e one speak."
They stood still listening, and Thumbling said, "Take me with you,
and I'll soon show you how to get the parson's money." "But where are
you?" said they. "Look about on the ground," answered he, "and listen
where the sound comes from." At last the thieves found him out, and
lifted him up in their hands. "You little urchin!" said they, "what
can you do for us?" "Why, I can get between the iron window-bars of
the parson's house, and throw you out whatever you want." "That's a
good thought," said the thieves: "come along, we shall see what you
can do."

When they came to the parson's house, Thumbling slipped through the
window-bars into the room, and then called out as loudly as he could
bawl, "Will you have all that is here?" At this the thieves were
frightened, and said "Softly, softly, speak low that you may not
awaken anybody." But Thumbling pretended not to understand them, and
bawled out again, "How much will you have? Shall I throw it all out?"
Now the cook lay in the next room, and hearing a noise she raised
herself in her bed and listened. Meanwhile the thieves were
frightened, and ran off to a little distance; but at last they plucked
up courage, and said, "The little urchin is only trying to make fools
of us." So they came back and whispered softly to him, saying, "Now,
let us have no more of your jokes, but throw out some of the money."
Then Thumbling called out as loudly as he could, "Very well; hold out
your hands, here it comes." The cook heard this quite plainly, so she
sprang out of bed and ran to open the door. The thieves rushed off as
if a wolf were at their heels; and the maid, having groped about
and found nothing, went away for a light. By the time she returned,
Thumbling had slipped off into the barn; and when the cook had looked
about and searched every hole and corner, and found nobody, she went
to bed, thinking she must have been dreaming with her eyes open. The
little man crawled about in the hay-loft, and at last found a glorious
place to finish his night's rest in; so he laid himself down, meaning
to sleep till daylight, and then find his way home to his father and
mother. But, alas! how cruelly was he disappointed! what crosses and
sorrows happen in this world! The cook got up early, before daybreak,
to feed the cows: she went straight to the hay loft, and carried away
a large bundle of hay with the little man in the middle of it fast
asleep. He still, however, slept on, and di