Old Eric eagerly promised this, if Hans would only let him go; so
Hans rowed ashore, ate up the rest of his provisions, and went
home to bed.

Next morning, when the squire rose and opened his front door, the
fish came tumbling into the porch, and the whole yard was crammed
full of them. He ran in again to his wife, for he could never
devise anything himself, and said to her, 'What shall we do with
him now? Old Eric hasn't taken him. I am certain that all the
fish are out of the lake, for the yard is just filled with them.'

'Yes, that's a bad business,' said she; 'you must see if you
can't get him sent to Purgatory, to demand tribute.' The squire
therefore made his way to the men's quarters, to speak to Hans,
and it took him all his time to push his way along the walls,
under the eaves, on account of the fish that filled the yard. He
thanked Hans for having fished so well, and said that now he had
an errand for him, which he could only give to a trusty servant,
and that was to journey to Purgatory, and demand three years
tribute, which, he said, was owing to him from that quarter.

'Willingly,' said Hans; 'but what road do I go, to get there?'

The squire stood, and did not know what to say, and had first to
go in to his wife to ask her.

'Oh, what a fool you are!' said she, 'can't you direct him
straight forward, south through the wood? Whether he gets there
or not, we shall be quit of him.'