I put up my hand and discovered that I really had no head , and that I must have left it in the well . I ran back to look for it , but found that meanwhile a fox which was passing by had pulled my head out of the water , and was tearing at my brains . I stole cautiously up to him , and gave him such a kick that he uttered a loud scream , and let fall a parchment on which was written , `` The cake is mine , and the beardless one goes empty-handed . '' ' With these words the boy rose , took the cake , and went home , while the beardless one remained behind to swallow his disappointment . -LRB- Volksmarchen der Serben . -RRB- THE STORY OF THREE WONDERFUL BEGGARS There once lived a merchant whose name was Mark , and whom people called ` Mark the Rich . ' He was a very hard-hearted man , for he could not bear poor people , and if he caught sight of a beggar anywhere near his house , he would order the servants to drive him away , or would set the dogs at him . One day three very poor old men came begging to the door , and just as he was going to let the fierce dogs loose on them , his little daughter , Anastasia , crept close up to him and said : ` Dear daddy , let the poor old men sleep here to-night , do -- to please me . ' Her father could not bear to refuse her , and the three beggars were allowed to sleep in a loft , and at night , when everyone in the house was fast asleep , little Anastasia got up , climbed up to the loft , and peeped in . The three old men stood in the middle of the loft , leaning on their sticks , with their long grey beards flowing down over their hands , and were talking together in low voices . ` What news is there ? ' asked the eldest . ` In the next village the peasant Ivan has just had his seventh son . What shall we name him , and what fortune shall we give him ? ' said the second . The third whispered , ` Call him Vassili , and give him all the property of the hard-hearted man in whose loft we stand , and who wanted to drive us from his door . ' After a little more talk the three made themselves ready and crept softly away . Anastasia , who had heard every word , ran straight to her father , and told him all . Mark was very much surprised ; he thought , and thought , and in the morning he drove to the next village to try and find out if such a child really had been born . He went first to the priest , and asked him about the children in his parish .
` Yesterday , ' said the priest , ' a boy was born XXXXX the poorest house in the village .
OF With about at for if in near over to