hern bag, holding two hundred measures of water. This Lazarus
could only, with great difficulty, drag empty to the spring, and because
he could not carry it back full, he did not fill it at all, but,
instead, he dug up the ground all round the spring.

As Lazarus remained so long away, the Draken sent one of their number to
see what had become of him, and when this one came to the spring,
Lazarus said to him: 'We will no more plague ourselves by carrying water
every day. I will bring the entire spring home at once, and so we shall
be freed from this burden.'

But the Draken called out: 'On no account, Herr Lazarus, else we shall
all die of thirst; rather will we carry the water ourselves in turns,
and you alone shall be exempt.'

Next it comes to be Lazarus's turn to bring the wood. Now the Draken,
when they fetched the wood, always took an entire tree on their
shoulder, and so carried it home. Because Lazarus could not imitate them
in this, he went to the forest, tied all the trees together with a thick
rope, and remained in the forest till evening. Again the Draken sent
one of them after him to see what had become of him, and when this one
asked what he was about, Lazarus answered: 'I will bring the entire
forest home at once, so that after that we may have rest.'

But the Draken called out: 'By no means, Herr Lazarus, else we shall all
die of cold; rather will we go ourselves to bring wood, and let you be
free.' And then the Draken tore up one tree, threw it over his shoulder,
and so carried it home.

When they had lived together some time, the Draken became weary of
Lazarus, and agreed among themselves to kill him; each Draken, in the
night while Lazarus slept, should strike him a blow with a hatchet. But
Lazarus heard of this scheme, and when the evening came, he took a log
of wood, covered it with his cloak, laid it in the place where he
usually slept, and then hid himself. In the night the Draken came, and
each one hit the log a blow with his hatchet, till it flew in pieces.

Then they believed their object was gained, and they lay down again.

Thereupon Lazarus took the log, threw it away, and laid himself down in
its stead. Towards dawn, he began to groan, and when the Draken heard
that, they asked what ailed him, to which he made answer: 'The gnats
have stung me horribly.'

This terrified the Draken, for they believed that Lazarus took their
blows for gnat-stings, and they determined at any price to ge