DANISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES
"That is a poor bargain," answered his father; "this one is an utterly miserable animal. It is hardly worth its feed; but we will try it, anyway." So the little mare was put in the stable, and the next day, when the man hitched her to his plough, he found that she served him well. "She works better than she looks," said he to Hans—this was the boy's name; "you must feed her well; in course of time she may prove a great help." Hans thought a great deal of his little mare, as he called her; he curried and fed her with great care, and treated her kindly. Of course she was obliged to work for her food; but towards spring, when the fields had all been tilled, the farmer said to his son: "To-morrow you may go to town with the mare and have two of her hoofs shoed, for now I will sell her."
Hans was not pleased with this, for he would rather keep his little mare. When he came to town and had her two hoofs shoed a one-eyed man came walking along, fell into talk with him, and at length asked if he would sell the animal. "Two hundred dollars is the price," answered Hans, jokingly. "That is too much for her," said the man; "but well and good, I will pay it." "No," said Hans again, "she does not belong to me; she is the property of my father, and I have no permission to sell her." "Then you may go home and ask permission," said the man. Hans declined, however; he mounted and rode home, but did not
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