(1835)
In a village there once lived two men who had the same name. They were
both called Claus. One of them had four horses, but the other had only one;
so to distinguish them, people called the owner of the four horses, “Great
Claus,” and he who had only one, “Little Claus.” Now we shall hear what
happened to them, for this is a true story.
Through the whole week, Little Claus was obliged to plough for Great
Claus, and lend him his one horse; and once a week, on a Sunday, Great
Claus lent him all his four horses. Then how Little Claus would smack his
whip over all five horses, they were as good as his own on that one day. The
sun shone brightly, and the church bells were ringing merrily as the people
passed by, dressed in their best clothes, with their prayer-books under their
arms. They were going to hear the clergyman preach. They looked at Little
Claus ploughing with his five horses, and he was so proud that he smacked
his whip, and said, “Gee-up, my five horses.”
“You must not say that,” said Big Claus; “for only one of them belongs to
you.” But Little Claus soon forgot what he ought to say, and when any one
passed he would call out, “Gee-up, my five horses!”
“Now I must beg you not to say that again,” said Big Claus; “for if you
do, I shall hit your horse on the head, so that he will drop dead on the spot,
and there will be an end of him.”
“I promise you I will not say it any more,” said the other; but as soon as
people came by, nodding to him, and wishing him “Good day,” he became
so pleased, and thought how grand it looked to have five horses ploughing
in his field, that he cried out again, “Gee-up, all my horses!”
“I’ll gee-up your horses for you,” said Big Claus; and seizing a hammer,
he struck the one horse of Little Claus on the head, and he fell dead
