slept better in all their lives.

In the morning they urged the strangers to stay with them, as it was a
feast-day, and a sorry time for travelers to be on the road. And,
because there was no meat in the house, the laborer went out and killed
the one goat which they owned, and his wife dressed it, and cooked it,
and made a feast. Then the strangers and the laborer and his wife went
to church together, and all came home and sat down to the good dinner.

And when they were departing one of the strangers said to the laborer:
"How many horns had the little goat?"

The laborer looked a bit confused, for he had not meant that his guests
should know that he had sacrificed his last goat for them, but he
answered: "Why, there were but two, of course."

"Then," said the guests, "you and your wife shall have two wishes, one
for each of you."

The laborer and his wife looked at each other, at first in perplexity,
and then they smiled. They were very contented, they said. They had
looked into each other's eyes, and had seen that which made for
happiness and contentment. So they told the guests that they had no
wishes to make: if they might but have their daily bread, and the hope
of heaven when they died, there was nothing more.

The strangers said that these things should certainly be fulfilled, and
took their leave, promising to come again next year, and spend the
night, and attend church, and share the feast with their friends.

From that day on everything that the laborer and his wife did prospered.
Their pigs were fat, and brought good prices on the market; their corn
grew thick and tall, and the barns were filled with golden grain; their
hens laid more and bigger eggs than ever before, so that soon the couple
were no longer poor, but prosperous.

They knew quite well to whom they owed such good fortune, and often
spoke about it, and looked forward to the time when their friends should
come again next year. For it seemed to them that they could hardly enjoy
the good things that had been given to them until they had thanked those
through whose favor the good fortune had come.

Now, the farmer and his wife remembered that these strangers had first
come to them; and when they heard the story they were envious, for,
although they were rich, they were not content.

So one day the farmer went down the hill to the laborer's cottage and
said:

"After all, your house is but small to entertain such guests. When they
come aga