"So he went away and got him a pair of stout thongs and a cat-o'-nine-tails, and then he threw over him a big cloak, and put on a billygoat's beard; and so he went back to the skinflint and said he was from outlandish parts, where he had learnt to be a master builder—for you must know he had heard the old hunks was going to build a house.
"Yes, he would gladly take him as master builder, he said; for thereabouts there were none but home-taught carpenters. So off they went to look at the timber, and it was the finest heart of pine that any one would wish to have in the wall of his house: and even the lad said it was brave timber—he couldn't say otherwise; but in outlandish parts they had got a new fashion, which was far better than the old. They did not take long beams and fit them into the wall, but they cut the beams up into nice small logs, and then they baked them in the sun and fastened them together again; and so they wore both stronger and prettier than an old-fashioned timber building.
"'That's how they build all the houses now-a-days in outlandish parts,' said the lad.
"'If it must be so, it must,' said the hunks. With that he set all the carpenters and woodmen who were to be found round about to chop and hew all his beams up into small logs.
"'But,' said the lad, 'we still want some big trees—some of the real mast-firs—for our sill-beams; maybe, there are no such big trees in your wood?'
"'Well!' said the man; 'if they're not to be found in my wood, it will be hard to find them anywhere else.'
"And so they strode off to the wood, both of them; and a little way up the hill they came to a big tree.
"'I should think that's big enough,' said the man.
"'No, it isn't big enough,' said the lad. 'If you haven't bigger trees, we sha'n't make much way with our building after the new fashion.'
"'Yes! I have bigger ones,' said the man. 'You shall soon see; but we must go further on.'