ight, with wind and drizzle. It grew more
terrible and disagreeable around him every second.

This may sound strange, perhaps, but the travellers didn't seem to have
the least desire to ask for house-room on any farm. They had already
passed many parishes without knocking at a single door. Little hillside
cabins on the outskirts of the forests, which all poor wanderers are
glad to run across, they took no notice of either. One might almost be
tempted to say they deserved to have a hard time of it, since they did
not seek help where it was to be had for the asking.

But finally, when it was so dark that there was scarcely a glimmer of
light left under the skies and the two who needed sleep journeyed on in
a kind of half-sleep, they happened into a farmyard which was a long way
off from all neighbours. And not only did it lie there desolate, but it
appeared to be uninhabited as well. No smoke rose from the chimney; no
light shone through the windows; no human being moved on the place. When
the one among the three who could keep awake, saw the place, he thought:
"Now come what may, we must try to get in here. Anything better we are
not likely to find."

Soon after that, all three stood in the house-yard. Two of them fell
asleep the instant they stood still, but the third looked about him
eagerly, to find where they could get under cover. It was not a small
farm. Beside the dwelling house and stable and smoke-house, there were
long ranges with granaries and storehouses and cattlesheds. But it all
looked awfully poor and dilapidated. The houses had gray, moss-grown,
leaning walls, which seemed ready to topple over. In the roofs were
yawning holes, and the doors hung aslant on broken hinges. It was
apparent that no one had taken the trouble to drive a nail into a wall
on this place for a long time.

Meanwhile, he who was awake had figured out which house was the cowshed.
He roused his travelling companions from their sleep, and conducted them
to the cowshed door. Luckily, this was not fastened with anything but a
hook, which he could easily push up with a rod. He heaved a sigh of
relief at the thought that they should soon be in safety. But when the
cowshed door swung open with a sharp creaking, he heard a cow begin to
bellow. "Are you coming at last, mistress?" said she. "I thought that
you didn't propose to give me any supper to-night."

The one who was awake stopped in the doorway, absolutely terrified when
he discove