And his mother answered , ` Very well ; to-morrow I will buy him a donkey , and you can all go together . ' So the donkey was bought , and the neighbours came , and they worked hard all day , and in the evening they brought the wood back into the town , and sold it for a good sum of money . And for six days they went and did the like , but on the seventh it rained , and the wood-cutters ran and hid in the rocks , all but Hassebu , who did not mind wetting , and stayed where he was . While he was sitting in the place where the wood-cutters had left him , he took up a stone that lay near him , and idly dropped it on the ground . It rang with a hollow sound , and he called to his companions , and said , ` Come here and listen ; the ground seems hollow ! ' ` Knock again ! ' cried they . And he knocked and listened . ` Let us dig , ' said the boy . And they dug , and found a large pit like a well , filled with honey up to the brim . ` This is better than firewood , ' said they ; ` it will bring us more money . And as you have found it , Hassebu , it is you who must go inside and dip out the honey and give to us , and we will take it to the town and sell it , and will divide the money with you . ' The following day each man brought every bowl and vessel he could find at home , and Hassebu filled them all with honey . And this he did every day for three months . At the end of that time the honey was very nearly finished , and there was only a little left , quite at the bottom , and that was very deep down , so deep that it seemed as if it must be right in the middle of the earth . Seeing this , the men said to Hassebu , ` We will put a rope under your arms , and let you down , so that you may scrape up all the honey that is left , and when you have done we will lower the rope again , and you shall make it fast , and we will draw you up . ' ` Very well , ' answered the boy , and he went down , and he scraped and scraped till there was not so much honey left as would cover the point of a needle . ` Now I am ready ! ' he cried ; but they consulted together and said , ` Let us leave him there inside the pit , and take his share of the money , and we will tell his mother , `` Your son was caught by a lion and carried off into the forest , and we tried to follow him , but could not . '' ' Then they arose and went into the town and told his mother as they had agreed , and she wept much and made her mourning for many months .
And when the men were dividing the money , one said , ` Let us send a little to our friend 's mother , ' and they sent some to her ; and every XXXXX one took her rice , and one oil ; one took her meat , and one took her cloth , every day .
Hassebu day days evening firewood left months right seventh wood-cutters