l try to dig the well and shall
not succeed, he shall have his nose cut off. The King in his
goodness has so commanded, and it shall be done.

"Worse and worse," said Peter. "But hand me an axe, and I will show
you what I can do."

The sharpest axe in the country was given him. He felt its edge; he
swung it over his shoulder. Then he began to chop on the oak with all
his might; but as soon as a bough was cut off, two bigger and stronger
ones grew in its place.

"I give it up," said Peter. "It cannot be done."

And the King's guards seized him and led him away to prison.

"To-morrow his ears shall come off," said the King.

"It was all because he was so awkward," said Paul. "Now, see what a
skilful man can do."

He took the axe and walked carefully round the tree. He saw a root
that was partly out of the ground, and chopped it off. All at once two
other roots much bigger and stronger grew in its place.

He chopped at these, but the axe was dulled, and with all his skill he
could not cut them off.

"Enough!" cried the King; and the guards hurried him also to jail.

Then little Jack came forward.

"What does that wee bit of a fellow want?" asked the King. "Drive him
away, and if he doesn't wish to go, cut off his ears at once."

But Jack was not one whit afraid. He bowed to the King and said,
"Please let me try. It will be time enough to cut off my ears when I
have failed."

"Well, yes, it will, I suppose," said the King. "So go to work quickly
and be done with it."

Jack took the bright steel axe from his pocket. He set it up by the
tree and said, "Chop, Mr Axe! Chop!"

You should have seen the chips fly.

The little axe chopped and cut and split, this way and that, right and
left, up and down. It moved so fast that nobody could keep track of
it, and there was no time for new twigs to grow.

In fifteen seconds the great oak-tree was cut in pieces and piled up
in the King's courtyard, ready for firewood in the winter.

"What do you think of that?" asked Jack, as he bowed again to the
King.

"You have done wonders, my little man," said the King. "But the well
must be dug or I shall take off your ears."

"Kindly tell me where you would like to have the well," said Jack,
bowing again.

A place in the courtyard was pointed out. The King sat in his great
chair on a balcony above, and by him sat his beautiful daughter, the
Princess. They wanted to see the little fellow dig.

Jack took the