“Wonderful!”cried the farmer,starting up and opening the oven door;and there lay all the nice things hidden by the farmer's wife,but which he supposed had been conjured there by the wizard under the table.The woman dared not say anything;so she placed the things before them,and they both ate of the fish,the meat,and the pastry.
Then Little Claus trod again upon his sack,and it squeaked as before.“What does he say now?”asked the farmer.
“He says,”replied Little Claus,“that there are three bottles of wine for us,standing in the corner,by the oven.”
So the woman was obliged to bring out the wine also,which she had hidden,and the farmer drank it till he became quite merry.He would have liked such a conjuror as Little Claus carried in his sack.“Could he conjure up the evil one?”asked the farmer.“I should like to see him now,while I am so merry.”
“Oh,yes!”replied Little Claus,“my conjuror can do anything I ask him,—can you not?”he asked,treading at the same time on the sack till it squeaked.“Do you hear?he answers ‘Yes,’but he fears that we shall not like to look at him.”
“Oh,I am not afraid.What will he be like?”
“Well,he is very much like a sexton.”
“Ha!”said the farmer,“then he must be ugly.Do you know I cannot endure the sight of a sexton.However,that doesn't matter,I shall know who it is;so I shall not mind.Now then,I have got up my courage,but don't let him come too near me.”
“Stop,I must ask the conjuror,”said Little Claus;so he trod on the bag,and stooped his ear down to listen.
“What does he say?”
“He says that you must go and open that large chest which stands in the corner,and you will see the evil one crouching down inside;but you must hold the lid firmly,that he may not slip out.”
“Will you come and help me hold it?”said the farmer,going towards the chest in which his wife had hidden the sexton,who now lay inside,very much frightened.The farmer opened the lid a very little way,and peeped in.
“Oh,”cried he,springing backwards,“I saw him,and he is exactly like our sexton.How dreadful it is!”So after that he was obliged to drink again,and they sat and drank till far into the night.