I will just run back again and fetch it now , ' he said to himself , ` and then I shall take back a pair of good shoes to the old woman , and she may perhaps throw a kind word to me for once . ' So he went and searched and searched for the other shoe for a long , long time , but no shoe was to be found , and at last he was forced to go back with the one which he had . In the meantime the youth had taken the ox and gone off with it . When the man got there and found that his ox was gone , he began to weep and wail , for he was afraid that when his old woman got to know she would be the death of him . But all at once it came into his head to go home and get the other ox , and drive it to the town , and take good care that his old wife knew nothing about it . So he did this ; he went home and took the ox without his wife 's knowing about it , and went on his way to the town with it . But the robbers they knew it well , because they got out their magic . So they told the youth that if he could take this ox also without the man knowing anything about it , and without doing him any hurt , he should then be on an equality with them . ` Well , that will not be a very hard thing to do , ' thought the youth . This time he took with him a rope and put it under his arms and tied himself up to a tree , which hung over the road that the man would have to take . So the man came with his ox , and when he saw the body hanging there he felt a little queer . ` What a hard lot yours must have been to make you hang yourself ! ' said he . ` Ah , well ! you may hang there for me ; I ca n't breathe life into you again . ' So on he went with his ox . Then the youth sprang down from the tree , ran by a short cut and got before him , and once more hung himself up on a tree in the road before the man . ` How I should like to know if you really were so sick at heart that you hanged yourself there , or if it is only a hobgoblin that 's before me ! ' said the man . ` Ah , well !
you may hang there for me , whether you are a XXXXX or not , ' and on he went with his ox .
arms death heart hobgoblin home meantime queer rope shoe shoes