morning at four o'clock, we can be stirring betimes. What
should I have done with a goose? I do not know how to dress a goose, and
my pillow I can stuff with moss. Go and fetch in the cock, children."

"But I have not brought the cock home with me," said Gudbrand; "for when
I had gone a long, long way, I became so hungry that I was obliged to
sell the cock for twelve shillings to keep me alive."

"Well! thank God thou always dost just as I could wish to have it done.
What should we have done with a cock? We are our own masters; we can lie
as long as we like in the morning. God be praised, I have got thee here
safe again, and as thou always dost everything so right, we want neither
a cock, nor a goose, nor a pig, nor a sheep, nor a cow."

Hereupon Gudbrand opened the door:--"Have I won your hundred dollars?"
asked he of the neighbor, who was obliged to confess that he had.

Translation by Benjamin Thorpe in 'Yule-Tide Stories' (Bonn's Library).

THE WIDOW'S SON

There was once a very poor woman who had only one son. She toiled for
him till he was old enough to be confirmed by the priest, when she told
him that she could support him no longer, but that he must go out in the
world and gain his own livelihood. So the youth set out, and after
wandering about for a day or two he met a stranger. "Whither art thou
going?" asked the man. "I am going out in the world to see if I can get
employment," answered the youth.--"Wilt thou serve us?"--"Yes, just as
well serve you as anybody else," answered the youth. "Thou shalt be well
cared for with me," said the man: "thou shalt be my companion, and do
little or nothing besides."

So the youth resided with him, had plenty to eat and drink, and very
little or nothing to do; but he never saw a living person in the
man's house.

One day his master said to him:--"I am going to travel, and shall be
absent eight days. During that time thou wilt be here alone: but thou
must not go into either of these four rooms; if thou dost, I will kill
thee when I return." The youth answered that he would not. When the man
had gone away three or four days, the youth could no longer refrain, but
went into one of the rooms. He looked around, but saw nothing except a
shelf over the door, with a whip made of briar on it. "This was well
worth forbidding me so strictly from seeing," thought the youth. When
the eight days had passed the man came home again. "Thou hast not, I
hope, been into any of my ro