by the hand, and tried to pull her back, but when he touched her he found he could not get away, and he too must needs run behind.  Then the sexton came along, and saw the parson following on the heels of the three girls.  This so astonished him that he called out, “Hi!  Sir Parson, whither away so fast?  Do you forget that today we have a christening?” and ran after him, and caught him by the coat, but he too remained sticking fast.

As the five now ran on, one behind the other, two labourers who were returning from the field with their tools, came along.  The parson called out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free.  No sooner had they touched the sexton, than they too had to hang on, and now there were seven running after the Simpleton and the goose.

In this way they came to a city where a King reigned who had an only daughter, who was so serious that no one could make her laugh.  Therefore he had announced that whoever should make her laugh should have her for his wife.  When the Simpleton heard this he went with his goose and his train before the Princess, and when she saw the seven people all running behind each other, she began to laugh, and she laughed and laughed till it seemed as though she could never stop.  Thereupon the Simpleton demanded her for his wife, but the King was not pleased at the thought of such a son-in-law, and he made all kinds of objections.  He told the Simpleton that he must first bring him a man who could drink off a whole cellarful of wine.  At once the Simpleton thought of the little grey man, who would be sure to help him, so off he went into the wood, and in the place where he had cut down the tree he saw a man sitting who looked most miserable.  The Simpleton asked him what was the cause of his trouble.

“I have such a thirst,” the man answered, “and I cannot quench it.  I cannot bear cold water.  I have indeed emptied a cask of wine, but what is a drop like that to a thirsty man?”

“In that case I can help you,” said the Simpleton.  “Just come with me and you shall be satisfied.”

He led him to the King’s cellar, and the man at once sat down in front of the great cask, and drank and drank till before a day was over he had drunk the whole cellarful of wine.  Then the Simpleton demanded his bride again, but the King was angry that a mean fellow everyone called a Simpleton should win his daughter, and he made new conditions.  Before giving him his daughter to wife he said that the Simpleton must find a man who would eat a whole mountain of bread.  The Simpleton did not stop long to consider, but went off straight to the wood.  There in the same place as before sat a man who was buckling a strap tightly around him, and looking very depressed.  He said: 

“I have eaten a whole ovenful of loaves, but what help is that when a man is as hungry as I am?  I feel quite empty, and I must strap myself together if I am not to die of hunger.”