other. When he had nearly killed her he left her lying on
the floor, and hastily walked out of the house.

In the evening the countryman and the blacksmith returned home, and when
they found, on demanding their dinner, that there was nothing left for
them, they reproached the nun bitterly, and refused to believe her when
she tried to tell them what had happened.

The next day the countryman asked to be left in charge of the house, and
promised that, if he remained at home, no one should go hungry to bed.
So the other two went out into the forest, and the countryman having
prepared the food for the day, ate up his own portion, and put the rest
in the oven. Just as he had finished clearing away, the door opened and
the little gray man walked in, and this time he had two heads. He shook
and trembled as before, and exclaimed: 'Oh! how cold I am.'

The countryman, who was frightened out of his wits, begged him to draw
near the fire and warm himself.

Soon after the dwarf looked greedily round, and said: 'Oh! how hungry I
am!'

'There is food in the oven, so you can eat,' replied the countryman.

Then the little man fell to with both his heads, and soon finished the
last morsel.

When the countryman scolded him for this proceeding he treated him
exactly as he had done the nun, and left the poor fellow more dead than
alive.

Now when the blacksmith came home with the nun in the evening, and found
nothing for supper, he flew into a passion; and swore that he would stay
at home the following day, and that no one should go supperless to bed.

When day dawned the countryman and the nun set out into the wood, and
the blacksmith prepared all the food for the day as the others had done.
Again the gray dwarf entered the house without knocking, and this time
he had three heads. When he complained of cold, the blacksmith told him
to sit near the fire; and when he said he was hungry, the blacksmith put
some food on a plate and gave it to him. The dwarf made short work of
what was provided for him, and then, looking greedily round with his six
eyes, he demanded more. When the blacksmith refused to give him another
morsel, he flew into a terrible rage, and proceeded to treat him in the
same way as he had treated his companions.

But the blacksmith was a match for him, for he seized a huge hammer and
struck off two of the dwarf's heads with it. The little man yelled with
pain and rage, and hastily fled from the house. The blacks