ingdom
(and asked his nearest neighbours to publish it in theirs as well) that
whoever could bring him a dozen of the finest pearls the king had ever
seen, and could perform certain tasks that would be set him, should
have his daughter in marriage and in due time succeed to the throne. The
pearls, he thought, could only be brought by a very wealthy man, and the
tasks would require unusual talents to accomplish them.

There were plenty who tried to fulfil the terms which the king proposed.
Rich merchants and foreign princes presented themselves one after the
other, so that some days the number of them was quite annoying; but,
though they could all produce magnificent pearls, not one of them could
perform even the simplest of the tasks set them. Some turned up, too,
who were mere adventurers, and tried to deceive the old king with
imitation pearls; but he was not to be taken in so easily, and they were
soon sent about their business. At the end of several weeks the stream
of suitors began to fall off, and still there was no prospect of a
suitable son-in-law.

Now it so happened that in a little corner of the king's dominions,
beside the sea, there lived a poor fisher, who had three sons, and their
names were Peter, Paul, and Jesper. Peter and Paul were grown men, while
Jesper was just coming to manhood.

The two elder brothers were much bigger and stronger than the youngest,
but Jesper was far the cleverest of the three, though neither Peter nor
Paul would admit this. It was a fact, however, as we shall see in the
course of our story.

One day the fisherman went out fishing, and among his catch for the day
he brought home three dozen oysters. When these were opened, every shell
was found to contain a large and beautiful pearl. Hereupon the three
brothers, at one and the same moment, fell upon the idea of offering
themselves as suitors for the princess. After some discussion, it was
agreed that the pearls should be divided by lot, and that each should
have his chance in the order of his age: of course, if the oldest was
successful the other two would be saved the trouble of trying.

Next morning Peter put his pearls in a little basket, and set off for
the king's palace. He had not gone far on his way when he came upon the
King of the Ants and the King of the Beetles, who, with their armies
behind them, were facing each other and preparing for battle.

'Come and help me,' said the King of the Ants; 'the beetles are to