“Now,” the old man said, “formerly there was water in the well, and tomorrow it will be beer. Now, master, we will go into the izbá 54 and lie down to sleep, for the morning is wiser than the evening, and tomorrow you will have such good beer for dinner that one glass will make you drunk.”

So they waited until the morning, and then when dinnertime came round the old man said: “Well, master, get as many tubs as you can, and stand them round the well and fill them all full of beer, and then call everyone in to drink, and you shall have a really riotous feast.”

And the peasant went and called all his neighbours and asked for tubs.

“What do you want all these tubs and pails for?” they asked him.

“Oh, I really want them at once, as I have not vessels enough to hold my beer.”