e unbound and let the bear go. Then he sat down on the
bench and again began sharpening his knife. And the wolf asked him,
"Daddy, what are you sharpening your knife for?"--"To flay off your
skin, that I may make me a warm cap against the winter."--"Oh!
don't flay me, daddy dear, and I'll bring you a whole herd of
little sheep."--"Well, see that you do it," and he let the wolf go.
Then he sat down and began sharpening his knife again. The fox put out
her little snout and asked him, "Be so kind, dear daddy, and tell me
why you are sharpening your knife!"--"Little foxes," said the old
man, "have nice skins that do capitally for collars and trimmings,
and I want to skin you!"--"Oh! don't take my skin away, daddy dear,
and I will bring you hens and geese."--"Very well, see that you do
it!" and he let the fox go. The hare now alone remained, and the
old man began sharpening his knife on the hare's account. "Why do
you do that?" asked puss, and he replied, "Little hares have nice
little soft warm skins, which will make me gloves and mittens
against the winter!"--"Oh! daddy dear! don't flay me, and I'll
bring you kale and good cauliflower, if only you let me go!" Then he
let the hare go also.

Then they went to bed, but very early in the morning, when it was
neither dusk nor dawn, there was a noise in the doorway like
"Durrrrrr!"--"Daddy!" cried the old woman, "there's some one
scratching at the door, go and see who it is!" The old man went out,
and there was the bear carrying a whole hive full of honey. The old
man took the honey from the bear, but no sooner did he lie down than
again there was another "Durrrrr!" at the door. The old man looked out
and saw the wolf driving a whole flock of sheep into the yard. Close
on his heels came the fox, driving before him geese and hens and all
manner of fowls; and last of all came the hare, bringing cabbage and
kale and all manner of good food. And the old man was glad, and the
old woman was glad. And the old man sold the sheep and oxen and got so
rich that he needed nothing more. As for the straw-stuffed ox, it
stood in the sun till it fell to pieces.

THE GOLDEN SLIPPER

There was once upon a time an old man and an old woman, and the old
man had a daughter, and the old woman had a daughter. And the old
woman said to the old man, "Go and buy a heifer, that thy daughter may
have something to look after!" So the old man went to the fair and
bought a heifer.

Now the old wo