well, the eldest son was ready to go and watch the meadow; trust him for looking after the grass! it shouldn't be his fault if man or beast, or the fiend himself, got a blade of grass. so, when evening came, he set off to the barn, and lay down to sleep; but a little on in the night came such a clatter, and such an earthquake, that walls and roof shook, and groaned, and creaked; then up jumped the lad, and took to his heels as fast as ever he could; nor dared he once look round till he reached home; and as for the hay, why it was eaten up this year just as it had been twice before.