from this day on."

The poor brother said he wouldn't, thanked his brother for the help he
had given him, and started on his way home.

He hadn't gone far before he met an old, old man with a white beard, who
looked so thin and worn and hungry that it was pitiful to see him.

"In heaven's name give a poor man a morsel to eat," said the old man.

"Now, indeed, I have been begging myself," said the poor brother, "but
I'm not so poor that I can't give you something on the blessed Christmas
eve." And with that he handed the old man a candle, a loaf of bread, and
he was just going to cut off a slice of bacon, when the old man stopped
him--"That is enough and to spare," said he. "And now, I'll tell you
something. Not far from here is the entrance to the home of the
underground folks. They have a mill there which can grind out anything
they wish for except bacon; now mind you go there. When you get inside
they will all want to buy your bacon, but don't sell it unless you get
in return the mill which stands behind the door. When you come out I'll
teach you how to handle the mill."

So the man with the bacon thanked the other for his good advice and
followed the directions which the old man had given him, and soon he
stood outside the door of the hillfolk's home.

When he got in, everything went just as the old man had said. All the
hillfolk, great and small, came swarming up to him, like ants around an
ant-hill, and each tried to outbid the other for the bacon.