The Story of Big Klaus and Little Klaus · page 31 2 3201‘You shall pay for this!’ said Big Klaus as he drove home.202‘You shall pay for this dearly, Little Klaus!’203So as soon as he got home he took the largest sack he could find, and went to Little Klaus and said: ‘You have fooled me again!204First I killed my horses, then my grandmother!205It is all your fault; but you sha’n’t do it again!’206And he seized Little Klaus, pushed him in the sack, threw it over his shoulder, crying out ‘Now I am going to drown you!’207He had to go a long way before he came to the river, and Little Klaus was not very light.208The road passed by the church; the organ was sounding, and the people were singing most beautifully.209Big Klaus put down the sack with Little Klaus in it by the church-door, and thought that he might as well go in and hear a psalm before going on farther.210Little Klaus could not get out, and everybody was in church; so he went in.211‘Oh, dear! oh, dear!’ groaned Little Klaus in the sack, twisting and turning himself.212But he could not undo the string.213There came by an old, old shepherd, with snow-white hair and a long staff in his hand.214He was driving a herd of cows and oxen.215These pushed against the sack so that it was overturned.216‘Alas!’ moaned Little Klans, ‘I am so young and yet I must die!’217‘And I, poor man,’ said the cattle-driver, ‘I am so old and yet I cannot die!’218‘Open the sack,’ called out Little Klaus; ‘creep in here instead of me, and you will die in a moment!’219‘I will gladly do that,’ said the cattle-driver; and he opened the sack, and Little Klaus struggled out at once.220‘You will take care of the cattle, won’t you?’ asked the old man, creeping into the sack, which Little Klaus fastened up and then went on with the cows and oxen.221Soon after Big Klaus came out of the church, and taking up the sack on his shoulders it seemed to him as if it had become lighter; for the old cattle-driver was not half as heavy as Little Klaus.222‘How easy he is to carry now!223That must be because I heard part of the service.’224So he went to the river, which was deep and broad, threw in the sack with the old driver, and called after it, for he thought Little Klaus was inside:225‘Down you go!226You won’t mock me any more now!’227Then he went home; but when he came to the cross-roads, there he met Little Klaus, who was driving his cattle.228‘What’s this?’ said Big Klaus.229‘Haven’t I drowned you?’230‘Yes,’ replied Little Klaus; ‘you threw me into the river a good half-hour ago!’231‘But how did you get those splendid cattle?’ asked Big Klaus.232‘They are sea-cattle!’ said Little Klaus.233‘I will tell you the whole story, and I thank you for having drowned me, because now I am on dry land and really rich!234How frightened I was when I was in the sack!235How the wind whistled in my ears as you threw me from the bridge into the cold water!236I sank at once to the bottom; but I did not hurt myself for underneath was growing the most beautiful soft grass.237I fell on this, and immediately the sack opened; the loveliest maiden in snow-white garments, with a green garland round her wet hair, took me by the hand, and said!238‘’Are you Little Klaus?239Here are some cattle for you to begin with, and a mile farther down the road there is another herd, which I will give you as a present!240’’ Now I saw that the river was a great high-road for the sea-people.241Along it they travel underneath from the sea to the land till the river ends.242It was so beautiful, full of flowers and fresh grass; the fishes which were swimming in the water shot past my ears as the birds do here in the air.243What lovely people there were, and what fine cattle were grazing in the ditches and dykes!’244‘But why did you come up to us again?’ asked Big Klaus.245‘I should not have done so, if it is so beautiful down below!’246‘Oh!’ said Little Klaus, ‘that was just so politic of me.247You heard what I told you, that the sea-maiden said to me a mile farther along the road--and by the road she meant the river, for she can go by no other way--there was another herd of cattle waiting for me.248But I know what windings the river makes, now here, now there, so that it is a long way round.checked by a teacher249Therefore it makes it much shorter if one comes on the land and drives across the field to the river.250Thus I have spared myself quite half a mile, and have come much quicker to my sea-cattle!’251‘Oh, you’re a lucky fellow!’ said Big Klaus.252‘Do you think I should also get some cattle if I went to the bottom of the river?’253‘Oh, yes!254I think so,’ said Little Klaus.255‘But I can’t carry you in a sack to the river; you are too heavy for me!256If you like to go there yourself and then creep into the sack, I will throw you in with the greatest of pleasure.’257‘Thank you,’ said Big Klaus; ‘but if I don’t get any sea-cattle when I come there, you will have a good hiding, mind!’258‘Oh, no!259Don’t be so hard on me!’260Then they went to the river.261When the cattle, which were thirsty, caught sight of the water, they ran as quickly as they could to drink.262‘Look how they are running!’ said Little Klaus.263‘They want to go to the bottom again!’264‘Yes; but help me first,’ said Big Klaus, ‘or else you shall have a beating!’265And so he crept into the large sack, which was lying on the back of one of the oxen.266‘Put a stone in, for I am afraid I may not reach the bottom,’ said Big Klaus.267‘It goes all right!’ said Little Klaus; but still he laid a big stone in the sack, fastened it up tight, and then pushed it in.268Plump! there was Big Klaus in the water, and he sank like lead to the bottom.269‘I doubt if he will find any cattle!’ said Little Klaus as he drove his own home.1 2 3← previousThe Hazel-nut Child (29)next →Prince Ring (30)↑ back to The Yellow Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/41/page/3/