settle accounts after the autumn harvest

go after in a swarm(scramble for something)

Beat the ice

to be very worried

Crankle

have insufficient food and clothing

breathing out his soul

be on the edge of death(One's course is run.)

Seven feet in eight hands

Adventure

withdraw as fighting

a fantastic tale(a forever strange tale)

carefree(like a cork)

a long long time(millions of years)

practical; corresponding to reality; geared to practical situations

a weighty load(crushing weight)

featherlike(as light as a feather)

At sixes and sevens

seek fame and wealth(strive for fame and gain)

Had it been a bear it would have bitten you.(hold on to one job while seeking a better one)