Grimms' Fairy Tales

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clave to the roof of his mouth. 'I can find a cure for this,' thought
he; 'now I will milk my cow and quench my thirst': so he tied her to the
stump of a tree, and held his leathern cap to milk into; but not a drop
was to be had. Who would have thought that this cow, which was to bring
him milk and butter and cheese, was all that time utterly dry? Hans had
not thought of looking to that.

While he was trying his luck in milking, and managing the matter very
clumsily, the uneasy beast began to think him very troublesome; and at
last gave him such a kick on the head as knocked him down; and there he
lay a long while senseless. Luckily a butcher soon came by, driving a
pig in a wheelbarrow. 'What is the matter with you, my man?' said the
butcher, as he helped him up. Hans told him what had happened, how he
was dry, and wanted to milk his cow, but found the cow was dry too. Then
the butcher gave him a flask of ale, saying, 'There, drink and refresh
yourself; your cow will give you no milk: don't you see she is an old
beast, good for nothing but the slaughter-house?' 'Alas, alas!' said