the youth had no great appetite for this food . " if i were only away and up above again , " thought he , but he said nothing . " now i think you must surely want to get home again , " said the rat . " i am well aware that you are waiting impatiently for the wedding , and i will hurry all i can . take this linen thread along , and when you get up above , you must not turn around , but must go straight home , and as you go you must keep repeating : ' short before and long behind ! ' " and with that she laid a linen thread in his hand . " heaven be praised ! " said the youth when he was up above once more . " i 'll not go down there again in a hurry . " but he held the thread in his hand , and danced and sang as usual . and although he no longer had the rat - hole in mind , he began to hum : " short before and long behind ! short before and long behind ! " when he stood before the door at home , he turned around ; and there lay many , many hundred yards of the finest linen , finer than the most skillful weaver could have spun . " mother , come out , come out ! " called and cried the youth . his mother came darting out , and asked what was the matter . and when she saw the linen , stretching as far as she could see , and then a bit , she could not believe her eyes , until the youth told her how it all happened . but when she had heard that , and had tested the linen between her fingers , she was so pleased that she , too , began to sing and dance . then she took the linen , cut it , and sewed shirts from it for her son and herself . the remainder she took to town and sold for a good price . then for a time they lived in all joy and comfort . but when that was over the woman had not a bite to eat in the house . she told her son that it was the highest time for him to take service , and really do something , or else both of them would have to starve to death . " have you come , my boy ? " said the rat . " you are welcome among us ! it was kind of you to come and visit me again so soon . no doubt you are very impatient , i can well imagine it . but you must really be patient a little while longer . my trousseau is not quite complete , but by the time you come again all shall be ready . " when she had said this she offered him egg - shells containing all sorts of food such as rats like . but it looked to the youth like food that had been eaten , and he said that he had no appetite . " if i were only safely away , and up above again , " thought he , but he said nothing . after a time the rat said : " now i think you must surely want to get up above again . i will hurry on the wedding as quickly as i can . and now take this woolen thread along , and when you get up above , you must not turn around , but go straight home , and underway you must keep on repeating : ' short before and long behind ! ' " and with that she laid the woolen thread in his hand . 
piles of wool .
what will the youth find when he returns home ?
what will the youth find when he returns home ?