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grandmother。 She is sitting outside in the cart； I cannot bring
her in。 Will you not give her a glass of mead？ But you will
have to speak loud； for she is very hard of hearing。'
'Oh yes； certainly I will！' said the host； and； pouring out a
large glass of mead； he took it out to the dead grandmother； who
was sitting upright in the cart。
'Here is a glass of mead from your son；' said the host。 But the
dead woman did not answer a word； and sat still。 'Don't you
hear？' cried the host as loud as he could。 'Here is a glass of
mead from your son！'
Then he shouted the same thing again； and yet again； but she
never moved in her place； and at last he grew angry； threw the
glass in her face； so that she fell back into the cart； for she
was not tied in her place。
'Hullo！' cried Little Klaus； running out of the door； and seizing
the host by the throat。 'You have killed my grandmother！ Look！
there is a great hole in her forehead！'
'Oh； what a misfortune！' cried the host； wringing his hands。 'It
all comes from my hot temper！ Dear Little Klaus！ I will give
you a bushel of money； and will bury your grandmother as if she
were my own； only don't tell about it； or I shall have my head
cut off； and that would be very uncomfortable。'
So Little Klaus got a bushel of money； and the host buried his
grandmother as if she had been his own。
Now when Little Klaus again reached home with so much money he
sent his boy to Big Klaus to borrow his bushel measure。
'What's this？' said Big Klaus。 'Didn't I kill him？ I must see
to this myself！'
So he went himself to Little Klaus with the measure。
'Well； now； where did you get all this money？' asked he； opening
his eyes at the heap。
'You killed my grandmothernot me；' said Little Klaus。 'I sold
her； and got a bushel of money for her。'
'That is indeed a good price！' said Big Klaus； and； hurrying
home； he took an axe and killed his grandmother； laid her in the
cart； and drove off to the apothecary's； and asked whether he
wanted to buy a dead body。
'Who is it； and how did you get it？' asked the apothecary。
'It is my grandmother；' said Big Klaus。 'I killed her in order
to get a bushel of money。'
'You are mad！' said the apothecary。 'Don't mention such things；
or you will lose your head！' And he began to tell him what a
dreadful thing he had done； and what a wicked man he was； and
that he ought to be punished； till Big Klaus was so frightened
that he jumped into the cart and drove home as hard as he could。
The apothecary and all the people thought he must be mad； so they
let him go。
'You shall pay for this！' said Big Klaus as he drove home。 'You
shall pay for this dearly； Little Klaus！'
So as soon as he got home he took the largest sack he could find；
and went to Little Klaus and said： 'You have fooled me again！
First I killed my horses； then my grandmother！ It is all your
fault； but you sha'n't do it again！' And he seized Little Klaus；
pushed him in the sack； threw it over his shoulder； crying out
'Now I am going to drown you！'
He had to go a long way before he came to the river； and Little
Klaus was not very light。 The road passed by the church； the
organ was sounding； and the people were singing most beautifully。
Big Klaus put down the sack with Little Klaus in it by the
church…door； and thought that he might as well go in and hear a
psalm before going on farther。 Little Klaus could not get out；
and everybody was in church； so he went in。
'Oh； dear！ oh； dear！' groaned Little Klaus in the sack； twisting
and turning himself。 But he could not undo the string。
There came by an old； old shepherd； with snow…white hair and a
long staff in his hand。 He was driving a herd of cows and oxen。
These pushed against the sack so that it was overturned。
'Alas！' moaned Little Klans； 'I am so young and yet I must die！'
'And I； poor man；' said the cattle…driver； 'I am so old and yet I
cannot die！'
'Open the sack；' called out Little Klaus； 'creep in here instead
of me； and you will die in a moment！'
'I will gladly do that；' said the cattle…driver； and he opened
the sack； and Little Klaus struggled out at once。
'You will take care of the cattle； won't you？' asked the old man；
creeping into the sack； which Little Klaus fastened up and then
went on with the cows and oxen。 Soon after Big Klaus came out of
the church； and taking up the sack on his shoulders it seemed to
him as if it had become lighter； for the old cattle…driver was
not half as heavy as Little Klaus。
'How easy he is to carry now！ That must be because I heard part
of the service。'
So he went to the river； which was deep and broad； threw in the
sack with the old driver； and called after it； for he thought
Little Klaus was inside：
'Down you go！ You won't mock me any more now！'
Then he went home； but when he came to the cross…roads； there he
met Little Klaus； who was driving his cattle。
'What's this？' said Big Klaus。 'Haven't I drowned you？'
'Yes；' replied Little Klaus； 'you threw me into the river a good
half…hour ago！'
'But how did you get those splendid cattle？' asked Big Klaus。
'They are sea…cattle！' said Little Klaus。 'I will tell you the
whole story； and I thank you for having drowned me； because now I
am on dry land and really rich！ How frightened I was when I was
in the sack！ How the wind whistled in my ears as you threw me
from the bridge into the cold water！ I sank at once to the
bottom； but I did not hurt myself for underneath was growing the
most beautiful soft grass。 I fell on this； and immediately the
sack opened； the loveliest maiden in snow…white garments； with a
green garland round her wet hair； took me by the hand； and said！
''Are you Little Klaus？ Here are some cattle for you to begin
with； and a mile farther down the road there is another herd；
which I will give you as a present！'' Now I saw that the river
was a great high…road for the sea…people。 Along it they travel
underneath from the sea to the land till the river ends。 It was
so beautiful； full of flowers and fresh grass； the fishes which
were swimming in the water shot past my ears as the birds do here
in the air。 What lovely people there were； and what fine cattle
were grazing in the ditches and dykes！'
'But why did you come up to us again？' asked Big Klaus。 'I
should not have done so； if it is so beautiful down below！'
'Oh！' said Little Klaus； 'that was just so politic of me。 You
heard what I told you； that the sea…maiden said to me a mile
farther along the roadand by the road she meant the river； for
she can go by no other waythere was another herd of cattle
waiting for me。 But I know what windings the river makes； now
here； now there； so that it is a long way round。 Therefore it
makes it much shorter if one comes on the land and drives across
the field to the river。