Thumbling had climbed up among the hay and found a beautiful place to
sleep in; there he intended to rest until day, and then go home again
to his parents. But he had other things to go through. Truly, there is
much affliction and misery in this world! When day dawned, the maid
arose from her bed to feed the cows. Her first walk was into the barn,
where she laid hold of an armful of hay, and precisely that very one in
which poor Thumbling was lying asleep. He, however, was sleeping so
soundly that he was aware of nothing, and did not awake until he was in
the mouth of the cow, who had picked him up with the hay. “Ah,
heavens!” cried he, “how have I got into the fulling mill?” but he soon
discovered where he was. Then it was necessary to be careful not to let
himself go between the teeth and be dismembered, but he was
nevertheless forced to slip down into the stomach with the hay. “In
this little room the windows are forgotten,” said he, “and no sun
shines in, neither will a candle be brought.” His quarters were
especially unpleasing to him, and the worst was, more and more hay was
always coming in by the door, and the space grew less and less. Then at
length in his anguish, he cried as loud as he could, “Bring me no more
fodder, bring me no more fodder.” The maid was just milking the cow,
and when she heard some one speaking, and saw no one, and perceived
that it was the same voice that she had heard in the night, she was so
terrified that she slipped off her stool, and spilt the milk. She ran
in great haste to her master, and said, “Oh heavens, pastor, the cow
has been speaking!” “Thou art mad,” replied the pastor; but he went
himself to the byre to see what was there. Hardly, however had he set
his foot inside when Thumbling again cried, “Bring me no more fodder,
bring me no more fodder.” Then the pastor himself was alarmed, and
thought that an evil spirit had gone into the cow, and ordered her to
be killed. She was killed, but the stomach, in which Thumbling was, was
thrown on the midden. Thumbling had great difficulty in working his
way; however, he succeeded so far as to get some room, but just as he
was going to thrust his head out, a new misfortune occurred. A hungry
wolf ran thither, and swallowed the whole stomach at one gulp.
Thumbling did not lose courage. “Perhaps,” thought he, “the wolf will
listen to what I have got to say,” and he called to him from out of his
stomach, “Dear wolf, I know of a magnificent feast for you.”
“Where is it to be had?” said the wolf.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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