ck, as he took the axe, pulled it off
its haft, and stuffed both head and haft into his wallet.

So when he got down again to his brothers, they began to jeer and laugh
at him.

"And now, what funny thing was it you saw up yonder on the hillside?"
they said.

"Oh, it was only an axe we heard," said Jack.

So when they had gone a bit farther, they came under a steep spur of
rock, and up there they heard something digging and shoveling.

"I wonder now," said Jack, "what it is digging and shoveling up yonder
at the top of the rock!"

"Ah, you're always so clever with your wonderings," said Peter and Paul
again, "as if you'd never heard a woodpecker hacking and pecking at a
hollow tree."

"Well, well," said Jack, "I think it would be a piece of fun just to see
what it really is."

And so off he set to climb the rock, while the others laughed and made
game of him. But he didn't care a bit for that; up he climbed, and when
he got near the top, what do you think he saw? Why, a spade that stood
there digging and delving.

"Good day!" said Jack. "So you stand here all alone, and dig and delve!"

"Yes, that's what I do," said the Spade, "and that's what I've done this
many a long day, waiting for you."

"Well, here I am," said Jack again, as he took the spade and knocked it
off its handle, and put it into his wallet, and then down again to his
brothers.

"Well, what was it, so rare and strange," said Peter and Paul, "that you
saw up there at the top of the rock?"

"Oh," said Jack, "nothing more than a spade; that was what we heard."

So they went on again a good bit, till they came to a brook. They were
thirsty, all three, after their long walk, and so they lay down beside
the brook to have a drink.

"I wonder now," said Jack, "where all this water comes from!"

"I wonder if you're right in your head," said Peter and Paul, in one
breath. "If you're not mad already, you'll go mad very soon, with your
wonderings. Where the brook comes from, indeed! Have you never heard how
water rises from a spring in the earth?"

"Yes! but still I've a great fancy to see where this brook comes from,"
said Jack.

So up alongside the brook he went, in spite of all that his brothers
bawled after him. Nothing could stop him. On he went. So, as he went up
and up, the brook got smaller and smaller, and at last, a little way
farther on, what do you think he saw? Why, a great walnut, and out of
that the water trickled.

"Good day