n our
fattest ram there by the kiln not far from here.'

'Ah!' said Walter, 'do you think that there were many?'

'We don't know,' answered the miller.

'Oh, it is all the same,' said Walter. 'I only asked so that I should
know if I should take Jonas with me.

'I could manage very well alone with _three_, but if there were more, I
might not have time to kill them all before they ran away.'

'In Walter's place I should go quite alone, it is more manly,' said
Jonas.

'No, it is better for you to come, too,' said Walter. 'Perhaps there are
many.'

'No, I have not time,' said Jonas, 'and besides there are sure not to be
more than three. Walter can manage them very well alone.'

'Yes,' said Walter, 'certainly I could; but, you see, Jonas, it might
happen that one of them might bite me in the back, and I should have
more trouble in killing them. If I only knew that there were not more
than two I should not mind, for then I should take one in each hand and
give them a good shaking, like Susanna once shook me.'

'I certainly think that there will not be more than two,' said Jonas,
'there are never more than two when they slay children and rams; Walter
can very well shake them without me.'

'But, you see Jonas,' said Walter, 'if there are two, it might still
happen that one of them escapes and bites me in the leg, for you see I
am not so strong in the left hand as in the right. You can very well
come with me, and take a good stick in case there are really two. Look,
if there is only one, I shall take him so with both my hands and throw
him living on to his back, and he can kick as much as he likes, I shall
hold him fast.'

'Now, when I really think over the thing,' said Jonas, 'I am almost sure
there will not be more than one. What would two do with one ram? There
will certainly not be more than one.'

'But you should come with me all the same, Jonas,' said Walter. 'You see
I can very well manage one, but I am not quite accustomed to wolves yet,
and he might tear holes in my new trousers.'

'Well, just listen,' said Jonas, 'I am beginning to think that Walter is
not so brave as people say. First of all Walter would fight against
four, and then against three, then two, and then one, and now Walter
wants help with one. Such a thing must never be; what would people say?
Perhaps they would think that Walter is a coward?'

'That's a lie,' said Walter, 'I am not at all frightened, but it is more
amusing when there ar