.

When the goodman saw what had happened he began to swear at the Wind,
and, taking his stick, he set out to follow and slay Norouas, who had
spoiled his flax. So hasty had he been in setting forth that he had
taken no food or money with him, and when evening came he arrived at
an inn hungry and penniless. He explained his plight to the hostess,
who gave him a morsel of bread and permitted him to sleep in a corner
of the stable. In the morning he asked the dame the way to the abode
of Norouas, and she conducted him to the foot of a mountain, where she
said the Winds dwelt.

The goodman climbed the mountain, and at the top met with Surouas, the
South-west Wind.

"Are you he whom they call Norouas?" he asked.

"No, I am Surouas," said the South-west Wind.

"Where then is that villain Norouas?" cried the goodman.

"Hush!" said Surouas, "do not speak so loud, goodman, for if he hears
you he will toss you into the air like a straw."

At that moment Norouas arrived, whistling wildly and vigorously.

"Ah, thief of a Norouas," cried the goodman, "it was you who stole my
beautiful crop of flax!" But the Wind took no notice of him.
Nevertheless he did not cease to cry: "Norouas, Norouas, give me back
my flax!"

"Hush, hush!" cried Norouas. "Here is a napkin that will perhaps make
you keep quiet."

"With my crop of flax," howled the goodman, "I could have made a
hundred napkins such as this. Norouas, give me back my flax!"

"Be silent, fellow," said Norouas. "This is no common napkin which I
give you. You have only to say, 'Napkin, unfold thyself,' to have the
best spread table in the world standing before you."

The goodman took the napkin with a grumble, descended the mountain,
and there, only half believing what Norouas had said, placed the
napkin before him, saying, "Napkin, unfold thyself." Immediately a
table appeared spread with a princely repast. The odour of cunningly
cooked dishes arose, and rare wines sparkled in glittering vessels.
After he had feasted the table vanished, and the goodman folded up his
napkin and went back to the inn where he had slept the night before.

"Well, did you get any satisfaction out of Norouas?" asked the
hostess.

"Indeed I did," replied the goodman, producing the napkin. "Behold
this: Napkin, unfold thyself!" and as he spoke the magic table appeared
before their eyes. The hostess, struck dumb with astonishment, at
once became covetous and resolved to have the napkin for h