The next day he came back and claimed his pig.
‘Oh, dear!’ answered the peasant’s wife; ‘while I wasn’t looking, the calf got at the pig, and seized it by the throat, and killed it, and trampled it all to pieces.’
Assuming an air of terrible authority, the beggar said: ‘Did I not warn you to beware lest the calf got at it? Now you must give me the pig or the calf.’
As the poor woman could not give him the pig, she was forced to give him the calf. The beggar took the calf and went away.
He went on to another cottage, and said to the peasant’s wife: ‘Good woman, can you take care of this calf for me?’
‘Willingly!’ said the peasant’s wife; ‘put it in the yard.’
The poor man put the calf in the yard; but he said: ‘I see you have a sick daughter there in bed; mind she doesn’t desire the calf.’
‘Never fear!’ said the peasant’s wife; and the man went his way.
He was no sooner gone, however, than the sick daughter arose, and saying, ‘Little heart! little heart![3] I must have you,’ she went down into the yard and killed the calf, and took out its heart and ate it.
The next day the beggar man came back and claimed the calf.