out with the loaf, following the shavings, and went straight to the bear's den. And the bear saw her and said: “O-ho! here's another little girl come to see me!”
The next day the old man went off to the field to harrow, and he said to his daughter: “My dear little daughter, bake me a loaf and bring it to me in the field. I will throw three rows of shavings.” And the old man went off, throwing the shavings down in three rows, and the bear came and drew them all aside on to the path that led to his den. And the eldest daughter set out, and she, too, came to the bear's den. And the bear saw her and said: “O-ho! here's a third little girl come to see me in my den!” And there they went on living, when one day the eldest sister said: “Bruin, Bruin, I'll bake some pies, and you take them and give them to my daddy to eat.” “All right,” answered the bear, “I'll take them.” And so she popped her youngest sister into a sack, and said:
“Here, Bruin, take this to my daddy, and mind, don't you eat it yourself on the way!” And the bear took the sack and set off with it to the old man. And as he went along, he kept saying to himself: “Suppose I sit down on a stump, and suppose I just eat one little pie!” And the youngest daughter in the sack heard him and said: “Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!” And the bear thought that this was the eldest sister, and said to himself: “There now, fancy that! I've come a long way, and yet she can still hear me!”
And he brought the sack right up to the old man's courtyard, when the dogs all rushed out and began to bark at him! So he flung down the sack and ran off home. And the eldest sister asked him: “Did they make you welcome, Bruin, and give you nice things to eat?” “They didn't give me anything to eat,” he answered, “but their welcome was loud enough.”
The next day the eldest sister said: “Bruin, take my daddy some more pies to eat!” And she tied up her other sister in the sack, and the bear put it on his back and carried it off into the village. And as he went through the forest he kept saying to himself: “Suppose I sit down on a stump, and suppose I just eat one little pie!” And the second daughter said to him from out of the sack: “Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!” And the bear thought: “There now, fancy that! I've come a long way, and yet she can still hear me, and tells me not to eat a pie!” And so he reached the old man's courtyard, and when the dogs went for him that time, they all but worried him to death! So he flung down the sack and ran off home. And the eldest sister asked him: “Did they welcome you warmly, Bruin, and give you plenty to eat?” “It was such a warm welcome, and they gave me so much to eat, that I shan't forget it in a hurry!” he answered.
And the next day the eldest girl said: “I'll bake some more pies, and you take them to my daddy for him to eat.” And so she herself sat down in the sack, and the bear carried her off. And as he carried her along he kept saying to himself: “Oh, I should so like to sit down on a stump, and I should so like to eat one little pie!” And the eldest daughter said to him from out of the sack: “Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!” And the bear thought: “There now, fancy that! Look at the long way I've come, and yet she can still see and hear me!” And so he brought the sack to the old man, and then the dogs came upon him and all but tore him in bits. And he ran off into the forest without as much as looking round, and the old man began once more to live with his three little daughters.
I don't like what is nice, but what I like is nice!
THE STRAW OX
Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife, and one day she said to him: “Make me a straw ox and smear him over with pitch.” And he asked: “What for?” And she answered: “Do what I tell you! Never mind what it's for—that's my business!” So the old man made a straw ox and smeared him over with pitch. Then his wife got ready in the early morning and drove the ox to pasture. She sat down under a tree, and began spinning flax and saying to herself: “Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass.”
“Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass!” And she went on spinning and spinning, and fell asleep. Suddenly from out of the thick wood, from out of the dark forest, a bear came running, and ran right up against the ox.
“Who in the world are you?” he asked. And the ox answered: “I'm the three-year-old ox, all made of straw and smeared over with pitch.” Then the bear said: “Well, if you're smeared over with pitch, give me some to put on my poor torn side.” And the ox answered: “Take some!” So the bear seized hold of the ox, when lo and behold! his paw stuck in the pitch.
And when he tried to free it with the other paw, that one stuck too. Then he started gnawing with his teeth, and they stuck too. He couldn't tear himself away anyhow. And the old woman woke up and saw the bear stuck fast to the ox. So she ran home and shouted to her husband: “Come along quick, a bear has stuck fast to our ox, hurry up and catch him!” And he came along, took the bear, led him home, and shut him up in the lumber room.
The next day, as soon as the sun rose, the old woman again drove the ox to pasture, and she herself sat down under a tree, and began spinning flax and saying to herself: “Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass of the field! Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass of the field!” And she went on spinning and spinning, and fell asleep. Suddenly from out of the thick wood, from out of the dark forest, a wolf came running, and ran right up against the ox. “Who in the world are you?” he asked. And the ox answered: “I'm the three-year-old ox, all made of straw and smeared over with pitch.”
Then the wolf said: “Well, if that's so, give me some pitch to put on my poor torn side.” And the ox answered: “By all means!” So the wolf tried to take some pitch, when lo and behold! his paw stuck in it. And when he tried to free it, it stuck all the faster. And the old woman woke up and saw the wolf sticking to the ox. So she ran to fetch her husband and said: “Come as quick as you can, there's a wolf stuck to the ox!” And he came and caught the wolf and put
