and the dry skin squeaked quite loud. “Hush!” said Little Claus to his sack,
at the same time treading upon it again, till it squeaked louder than before.
“Hallo! what have you got in your sack!” asked the farmer.
“Oh, it is a conjuror,” said Little Claus; “and he says we need not eat
porridge, for he has conjured the oven full of roast meat, fish, and pie.”
“Wonderful!” cried the farmer, starting up and opening the oven door;
and there lay all the nice things hidden by the farmer’s wife, but which he
supposed had been conjured there by the wizard under the table. The
woman dared not say anything; so she placed the things before them, and
they both ate of the fish, the meat, and the pastry.
Then Little Claus trod again upon his sack, and it squeaked as before.
“What does he say now?” asked the farmer.
“He says,” replied Little Claus, “that there are three bottles of wine for
us, standing in the corner, by the oven.”
So the woman was obliged to bring out the wine also, which she had
hidden, and the farmer drank it till he became quite merry. He would have
liked such a conjuror as Little Claus carried in his sack. “Could he conjure
up the evil one?” asked the farmer. “I should like to see him now, while I
am so merry.”
“Oh, yes!” replied Little Claus, “my conjuror can do anything I ask him,-
can you not?” he asked, treading at the same time on the sack till it
squeaked. “Do you hear? he answers ’Yes,’ but he fears that we shall not
like to look at him.”
“Oh, I am not afraid. What will he be like?”
“Well, he is very much like a sexton.”
“Ha!” said the farmer, “then he must be ugly. Do you know I cannot
endure the sight of a sexton. However, that doesn’t matter, I shall know who
it is; so I shall not mind. Now then, I have got up my courage, but don’t let
him come too near me.”
