Oh, Trouble would do that and more, too, for a friend’s asking. So he made himself small and smaller, and so crept into the cleft in the log as easily as though he had been a mouse. But, no sooner was he snugly there than the man seized his axe and knocked out the wedge, and there was Trouble as safe as safe could be. He might beg and beg, but no, the man was deaf in that ear. He shouldered his axe and off he went, leaving Trouble where he was. Dear me! that was a long time ago; or else some busybody must have let Trouble out of that log, for I know very well that he is stumping about the world nowadays. [Illustration] [Illustration] Four O’clock· The _Air_ grew chill, the _Sky_ was grey; [Sidenote: K☊P. ♊︎ des.] [Sidenote: ●] [Sidenote: ☽] The _Black Cock_ crowed, and far away Another answered. In a dream The _Kobold_ drank thick clotted _Cream_, And chased _Roast-Goose_. He woke and sighed, And turned upon his other side. [Illustration: How three went out into the Wide World. HP:—] IV. There was a woman who owned a fine grey goose. “To-morrow,” said she, “I will pluck the goose for live feathers, so that I may take them to market and sell them for good hard money.” This the goose heard, and liked it not. “Why should I grow live feathers for other folks to pluck?” said she to herself. So off she went into the wide world with nothing upon her back but what belonged to her. By and by she came up with a sausage. “Whither away, friend?” said the Grey Goose. “Out into the wide world,” said the Sausage. “Why do you travel that road?” said the Grey Goose. “Why should I stay at home?” said the Sausage. “They stuff me with good meat and barley-meal over yonder, but they only do it for other folk’s feasting. That is the way with the world.” “Yes, that is true,” said the Grey Goose; “and I too am going out into the world, for why should I grow live feathers for other folk’s plucking? So let us travel together, as we are both of a mind.” Well, that suited the Sausage well enough, so off they went, arm in arm. By and by they came up with a cock. “Whither away, friend?” said the Grey Goose and the Sausage. “Out into the wide world,” said the Cock. “Why do you travel that road?” said the Grey Goose and the Sausage. “Why should I stay at home?” said the Cock. “Every day they feed me with barley-corn, but it is only that I may split my throat in the mornings, calling the lads to the fields and the maids to the milking. That is the way with the world.” “Yes, that is true,” said the Grey Goose; “why should I grow live feathers for other folk’s picking?” And— “Yes, that is true,” said the Sausage, “why should I be stuffed with meat and barley-meal for other folk’s feasting?” So the three being all of a mind, they settled to travel the same road together.