have a hundred dollars at the bottom of my chest at home; will you
lay as many against them?'

Yes! the friend was ready to bet; so Gudbrand stayed there till
evening, when it began to get dark, and then they went together to
his house, and the neighbour was to stand outside the door and
listen, while the man went in to see his wife.

'Good evening!' said Gudbrand on the Hill-side.

'Good evening!' said the goodwife. 'Oh! is that you? now God be
praised.'

Yes! it was he. So the wife asked how things had gone with him in
town?

'Oh! only so so', answered Gudbrand; 'not much to brag of. When I got
to the town there was no one who would buy the cow, so you must know
I swopped it away for a horse.'

'For a horse', said his wife; 'well that is good of you; thanks with
all my heart. We are so well to do that we may drive to church, just
as well as other people; and if we choose to keep a horse we have a
right to get one, I should think. So run out, child, and put up the
horse.'

'Ah!' said Gudbrand, 'but you see I've not got the horse after all;
for when I got a bit farther on the road, I swopped it away for a
pig.'