ad and thoughtful. One day, when he
was crying with hunger, and even the herdsmen who had left their oxen
were eating, Tellerchen suddenly began to speak and said:

"Master, don't grieve any longer, throw the ash-cake away, seize my
right horn, and eat and drink what you will find there."

"Why, Tellerchen," replied the youth, "there must be witchcraft about
you too. Where was such a thing ever heard of, and how long have you
been able to talk?"

"Mind what I tell you. I see you are an excellent lad, and I am sorry
you should weep your youth away. Just try my advice, and you'll see
that it will be profitable to you."

And it was. The youth seized Tellerchen's right horn. Behold what
happened! He drew out a roll as white as snow, and a glass of wine
which would have made any one's mouth water. The lad ate and drank.

The step-mother noticed that the youth's face had grown fuller, that
he was in good spirits, and did all his work cheerily. Instead of
seeing him grow thinner day by day, as she had expected, he constantly
gained flesh. She soon discovered that Tellerchen must be at the
bottom of the mystery, for she perceived that the boy took much better
care of him than of the other cattle. How should she manage to find
out what he did and ate in the woods? She secretly sent her daughter
after him, and ordered her to watch what the youth did while pasturing
the cattle. The girl followed her step-brother without his knowledge,
watched him, returned to her mother and said, "Mother, what I have
seen to-day is beyond telling!"

"You met the Wood Witch?"

"A wrong guess," the daughter replied.

"You have seen a wizard, a dragon, or a griffin?"

"No indeed! Heaven forbid!"

"Or did a handsomer, richer, and more sensible youth follow you?"

"What an idea! But it's useless for you to rack your brains, you can't
guess."

"Then tell me what you saw, and don't chatter about it any longer."

"Mother, my step-brother's ox is enchanted."

"Didn't I always say that there was something the matter with the
accursed beast?"

"If you could have seen how he hugged and kissed him, sometimes on the
right and sometimes on the left cheek, mother. I really felt as though
my heart would stop beating. Then directly after he seized his right
horn and pulled out some white rolls and wine, which he devoured as if
the wolves were after him. I tell you my mouth watered when I saw him
eat so greedily. Yet what amazed me still more was