in there still, is he? I must throw him into the river, that he may
be drowned."

"Oh, no; oh, no," cried the sexton; "I will give you a whole
bushel full of money if you will let me go.

"Why, that is another matter," said Little Claus, opening the
chest. The sexton crept out, pushed the empty chest into the water,
and went to his house, then he measured out a whole bushel full of
gold for Little Claus, who had already received one from the farmer,
so that now he had a barrow full.

"I have been well paid for my horse," said he to himself when he
reached home, entered his own room, and emptied all his money into a
heap on the floor. "How vexed Great Claus will be when he finds out
how rich I have become all through my one horse; but I shall not
tell him exactly how it all happened." Then he sent a boy to Great
Claus to borrow a bushel measure.

"What can he want it for?" thought Great Claus; so he smeared
the bottom of the measure with tar, that some of whatever was put into
it might stick there and remain. And so it happened; for when the
measure returned, three new silver florins were sticking to it.

"What does this mean?" said Great Claus; so he ran off directly to
Little Claus, and asked, "Where did you get so much money?"

"Oh, for my horse's skin, I sold it yesterday."

"It was certainly well paid for then," said Great Claus; and he
ran home to his house, seized a hatchet, and knocked all his four
horses on the head, flayed off their skins, and took them to the
town to sell. "Skins, skins, who'll buy skins?" he cried, as he went
through the streets. All the shoemakers and tanners came running,
and asked how much he wanted for them.

"A bushel of money, for each," replied Great Claus.

"Are you mad?" they all cried; "do you think we have money to
spend by the bushel?"

"Skins, skins," he cried again, "who'll buy skins?" but to all who
inquired the price, his answer was, "a bushel of money."

"He is making fools of us," said they all; then the shoemakers
took their straps, and the tanners their leather aprons, and began
to beat Great Claus.

"Skins, skins!" they cried, mocking him; "yes, we'll mark your
skin for you, till it is black and blue."

"Out of the town with him," said they. And Great Claus was obliged
to run as fast as he could, he had never before been so thoroughly
beaten.

"Ah," said he, as he came to his house; "Little Claus shall pay me
for this; I will beat him to death."

Mean