` We should certainly both be put to death if I did any such thing . ' ` No , no ; do as I tell you , and I will get out of it somehow , ' replied the young man . And in the end he had his way . The pigs were killed , and laid side by side in a row . Then he cut off the tails and tied them together with a piece of cord , and swinging the bundle over his back , he returned to the place where they should have been feeding . Here there was a small swamp , which was just what he wanted , and finding a large stone , he fastened the rope to it , and sank it in the swamp , after which he arranged the tails carefully one by one , so that only their points were seen sticking out of the water . When everything was in order , he hastened home to his master with such a sorrowful face that the herdsman saw at once that something dreadful had happened . ` Where are the pigs ? ' asked he . ` Oh , do n't speak of them ! ' answered the young man ; ' I really can hardly tell you . The moment they got into the field they became quite mad , and each ran in a different direction . I ran too , hither and thither , but as fast as I caught one , another was off , till I was in despair . At last , however , I collected them all and was about to drive them back , when suddenly they rushed down the hill into the swamp , where they vanished completely , leaving only the points of their tails , which you can see for yourself . ' ` You have made up that story very well , ' replied the herdsman . ` No , it is the real truth ; come with me and I 'll prove it . ' And they went together to the spot , and there sure enough were the points of the tails sticking up out of the water . The herdsman laid hold of the nearest , and pulled at it with all his might , but it was no use , for the stone and the rope held them all fast . He called to the young man to help him , but the two did not succeed any better than the one had done . ` Yes , your story was true after all ; it is a wonderful thing , ' said the herdsman .
` But I see it is no fault XXXXX yours , and I must put up with my loss as well as I can .
At after by for in of over than to with