set he had
found only a hundred pearls. So he was turned to stone.

The following day the second brother tried his luck, but by sunset he
had found but two hundred pearls. So he, too, was turned to stone.

Then it came the simpleton's turn. He searched all day amidst the moss,
but he fared little better than his brothers. At last he sat down upon a
stone and burst into tears.

As he sat there, the king of the ants, whose life he had once saved,
came with five thousand ants. Before long the little creatures had found
every one of the pearls and piled them up in a heap.

The little gray man then gave the simpleton the second tablet. Upon it
was written the second task:

"The key that opens the chamber in which the princesses are sleeping
lies in the bottom of the lake. He who has performed the first task must
find the key."

When the simpleton came to the lake, the ducks which he had saved were
swimming upon it. At once they dived down into the depths below and
brought up the key.

The simpleton showed the key to the little gray man, who then gave him
the third tablet. On it was written the third task:

"The one who has gathered the pearls and found the key to the chamber
may now marry the youngest and dearest princess. He must, however, first
tell which is she. The princesses are exactly alike, but there is one
difference. Before they went to sleep, the eldest ate sugar, the second
ate syrup, and the youngest ate honey."

The simpleton laid down the tablet with a sigh. "How can I find out
which princess ate the honey?" he asked himself.

However, he put the key he had found in the lock and opened the door. In
the chamber the three princesses were lying. Ah, which was the youngest?

Just then the queen of the bees flew in through the window and tasted
the lips of all three. When she came to the lips that had sipped the
honey, she remained there. Then the young man knew that this was the
youngest and dearest princess.

So the enchantment came to an end. The sleepers awoke, and those who had
been turned to stone became alive again. The simpleton married the
youngest and dearest princess, and was made king after her father's
death. His two brothers, who were now sorry for what they had done,
married the other two princesses, and lived happily ever after.

--GRIMM.

[Illustration: A child dancing]

THE WORLD'S MUSIC

The world's a very happy place,
Where every child should dance and sing,