olden coffer, and threw into the room a
shower of shining ducats, saying:

"Such as I am to-day, so shall you be all your lives."

At daybreak the grand castle vanished, and there took its place an
ordinary house, but one in which nothing was wanting. When evening
came Destiny sat down to supper again, his guest did the same, and no
one spoke a word. After supper both went to bed as before.

Toward midnight again commenced the terrible noise in the castle, and
in the midst of the tumult a voice crying:

"Destiny, Destiny, so many souls have seen the light to-day. Give them
something at thy good pleasure."

Destiny arose and opened a silver coffer, but this time there were no
ducats in it, only silver money mixed with a few pieces of gold.
Destiny threw this silver upon the ground, saying:

"Such as I am to-day, so shall you be all your lives."

At daybreak the house had vanished, and there appeared in its place
another smaller one. So passed each night; each morning the house
became smaller until at last it was only a miserable hut. Destiny then
took a spade and began to dig up the earth; his guest did the same,
and they dug all day long. When evening came Destiny took a crust of
hard bread, broke it in two, and gave half to his companion. This was
all their supper, and when they had eaten they went to bed.

Toward midnight again commenced the terrible noise, and in the midst
of it a voice was heard, crying:

"Destiny, Destiny, so many souls have come into the world this night.
Give them something at thy good pleasure."

Destiny arose, opened a coffer, and began to throw out pebbles among
which were mixed some small money, saying as he did so:

"Such as I am to-day, so shall you be all your lives."

When morning came the hut was changed again to a grand palace as it
had been on the first day. Then for the first time Destiny spoke to
his guest, and said to him:

"Why hast thou come to me?"

The traveller then related his miseries in detail, and said that he
had come to ask of Destiny himself, why he had given him so evil a
fortune.

Destiny answered him:

"Thou didst see that the first night I sowed ducats and what followed
thereon. Such as I am on the night when a man is born, such that man
will be all his life. Thou wert born on a night of poverty, and thou
wilt remain always poor. Thy brother, on the contrary, came into the
world in a happy hour, and happy he will remain to the end. But since
thou