oxen and
all.

"I will not look too closely," said he, "but take what I can get, so
long as the sack is full." And when all was put in there was still
plenty of room.

"I must make an end of this," he said; "if it is not full, it is so much
the easier to tie up." And he hoisted it on his back, and went off with
his comrades.

When the king saw all the wealth of his realm carried off by a single
man he was full of wrath, and he bade his cavalry mount, and follow
after the six men, and take the sack away from the strong man.

Two regiments were soon up to them, and called them to consider
themselves prisoners, and to deliver up the sack, or be cut in pieces.

"Prisoners, say you?" said the man who could blow, "suppose you first
have a little dance together in the air," and holding one nostril, and
blowing through the other, he sent the regiments flying head over heels,
over the hills and far away. But a sergeant who had nine wounds and was
a brave fellow, begged not to be put to so much shame. And the blower
let him down easily, so that he came to no harm, and he bade him go to
the king and tell him that whatever regiments he liked to send more
should be blown away just the same. And the king, when he got the
message, said,

"Let the fellows be; they have some right on their side." So the six
comrades carried home their treasure, divided it among them, and lived
contented till they died.

CLEVER GRETHEL

THERE was once a cook called Grethel, who wore shoes with red heels, and
when she went out in them she gave herself great airs, and thought
herself very fine indeed. When she came home again, she would take a
drink of wine to refresh herself, and as that gave her an appetite, she
would take some of the best of whatever she was cooking, until she had
had enough;--"for," said she, "a cook must know how things taste."

Now it happened that one day her master said to her,--

"Grethel, I expect a guest this evening; you must make ready a pair of
fowls."

"Certainly, sir, I will," answered Grethel. So she killed the fowls,
cleaned them, and plucked them, and put them on the spit, and then, as
evening drew near, placed them before the fire to roast. And they began
to be brown, and were nearly done, but the guest had not come.

"If he does not make haste," cried Grethel to her master, "I must take
them away from the fire; it's a pity and a shame not to eat them now,
just when they are done to a turn." And