he three looked at the letters. Yes, indeed, that was beautiful
writing, almost like print. How remarkably well the king must be able
to write on paper, when he could write like that on stone!

Just then the animals came crowding up over the edge of the mountain
top. They also went to the pile of stones and the big flat stone, like
a table, that stood beside it. They began to lie down, for now, after
eating, they wanted to rest.

"What else did the king and the others do?" asked Lisbeth.

"There wasn't much more. Oh, yes! after the king had finished writing,
he seemed to think that they needed something to eat; so he began
singing to the magistrate a line from an old song that they all knew.
The king had a good voice and it rang out with jolly zest:

Oh, have you a drop in your bottle?

Then they laughed, and came forward with a basket, and set the table on
the stone here. And they had something to drink, and some little cakes,
and after that they went away again. And now," concluded Ole, "I think
that we also need something to eat. Let us sit here at the king's table
and have our lunch, too."

They took their lunch bags from their backs and sat down on the big,
thick stone table, while the animals lay around them chewing the cud.
When the bags were opened many good things came out. There was butter,
and pork, and pease bread, and, in Lisbeth's, cream waffles besides. In
each bag there was also a bottle of milk, except in Ole's--he had
forgotten his. But that did not matter, for the others had plenty. They
shared their food with each other, and when Ole wanted milk he merely
sang,

Oh, have you a drop in your bottle?

And so he got rather more than his share, after all.

They did not talk much at the beginning of the meal, for it was so good
to get a chance to eat; but when they had eaten quite a while, and
their jaws began to work more slowly, Peter said, as if he had been
pondering upon it, "I wonder what the king has to eat,--for every day,
I mean."

"Loppered-cream[16] porridge, all day long," said Ole with conviction.

[16] Cream that has been allowed to stand until it has attained a
jellylike consistency. Loppered milk is sometimes called
bonnyclabber.

"Yes; but when he wants a little solid food, once in a while?" asked
Lisbeth.

Peter had just put a very delicious piece of pork on some pease bread.
He looked at it with real enjoyment before eating it.

"I am sure that