BARON. That's not bad. But what do you wager that Eric won't hit on
something better still? Let's hear your suggestion, Eric.

ERIC. My idea is that we take off all his clothes and put him in my
lord's best bed, and in the morning when he wakes, all of us treat
him as if he were the lord of the domain, so he won't know how he
has got so transformed. And when we have convinced him that he is
the baron, we can get him drunk again, as he is now, and lay him on
the same dunghill in his own old clothes. If all this is skilfully
carried out, it will work wonderfully, and he will imagine that he
had dreamt of his good fortune, or has actually been in paradise.

BARON. Eric, you're a big man and therefore you have big ideas. But
what if we should wake him in the process?

ERIC. I'm sure we shalln't do that, my lord! for this same Jeppe is
one of the heaviest sleepers in the whole district. Last year they
tried setting off a rocket under his head, but when the rocket went
off he never even stirred in his sleep.

BARON. Then let us do it. Drag him right off, put a fine shirt on
him, and lay him in my best bed.



ACT II

SCENE I