nto another splendid
hall, which was filled from floor to ceiling with great pieces of copper
money.

The sight quite dazzled Martin and Michael, who emptied all the
provisions that remained out of their bags, and heaped them up instead
with handfuls of copper.

Scarcely had they done this when Jack threw open another door, and this
time it led to a hall filled with silver. In an instant his brothers had
turned their bags upside down, so that the copper money tumbled out on
to the floor, and were shovelling in handfuls of the silver instead.
They had hardly finished, when Jack opened yet a third door, and all
three fell back in amazement, for this room as a mass of gold, so bright
that their eyes grew sore as they looked at it. However, they soon
recovered from their surprise, and quickly emptied their bags of silver,
and filled them with gold instead. When they would hold no more, Martin
said:

'We had better hurry off now lest somebody else should come, and we
might not know what to do'; and, followed by Michael, he hastily left
the castle. Jack lingered behind for a few minutes to put pieces of
gold, silver, and copper into his pocket, and to eat the food that his
brothers had thrown down in the first room. Then he went after them,
and found them lying down to rest in the midst of a forest. It was near
sunset, and Martin began to feel hungry, so, when Jack arrived, he bade
him return to the castle and bring the bread and cheese that they had
left there.

'It is hardly worth doing that,' answered Jack; 'for I picked up the
pieces and ate them myself.'

At this reply both brothers were beside themselves with anger, and fell
upon the boy, beating him, and calling him names, till they were quite
tired.

'Go where you like,' cried Martin with a final kick; 'but never come
near us again.' And poor Jack ran weeping into the woods.

The next morning his brothers went home, and bought a beautiful house,
where they lived with their mother like great lords.

Jack remained for some hours in hiding, thankful to be safe from his
tormentors; but when no one came to trouble him, and his back did not
ache so much, he began to think what he had better do. At length he made
up his mind to go to the caste and take away as much money with him as
would enable him to live in comfort for the rest of his life. This
being decided, he sprang up, and set out along the path which led to
the castle. As before, the door stood open, and