erself. So
that night she placed the goodman in a handsome apartment where
there was a beautiful bed with a soft feather mattress, on which he
slept more soundly than ever he had done in his life. When he was fast
asleep the cunning hostess entered the room and stole the napkin,
leaving one of similar appearance in its place.

In the morning the goodman set his face homeward, and duly arrived
at his little farm. His wife eagerly asked him if Norouas had made
good the damage done to the flax, to which her husband replied
affirmatively and drew the substituted napkin from his pocket.

"Why," quoth the dame, "we could have made two hundred napkins like
this out of the flax that was destroyed."

"Ah, but," said the goodman, "this napkin is not the same as others. I
have only to say, 'Napkin, unfold thyself,' and a table covered with a
most splendid feast appears. Napkin, unfold thyself--unfold thyself,
dost thou hear?"

"You are an old fool, goodman," said his wife when nothing happened.
Her husband's jaw dropped and he seized his stick.

"I have been sold by that rascal Norouas," he cried. "Well, I shall
not spare him this time," and without more ado he rushed out of the
house and took the road to the home of the Winds.

He slept as before at the inn, and next morning climbed the mountain.
He began at once to call loudly upon Norouas, who was whistling up
aloft, demanding that he should return him his crop of flax.

"Be quiet, down there!" cried Norouas.

"I shall not be quiet!" screamed the goodman, brandishing his
bludgeon. "You have made matters worse by cheating me with that napkin
of yours!"

"Well, well, then," replied Norouas, "here is an ass; you have only to
say 'Ass, make me some gold,' and it will fall from his tail."

The goodman, eager to test the value of the new gift, at once led the
ass to the foot of the mountain and said: "Ass, make me some gold."
The ass shook his tail, and a _rouleau_ of gold pieces fell to the
ground. The goodman hastened to the inn, where, as before, he
displayed the phenomenon to the hostess, who that night went into the
stable and exchanged for the magical animal another similar in
appearance to it. On the evening of the following day the goodman
returned home and acquainted his wife with his good luck, but when he
charged the ass to make gold and nothing happened, she railed at him
once more for a fool, and in a towering passion he again set out to
slay Norouas. Arrive