“Little Two Eyes, dry your eyes, and I will tell you what to do. Only
say to your goat: ‘Little goat, bleat; little table, rise,’ and a table
will stand before you, covered with food. Eat as much as you like. When
you have had all you want, only say: ‘Little goat, bleat; little table,
away,’ and it will be gone.” Then the wise woman disappeared. Little Two
Eyes thought: “I must try at once, for I am too hungry to wait.” So she
said:--
“Little goat, bleat; little table, rise,” and there stood before her a
little table covered with a white cloth. On it were laid a plate, knife
and fork, and silver spoon. The nicest food was on the plate, smoking
hot. Then Little Two Eyes began to eat, and found the food very good.
When she had had enough, she said:--
“Little goat, bleat; little table, away.” In an instant the table was
gone.
“That is a fine way to keep house,” thought Little Two Eyes.
At the end of the day Little Two Eyes drove her goat home. She found a
dish with some food in it. Her sisters had put it aside for her, but she
did not taste it. She did not need it.
The next day she went out again with her goat, and did not take the few
crusts which her sisters put aside for her. This went on for several
days. At last her sisters said to each other:--
“All is not right with Little Two Eyes. She always leaves her food. She
used to eat all that was given her. She must have found some other way
to be fed.”
They meant to find out what Little Two Eyes did. So the next time that
Little Two Eyes set out, Little One Eye came to her and said:--
“I will go with you into the field, and see that the goat is well taken
care of, and feeds in the best pasture.” But Little Two Eyes saw what
Little One Eye had in her mind. So she drove the goat into the long
grass, and said:--
“Come, Little One Eye, we will sit down and I will sing to you.” Little
One Eye sat down. She was tired after her long walk in the hot sun, and
Little Two Eyes began to sing:--
“Are you awake, Little One Eye? Are you asleep, Little One Eye? Are you
awake, Little One Eye? Are you asleep, Little One Eye? Are you awake?
Are you asleep? Awake? Asleep?” By this time Little One Eye had shut her
one eye and was fast asleep. When Little Two Eyes saw this, she said
softly:--
“Little goat, bleat; little table, rise;” and she sat at the table and
ate and drank till she had had enough. Then she said as before:--
“Little goat, bleat; little table, away,” and in a twinkling all was
gone.