"He stopped and the white horse stopped too. 'Going to sell it,' he said and nodded to me with cunning in his eyes.
"'To anyone else, but not to me!' I said merrily.
"'Why not?' he answered; 'it's a fine horse and well worth a hundred thalers.'
"I laughed in his face.
"'Oh, you needn't laugh,' he said; 'you needn't pay me that! But I can't use the beast; it would starve with me. It would soon look different if you had it a little while.'
"So I jumped down from my gelding and looked at the animal's mouth and saw that it was still young. 'How much do you want for it?' I asked, for the horse was looking at me again as if begging.
"'Take it for thirty thalers, sir,' said the fellow, 'and I'll throw in the halter.'
"And so, Elke, I took the brown, clawlike hand that the lad offered me and it was a bargain. So we have the white horse, and cheap enough too, I think. Only it was curious; as I rode away with the horse I heard laughing behind me and when I turned my head I saw the Slovak standing there, his legs apart, his arms behind his back, laughing like the devil."
"Phew!" exclaimed Elke; "if only the white horse doesn't bring you anything from his old master! I hope he'll thrive for you, Hauke."
"He shall thrive for his own sake, at least as far as I can manage it!" And with that the dikegrave went out to the stable as he had told the boy he would.