"'Indeed! my love,' said her sweetheart, 'there's nothing like that in my house.'
"'Yes, it was in your house,' she said, 'and here is the finger and the ring, and you are the man who hacked it off.'
"So they laid hands on him, and put him to death, and burnt both his body and his house in the wood."
"Once on a time there was a goody who had three sons. The first was called Peter, the second Paul, and the third Osborn Boots. One single nanny-goat she had who was called Hairlock and she never would come home in time for tea.
"Peter and Paul both went out to get her home, but they found no nanny-goat, so Boots had to set off, and when he had walked a while he saw Hairlock high, high upon a crag.
"'Dear Hairlock, pretty Hairlock,' he cried, 'you can't stand any longer on yon crag, for you must come home in good time for tea, to-day.'
"'No, no, that I shan't,' said Hairlock, 'I won't wet my socks for any one, and if you want me you must carry me.'
"But Osborn Boots would not do that, so he went and told his mother.
"'Well!' said his mother, 'go to the fox and beg him to bite Hairlock.'
"'My dear fox, bite Hairlock, for Hairlock won't come home in good time for tea to-day.'
"'No,' said the fox, 'I won't blunt my snout on pig's bristles and goat's beards.'
"'Well, then!' she said, 'go to Graylegs, the wolf.'
"'Dear Graylegs! do, Graylegs, tear the fox, for the fox won't bite Hairlock, and Hairlock won't come home in good time for tea to-day.'
"'No,' said Graylegs, 'I won't wear out my paws and teeth on a dry fox's carcass.'
"'Well then, go to the bear,' said his mother, 'and beg him to slay Graylegs.'
"'My dear bear, do, bear, slay Graylegs, for Graylegs won't tear the fox, and the fox won't bite Hairlock, and Hairlock won't come home in good time for tea to-day.'
"'No, I won't,' said the bear, 'I won't blunt my claws in that work, that I won't.'
"'Well then,' she said, 'go to the Finn and beg him shoot the bear.'
"'Dear Finn! do, Finn, shoot the bear, the bear won't slay Graylegs, Graylegs won't tear the fox, the fox won't bite Hairlock, and Hairlock won't come home in good time for tea to-day.'
"'No! that I won't,' said the Finn, 'I'm not going to shoot away my bullets for that.'
"'Well then,' she said, 'go to the fir, and beg him fall on the Finn.'