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After that the peasants went home, and as they were entering the

village, the small peasant also came quietly in, driving a flock

of sheep and looking quite contented. Then the peasants were

astonished, and said: 'Peasant, from whence do you come?

Have you come out of the water?' 'Yes, truly,' replied the

peasant, 'I sank deep, deep down, until at last I got to the

bottom; I pushed the bottom out of the barrel, and crept out, and

there were pretty meadows on which a number of lambs were

feeding, and from thence I brought this flock away with me.' Said

the peasants: 'Are there any more there?' 'Oh, yes,' said he,

'more than I could want.' Then the peasants made up their minds

that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves, a flock

apiece, but the mayor said: 'I come first.' So they went to the

water together, and just then there were some of the small fleecy

clouds in the blue sky, which are called little lambs, and they

were reflected in the water, whereupon the peasants cried: 'We

already see the sheep down below!' The mayor pressed forward and

said: 'I will go down first, and look about me, and if things

promise well I'll call you.' So he jumped in; splash!