he autumn, when he gathered his own
scanty crop and had to stop his sickle short of the close ranks of his
neighbour's corn, he would cry, "All this, and none of that?" and go
home sorely discontented.

Now on the lands of the liberal farmer (whose name was Merryweather)
there lived a dwarf or hillman, who made a wager that he would both
beg and borrow of the covetous farmer, and out-bargain him to boot. So
he went one day to his house, and asked him if he would kindly give
him half a stone of flour to make hasty pudding with; adding, that if
he would lend him a bag to carry it in to the hill, this should be
returned clean and in good condition.

The farmer saw with half an eye that this was the dwarf from his
neighbour's estate, and as he had always laid the luck of the liberal
farmer to his being favoured by the good people, he resolved to treat
the little man with all civility.

"Look you, wife," said he, "this is no time to be saving half a stone
of flour when we may make our fortunes at one stroke. I have heard my
grandfather tell of a man who lent a sack of oats to one of the
fairies, and got it back filled with gold pieces. And as good measure
as he gave of oats so he got of gold;" saying which, the farmer took a
canvas bag to the flour-bin, and began to fill it. Meanwhile the dwarf
sat in the larder window and cried--"We've a big party for supper
to-night; give us good measure, neighbour, and you shall have anything
under the sun that you like to ask for."

When the farmer heard this he was nearly out of his wits with delight,
and his hands shook so that the flour spilled all about the larder
floor.

"Thank you, dear sir," he said; "it's a bargain, and I agree to it. My
wife hears us, and is witness. Wife! wife!" he cried, running into the
kitchen, "I am to have anything under the sun that I choose to ask
for. I think of asking for neighbour Merryweather's estate, but this
is a chance never likely to happen again, and I should like to make a
wise choice, and that is not easy at a moment's notice."

"You will have a week to think it over in," said the dwarf, who had
come in behind him; "I must be off now, so give me my flour, and come
to the hill behind your house seven days hence at midnight, and you
shall have your share of the bargain."

So the farmer tied up the flour-sack, and helped the dwarf with it on
to his back, and as he did so he began thinking how easily the bargain
had been made, and castin