himself for joy when he heard this.
"Get up," he exclaimed, "and come with me, and I will give you plenty to
eat, I'll warrant."

So he led him to the king's court, where his majesty had ordered all the
flour in the kingdom to be made into bread, and piled up in a huge
mountain. The hungry man placed himself before the bread, and began to
eat, and before evening the whole pile had disappeared.

Then the simpleton went a third time to the king, and asked for his
bride, but the king made several excuses, and at last said that if he
could bring him a ship that would travel as well by land as by water,
then he should, without any further conditions, marry his daughter.

The youth went at once straight to the forest, and saw the same old gray
man to whom he had given his cake. "Ah," he said, as the youth
approached, "it was I who sent the men to eat and drink, and I will also
give you a ship that can travel by land or by sea, because when you
thought I was poor you were kind-hearted, and gave me food and drink."

The youth took the ship, and when the king saw it he was quite
surprised; but he could not any longer refuse to give him his daughter
in marriage. The wedding was celebrated with great pomp, and after the
king's death the simple wood-cutter inherited the whole kingdom, and
lived happily with his wife.

CHAPTER X

THE TWELVE BROTHERS

There were once a king and queen who had twelve children--all boys. Now,
one day the king told his wife that if a daughter should be born, all
the sons must die--that their sister alone might inherit his kingdom and
riches.

So the king had twelve coffins made, which were filled with shavings,
and in each was the little pillow for the dead. He had them locked up in
a private room, the key of which he gave to the queen, praying her not
to speak of it to anyone. But the poor mother was so unhappy that she
wept for a whole day, and looked so sad that her youngest son noticed
it.

He had the Bible name of Benjamin, and was always with his mother.

"Dear mother," he said, "why are you so sorrowful?"

"My child, I may not tell you," she replied; but the boy allowed her no
rest till she unlocked the door of the private room, and showed him the
twelve coffins filled with shavings.

"Dearest Benjamin," she said, "these coffins are for you and your
brothers; for if you should ever have a little sister, you will all die,
and be buried in them."

She wept bitterly as she t