When they heard the farmer they were frightened, and the woman begged the sexton to creep into a large empty chest which stood in a corner. He did so with all haste, for he well knew how the farmer felt toward a sexton. The woman hid the wine and all the good things in the oven, for if her husband were to see them, he would certainly ask why they had been provided.
"O dear!" sighed Little Claus, on the shed roof, as he saw the good things disappear.
"Is any one up there?" asked the farmer, looking up where Little Claus was. "What are you doing up there? You had better come with me into the house."
Then Little Claus told him how he had lost his way, and asked if he might have shelter for the night.
"Certainly," replied the farmer; "but the first thing is to have something to eat."
The wife received them both in a friendly way, and laid the table, bringing to it a large bowl of porridge. The farmer was hungry and ate with a good appetite. But Little Claus could not help thinking of the capital roast meat, fish, and cake, which he knew were hidden in the oven.
He had put his sack with the hide in it under the table by his feet, for, we must remember, he was on his way to the town to sell it. He did not relish the porridge, so he trod on the sack and made the dried skin squeak quite loudly.
"Hush!" said Little Claus to his bag, at the same time treading upon it again, to make it squeak much louder than before.
"Hollo! what's that you've got in your bag?" asked the farmer.
"Oh, it's a magician," said Little Claus, "and he says we needn't eat the porridge, for he has charmed the oven full of roast meat, fish, and cake."