e.

Wherever he went, he heard every one talking of the king's midsummer
banquet, and when he heard of the reward which was offered to the man
who should prepare the feast, he began to reflect whether he might not
be able to accomplish the adventure. "If I succeed," said he to himself,
"I shall find myself at a stroke on the highway to fortune; and in the
worst case of all, I shall only lose my life, and we must all die sooner
or later. If I begin in the right way, why shouldn't I succeed? Perhaps
I may be more fortunate than others. And even if the king should refuse
me his daughter, he must at least give me the promised reward in money,
which will make me a rich man."

Buoyed up with such thoughts, he pursued his journey, singing and
whistling like a lark, sometimes resting under the shadow of a bush
during the heat of the day, and sleeping at night under a tree or in the
open fields. One morning he finished the last remains of his provisions,
and in the evening he arrived safe and sound at the city.

Next day he craved audience of the king. The king saw that he had to
deal with an intelligent and enterprising man, and it was easy for them
to come to terms. "What is your name?" asked the king. The man of brains
replied, "My baptismal name is Nicodemus, but I was always called
Slyboots at home, to show that I did not fall on my head." "I will leave
you your name," returned the king, "but your head must answer for all
mischief if the affair should go wrong."

Slyboots asked the king to give him seven hundred workmen, and set about
his preparations without delay. He ordered twenty large sheds to be
constructed, and arranged in a square like a series of large cowhouses,
so that a great open space was left in the middle, to which led one
single large gate. He ordered great cooking-pots and caldrons to be
built in the rooms which were to be heated, and the ovens were furnished
with iron spits, where meat and sausages could be roasted. Other sheds
were furnished with great boilers and vats for brewing beer, so that the
boilers were above and the vats below. Other houses without fireplaces
were fitted up as storehouses for cold provisions, such as black bread,
barm bracks, white bread, &c. All needful stores, such as flour, groats,
meat, salt, lard, butter, &c., were brought into the open space, and
fifty soldiers were stationed before the door, so that nothing should be
touched by the finger of any thief. The king came ev