Just as he was at his busiest with this , Old Eric rose out of the lake , caught him by the cuff of the neck , whipped him out of the boat , and dragged him down to the bottom . It was a lucky thing that Hans had his walking-stick with him that day , and had just time to catch hold of it when he felt Old Eric 's claws in his neck , so when they got down to the bottom he said , ` Stop now , just wait a little ; here is solid ground . ' With that he caught Old Eric by the back of the neck with one hand , and hammered away on his back with the staff , till he beat him out as flat as a pancake . Old Eric then began to lament and howl , begging him just to let him go , and he would never come back to the lake again . ` No , my good fellow , ' said Hans , ` you wo n't get off until you promise to bring all the fish in the lake up to the squire 's courtyard , before to-morrow morning . ' Old Eric eagerly promised this , if Hans would only let him go ; so Hans rowed ashore , ate up the rest of his provisions , and went home to bed . Next morning , when the squire rose and opened his front door , the fish came tumbling into the porch , and the whole yard was crammed full of them . He ran in again to his wife , for he could never devise anything himself , and said to her , ` What shall we do with him now ? Old Eric has n't taken him . I am certain that all the fish are out of the lake , for the yard is just filled with them . ' ` Yes , that 's a bad business , ' said she ; ` you must see if you ca n't get him sent to Purgatory , to demand tribute . ' The squire therefore made his way to the men 's quarters , to speak to Hans , and it took him all his time to push his way along the walls , under the eaves , on account of the fish that filled the yard . He thanked Hans for having fished so well , and said that now he had an errand for him , which he could only give to a trusty servant , and that was to journey to Purgatory , and demand three years tribute , which , he said , was owing to him from that quarter . ` Willingly , ' said Hans ; ` but what road do I go , to get there ? ' The squire stood , and did not know what to say , and had first to go in to his wife to ask her . ` Oh , what a fool you are ! ' said she , ` ca n't you direct him straight forward , south through the wood ? Whether he gets there or not , we shall be quit of him . ' Out goes the squire again to Hans . ` The way lies straight forward , south through the wood , ' said he .
Hans then must have his provisions for the journey ; two bakings of bread , two casks of butter , two barrels XXXXX ale , and two kegs of brandy .
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