He did not know where it lay , but he followed the track of the other carts , and in that way came to it all right . On coming to the gate leading into the forest , he was unfortunate enough to break it in pieces , so he took a huge stone that was lying on the field , seven ells long , and seven ells broad , and set this in the gap , then he went on and joined the others . These laughed at him heartily , for they had laboured as hard as they could since daybreak , and had helped each other to fell trees and put them on the carts , so that all of these were now loaded except one . Hans got hold of a woodman 's axe and proceeded to fell a tree , but he destroyed the edge and broke the shaft at the first blow . He therefore laid down the axe , put his arms round the tree , and pulled it up by the roots . This he threw upon his cart , and then another and another , and thus he went on while all the others forgot their work , and stood with open mouths , gazing at this strange woodcraft . All at once they began to hurry ; the last cart was loaded , and they whipped up their horses , so as to be the first to arrive home . When Hans had finished his work , he again put his old hacks into the cart , but they could not move it from the spot . He was annoyed at this , and took them out again , twisted a rope round the cart , and all the trees , lifted the whole affair on his back , and set off home , leading the horses behind him by the rein . When he reached the gate , he found the whole row of carts standing there , unable to get any further for the stone which lay in the gap . ` What ! ' said Hans , ` can twelve men not move that stone ? ' With that he lifted it and threw it out of hte way , and went on with his burden on his back , and the horses behind him , and arrived at the farm long before any of the others . The squire was walking about there , looking and looking , for he was very curious to know what had happened . Finally , he caught sight of Hans coming along in this fashion , and was so frightened that he did not know what to do , but he shut the gate and put on the bar . When Hans reached the gate of the courtyard , he laid down the trees and hammered at it , but no one came to open it . He then took the trees and tossed them over the barn into the yard , and the cart after them , so that every wheel flew off in a different direction . When the squire saw this , he thought to himself , ` The horses will come the same way if I do n't open the door , ' so he did this . ` Good day , master , ' said Hans , and put the horses into the stable , and went into the kitchen , to get something to eat . At length the other men came home with their loads .
When they came in , Hans said XXXXX them , ` Do you remember the bargain we made last night ?
about after at for if in since that to with