He had only eaten a few mouthfuls when an old man badly dressed passed by , and seeing the food , asked if the young man could not spare him a little . ` Not I , indeed ! ' answered he ; ` why I have scarcely enough for myself . If you want food you must earn it . ' And the beggar went on . After the young man had finished his dinner he rose and walked on for several hours , till he reached a second hill , where he threw himself down on the grass , and took some bread and milk from his wallet . While he was eating and drinking , there came by an old man , yet more wretched than the first , and begged for a few mouthfuls . But instead of food he only got hard words , and limped sadly away . Towards evening the young man reached an open space in the wood , and by this time he thought he would like some supper . The birds saw the food , and flew round his head in numbers hoping for some crumbs , but he threw stones at them , and frightened them off . Then he began to wonder where he should sleep . Not in the open space he was in , for that was bare and cold , and though he had walked a long way that day , and was tired , he dragged himself up , and went on seeking for a shelter . At length he saw a deep sort of hole or cave under a great rock , and as it seemed quite empty , he went in , and lay down in a corner . About midnight he was awakened by a noise , and peeping out he beheld a terrible ogress approaching . He implored her not to hurt him , but to let him stay there for the rest of the night , to which she consented , on condition that he should spend the next day in doing any task which she might choose to set him . To this the young man willingly agreed , and turned over and went to sleep again . In the morning , the ogress bade him sweep the dust out of the cave , and to have it clean before her return in the evening , otherwise it would be the worse for him . Then she left the cave . The young man took the spade , and began to clean the floor of the cave , but try as he would to move it the dirt still stuck to its place . He soon gave up the task , and sat sulkily in the corner , wondering what punishment the ogress would find for him , and why she had set him to do such an impossible thing .
He had not long XXXXX wait , after the ogress came home , before he knew what his punishment was to be !
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