ould be hidden behind the
door in the evening, to hear what your brothers talk about together."

When Slyboots came before the king with his rich booty, which was enough
to make at least ten horse-loads, he found him extremely kind and
friendly, and he took the opportunity to make the request which his old
friend had advised. The king was glad that the treasure-bringer asked
for no greater reward, and ordered his daughter to hide herself behind
the door in the evening, to overhear what the coachman and the
chamberlain were talking about.

The brothers had grown haughty with prosperity, and boasted of their
good luck, and what was worse, they both boasted to each other of the
favours of the princess in her own hearing! She ran to her father,
flushed with shame and anger, and told him weeping what shameful lies
she had heard with her own ears, and begged him to punish the wretches.
The king immediately ordered them both to be thrown into prison, and
when they had confessed their guilt before the court next day, they were
executed, while Slyboots was promoted to the rank of king's councillor.

Some time afterwards the country was invaded by a foreign king, and
Slyboots was sent against the enemy in the field. Then he drew the sword
which he had brought from the under-world for the first time, and began
to slaughter the hostile army, and soon none were left alive on the
bloody field. The king was so pleased at the victory that he made
Slyboots his son-in-law.

Jannsen gives an inferior variant of this story under the title of
the House-Spirit. Here a little man who creeps from under the stove
is permitted by the cook to taste the soup three times running, and
every time the pot is emptied. His master tells him to quit his
service next morning, and orders the steward to make soup; and the
steward knocks down the dwarf with the spoon. Next morning, as the
cook is leaving, the dwarf invites him to his house under the
stove, and gives him a little box, on which he has only to tap, and
ask for whatever he wants. The steward meets the cook, hears the
story, puts on soup, and invites the dwarf to partake. In return he
receives a box, which he takes to his master, but out of the box
jumps a dwarf with an iron club, who belabours them both till they
are nearly dead, and then disappears with the box. The kitchen
dwarf was never seen again.

The next story is p