However , when he saw the flail that Hans had used , and learned how he had made room for himself to swing it , he was so afraid of the strong fellow , that he dared not say anything , except that it was a good thing he had got it threshed ; but it had still to be cleaned . ` What does that mean ? ' asked Hans . It was explained to him that the corn and the chaff had to be separated ; as yet both were lying in one heap , right up to the roof . Hans began to take up a little and sift it in his hands , but he soon saw that this would never do . He soon thought of a plan , however ; he opened both barn-doors , and then lay down at one end and blew , so that all the chaff flew out and lay like a sand-bank at the other end of the barn , and the grain was as clean as it could be . Then he reported to the squire that that job also was done . The squire said that that was well ; there was nothing more for him to do that day . Off went Hans to the kitchen , and got as much as he could eat ; then he went and took a midday nap which lasted till supper-time . Meanwhile the squire was quite miserable , and made his moan to his wife , saying that she must help him to find some means to getting rid of this strong fellow , for he durst not give him his leave . She sent for the steward , and it was arranged that next day all the men should go to the forest for fire-wood , and that they should make a bargain among them , that the one who came home last with his load should be hanged . They thought they could easily manage that it would be Hans who would lose his life , for the others would be early on the road , while Hans would certainly oversleep himself . In the evening , therefore , the men sat and talked together , saying that next morning they must set out early to the forest , and as they had a hard day 's work and a long journey before them , they would , for their amusement , make a compact , that whichever of them came home last with his load should lose his life on the gallows . So Hans had no objections to make . Long before the sun was up next morning , all the twelve men were on foot . They took all the best horses and carts , and drove off to the forest . Hans , however , lay and slept on , and the squire said , ` Just let him lie . ' At last , Hans thought it was time to have his breakfast , so he got up and put on his clothes . He took plenty of time to his breakfast , and then went out to get his horse and cart ready . The others had taken everything that was any good , so that he had a difficulty in scraping together four wheels of different sizes and fixing them to an old cart , and he could find no other horses than a pair of old hacks .
He did not know where it lay , but he followed the track of the other carts , and in that way came XXXXX it all right .
At among before in like of on that to while