was greater than she
had dared hope. She had, too, such a good stock of gold thread that
she never had occasion to spin any more all her life long.

THE STORY OF THE PLENTIFUL TABLECLOTH, THE AVENGING WAND, THE SASH
THAT BECOMES A LAKE, AND THE TERRIBLE HELMET

[Illustration]

THE STORY OF THE PLENTIFUL TABLECLOTH, THE AVENGING WAND, THE SASH
THAT BECOMES A LAKE, AND THE TERRIBLE HELMET

Now it once happened that one of the king's herdsmen had three sons.
Two of these lads were supposed to be very sharp-witted, while the
youngest was thought to be very stupid indeed. The elder sons helped
their father to look after the flocks and herds, while the fool, so
they called him, was good for nothing but sleeping and amusing
himself.

He would pass whole days and nights slumbering peacefully on the
stove, only getting off when forced to by others, or when he was too
warm and wished to lie on the other side, or when, hungry and thirsty,
he wanted food and drink.

His father had no love for him, and called him a ne'er-do-well. His
brothers often tormented him by dragging him off the stove, and taking
away his food--indeed, he would many a time have gone hungry if his
mother had not been good to him and fed him on the quiet. She caressed
him fondly, for why should he suffer, thought she, if he does happen
to have been born a fool? Besides, who can understand the ways of God?
It sometimes happens that the wisest men are not happy, while the
foolish, when harmless and gentle, lead contented lives.

One day, on their return from the fields, the fool's two brothers
dragged him off the stove, and taking him into the yard, where they
gave him a sound thrashing, they turned him out of the house, saying,
"Go, fool, and lose no time, for you shall have neither food nor
lodging until you bring us a basket of mushrooms from the wood."

The poor lad was so taken by surprise he hardly understood what his
brothers wanted him to do. After pondering for a while he made his way
towards a small oak forest, where everything seemed to have a strange
and marvellous appearance, so strange that he did not recognise the
place. As he walked he came to a small dead tree-stump, on the top of
which he placed his cap, saying, "Every tree here raises its head to
the skies and wears a good cap of leaves, but you, my poor friend, are
bare-headed; you will die of cold. You must be among your brothers, as
I am among mine--a born fool. Take