they noticed that one haycock had disappeared;
so thinking wild horses had made off with it, they advised their sons
to take turns in watching the place.

The eldest took his turn first, but after having watched all night
fell asleep towards morning, when he awoke to find another haycock
missing. The second son was not more fortunate in preventing the
disappearance of the hay, while the others succeeded no better; in
fact, of all the twelve haycocks, there only remained the largest,
Niezguinek's, and even that had been meddled with.

When it was the youngest's turn to watch, he went to the village
blacksmith and got him to make an iron club weighing two hundred and
sixty pounds; so heavy was it that the blacksmith and his assistants
could hardly turn it on the anvil. In order to test it, Niezguinek
whirled it round his head and threw it up in the air, and when it had
nearly reached the ground he caught it on his knee, upon which it was
smashed to atoms. He then ordered another weighing four hundred and
eighty pounds, and this the blacksmith and his men could not even
move. Niezguinek had helped them to make it, and when finished he
tested it in the same manner as the first. Finding it did not break he
kept it, and had in addition a noose plaited with twelve strong ropes.
Towards nightfall he went to the field, crouched down behind his
haycock, crossed himself, and waited to see what would happen. At
midnight there was a tremendous noise which seemed to come from the
east, while in that direction appeared a bright light. Then a white
mare, with twelve colts as white as herself, trotted up to the haycock
and began to eat it. Niezguinek came out of his hiding-place, and
throwing the noose over the mare's neck, jumped on her back and struck
her with his heavy club. The terrified creature gave the signal to the
colts to escape, but she herself, hindered by the noose, out of
breath, and wounded by the club, could not follow, but sank down on
the earth saying, "Do not choke me, Niezguinek."

He marvelled to hear her speak human language, and loosened the noose.
When she had taken breath she said, "Knight, if you give me my liberty
you shall never repent it. My husband, the Dappled Horse with Golden
Mane, will cruelly revenge himself upon you when he knows I am your
prisoner; his strength and swiftness are so great you could not escape
him. In exchange for my freedom I will give you my twelve colts, who
will serve you and y