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Grade 3, Northwest Elementary School, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Once Eileschipiggel was annoying his neighbors with tricks of one kind or another. When he would boast and brag about his feats, making himself so obnoxious, his neighbors started talking about him behind his back. They soon began to plot together on how they could rid themselves of him once and for all One day, the neighbors waited for Eileschipiggel to come down the path toward the village. It wasn't long before they grabbed him, and shoved him into a cask they had ready. After sealing the lid, they began to roll the cask toward the sea. On their way to the sea, they came upon a tavern, and since it was a hot day, they thought about how nice a cool drink would be. Leaving the cask outside, they entered the tavern to drink to the success of ridding themselves of Eileschipiggel. While they were in the tavern a drover came along with a large herd of cattle. Eileschipiggel heard them coming, and he began to moan, "I cannot do it, and I will not do it. I cannot do it, and I will not do it." The drover stopped, looked around and listened. He didn't see anyone, yet he heard someone say, "Icannot do it, and I will not do it. I cannot do it, and I will not do it." The drover realized the voice was coming from the cask, so he walked over and said, "What can't you do?" "They want me to marry the King's daughter, and I don't want to. They are taking me to the King in this cask to make me marry her--but I cannot do it! I won't do it!" "I will! Let me marry the King's daughter!" begged the drover. "Are you sure?" asked Eileschipiggel. "Yes! Yes!" cried the drover. Quickly he removed the lid to the cask and helped Eileschipiggel out. Then the drover crawled into the cask, and Eileschipiggel replaced the lid. Next, Eileschipiggel took the cattle and herded them to his house. After a short time, his neighbors came out from the tavern and continued to roll the cask toward the sea. When they came to the bank, they pushed the cask into the water and watched it sink. Satisfied that they had finally rid themselves of the pesky, obnoxious Eileschipiggel, they started home. They were in high spirits and quite boisterous, all taking at once about how Eileschipiggel had finally gotten what he deserved. You can imagine their utter surprise when they rounded the last bend in the road, near Eileschipiggel's home. There sat Eileschipiggel-- and with a herd of 'barZ' cattle! "How did you get here? Where did they come from? How did you get such beautiful animals?" the neighbors demanded. "Why, at the bottom of the sea," replied Eileschipiggel. "There are many more down there. These are all that I could drive up the banks and out onto the shore to bring home. There are many more down there." With that news, the neighbors turned and rushed back to the sea, eager to get dome of those animals for themselves. When they reached the sea, they jumped in and all were drowned.
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