After a time, when they had warmed themselves, they said: 'Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?' 'Why not?' he answered; 'but show me your paws first.' Then they stretched out their claws. 'Why,' he said, 'what long nails you've got. Wait a bit; I must cut them for you.' He seized them by the scruff of their necks, lifted them on to the cooper's bench, and screwed their paws firmly to it. [Illustration: Crowds of black cats and dogs swarmed out of every corner.] 'I have looked at your fingers, and the desire to play cards with you has passed.' Then he killed them and threw them out into the moat. But no sooner had he got rid of these two cats, and was about to sit down by his fire again, than crowds of black cats and dogs swarmed out of every corner, more and more of them. They howled horribly, and trampled on his fire, and tried to put it out. For a time he looked quietly on, but when it grew too bad he seized his cooper's knife, and cried: 'Away with you, you rascally pack,' and let fly among them right and left. Some of them sprang away, the others he killed, and threw them out into the water. When he came back he scraped the embers of his fire together again, and warmed himself. He could hardly keep his eyes open, and felt the greatest desire to go to sleep. He looked round, and in one corner he saw a big bed. 'That's the very thing,' he said, and lay down in it. As soon as he closed his eyes, the bed began to move, and soon it was tearing round and round the castle. 'Very good!' he said. 'The faster the better!' The bed rolled on as if it were dragged by six horses; over thresholds and stairs, up and down. Suddenly it went hop, hop, hop, and turned topsy-turvy, so that it lay upon him like a mountain. But he pitched the pillows and blankets into the air, slipped out of it, and said: 'Now any one may ride who likes.' Then he lay down by his fire and slept till daylight. In the morning the King came, and when he saw him lying on the floor, he thought the ghosts had killed him, and he was dead. So he said: 'It's a sad pity, for such a handsome fellow.' But the Youth heard him, and sat up, saying: 'It has not come to that yet.' The King was surprised and delighted, and asked him how he had got on. 'Pretty well!' he answered. 'One night is gone, I suppose I shall get through the others too.' When the Landlord saw him he opened his eyes, and said: 'I never thought I should see you alive again. Have you learnt how to shudder now?' 'No,' he answered; 'it's all in vain. If only some one would tell me how.' The second night came, and up he went again and sat down by the fire, and began his old song: 'Oh, if only I could learn to shudder.' In the middle of the night a great noise and uproar began, first soft, and then growing louder; then for a short time there would be silence. At last, with a loud scream, half the body of a man fell down the chimney in front of him.