o you hear anything?"

"Yes, I hear an awful hissing and rustling up in the air," said the
lad; "I think I'm getting afraid."

"That's all the wild birds that fly through the wood. They are sent to
stop us; but just cut a hole in the corn sacks, and then they'll have
so much to do with the corn, they'll forget us, quite."

Yes, the lad did that; he cut holes in the corn sacks, so that the
rye and the barley ran out on all sides. Then all the wild birds came
flying round them so thick that the sunbeams grew dark, but as soon as
they saw the corn they couldn't keep to their purpose, but flew down
and began to pick and scratch at the rye and barley; and after that
they began to fight amongst themselves. As for Dapplegrim and the lad,
they forgot all about them, and did them no harm.

So the lad rode on and on--far, far over mountain and dale, over
sand-hills and moor. Then Dapplegrim began to prick up his ears again,
and at last he asked the lad if he heard anything.

"Yes, now I hear such an ugly rushing and howling in the wood all
round, it makes me quite afraid."

"Ah!" said Dapplegrim, "that's all the wild beasts that range through
the wood, and they're sent out to stop us. But just cast out the
twelve carcasses of the oxen; that will give them enough to do, and so
they'll forget us outright."

Yes, the lad cast out the carcasses, and then all the wild beasts in
the wood--bears and wolves and lions--came after them. But when they
saw the carcasses, they began to fight for them amongst themselves,
till blood flowed in streams; but Dapple and the lad they quite
forgot.

So the lad rode far away, and they changed the landscape many, many
times, for Dapplegrim didn't let the grass grow under him, as you may
imagine. At last Dapple gave a great neigh.

"Do you hear anything?" he said.

"Yes, I hear something like a colt neighing loudly a long, long way
off," answered the lad.

"That's a full-grown colt, then," said Dapplegrim, "if we hear him
neigh so loud such a long way off."

After that they travelled a good bit, changing the landscape once or
twice, maybe. Then Dapplegrim gave another neigh.

"Now listen, and tell me if you hear anything," he said.

"Yes, now I hear a neigh like a full-grown horse," answered the lad.

"Ay, ay!" said Dapplegrim, "you'll hear him once again soon, and then
you'll hear he's got a voice of his own."

So they travelled on and on, and changed the landscape once or twice,
p