she said nothing of this, and only replied, 'I would rather thou
wert a man by day and a hoodie by night.' And so he was; and a handsomer
man or a more beautiful hoodie never was seen. The girl loved them both,
and never wished for things to be different.

By and bye they had a son, and very pleased they both were. But in the
night soft music was heard stealing close towards the house, and every
man slept, and the mother slept also. When they woke again it was
morning, and the baby was gone. High and low they looked for it, but
nowhere could they find it, and the farmer, who had come to see his
daughter, was greatly grieved, as he feared it might be thought that he
had stolen it, because he did not want the hoodie for a son-in-law.

The next year the hoodie's wife had another son, and this time a watch
was set at every door. But it was no use. In vain they all determined
that, come what might, they would not close their eyes; at the first
note of music they all fell asleep, and when the farmer arrived in the
morning to see his grandson, he found them all weeping, for while they
had slept the baby had vanished.

Well, the next year it all happened again, and the hoodie's wife was so
unhappy that her husband resolved to take her away to another house he
had, and her sisters with her for company. So they set out in a coach
which was big enough to hold them, and had not gone very far when the
hoodie suddenly said:

'You are sure you have not forgotten anything?'

'I have forgotten my coarse comb,' answered the wife, feeling in her
pocket, and as she spoke the coach changed into a withered faggot, and
the man became a hoodie again, and flew away.

The two sisters returned home, but the wife followed the hoodie.
Sometimes she would see him on a hilltop, and then would hasten after
him, hoping to catch him. But by the time she had got to the top of the
hill, he would be in the valley on the other side. When night came, and
she was tired, she looked about for some place to rest, and glad she was
to see a little house full of light straight in front of her, and she
hurried towards it as fast as she could.

At the door stood a little boy, and the sight of him filled her heart
with pleasure, she did not know why. A woman came out, and bade her
welcome, and set before her food, and gave her a soft bed to lie on. And
the hoodie's wife lay down, and so tired was she, that it seemed to her
but a moment before the sun rose, and