nk
again. In a minute or two he plucked up courage to go a little further
into the river, but again its width frightened him, and a second time he
turned back. However, he felt rather ashamed of his cowardice, as it was
quite clear that his ball could support him, and on his third trial he
got safely to the other side.

Once there he replaced the ball in the bag, and looked carefully round
him. The door of the Bad One's hut was open, and he saw that the ceiling
was supported by great wooden beams, from which hung the bags of gold
and the little bridge. He saw, too, the Bad One sitting in the midst of
his treasures eating his dinner, and drinking something out of a horn.
It was plain to the boy that he must invent some plan of getting the Bad
One out of the way, or else he would never be able to steal the gold or
the bridge.

What should he do? Give horrible shrieks as if he were in pain? But the
Bad One would not care whether he were murdered or not! Call him by his
name? But the Bad One was very cunning, and would suspect some trick. He
must try something better than that! Then suddenly an idea came to him,
and he gave a little jump of joy. 'Oh, how stupid of me not to think of
that before!' said he, and he wished with all his might that the Bad One
should become very hungry--so hungry that he could not wait a moment for
fresh food to be brought to him. And sure enough at that instant the
Bad One called out to his servant, 'You did not bring food that would
satisfy a sparrow Fetch some more at once, for I am perfectly starving.'
Then, without giving the woman time to go to the larder, he got up from
his chair, and rolled, staggering from hunger, towards the kitchen.

Directly the door had closed on the Bad One the boy ran in, pulled down
a bag of gold from the beam, and tucked it under his left arm. Next he
unhooked the little bridge and put it under his right. He did not try to
escape, as most boys of his age would have done, for the wisdom put into
his mind by the good spirits taught him that before he could reach the
river and make use of the bridge the Bad One would have tracked him by
his footsteps and been upon him. So, making himself very small and
thin, he hid himself behind a pile of buffalo skins in the corner, first
tearing a slit through one of them, so that he could see what was going
on.

He had hardly settled himself when the servant entered the room, and,
as she did so, the last bag of gold on the b