l you! But first let me have my coffin
made for as I've warned you I shall die the moment I've spoken."

So he had the village carpenter build him a coffin and when it was
ready he stood it up on end against the house and got inside of it.

The news of what was about to happen spread among the animals and the
faithful old sheepdog hurried down from the hills to be with his master
at the end. He lay down at the foot of the coffin and howled.

"I've one faithful friend!" the farmer said. "Wife, give the poor dog
some bread before I tell you my secret and die."

The woman threw the old dog a hunk of bread but the dog refused it and
kept on howling.

The rooster from the barnyard came running up and began gobbling down
the bread with great gusto.

"You shameless animal!" the dog said sternly. "Here's the poor master
about to die on account of that foolish inquisitive wife of his and yet
you have so little feeling that you're delighted at the chance to gorge
yourself with food!"

The rooster clucked scornfully.

"See here, old dog, I can't waste any sympathy on that master of ours!
Any man who allows his wife to bully him deserves whatever he gets! Look
at me!" The rooster puffed out his chest and gave a loud:
"_Cock-a-doodle-do_! I've got fifty wives but do they bully me? They do
not! Whenever I find a nice fat worm or a grain of corn I set up an
awful noise and gather them all around me. Then I eat it while they
stand there and admire me! No, no, old dog, I have no patience with the
master! He has only one wife and he doesn't know how to rule her!"

"The rooster's right!" thought the farmer.

With that he jumped out of the coffin, picked up a stick, and gave his
wife a sound beating.

"So you'd kill your husband just to satisfy your curiosity, would you?"
he shouted angrily. "Very well, then! Take this and this and this! And
if your curiosity is still unsatisfied I'll give you some more!"

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" cried the wife. "Do you want to injure me!"

But the farmer did not stop until he had given her such a whipping that
she never forgot it. When it was over she begged his pardon humbly and
promised never again to ask him anything that he didn't want to tell
her.

"You just mustn't let me be so foolish again!" she said.

"I won't!" the farmer declared.

Then he puffed out his chest and strutted about until you'd have laughed
to see him--he looked so much like the rooster!

THE SILVER TRACKS