"It's distressing that I should be little and powerless," said the boy.
"I don't believe that I am able to help you." "You can't make me believe
that you are powerless because you are little," said the cow. "All the
elves that I've ever heard of, were so strong that they could pull a
whole load of hay and strike a cow dead with one fist." The boy couldn't
help laughing at the cow. "They were a very different kind of elf from
me," said he. "But I'll loosen your halter and open the door for you, so
that you can go out and drink in one of the pools on the place, and then
I'll try to climb up to the hayloft and throw down some hay in your
manger." "Yes, that would be some help," said the cow.

The boy did as he had said; and when the cow stood with a full manger in
front of her, he thought that at last he should get some sleep. But he
had hardly crept down in the bed before she began, anew, to talk to him.

"You'll be clean put out with me if I ask you for one thing more," said
the cow. "Oh, no I won't, if it's only something that I'm able to do,"
said the boy. "Then I will ask you to go into the cabin, directly
opposite, and find out how my mistress is getting along. I fear some
misfortune has come to her." "No! I can't do that," said the boy. "I
dare not show myself before human beings." "'Surely you're not afraid of
an old and sick woman," said the cow. "But you do not need to go into
the cabin. Just stand outside the door and peep in through the crack!"
"Oh! if that is all you ask of me, I'll do it of course," said the boy.

With that he opened the cowshed door and went out in the yard. It was a
fearful night! Neither moon nor stars shone; the wind blew a gale, and
the rain came down in torrents. And the worst of all was that seven
great owls sat in a row on the eaves of the cabin. It was awful just to
hear them, where they sat and grumbled at the weather; but it was even
worse to think what would happen to him if one of them should set eyes
on him. That would be the last of him.

"Pity him who is little!" said the boy as he ventured out in the yard.
And he had a right to say this, for he was blown down twice before he
got to the house: once the wind swept him into a pool, which was so deep
that he came near drowning. But he got there nevertheless.

He clambered up a pair of steps, scrambled over a threshold, and came
into the hallway. The cabin door was closed, but down in one corner a
large piece had been cut away