The King raised his head so suddenly that the minister broke off the
narrative. "I suppose when the minister came home and began working the
mine he found that the mineralogist had misinformed him."

"No," said the minister, "it was as the man had said."

"You may continue," and the King settled himself again to listen.

"When the minister reached home, the first thing he did was to start
out to tell his comrades of the value of their find. As he drove up to
Landlord Stensson's place, where he had intended to go in and inform
his friend that they had found silver, he paused at the gate, for he
saw that white sheets had been hung before the windows and a broad path
of hemlock boughs led up to the door step."

"'Who has died here?' inquired the minister of a little boy who stood
leaning against the fence.

"'It is the landlord himself.' Then he told the minister that for a
week past the landlord had been drinking ever and ever so much liquor,
until he was drunk all the time.

"'How can that be?' asked the pastor. 'The landlord never before drank
to excess.'

"'Well, you see,' said the boy, 'he drank because he was possessed with
the idea that he had found a mine. He was so rich, he said, that he
would never need to do anything now but drink. Last night he drove out,
drunk as he was, and fell out of the carriage and was killed.'

"After the minister had heard all this, he started homeward, grieving
over what he had learned. And only a moment before he had been so
elated over the good news he had to tell his friends.

"When the minister had gone a short distance, he met Israels Pers
Persson walking along the road. He appeared as usual and the minister
was glad that their good fortune had not turned his head. He would
immediately gladden him with the news that he was now a rich man.

"'Good-day!' said the minister.

"'Do you come now from Falun?'

"'Yes, and I can tell you that things turned out better than we
thought. The mineralogist said that it was silver ore.'

"Pers Persson looked as if the earth had opened to engulf him. 'What is
it you say? Is it silver?'

"'Yes, we shall all be rich men now and able to live as royalty.'

"'Oh, is it silver?' repeated Pers Persson, in still greater dejection.

"'It certainly is silver,' said the minister. 'Don't think that I would
deceive you. You should not be afraid of being glad.'

"'Glad!' said Pers Persson, 'should I be glad? I thought it was fool's
gold, so