owner, who refused to put any faith in what they told him about the
mare, so the luck speedily left the place, and went after the mare to a
poor neighbour who had bought her. Within five days after his purchase,
the poor farmer began to find his circumstances gradually improving,
while the income of the other, day after day, fell away and diminished
at such a rate that he was hard set to make both ends meet.

If now the man who had got the mare had only known how to be quiet and
enjoy the good times that were come upon him, he and his children and
his children's children after him would have been in flourishing
circumstances till this very day. But when he saw the quantity of corn
that came every night to his barn, he could not resist his desire to get
a sight of the Nis. So he concealed himself one evening at nightfall in
the stable, and as soon as it was midnight he saw how the Nis came from
his neighbour's barn and brought a sack full of corn with him. It was
now unavoidable that the Nis should get a sight of the man who was
watching, so he, with evident marks of grief, gave the mare her food for
the last time, cleaned and dressed her to the best of his ability, and
when he had done, turned round to where the man was lying, and bid him
farewell.

From that day forward the circumstances of both the neighbours were on
an equality, for each now kept his own.




THE DWARFS' BANQUET.