r
people, and only misfortunes happen to me.' And he set out at once for
the cave.

It was a long way off, and the road led over mountains and through
valleys; but at last he reached the cave where the Holy Man dwelt, and
knocked at the door.

'Who is there?' asked a voice from within.

'It is I, Holy Man, Father Grumbler, you know, who has as many
children as sparrows in the garden.'

'Well, and what is it that you want?'

'I want to know why other people have all the luck, and only
misfortunes happen to me!'

The Holy Man did not answer, but went into an inner cave, from which
he came out bearing something in his hand. 'Do you see this basket?'
said he. 'It is a magical basket, and if you are hungry you have only
got to say: "Little basket, little basket, do your duty," and you will
eat the best dinner you ever had in your life. But when you have had
enough, be sure you don't forget to cry out: "That will do for
to-day." Oh!--and one thing more--you need not show it to everybody
and declare that I have given it to you. Do you understand?'

Father Grumbler was always accustomed to think of himself as so
unlucky that he did not know whether the Holy Man was not playing a
trick upon him; but he took the basket without being polite enough to
say either 'Thank you,' or 'Good-morning,' and went away. However, he
only waited till he was out of sight of the cave before he stooped
down and whispered: 'Little basket, little basket, do your duty.'

Now the basket had a lid, so that he could not see what was inside,
but he heard quite clearly strange noises, as if a sort of scuffling
was going on. Then the lid burst open, and a quantity of delicious
little white rolls came tumbling out one after the other, followed by
a stream of small fishes all ready cooked. What a quantity there were
to be sure! The whole road was covered with them, and the banks on
each side were beginning to disappear. Father Grumbler felt quite
frightened at the torrent, but at last he remembered what the Holy Man
had told him, and cried at the top of his voice: 'Enough! enough! That
will do for to-day!' And the lid of the basket closed with a snap.

Father Grumbler sighed with relief and happiness as he looked around
him, and sitting down on a heap of stones, he ate till he could eat no
more. Trout, salmon, turbot, soles, and a hundred other fishes whose
names he did not know, lay boiled, fried, and grilled within reach of
his hands. As the Hol