He quite thought something moved away there in the ditch . Perhaps it was a wolf . ` It is better for me to beat the drum a little before I go there , ' thought Walter . Br-r-r , so he began to beat his drum . Then something moved again . Caw ! caw ! a crow flew up from the ditch . Walter immediately regained courage . ` It was well I took my drum with me , ' he thought , and went straight on with courageous steps . Very soon he came quite close to the kiln , where the wolves had killed the ram . But the nearer he came the more dreadful he thought the kiln looked . It was so gray and old . Who knew how many wolves there might be hidden there ? Perhaps the very ones which killed the ram were still sitting there in a corner . Yes , it was not at all safe here , and there were no other people to be seen in the neighbourhood . It would be horrible to be eaten up here in the daylight , thought Walter to himself ; and the more he thought about it the uglier and grayer the old kiln looked , and the more horrible and dreadful it seemed to become the food of wolves . ` Shall I go back and say that I struck one wolf and it escaped ? ' thought Walter . ` Fie ! '
said his conscience , ` Do you not remember that a lie is one XXXXX the worst sins , both in the sight of God and man ?
about at for from in nearer of that to with