him plenteously to fish, which appeared to be his favorite dish. “If I could
only get some, too,” thought Little Claus; and then, as he stretched his neck
towards the window he spied a large, beautiful pie,-indeed they had a
glorious feast before them.
At this moment he heard some one riding down the road, towards the
farmhouse. It was the farmer returning home. He was a good man, but still
he had a very strange prejudice,-he could not bear the sight of a sexton. If
one appeared before him, he would put himself in a terrible rage. In
consequence of this dislike, the sexton had gone to visit the farmer’s wife
during her husband’s absence from home, and the good woman had placed
before him the best she had in the house to eat. When she heard the farmer
coming she was frightened, and begged the sexton to hide himself in a large
empty chest that stood in the room. He did so, for he knew her husband
could not endure the sight of a sexton. The woman then quickly put away
the wine, and hid all the rest of the nice things in the oven; for if her
husband had seen them he would have asked what they were brought out
for.
“Oh, dear,” sighed Little Claus from the top of the shed, as he saw all the
good things disappear.
“Is any one up there?” asked the farmer, looking up and discovering
Little Claus. “Why are you lying up there? Come down, and come into the
house with me.” So Little Claus came down and told the farmer how he had
lost his way and begged for a night’s lodging.
“All right,” said the farmer; “but we must have something to eat first.”
The woman received them both very kindly, laid the cloth on a large
table, and placed before them a dish of porridge. The farmer was very
hungry, and ate his porridge with a good appetite, but Little Claus could not
help thinking of the nice roast meat, fish and pies, which he knew were in
the oven. Under the table, at his feet, lay the sack containing the horse’s
skin, which he intended to sell at the next town. Now Little Claus did not
relish the porridge at all, so he trod with his foot on the sack under the table,
