So he took along with him a piece of iron, and went over to the blacksmith's to strike till his axe was done.

The iron was heated, and my neighbor fell to work, and was striking there nearly all day; when the blacksmith concluded that the iron wouldn't make an axe, but 'twould make a fine mattock.
"So my neighbor, wanting a mattock, concluded that he would go over and strike till the mattock was done.

Accordingly he went over the next day, and worked faithfully.

But toward night the blacksmith concluded his iron wouldn't make a mattock but 'twould make a fine ploughshare.
"So my neighbor, wanting a ploughshare, agreed that he would go over the next day and strike till that was done.

Accordingly he went over, and fell hard at work.