began to consider how I could best collect some, to take home
with me.

'Now it happened that I had with me a small hatchet, and this I took to
the wood, hoping to meet some animal which I could kill, whose skin
I might turn into a bag. As I entered the forest I saw two roe-deer
hopping on one foot, so I slew them with a single blow, and made three
bags from their skins, all of which I filled with honey and placed on
the back of the cock. At length I reached home, where I was told that my
father had just been born, and that I must go at once to fetch some holy
water to sprinkle him with. As I went I turned over in my mind if there
was no way for me to get back my millet seed, which had dropped into the
sea, and when I arrived at the place with the holy water I saw the seed
had fallen on fruitful soil, and was growing before my eyes. And more
than that, it was even cut by an invisible hand, and made into a cake.

'So I took the cake as well as the holy water, and was flying back
with them over the sea, when there fell a great rain, and the sea was
swollen, and swept away my millet cake. Ah, how vexed I was at its loss
when I was safe on earth again.

'Suddenly I remembered that my hair was very long. If I stood it touched
the ground, although if I was sitting it only reached my ears. I seized
a knife and cut off a large lock, which I plaited together, and when
night came tied it into a knot, and prepared to use it for a pillow. But
what was I to do for a fire? A tinder box I had, but no wood. Then it
occurred to me that I had stuck a needle in my clothes, so I took the
needle and split it in pieces, and lit it, then laid myself down by
the fire and went to sleep. But ill-luck still pursued me. While I was
sleeping a spark from the fire lighted on the hair, which was burnt up
in a moment. In despair I threw myself on the ground, and instantly
sank in it as far as my waist. I struggled to get out, but only fell in
further; so I ran to the house, seized a spade, dug myself out, and took
home the holy water. On the way I noticed that the ripe fields were full
of reapers, and suddenly the air became so frightfully hot that the men
dropped down in a faint. Then I called to them, "Why don't you bring out
our mare, which is as tall as two days, and as broad as half a day, and
make a shade for yourselves?" My father heard what I said and jumped
quickly on the mare, and the reapers worked with a will in the shadow,
while I snatc