.

After the cart was ready, the oxen were put in and the master took his
seat in front, but Jack crouched in the back of the cart like a little
heap of misery, sobbing now and then from having wept so much.
"Silence," said his master sternly, "don't let me hear another word
from you!" This was the last thing before they drove off.

Jack sat as still as a mouse; he was almost afraid to breathe. At
last, this grew tiresome. So he began to watch the wheels again. But
he was wiser now, and did not wonder at the wheels or the trees. Yet
he saw something he could not understand. Often as he had seen a wheel
go round, he had never noticed the pin spring from it. The cart passed
over a big stone, and, "klirr," the pin bounced out of the axle and
fell on the ground. It was pretty to look at, but the lad didn't
understand it. He would have liked to ask his master, but the farmer
had ordered him to be silent. After some time the nut loosened. Jack
thought he understood why. Directly after--bump dropped the nut, too,
and was left behind the cart. Jack started and was going to say
something, but looked at his master and remembered that he had been
ordered to keep still. But one thing he