and has to be carried.' The cow-herd said: 'All
right,' and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture, and set
it among the grass. The little calf always remained standing like one
which was eating, and the cow-herd said: 'It will soon run by itself,
just look how it eats already!' At night when he was going to drive the
herd home again, he said to the calf: 'If you can stand there and eat
your fill, you can also go on your four legs; I don't care to drag you
home again in my arms.' But the little peasant stood at his door, and
waited for his little calf, and when the cow-herd drove the cows through
the village, and the calf was missing, he inquired where it was. The
cow-herd answered: 'It is still standing out there eating. It would not
stop and come with us.' But the little peasant said: 'Oh, but I must
have my beast back again.' Then they went back to the meadow together,
but someone had stolen the calf, and it was gone. The cow-herd said: 'It
must have run away.' The peasant, however, said: 'Don't tell me
that,' and led the cow-herd before the mayor, who for his carelessness
condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf which had run away.

And now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had
so long wished, and they were heartily glad, but they had no food for
it, and could give it nothing to eat, so it soon had to be killed. They
salted the flesh, and the peasant went into the town and wanted to sell
the skin there, so that he might buy a new calf with the proceeds. On
the way he passed by a mill, and there sat a raven with broken wings,
and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin. But as the
weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind, he could
go no farther, and turned back to the mill and begged for shelter. The
miller's wife was alone in the house, and said to the peasant: 'Lay
yourself on the straw there,' and gave him a slice of bread and cheese.
The peasant ate it, and lay down with his skin beside him, and the woman
thought: 'He is tired and has gone to sleep.' In the meantime came the
parson; the miller's wife received him well, and said: 'My husband is
out, so we will have a feast.' The peasant listened, and when he heard
them talk about feasting he was vexed that he had been forced to make
shift with a slice of bread and cheese. Then the woman served up four
different things, roast meat, salad, cakes, and wine.

Just as they were about to sit d