," cried Thumbling. "Doesn't it tire you
to be gushing away there all alone in your little corner?"

"Many long years I have been waiting for you, my son," replied the
spring.

"Very well, ma'am! here I am," said Thumbling; and without being
astonished at anything, he seized the nut-shell, plugged it up with
moss, so that the water shouldn't run out, put it in the stout leather
bag he carried over his shoulder, and gayly descended to overtake his
brothers.

"Do you know now where the brook starts from?" shouted Peter, as soon as
he saw him.

"Yes, brother Peter," replied Thumbling; "it came out of a little hole."

"This boy is too bright to live," grumbled Peter.

But Thumbling quietly said to himself, and rubbed his hands meanwhile,
"I have seen what I wanted to see, and I know what I wanted to know; let
those laugh who wish."

III.

Shortly after this, the brothers arrived at the king's palace. The oak
was stouter and thicker than ever; there was no sign of a well in the
court-yard; and at the gate of the palace still hung the imposing
placard that promised the hand of the princess, and the half of the
kingdom, to whoever, noble, gentleman, or peasant, should accomplish the
two things his Majesty so ardently desired. Only, as the king was weary
of so many fruitless attempts, which had only resulted in making him
more despairing than before, he had ordered a second and smaller placard
to be pasted directly above the large one. On this placard was written,
in red letters, the following terrible words:

"_Be it known, by these presents, that, in his inexhaustible goodness,
his Majesty, the King, has deigned to order, that whosoever does not
succeed in cutting down the oak, or in digging the well, shall have his
ears promptly stricken off, in order to teach him the first lesson of
wisdom_,--TO KNOW HIMSELF."

And, in order that everybody should profit by this wise and prudent
counsel, the king had caused to be nailed around this placard thirty
bleeding ears, belonging to the unfortunate fellows who had proved
themselves ignorant of the first lesson of wisdom.

When Peter read this notice, he laughed to himself, twisted his
mustaches, looked proudly at his brawny arms, whose swollen veins looked
like so many pieces of blue whipcord, swung his axe twice around his
head, and with one blow chopped off one of the biggest branches of the
enchanted tree. To his horror and dismay, however, there immediately
spran