they began to
think it was an evil plan of the king's to suffocate them.

"He shall not succeed, however," said the man with the little hat; "I
will bring on a frost that shall make the fire feel ashamed of itself,
and creep out of the way."

So he set his hat straight on his head, and immediately there came such
a frost that all the heat passed away and the food froze in the dishes.
After an hour or two had passed, and the king thought they must have all
perished in the heat, he caused the door to be opened, and went himself
to see how they fared. And when the door flew back, there they were all
six quite safe and sound, and they said they were quite ready to come
out, so that they might warm themselves, for the great cold of that room
had caused the food to freeze in the dishes. Full of wrath, the king
went to the cook and scolded him, and asked why he had not done as he
was ordered.

"It is hot enough there: you may see for yourself," answered the cook.
And the king looked and saw an immense fire burning underneath the room
of iron, and he began to think that the six men were not to be got rid
of in that way. And he thought of a new plan by which it might be
managed, so he sent for the leader and said to him,

"If you will give up your right to my daughter, and take gold instead,
you may have as much as you like."

"Certainly, my lord king," answered the man; "let me have as much gold
as my servant can carry, and I give up all claim to your daughter." And
the king agreed that he should come again in a fortnight to fetch the
gold. The man then called together all the tailors in the kingdom, and
set them to work to make a sack, and it took them a fortnight. And when
it was ready, the strong man who had been found rooting up trees took it
on his shoulder, and went to the king.

"Who is this immense fellow carrying on his shoulder a bundle of stuff
as big as a house?" cried the king, terrified to think how much gold he
would carry off. And a ton of gold was dragged in by sixteen strong men,
but he put it all into the sack with one hand, saying,

"Why don't you bring some more? this hardly covers the bottom!" So the
king bade them fetch by degrees the whole of his treasure, and even then
the sack was not half full.

"Bring more!" cried the man; "these few scraps go no way at all!" Then
at last seven thousand waggons laden with gold collected through the
whole kingdom were driven up; and he threw them in his sack,