Page:Lange - The Blue Fairy Book.djvu/166

 ‘No, indeed, you shall not do that,’ said the bailiff; ‘I am the one to do that.’ And, big and fat as he was, he went out as briskly as a boy,

‘Tell me when you have got hold of the calf’s tail,’ said the Master-maid.

‘I have hold of it now,’ cried the bailiff.

‘Then may you hold the calf’s tail, and the calf’s tail hold you, and may you go round the world together till day dawns!’ said the Master-maid. So the bailiff had to bestir himself, for the calf went over rough and smooth, over hill and dale, and, the more the bailiff cried and screamed, the faster the calf went. When daylight began to appear, the bailiff was half dead; and so glad was he to leave loose of the calf’s tail that he forgot the sack of money and all else.



He walked now slowly—more slowly than the sheriff and the attorney had done, but, the slower he went, the more time had everyone to stare and look at him; and they used it too, and no one can imagine how tired out and ragged he looked after his dance with the calf.

On the following day the wedding was to take place in the King’s palace, and the elder brother was to drive to church with his bride, and the brother who had been with the giant with her sister. But when they had seated themselves in the coach and were about to drive off from the palace one of the trace-pins broke, and, though they made one, two, and three to put in its place, that did not help them, for each broke in turn, no matter what kind of wood they