Sleep is the biggest
thief," he said, "he thinks nothing of stealing half one's life."
So they all set off to the wood together, and built a house.
The pig hewed the timber, and the sheep drew it home; the hare was
carpenter, and gnawed pegs and bolts and hammered them into the walls
and roof; the goose plucked moss and stuffed it into the seams; the cock
crew, and looked out that they did not oversleep themselves in the
morning; and when the house was ready, and the roof lined with birch
bark and thatched with turf, there they lived by themselves and were
merry and well.
But you must know that a bit farther on in the wood was a wolf's den,
and there lived two graylegs. When they saw that a new house had been
built near by, they wanted to become acquainted with their neighbors.
One of them made up an errand and went into the new house and asked for
a light for his pipe. But as soon as he got inside the door the sheep
gave him such a butt that he fell head foremost into the hearth. Then
the pig began to bite him, and the goose to nip and peck him, and the
cock upon the roost to crow and chatter, and as for the hare, he was so
frightened that he ran about aloft and on the floor and scratched and
scrambled in every corner of the house.
So after a time the wolf came out.
"Well," said the one who waited for him outside, "you must have been
well received since you stayed so long.
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