imustthrowhimintotheriver,thathemaybedrowned."

"oh,no;oh,no,"criedthesexton;"iwillgiveyouawholebushelfullofmoneyifyouwillletmego.

"why,thatisanothermatter,"saidlittleclaus,openingthechest.thesextoncreptout,pushedtheemptychestintothewater,andwenttohishouse,thenhemeasuredoutawholebushelfullofgoldforlittleclaus,whohadalreadyreceivedonefromthefarmer,sothatnowhehadabarrowfull.

"ihavebeenwellpaidformyhorse,"saidhetohimselfwhenhereachedhome,enteredhisownroom,andemptiedallhismoneyintoaheaponthefloor."howvexedgreatclauswillbewhenhefindsouthowrichihavebecomeallthroughmyonehorse;butishallnottellhimexactlyhowitallhappened."thenhesentaboytogreatclaustoborrowabushelmeasure.

"whatcanhewantitfor?"thoughtgreatclaus;sohesmearedthebottomofthemeasurewithtar,thatsomeofwhateverwasputintoitmightstickthereandremain.andsoithappened;forwhenthemeasurereturned,threenewsilverflorinswerestickingtoit.

"whatdoesthismean?"saidgreatclaus;soheranoffdirectlytolittleclaus,andasked,"wheredidyougetsomuchmoney?"

"oh,formyhorse'sskin,isoldityesterday."

"itwascertainlywellpaidforthen,"saidgreatclaus;andheranhometohishouse,seizedahatchet,andknockedallhisfourhorsesonthehead,flayedofftheirskins,andtookthemtothetowntosell."skins,skins,who'llbuyskins?"hecried,ashewentthroughthestreets.alltheshoemakersandtannerscamerunning,andaskedhowmuchhewantedforthem.

"abushelofmoney,foreach,"repliedgreatclaus.

"areyoumad?"theyallcried;"doyouthinkwehavemoneytospendbythebushel?"

"skins,skins,"hecriedagain,"who'llbuyskins?"buttoallwhoinquiredtheprice,hisanswerwas,"abushelofmoney."

"heismakingfoolsofus,"saidtheyall;thentheshoemakerstooktheirstraps,andthetannerstheirleatheraprons,andbegantobeatgreatclaus.

"skins,skins!"theycried,mockinghim;"yes,we'llmarkyourskinforyou,tillitisblackandblue."

"outofthetownwithhim,"saidthey.andgreatclauswasobligedtorunasfastashecould,hehadneverbeforebeensothoroughlybeaten.

"ah,"saidhe,ashecametohishouse;"littleclausshallpaymeforthis;iwillbeathimtodeath."

meanwhiletheoldgrandmotheroflittleclausdied.shehadbeencross,unkind,andreallyspitefultohim;buthewasverysorry,andtookthedeadwomanandlaidherinhiswarmbedtoseeifhecouldbringhertolifeagain.therehedeterminedthatsheshouldliethewholenight,whileheseatedhimselfinachairinacorneroftheroomashehadoftendonebefore.duringthenight,ashesatthere,thedooropened,andincamegreatclauswithahatchet.heknewwellwherelittleclaus'sbedstood;sohewentrightuptoit,andstrucktheoldgrandmotheronthehead.thinkingitmustbelittleclaus.

"there,"criedhe,"nowyoucannotmakeafoolofmeagain;"andthenhewenthome.

"thatisaverywickedman,"thoughtlittleclaus;"hemeanttokillme.itisagoodthingformyoldgrandmotherthatshewasalreadydead,orhewouldhavetakenherlife."thenhedressedhisoldgrandmotherinherbestclothes,borrowedahorseofhisneighbor,andharnessedittoacart.thenheplacedtheoldwomanonthebackseat,sothatshemightnotfalloutashedrove,androdeawaythroughthewood.bysunrisetheyreachedalargeinn,wherelittleclausstoppedandwenttogetsomethingtoeat.thelandlordwasarichman,andagoodmantoo;butaspassionateasifhehadbeenmadeofpepperandsnuff.

"goodmorning,"saidhetolittleclaus;"youarecomebetimesto-day."

"yes,"saidlittleclaus;"iamgoingtothetownwithmyoldgrandmother;sheissittingatthebackofthewagon,buticannotbringherintotheroom.willyoutakeheraglassofmead?