said, ‘He must have been where the golden snow falls and where one brings home gold in bushels.’
Then he was summoned before the Bailiff to say where he got all his riches.
He answered, ‘I sold my cow-hide in the town for three hundred thalers.’
When the other Peasants heard this they all wanted to enjoy the same good luck, so they ran home, killed their cows, and took the hides off to get the same price for them.
The Bailiff said, ‘My maid must have the first chance.’ When she reached the town the buyer only gave her three thalers for the hide; and he did not even give the others so much, for he said, ‘What on earth am I to do with all these hides?’
Now the Peasants were enraged at the Little Peasant for having stolen a march upon them, and to revenge themselves they had him up before the Bailiff and accused him of cheating.
The innocent Little Peasant was unanimously condemned to death; he was to be put into a cask full of holes and rolled into the water. He was led out, and a Priest was brought to read a mass; and all the people had to stand at a distance.
As soon as the Little Peasant looked at the Priest, he knew he was the man who had been at the Miller’s. He said to him, ‘I saved you out of the chest, now you must save me out of the cask.’
Just then a Shepherd came by driving a flock of sheep, and the Little Peasant knew that he had long wanted to be Bailiff himself; so he called out as loud as he could, ‘No, I will not, and if all the world wished it I would not.’
The Shepherd, who heard what he said, came and asked, ‘What ’s the matter, what will you not do?’
The Little Peasant said, ‘They want to make me Bailiff if I will sit in this cask, but I won’t.’
‘If that is all,’ said the Shepherd, ‘I will get into the cask myself.’
The Little Peasant said, ‘If you will get into the cask you shall be made Bailiff.’
