"Here now is rest!" and they both sat down on the side of a little
hill.

"If I had known," said the Nis, as they sat. "If I had known that rest
was so good, I'd have carried off all that was in the barn."

It happened, some time after, that the boy and the Nis were no longer
friends, and as the Nis was sitting one day in the granary-window with
his legs hanging out into the yard, the boy ran at him and tumbled him
back into the granary. The Nis was revenged on him that very night, for
when the boy was gone to bed he stole down to where he was lying and
carried him as he was into the yard. Then he laid two pieces of wood
across the well and put him lying on them, expecting that when he awoke
he would fall, from the fright, into the well and be drowned. He was,
however, disappointed, for the boy came off without injury.

* * * * *

There was a man who lived in the town of Tirup who had a very handsome
white mare. This mare had for many years belonged to the same family,
and there was a Nis attached to her who brought luck to the place.

This Nis was so fond of the mare that he could hardly endure to let them
put her to any kind of work, and he used to come himself every night and
feed her of the best; and as for this purpose he usually brought a
superfluity of corn, both thrashed and in the straw, from the
neighbours' barns, all the rest of the cattle enjoyed the advantage,
and they were all kept in exceedingly good condition.

It happened at last that the farm-house passed into the hands of a new