tinkle loudly. Their sound awoke the
witch, who cried out as before:

'Is that you, Pinkel?'

'Yes, dear mother, it is I,' said Pinkel.

'Have you stolen my golden goat?' asked she.

'Yes, dear mother, I have,' answered Pinkel.

'Are you not a knave, Pinkel?'

'Yes, dear mother, I am,' he replied. And the old witch shouted in a
rage:

'Ah! beware how you come hither again, for next time you shall not
escape me!'

But Pinkel laughed and rowed on.

The king was so delighted with the goat that he always kept it by his
side, night and day; and, as he had promised, Pinkel was made ruler over
the third part of the kingdom. As may be supposed, the brothers were
more furious than ever, and grew quite thin with rage.

'How can we get rid of him?' said one to the other. And at length they
remembered the golden cloak.

'He will need to be clever if he is to steal that!' they cried, with
a chuckle. And when next the king came to see his horses they began to
speak of Pinkel and his marvellous cunning, and how he had contrived to
steal the lantern and the goat, which nobody else would have been able
to do.

'But as he was there, it is a pity he could not have brought away the
golden cloak,' added they.

'The golden cloak! what is that?' asked the king. And the young men
described its beauties in such glowing words that the king declared he
should never know a day's happiness till he had wrapped the cloak round
his own shoulders.

'And,' added he, 'the man who brings it to me shall wed my daughter, and
shall inherit my throne.'

'None can get it save Pinkel,' said they; for they did not imagine that
the witch, after two warnings, could allow their brother to escape a
third time. So Pinkel was sent for, and with a glad heart he set out.

He passed many hours inventing first one plan and then another, till he
had a scheme ready which he thought might prove successful.

Thrusting a large bag inside his coat, he pushed off from the shore,
taking care this time to reach the island in daylight. Having made his
boat fast to a tree, he walked up to the hut, hanging his head, and
putting on a face that was both sorrowful and ashamed.

'Is that you, Pinkel?' asked the witch when she saw him, her eyes
gleaming savagely.

'Yes, dear mother, it is I,' answered Pinkel.

'So you have dared, after all you have done, to put yourself in my
power!' cried she. 'Well, you sha'n't escape me THIS time!' And she took
down a large