And he raised his foot, and gave him such a kick that he flew away over four loads of hay. Then he sought out the thickest iron bar in the smithy for himself, took it as a stick in his hand and went onwards.
When he had walked for some time, he came to a small farm, and asked the bailiff if he did not require a head-man. Yes, said the bailiff, I can make use of one. You look a capable fellow who can do something, how much a year do you want as wages. He again replied that he wanted no wages at all, but that every year he would give him three blows, which he must bear. Then the bailiff was satisfied, for he, too, was a covetous fellow. Next morning all the servants were to go into the wood, and the others were already up, but the head-man was still in bed. Then one of them called to him, get up, it is time, we are going into the wood, and you must go with us. Ah, said he quite roughly and surlily, you may just go, then, I shall be back again before any of you. Then the others went to the bailiff, and told him that the head-man was still lying in bed, and would not go into the wood with them. The bailiff said they were to awaken him again, and tell him to harness the horses. The head-man, however, said as before, just go there, I shall be back again before any of you. And then he stayed in bed two hours longer. At length he arose from the feathers, but first he got himself two bushels of peas from the loft, made himself some broth, ate it at his leisure, and when that was done, went and harnessed the horses, and drove into the wood.
Not far from the wood was a ravine through which he had to pass, so he first drove the horses on, and then stopped them, and went behind the cart, took trees and brushwood, and made a great barricade, so that no horse could get through. When he was entering the wood, the others were just driving out of it with their loaded carts to go home. Then said he to them, drive on, I will still get home before you do. He did not drive far into the wood, but at once tore two of the very largest trees of all out of the earth, threw them on his cart, and turned round. When he came to the barricade, the others were still standing there, not able to get through. Don't you see, said he, that if you had stayed with me, you would have got home just as quickly, and would have had another hour's sleep. He now wanted to drive on, but his horeses could not work their way through, so he unharnessed them, laid them on the top of the cart, took the shafts in his own hands, and pulled it all through, and he did this just as easily as if it had been laden with feathers. When he was over, he said to the others, there, you see, I have got over quicker than you.
And drove on, and the others had to stay where they were. In the yard, however, he took a tree in his hand, showed it to the bailiff, and said, isn't that a fine cord of wood.
Then said the bailiff to his wife, the servant is a good one - even if he does sleep long, he is still home before the others. So he served the bailiff for a year, and when that was over, and the other servants were getting their wages, he said it was time for him to take his too. The bailiff, however, was afraid of the blows which he was to receive, and earnestly entreated him to excuse him from having them, for rather than that, he himself would be head-man, and the youth should be bailiff. No said he, I will not be a bailiff, I am head-man, and will remain so, but I will administer that which we agreed on. The bailiff was willing to give him whatsoever he demanded, but it was of no use, the head-man said no to everything.
Then the bailiff did not know what to do, and begged for a fortnight's delay, for he wanted to find some way of escape. The head-man consented to this delay. The bailiff summoned all his clerks together, and they were to think the matter over, and give him advice. The clerks pondered for a long time, but at last they said that no one was sure of his life with head-man, for he could kill a man as easily as a midge, and that the bailiff ought to make him get into the well and clean it, and when he was down below, they would roll up one of the mill-stones which was lying there, and throw it on his head, and then he would never return to daylight.
The advice pleased the bailiff, and the head-man was quite willing to go down the well. When he was standing down below at the bottom, they rolled down the largest mill-stone and thought they had broken his skull, but he cried, chase away those hens from the well, they are scratching in the sand up there, and throwing the grains into my eyes, so that I can't see. So the bailiff cried, sh-sh, - and pretended to frighten the hens away. When the head-man had finished his work, he climbed up and said, just look what a beautiful neck-tie I have on. And behold it was the mill-stone which he was wearing round his neck.
The head-man now wanted to take his reward, but the bailiff again begged for a fortnight's delay. The clerks met together and advised him to send the head-man to the haunted mill to grind corn by night, for from thence as yet no man had ever returned in the morning alive.
The proposal pleased the bailiff, he called the head-man that very evening, and ordered him to take eight bushels of corn to the mill, and grind it that night, for it was wanted. So the head-man went to the loft, and put two bushels in his right pocket, and two in his left, and took four in a wallet, half on his back, and half on his breast, and thus laden went to the haunted mill. The miller told him that he could grind there very well by day, but not by night, for the mill was haunted, and that up to the present time whosoever had gone into it at night had been found in the morning lying dead inside. He said, I will manage it, just you go and put your head on the pillow.
Then he went into the mill, and poured out the corn. About eleven o'clock he went into the miller's room, and sat down on the bench.
When he had sat there a while, a door suddenly opened, and a large table came in, and on the table, wine and roasted meats placed themselves, and much good food besides, but everything came of itself, for no one was there to carry it.
