as he was carrying the trunk into his room, he felt that it was heavy with gold. thereupon he gave the three apprentices a lodging below, but the merchant came up-stairs into a separate apartment. when it was midnight, and the host thought that all were asleep, he came with his wife, and they had an axe and struck the rich merchant dead; and after they had murdered him they went to bed again. when it was day there was a great outcry; the merchant lay dead in bed bathed in blood. all the guests ran at once but the host said, "the three crazy apprentices have done this;" the lodgers confirmed it, and said, "it can have been no one else." the innkeeper, however, had them called, and said to them, "have you killed the merchant?" "all three of us," said the first, "for money," said the second; and the third added, "and quite right too!"