when they got to the house, hurrah! but all was going merry there! the woman had already had nearly everything killed that was in the farmyard, and had made pancakes, and the parson was there, and had brought his fiddle with him. the gossip knocked at the door, and woman asked who was there. "it is i, gossip," said the egg-merchant, "give me shelter this night; i have not sold my eggs at the market, so now i have to carry them home again, and they are so heavy that i shall never be able to do it, for it is dark already."