'No, I have not time,' said Jonas, 'and besides, there are sure
not to be more than three. Walter can manage them very well
alone.'

'Yes,' said Walter, 'certainly I could; but, you see, Jonas, it
might happen that one of them might bite me in the back, and I
should have more trouble in killing them. If I only knew that
there were not more than two I should not mind, for them I should
take one in each hand and give them a good shaking, like Susanna
once shook me.'

'I certainly think that there will not be more than two,' said
Jonas, 'there are never more than two when they slay children and
rams; Walter can very well shake them without me.'

'But, you see, Jonas,' said Walter, 'if there are two, it might
still happen that one of them escapes and bites me in the leg,
for you see I am not so strong in the left hand as in the right.
You can very well come with me, and take a good stick in case
there are really two. Look, if there is only one, I shall take
him so with both my hands and thrown him living on to his back,
and he can kick as much as he likes, I shall hold him fast.'

'Now, when I really think over the thing,' said Jonas, 'I am
almost sure there will not be more than one. What would two do
with one ram? There will certainly not be more than one.'

'But you should come with me all the same, Jonas,' said Walter.
'You see I can very well manage one, but I am not quite