idst of them, bearing
his basket, and crying:

'Don't spoil your appetites, children, with that stuff. Do you see
this basket? Well, I have only got to say, "Little basket, little
basket, do your duty," and you will see what will happen. Now you
shall say it instead of me, for a treat.'

The children, wondering and delighted, repeated the words, but nothing
happened. Again and again they tried, but the basket was only a
basket, with a few scales of fish sticking to the bottom, for the
innkeeper's wife had taken it to market the day before.

'What is the matter with the thing?' cried the father at last,
snatching the basket from them, and turning it all over, grumbling and
swearing while he did so, under the eyes of his astonished wife and
children, who did not know whether to cry or to laugh.

'It certainly smells of fish,' he said, and then he stopped, for a
sudden thought had come to him.

'Suppose it is not mine at all; supposing---- Ah, the scoundrels!'

And without listening to his wife and children, who were frightened at
his strange conduct and begged him to stay at home, he ran across to
the tavern and burst open the door.

'Can I do anything for you, Father Grumbler?' asked the innkeeper's
wife in her softest voice.

'I have taken the wrong basket--by mistake, of course,' said he. 'Here
is yours, will you give me back my own?'

'Why, what are 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 have o