64 Fairy Tales

as he opened the door, there was no doubt
about the clatter. His wife was sitting up
in bed, her eyes shining, her arms clasped
round a familiar figure—familiar and yet
changed—and as her husband came in she
stretched out a hand to draw him nearer.

“ Karl has come back, husband,” she cried,
“he has come back to us at last!” and all
the children clapped their hands and shouted,
“Ves, Karl has come back!”

The man was glad, too, yet at the same
time disappointed, for Karl was the oldest
and the strongest, and if he could not find
his fortune who could? Karl had discovered
nothing. He had killed all the beasts he
could catch, and then, fortunately, came
upon a house where they let him sleep with
the horses. But even for that he had to
work, and as he grew thinner and thinner,
and hungrier and hungrier, he thought with
longing of the hut, father and mother,
brothers and sisters, until the longing grew
so strong that it brought him back.

“Ah, our Karl is a home bird,” said the