"to the griffin," said hans. "then when you get to him," said the man, "just ask him why i am forced to carry everybody over the lake." "yes, indeed, most certainly i’ll do that," said hans. then the man took him up on his shoulders, and carried him across. at length hans arrived at the griffin’s house, but the wife only was at home, and not the griffin himself. then the woman asked him what he wanted? thereupon he told her everything;—that he had to get a feather out of the griffin’s tail, and that there was a castle where they had lost the key of their money-chest, and he was to ask the griffin where it was?—that in another castle the daughter was ill, and he was to learn what would cure her?—and then not far from thence there was a lake and a man beside it, who was forced to carry people across it, and he was very anxious to learn why the man was obliged to do it. then said the woman, "but look here, my good friend, no christian can speak to the griffin; he devours them all; but if you like, you can lie down under his bed, and in the night, when he is quite fast asleep, you can reach out and pull a feather out of his tail, and as for those things which you are to learn, i will ask about them myself." hans was quite satisfied with this, and got under the bed. in the evening, the griffin came home, and as soon as he entered the room, said, "wife, i smell a christian."