"You have cheated me foully time after time," said the King, "but now
you must come along home with me, and I'll kill you."

"Well, well," said Peik, "if it can't be helped, it can't; I suppose I
must go along with you."

When they got home to the King's palace they got ready a barrel which
Peik was to be put in, and when it was ready they carted it up a high
mountain. There he was to lie three days, thinking on all the evil he
had done, then they were to roll him down the mountain into the sea.

The third day a rich man passed by and when he heard Peik's story he was
ready to help him out of his trouble.

They made a stuffed man and put him with some stones into the
barrel--but the rich man gave Peik horses and cows, sheep and swine, and
money beside.

Now, the King came to roll Peik down the mountain. "A happy journey!"
said the King, "and now it is all over with you and your fooling rods."

Before the barrel was halfway down the mountain there was not a whole
stave of it left, nor would there have been a whole limb on Peik, had he
been there. But when the King came back to the palace, Peik was there
before him, and sat in the court-yard playing on his mouth organ.

"What! You sitting here, you, Peik?"

"Yes! Here I sit, sure enough. Where else should I sit?" said Peik.
"Maybe I can get room here for all my horses and sheep and money."