GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS. 33

Now we shall hear what happened to each of them, for this is
a true story.

The whole week through little Claus was obliged to plough for
Great Claus, and to lend him his one horse ; then Great Claus
helped him out with all his four, but only once a week, and that
on a holiday. Hurrah! how little Claus smacked his whip over
all five horses, for they were as good as his own on that one day.
The sun shone gaily, and all the bells in the steeples were ringing ;
the people were all dressed in their best, and were going to church.
with their hymn-books under their arms, to hear the clergyman
preach, and they saw little Claus ploughing with five horses; but
he was so merry that he smacked his whip again and again, and
cried, “Gee up, all my five !”

“You must not talk so,” said Great Claus, “for only the one
horse is yours.” :

But when no one was passing Little Claus forgot that he was
not to say this, and he cried, “ Gee up, all my horses !” 3

* Now, I must beg of you to let that alone,” cried Great Claus, -
“for if you say it again, I shall hit your horse on the head so that
it will fall down dead, and then it will be all over with him.”

‘‘T will certainly not say it any more,” said Little Claus. ©

But when people came by soon afterwards, and nodded “ good
day” to him, he became very glad, and thought it looked very
well after all that he had five horses to plough his field ; and so
he smacked his whip again, and cried, “Gee up, all my horses !”

“Tl “gee up’ your horses !” said Great Claus. And he took
the hatchet and hit the only horse of Little Claus on the head,
so that it fell down and was dead immediately.

“Oh, now I haven’t any horse at all!” said Little Claus, and
began to cry.

Then he flayed the horse, and let the hide dry in the wind, and
put it in a sack and hung it over his shoulder, and went to the
town to sell his horse’s skin. P

He hada very long way to go, and was obliged to pass through
a great dark wood, and the weather became dreadfully bad. He
went quite astray, and before he got into the right way again it
was evening, and it was too far to get home again or even to the
town before nightfall. ‘

Close by the road stood a large farm-house. The shutters
were closed outside the windows, but the light could still be seer.
shining out over them.

“I may be able to get leave to stop here through the night,”
thought Little Claus; and he went and knocked.

The farmer’s wife opened the door ; but when she heard what
he wanted she told him to go away, declaring that her husband
was not at home, and she would not receive strangers.

“Then I shall have to lie outside,” said Little Claus. And the
farmer's wife shut thé door in his face.

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