.--"Don't ask
questions, but spread a cloth on the floor and keep thine eyes
open."--"Why spread a cloth?" asked the wife.--"Why?" shrieked the man
in a rage; "do what I tell thee, and hold thy tongue."--But the wife
said, "Alas, alas! I have an evil time of it. Thou dost nothing at all
but go away and drink, and then thou comest home and dost talk
nonsense, and bringest sacks and rams with thee, and knockest down our
little hut."--At this the husband could control his rage no longer,
but shrieked at the ram, "Little ram, little ram, scatter money!"--But
the ram only stood there and stared at him. Then he cried again,
"Little ram, little ram, scatter money!"--But the ram stood there
stock-still and did nothing. Then the man in his anger caught up a
piece of wood and struck the ram on the head, but the poor ram only
uttered a feeble baa! and fell to the earth dead.

The man was now very much offended and said, "I'll go to the Wind
again, and I'll tell him what a fool he has made of me." Then he took
up his hat and went, leaving everything behind him. And the poor wife
put everything to rights, and reproached and railed at her husband.

So the man came to the Wind for the third time and said, "Wilt thou
tell me, please, if thou art really the Wind or no?"--"What's the
matter with thee?" asked the Wind.--"I'll tell thee what's the
matter," said the man; "why hast thou laughed at and mocked me and
made such a fool of me?"--"I laugh at _thee_!" thundered the old
father as he lay there on the floor and turned round on the other ear;
"why didst thou not hold fast what I gave thee? Why didst thou not
listen to me when I told thee not to go into the tavern, eh?"--"What
tavern dost thou mean?" asked the man proudly; "as for the sack and
the ram thou didst give me, they only did me a mischief; give me
something else."--"What's the use of giving thee anything?" said the
Wind; "thou wilt only take it to the tavern. Out of the drum, my
twelve henchmen!" cried the Wind, "and just give this accursed
drunkard a good lesson that he may keep his throat dry and listen a
little more to old people!"--Immediately twelve henchmen leaped out of
his drum and began giving the man a sound thrashing. Then the man saw
that it was no joke and begged for mercy. "Dear old father Wind,"
cried he, "be merciful, and let me get off alive. I'll not come to
thee again though I should have to wait till the Judgment Day, and
I'll do all thy behests."--"Into