e you talking about?' answered she. 'You can see for
yourself that there is no basket here.'

And though Father Grumbler DID look, it was quite true that none was to
be seen.

'Come, take a glass to warm you this cold day,' said the woman, who
was anxious to keep him in a good temper, and as this was an invitation
Father Grumbler never refused, he tossed it off and left the house.

He took the road that led to the Holy Man's cave, and made such haste
that it was not long before he reached it.

'Who is there?' said a voice in answer to his knock.

'It is me, it is me, Holy man. You know quite well. Father Grumbler, who
has as many children as sparrows in the garden.'

'But, my good man, it was only yesterday that I gave you a handsome
present.'

'Yes, Holy Man, and here it is. But something has happened, I don't know
what, and it won't work any more.'

'Well, put it down. I will go and see if I can find anything for you.'

In a few minutes the Holy Man returned with a cock under his arm.

'Listen to me,' he said, 'whenever you want money, you only have to say:
"Show me what you can do, cock," and you will see some wonderful
things. But, remember, it is not necessary to let all the world into the
secret.'

'Oh no, Holy Man, I am not so foolish as that.'

'Nor to tell everybody that I gave it to you,' went on the Holy Man. 'I
have not got these treasures by the dozen.'

And without waiting for an answer he shut the door.

As before, the distance seemed to have wonderfully shortened, and in a
moment the tavern rose up in front of Father Grumbler. Without stopping
to think, he went straight in, and found the innkeeper's wife in the
kitchen making a cake.

'Where have you come from, with that fine red cock in your basket,'
asked she, for the bird was so big that the lid would not shut down
properly.

'Oh, I come from a place where they don't keep these things by the
dozen,' he replied, sitting down in front of the table.

The woman said no more, but set before him a bottle of his favourite
wine, and soon he began to wish to display his prize.

'Show me what you can do, cock,' cried he. And the cock stood up and
flapped his wings three times, crowing 'coquerico' with a voice like
a trumpet, and at each crow there fell from his beak golden drops, and
diamonds as large as peas.

This time Father Grumbler did not invite the innkeeper's wife to pick up
his treasures, but put his own hat under the cock's bea