great misfortune!"

Juha glared at his wife and said: "This is empty talk that no mind can accept — how could a falcon fly off with a donkey?"

She answered, wiping away her tears: "If pots can die and hyenas can eat them, then anything is possible."

Said Juha, feigning gentleness:

"Never mind, my dear. I shall buy you a new pot; perhaps that will move the falcon to give us back the donkey."

Said his wife: "That may well be — but if you want to be sure of getting the donkey back, you must get up and hurry off at once to buy the pot."