d he, "do you think now I was wrong in being
astonished at everything, as you said, and in trying to find out the why
and wherefore of it?"

"You have had the luck," answered Paul coldly; "Fortune is blind, and
doesn't always choose the most worthy upon whom to bestow her favors."

But Peter said, "You have done well, brother; and with or without ears,
I am delighted at your good fortune, and only wish our poor old father
was here to see it also."

Thumbling took his two brothers along with him, and, as he was in high
favor at court, that very day he secured them good situations.

IV.

Meanwhile, the king was tossing uneasily on his magnificent bed, and
broad awake. Such a son-in-law as Thumbling didn't please him overmuch,
so he tried to see if he couldn't think of some way of breaking his
word, without seeming to do so. For people that call themselves honest,
this is by no means an easy task. Put a thief between honor and
interest, you won't find him hesitate; but that is because he _is_ a
thief. In his perplexity, the king sent for Peter and Paul, since the
two brothers were the only ones who could enlighten him on the birth,
character, and disposition of our hero. Peter, who, as you remember, was
good-natured, praised his brother warmly, which didn't please the king
overmuch; but Paul put the king more at his ease, by trying to prove to
him that Thumbling was nothing but an adventurer, and that it would be
ridiculous that so great a monarch should be under obligations to such a
contemptible fellow.

"The scamp is so vain," continued the malicious Paul, "that he thinks he
is stout enough to manage a giant; and you can use this vanity of his to
get rid of him. In the neighboring country there is an ugly Troll, who
is the terror of the whole neighborhood. He devours all the cattle for
ten leagues about, and commits unheard-of devastation everywhere. Now
Thumbling has said a great many times that, if he wanted to, he would
make this giant his slave."

"We shall see about this," said the king, who caught at the insinuation
of the wicked brother, and thereupon sent the two brothers away, and
slept tranquilly the rest of the night.

The next morning, when the whole court was called together, the king
ordered Thumbling to be sent for; and presently he made his appearance,
white as a lily, ruddy as a rose, and smiling as the morn.

"My good son-in-law," said the king, emphasizing these words, "a hero
like yourse