There was once a poor woman who had a son who wished to travel. His mother said, "How can you travel? We have no money for you to take." The son replied, "I will manage well for myself. I will always say, 'Not much, not much, not much.'"
He walked for a long time, repeating, "Not much, not much, not much." Passing some fishermen, he said, "God speed you! Not much, not much, not much." "What are you saying, churl, 'not much'?" they cried. When they drew in their net, they had caught little fish. One beat the youth with a stick, saying, "Have you never seen me threshing?" "What should I say then?" asked the youth. "You must say, 'Get it full, get it full.'"
He walked on, saying, "Get it full, get it full," until he came to a gallows where a poor sinner was about to be hanged. He said, "Good morning; get it full, get it full." "What are you saying, knave? 'Get it full'? Do you imply there are more wicked people? Isn't this enough?" He received blows on his back. "What should I say then?" "You must say, 'May God have pity on the poor soul.'"
He continued, saying, "May God have pity on the poor soul!" He came to a pit where a knacker was cutting up a horse. The youth said, "Good morning; God have pity on the poor soul!" "What are you saying, you ill-tempered knave?" The knacker boxed his ears so hard he could not see. "What should I say then?" "You must say, 'There lies the carrion in the pit!'"
He walked on, repeating, "There lies the carrion in the pit, there lies the carrion in the pit." He met a cart full of people and said, "Good morning, there lies the carrion in the pit!" The cart pushed him into a hole, and the driver whipped him until he was forced to crawl back to his mother. He never went traveling again.