STAN BOLOVAN [3]
had all something else to think about.
'Go and fetch me water!' said the mother, when the morning broke, and gave them twelve buffalo skins with the order to keep filling them till night.
They set out at once for the brook, and in the twinkling of an eye the dragon had filled the whole twelve, carried them into the house, and brought them back to Stan. Stan was tired: he could scarcely lift the buckets when they were empty, and he shuddered to think of what would happen when they were full. But he only took an old knife out of his pocket and began to scratch up the earth near the brook.
'What are you doing there? How are you going to carry the water into the house?' asked the dragon.
'How? Dear me, that is easy enough! I shall just take the brook!'
At these words the dragon's jaw dropped. This was the last thing that had ever entered his head, for the brook had been as it was since the days of his grandfather.
'I'll tell you what!' he said. 'Let me carry your skins for you.'
'Most certainly not,' answered Stan, going on with his digging, and the dragon, in dread lest he should fulfil his threat, tried what bribes would do, and in the end had again to promise seven sacks of ducats before Stan would agree to leave the brook alone and let him carry the water into the house.
On the third day the old mother sent Stan into the forest for wood, and, as usual, the dragon went with him.
Before you could count three he had pulled up more trees than Stan could have cut down in a lifetime, and had arranged them neatly in rows. When the dragon had finished, Stan began to look about him, and, choosing the biggest of the trees, he climbed up it, and, breaking off a long rope of wild vine, bound the top of the tree to the one next it. And so he did to a whole line of trees.
'What are you doing there?' asked the dragon.
'You can see for yourself,' answered Stan, going quietly on with his work.
'Why are you tying the trees together?'
'Not to give myself unnecessary work; when I pull up one, all the others will come up too.'
'But how will you carry them home?'
'Dear me! don't you understand that I am going to take the whole forest back with me?' said Stan, tying two other trees as he spoke.
'I'll tell you what,' cried the dragon, trembling with fear at the thought of such a thing; 'let me carry the wood for you, and you shall have seven times seven sacks full of ducats.'
'You are a good fellow, and I agree to your proposal,' answered Stan, and the dragon carried the wood.
Now the three days' service which were to be reckoned as a year were over, and the only thing that disturbed Stan was, how to get all those ducats back to his home!
In the evening the dragon and his mother had a long talk, but Stan heard every word through a crack in the ceiling.
'Woe be to us, mother,' said the dragon; 'this man will soon get us into his power. Give him his money, and let us be rid of him.'
But the old mother was fond of money, and did not like this.
'Listen to me,' said she; 'you must murder him this very night.'
'I am afraid,' answered he.
'There is nothing to fear,' replied the old mother. 'When he is asleep take the club, and hit him on the head with it. It is easily done.'
And so it would have been, had not Stan heard all about it. And when the dragon and his mother had put out their lights, he took the pigs' trough and filled it with earth, and placed it in his bed, and covered it with clothes. Then he hid himself underneath, and began to snore loudly.
Very soon the dragon stole softly into the room, and gave a tremendous blow on the spot where Stan's head should have been. Stan groaned loudly from under the bed, and the dragon went away as softly as he had come. Directly he had closed the door, Stan lifted out the pigs' trough, and lay down himself, after making everything clean and tidy, but he was wise enough not to shut his eyes that night.
The next morning he came into the room when the dragon and his mother were having their breakfast.
'Good
'Go and fetch me water!' said the mother, when the morning broke, and gave them twelve buffalo skins with the order to keep filling them till night.
They set out at once for the brook, and in the twinkling of an eye the dragon had filled the whole twelve, carried them into the house, and brought them back to Stan. Stan was tired: he could scarcely lift the buckets when they were empty, and he shuddered to think of what would happen when they were full. But he only took an old knife out of his pocket and began to scratch up the earth near the brook.
'What are you doing there? How are you going to carry the water into the house?' asked the dragon.
'How? Dear me, that is easy enough! I shall just take the brook!'
At these words the dragon's jaw dropped. This was the last thing that had ever entered his head, for the brook had been as it was since the days of his grandfather.
'I'll tell you what!' he said. 'Let me carry your skins for you.'
'Most certainly not,' answered Stan, going on with his digging, and the dragon, in dread lest he should fulfil his threat, tried what bribes would do, and in the end had again to promise seven sacks of ducats before Stan would agree to leave the brook alone and let him carry the water into the house.
On the third day the old mother sent Stan into the forest for wood, and, as usual, the dragon went with him.
Before you could count three he had pulled up more trees than Stan could have cut down in a lifetime, and had arranged them neatly in rows. When the dragon had finished, Stan began to look about him, and, choosing the biggest of the trees, he climbed up it, and, breaking off a long rope of wild vine, bound the top of the tree to the one next it. And so he did to a whole line of trees.
'What are you doing there?' asked the dragon.
'You can see for yourself,' answered Stan, going quietly on with his work.
'Why are you tying the trees together?'
'Not to give myself unnecessary work; when I pull up one, all the others will come up too.'
'But how will you carry them home?'
'Dear me! don't you understand that I am going to take the whole forest back with me?' said Stan, tying two other trees as he spoke.
'I'll tell you what,' cried the dragon, trembling with fear at the thought of such a thing; 'let me carry the wood for you, and you shall have seven times seven sacks full of ducats.'
'You are a good fellow, and I agree to your proposal,' answered Stan, and the dragon carried the wood.
Now the three days' service which were to be reckoned as a year were over, and the only thing that disturbed Stan was, how to get all those ducats back to his home!
In the evening the dragon and his mother had a long talk, but Stan heard every word through a crack in the ceiling.
'Woe be to us, mother,' said the dragon; 'this man will soon get us into his power. Give him his money, and let us be rid of him.'
But the old mother was fond of money, and did not like this.
'Listen to me,' said she; 'you must murder him this very night.'
'I am afraid,' answered he.
'There is nothing to fear,' replied the old mother. 'When he is asleep take the club, and hit him on the head with it. It is easily done.'
And so it would have been, had not Stan heard all about it. And when the dragon and his mother had put out their lights, he took the pigs' trough and filled it with earth, and placed it in his bed, and covered it with clothes. Then he hid himself underneath, and began to snore loudly.
Very soon the dragon stole softly into the room, and gave a tremendous blow on the spot where Stan's head should have been. Stan groaned loudly from under the bed, and the dragon went away as softly as he had come. Directly he had closed the door, Stan lifted out the pigs' trough, and lay down himself, after making everything clean and tidy, but he was wise enough not to shut his eyes that night.
The next morning he came into the room when the dragon and his mother were having their breakfast.
'Good