Bring I here for thee!
But the colt at once perceived that this was not Reinecke’s voice, and it did not stir to open the door.
Then Isegrim hid himself cunningly behind the stable-wall to wait for a better chance.
Pretty soon along came Reinecke with grass and water. As soon as he reached the stable he cried in his soft treble voice:
O colt, tender little colt,
Open the door for me!
Juicy grass and cooling drink
Bring I here for thee!
The colt recognized the voice, opened the door at once, and began to tell how some one had been there and asked him to open the door, but he had not opened because the voice sounded rough. Upon this Reinecke said, “On no account open the door to a rough voice, but only to a soft one.”
The next day, when Reinecke was gone, along came Isegrim, who had overheard the whole conversation from behind the stable-wall. He crouched down as low as possible, and cried, in a very soft voice: