Pagina 24 de 626

'I can find a cure for this,' thought he; 'now I will milk my cow

and quench my thirst': so he tied her to the stump of a tree, and

held his leathern cap to milk into; but not a drop was to be had.

Who would have thought that this cow, which was to bring him milk

and butter and cheese, was all that time utterly dry? Hans had

not thought of looking to that.

While he was trying his luck in milking, and managing the matter

very clumsily, the uneasy beast began to think him very

troublesome; and at last gave him such a kick on the head as

knocked him down; and there he lay a long while senseless.

Luckily a butcher soon came by, driving a pig in a wheelbarrow.

'What is the matter with you, my man?' said the butcher, as he

helped him up. Hans told him what had happened, how he was dry,

and wanted to milk his cow, but found the cow was dry too. Then

the butcher gave him a flask of ale, saying, 'There, drink and

refresh yourself; your cow will give you no milk: don't you see

she is an old beast, good for nothing but the slaughter-house?'

'Alas, alas!' said Hans, 'who would have thought it? What a shame

to take my horse, and give me only a dry cow! If I kill her, what

will she be good for? I hate cow-beef; it is not tender enough

for me.