Twilight Land Read online

  A Piece _of_ Good Luck.

  There were three students who were learning all that they could.The first was named Joseph, the second was named John, and thethird was named Jacob Stuck. They studied seven long years under awise master, and in that time they learned all that their masterhad to teach them of the wonderful things he knew. They learnedall about geometry, they learned all about algebra, they learnedall about astronomy, they learned all about the hidden arts, theylearned all about everything, except how to mend their own hose andwhere to get cabbage to boil in the pot.

  And now they were to go out into the world to practise what theyknew. The master called the three students to him--the one namedJoseph, the second named John, and the third named Jacob Stuck--andsaid he to them, said he: “You have studied faithfully and havelearned all that I have been able to teach you, and now you shallnot go out into the world with nothing at all. See; here are threeglass balls, and that is one for each of you. Their like is not tobe found in the four corners of the world. Carry the balls whereveryou go, and when one of them drops to the ground, dig, and thereyou will certainly find a treasure.”

  So the three students went out into the wide world.

  Well, they travelled on and on for day after day, each carrying hisglass ball with him wherever he went. They travelled on and on forI cannot tell how long, until one day the ball that Joseph carriedslipped out of his fingers and fell to the ground. “I’ve found atreasure!” cried Joseph, “I’ve found a treasure!”

  The three students fell to work scratching and digging where theball had fallen, and by-and-by they found something. It was achest with an iron ring in the lid. It took all three of them tohaul it up out of the ground, and when they did so they found itwas full to the brim of silver money.

  Were they happy? Well, they were happy! They danced around andaround the chest, for they had never seen so much money in alltheir lives before. “Brothers,” said Joseph, in exultation, “hereis enough for all hands, and it shall be share and share alike withus, for haven’t we studied seven long years together?” And so for awhile they were as happy as happy could be.

  But by-and-by a flock of second thoughts began to buzz in the headsof John and Jacob Stuck. “Why,” said they, “as for that, to besure, a chest of silver money is a great thing for three studentsto find who had nothing better than book-learning to help themalong; but who knows but that there is something better even thansilver money out in the wide world?” So, after all, and in spite ofthe chest of silver money they had found, the two of them were forgoing on to try their fortunes a little farther. And as for Joseph,why, after all, when he came to think of it, he was not sorry tohave his chest of silver money all to himself.

  So the two travelled on and on for a while, here and there andeverywhere, until at last it was John’s ball that slipped out ofhis fingers and fell to the ground. They digged where it fell, andthis time it was a chest of gold money they found.

  Yes; a chest of gold money! A chest of real gold money! They juststood and stared and stared, for if they had not seen it theywould not have believed that such a thing could have been in theworld. “Well, Jacob Stuck,” said John, “it was well to travel a bitfarther than poor Joseph did, was it not? What is a chest of silvermoney to such a treasure as this? Come, brother, here is enough tomake us both rich for all the rest of our lives. We need look fornothing better than this.”

  But no; by-and-by Jacob Stuck began to cool down again, and nowthat second thoughts were coming to him he would not even besatisfied with a half-share of a chest of gold money. No; maybethere might be something better than even a chest full of goldmoney to be found in the world. As for John, why, after all, he wasjust as well satisfied to keep his treasure for himself. So the twoshook hands, and then Jacob Stuck jogged away alone, leaving Johnstuffing his pockets and his hat full of gold money, and I shouldhave liked to have been there, to have had my share.

  Well, Jacob Stuck jogged on and on by himself, until after a whilehe came to a great, wide desert, where there was not a blade or astick to be seen far or near. He jogged on and on, and he wished hehad not come there. He jogged on and on when all of a sudden theglass ball he carried slipped out of his fingers and fell to theground.

  “Aha!” said he to himself, “now maybe I shall find some greattreasure compared to which even silver and gold are as nothing atall.”

  He digged down into the barren earth of the desert; and he diggedand he digged, but neither silver nor gold did he find. He diggedand digged; and by-and-by, at last, he did find something. Andwhat was it? Why, nothing but something that looked like a pieceof blue glass not a bit bigger than my thumb. “Is that all?” saidJacob Stuck. “And have I travelled all this weary way and into theblinding desert only for this? Have I passed by silver and goldenough to make me rich for all my life, only to find a little pieceof blue glass?”

  Jacob Stuck did not know what he had found. I shall tell you whatit was. It was a solid piece of good luck without flaw or blemish,and it was almost the only piece I ever heard tell of. Yes; thatwas what it was--a solid piece of good luck; and as for JacobStuck, why, he was not the first in the world by many and one overwho has failed to know a piece of good luck when they have foundit. Yes; it looked just like a piece of blue glass no bigger thanmy thumb, and nothing else.

  “Is that all?” said Jacob Stuck. “And have I travelled all thisweary way and into the blinding desert only for this? Have I passedby silver and gold enough to make me rich for all my life, only tofind a little piece of blue glass?”

  He looked at the bit of glass, and he turned it over and over inhis hand. It was covered with dirt. Jacob Stuck blew his breathupon it, and rubbed it with his thumb.

  Crack! dong! bang! smash!

  Upon my word, had a bolt of lightning burst at Jacob Stuck’s feethe could not have been more struck of a heap. For no sooner had herubbed the glass with his thumb than with a noise like a clap ofthunder there instantly stood before him a great, big man, dressedin clothes as red as a flame, and with eyes that shone sparks offire. It was the Genie of Good Luck. It nearly knocked Jacob Stuckoff his feet to see him there so suddenly.

  “What will you have?” said the Genie. “I am the slave of goodluck. Whosoever holds that piece of crystal in his hand him must Iobey in whatsoever he may command.”

  “Do you mean that you are my servant and that I am your master?”said Jacob Stuck.

  “Yes; command and I obey.”

  “Why, then,” said Jacob Stuck, “I would like you to help me out ofthis desert place, if you can do so, for it is a poor spot for anyChristian soul to be.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie, and, before Jacob Stuck knewwhat had happened to him, the Genie had seized him and was flyingwith him through the air swifter than the wind. On and on he flew,and the earth seemed to slide away beneath. On and on flew theflame-colored Genie until at last he set Jacob down in a greatmeadow where there was a river. Beyond the river were the whitewalls and grand houses of the king’s town.

  “Hast thou any further commands?” said the Genie.

  “Tell me what you can do for me?” said Jacob Stuck.

  “I can do whatsoever thou mayest order me to do,” said the Genie.

  “Well, then,” said Jacob Stuck, “I think first of all I would liketo have plenty of money to spend.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie, and, as he spoke, he reachedup into the air and picked out a purse from nothing at all. “Here,”said he, “is the purse of fortune; take from it all that thouneedest and yet it will always be full. As long as thou hast itthou shalt never be lacking riches.”

  “I am very much obliged to you,” said Jacob Stuck. “I’ve learnedgeometry and algebra and astronomy and the hidden arts, but I neverheard tell of anything like this before.”

  * * * * *

  So Jacob Stuck went into the town with all the money he couldspend, and such a one is welcome anywhere. He lacked nothing thatmoney could buy. He bought himse
lf a fine house; he made all thefriends he wanted, and more; he lived without a care, and withnothing to do but to enjoy himself. That was what a bit of goodluck did for him.

  Now the princess, the daughter of the king of that town, was themost beautiful in all the world, but so proud and haughty that herlike was not to be found within the bounds of all the seven rivers.So proud was she and so haughty that she would neither look upona young man nor allow any young man to look upon her. She was soparticular that whenever she went out to take a ride a heraldwas sent through the town with a trumpet ordering that every houseshould be closed and that everybody should stay within doors, sothat the princess should run no risk of seeing a young man, or thatno young man by chance should see her.

  One day the herald went through the town blowing his trumpet andcalling in a great, loud voice: “Close your doors! Close yourwindows! Her highness, the princess, comes to ride; let no man lookupon her on pain of death!”

  Thereupon everybody began closing their doors and windows, and, asit was with the others, so it was with Jacob Stuck’s house; it had,like all the rest, to be shut up as tight as a jug.

  But Jacob Stuck was not satisfied with that; not he. He was forseeing the princess, and he was bound he would do so. So he boreda hole through the door, and when the princess came riding by hepeeped out at her.

  Jacob Stuck thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful in allhis life. It was like the sunlight shining in his eyes, and healmost sneezed. Her cheeks were like milk and rose-leaves, and herhair like fine threads of gold. She sat in a golden coach witha golden crown upon her head, and Jacob Stuck stood looking andlooking until his heart melted within him like wax in the oven.Then the princess was gone, and Jacob Stuck stood there sighing andsighing.

  “Oh, dear! dear!” said he, “what shall I do? For, proud as she is,I must see her again or else I will die of it.”

  All that day he sat sighing and thinking about the beautifulprincess, until the evening had come. Then he suddenly thought ofhis piece of good luck. He pulled his piece of blue glass out ofhis pocket and breathed upon it and rubbed it with his thumb, andinstantly the Genie was there.

  This time Jacob Stuck was not frightened at all.

  “What are thy commands, O master?” said the Genie.

  “O Genie!” said Jacob Stuck, “I have seen the princess to-day, andit seems to me that there is nobody like her in all the world. Tellme, could you bring her here so that I might see her again?”

  “Yes,” said the Genie, “I could.”

  “Then do so,” said Jacob Stuck, “and I will have you prepare agrand feast, and have musicians to play beautiful music, for Iwould have the princess sup with me.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie. As he spoke he smote hishands together, and instantly there appeared twenty musicians,dressed in cloth of gold and silver. With them they broughthautboys and fiddles, big and little, and flageolets and drums andhorns, and this and that to make music with. Again the Genie smotehis hands together, and instantly there appeared fifty servantsdressed in silks and satins and spangled with jewels, who beganto spread a table with fine linen embroidered with gold, and toset plates of gold and silver upon it. The Genie smote his handstogether a third time, and in answer there came six servants. Theyled Jacob Stuck into another room, where there was a bath of muskand rose-water. They bathed him in the bath and dressed him inclothes like an emperor, and when he came out again his face shone,and he was as handsome as a picture.

  Then by-and-by he knew that the princess was coming, for suddenlythere was the sound of girls’ voices singing and the twanging ofstringed instruments. The door flew open, and in came a crowd ofbeautiful girls, singing and playing music, and after them theprincess herself, more beautiful than ever. But the proud princesswas frightened! Yes, she was. And well she might be, for the Geniehad flown with her through the air from the palace, and that isenough to frighten anybody. Jacob Stuck came to her all glitteringand shining with jewels and gold, and took her by the hand. He ledher up the hall, and as he did so the musicians struck up and beganplaying the most beautiful music in the world. Then Jacob Stuck andthe princess sat down to supper and began eating and drinking, andJacob Stuck talked of all the sweetest things he could think of.Thousands of wax candles made the palace bright as day, and as theprincess looked about her she thought she had never seen anythingso fine in all the world. After they had eaten their supper andended with a dessert of all kinds of fruits and of sweetmeats, thedoor opened and there came a beautiful young serving-lad, carryinga silver tray, upon which was something wrapped in a napkin. Hekneeled before Jacob Stuck and held the tray, and from the napkinJacob Stuck took a necklace of diamonds, each stone as big as apigeon’s egg.

  “This is to remind you of me,” said Jacob Stuck, “when you havegone home again.” And as he spoke he hung it around the princess’sneck.

  Just then the clock struck twelve.

  Hardly had the last stroke sounded when every light was snuffedout, and all was instantly dark and still. Then, before she hadtime to think, the Genie of Good Luck snatched the princess up oncemore and flew back to the palace more swiftly than the wind. And,before the princess knew what had happened to her, there she was.

  It was all so strange that the princess might have thought it was adream, only for the necklace of diamonds, the like of which was notto be found in all the world.

  The next morning there was a great buzzing in the palace, you maybe sure. The princess told all about how she had been carried awayduring the night, and had supped in such a splendid palace, andwith such a handsome man dressed like an emperor. She showed hernecklace of diamonds, and the king and his prime-minister could notlook at it or wonder at it enough. The prime-minister and the kingtalked and talked the matter over together, and every now and thenthe proud princess put in a word of her own.

  “Anybody,” said the prime-minister, “can see with half an eye thatit is all magic, or else it is a wonderful piece of good luck. Now,I’ll tell you what shall be done,” said he: “the princess shallkeep a piece of chalk by her; and, if she is carried away again insuch a fashion, she shall mark a cross with the piece of chalk onthe door of the house to which she is taken. Then we shall find therogue that is playing such a trick, and that quickly enough.”

  “Yes,” said the king; “that is very good advice.”

  “I will do it,” said the princess.

  All that day Jacob Stuck sat thinking and thinking about thebeautiful princess. He could not eat a bite, and he could hardlywait for the night to come. As soon as it had fallen, he breathedupon his piece of glass and rubbed his thumb upon it, and therestood the Genie of Good Luck.

  “I’d like the princess here again,” said he, “as she was lastnight, with feasting and drinking, such as we had before.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie.

  And as it had been the night before, so it was now. The Geniebrought the princess, and she and Jacob Stuck feasted togetheruntil nearly midnight. Then, again, the door opened, and thebeautiful servant-lad came with the tray and something upon itcovered with a napkin. Jacob Stuck unfolded the napkin, and thistime it was a cup made of a single ruby, and filled to the brimwith gold money. And the wonder of the cup was this: that no matterhow much money you took out of it, it was always full. “Take this,”said Jacob Stuck, “to remind you of me.” Then the clock strucktwelve, and instantly all was darkness, and the Genie carried theprincess home again.

  But the princess had brought her piece of chalk with her, as theprime-minister had advised; and in some way or other she contrived,either in coming or going, to mark a cross upon the door of JacobStuck’s house.

  But, clever as she was, the Genie of Good Luck was more cleverstill. He saw what the princess did; and, as soon as he hadcarried her home, he went all through the town and marked a crossupon every door, great and small, little and big, just as theprincess had done upon the door of Jacob Stuck’s house, only uponthe prime-minister’s door he put two
crosses. The next morningeverybody was wondering what all the crosses on the house-doorsmeant, and the king and the prime-minister were no wiser than theyhad been before.

  But the princess had brought her ruby cup with her, and she and theking could not look at it and wonder at it enough.

  “Pooh!” said the prime-minister; “I tell you it is nothing else inthe world but just a piece of good luck--that is all it is. As forthe rogue who is playing all these tricks, let the princess keep apair of scissors by her, and, if she is carried away again, let hercontrive to cut off a lock of his hair from over the young man’sright ear. Then to-morrow we will find out who has been trimmed.”

  Yes, the princess would do that; so, before evening was come, shetied a pair of scissors to her belt.

  Well, Jacob Stuck could hardly wait for the night to come to summonthe Genie of Good Luck. “I want to sup with the princess again,”said he.

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie of Good Luck; and, as soon ashe had made everything ready, away he flew to fetch the princessagain.

  Well, they feasted and drank, and the music played, and the candleswere as bright as day, and beautiful girls sang and danced, andJacob Stuck was as happy as a king. But the princess kept herscissors by her, and, when Jacob Stuck was not looking, shecontrived to snip off a lock of his hair from over his right ear,and nobody saw what was done but the Genie of Good Luck.

  So it came towards midnight.

  Once more the door opened, and the beautiful serving-lad cameinto the room, carrying the tray of silver with something upon itwrapped in a napkin. This time Jacob Stuck gave the princess anemerald ring for a keepsake, and the wonder of it was that everymorning two other rings just like it would drop from it.

  Then twelve o’clock sounded, the lights went out, and the Genietook the princess home again.

  But the Genie had seen what the princess had done. As soon as hehad taken her safe home, he struck his palms together and summonedall his companions. “Go,” said he, “throughout the town and trima lock of hair from over the right ear of every man in the wholeplace;” and so they did, from the king himself to the beggar-manat the gates. As for the prime-minister, the Genie himself trimmedtwo locks of hair from him, one from over each of his ears, so thatthe next morning he looked as shorn as an old sheep. In the morningall the town was in a hubbub, and everybody was wondering how allthe men came to have their hair clipped as it was. But the princesshad brought the lock of Jacob Stuck’s hair away with her wrapped upin a piece of paper, and there it was.

  As for the ring Jacob Stuck had given to her, why, the next morningthere were three of them, and the king thought he had never heardtell of such a wonderful thing.

  “I tell you,” said the prime-minister, “there is nothing in it buta piece of good luck, and not a grain of virtue. It’s just a pieceof good luck--that’s all it is.”

  “No matter,” said the king; “I never saw the like of it in all mylife before. And now, what are we going to do?”

  The prime-minister could think of nothing.

  Then the princess spoke up. “Your majesty,” she said, “I can findthe young man for you. Just let the herald go through the town andproclaim that I will marry the young man to whom this lock of hairbelongs, and then we will find him quickly enough.”

  “What!” cried the prime-minister; “will, then, the princess marry aman who has nothing better than a little bit of good luck to helphim along in the world?”

  “Yes,” said the princess, “I shall if I can find him.”

  So the herald was sent out around the town proclaiming that theprincess would marry the man to whose head belonged the lock ofhair that she had.

  A lock of hair! Why, every man had lost a lock of hair! Maybe theprincess could fit it on again, and then the fortune of him to whomit belonged would be made. All the men in the town crowded up tothe king’s palace. But all for no use, for never a one of them wasfitted with his own hair.

  As for Jacob Stuck, he too had heard what the herald hadproclaimed. Yes; he too had heard it, and his heart jumped andhopped within him like a young lamb in the spring-time. He knewwhose hair it was the princess had. Away he went by himself, andrubbed up his piece of blue glass, and there stood the Genie.

  “What are thy commands?” said he.

  “I am,” said Jacob Stuck, “going up to the king’s palace to marrythe princess, and I would have a proper escort.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie.

  He smote his hands together, and instantly there appeared a scoreof attendants who took Jacob Stuck, and led him into another room,and began clothing him in a suit so magnificent that it dazzled theeyes to look at it. He smote his hands together again, and out inthe court-yard there appeared a troop of horsemen to escort JacobStuck to the palace, and they were all clad in gold-and-silverarmor. He smote his hands together again, and there appearedtwenty-and-one horses--twenty as black as night and one as white asmilk, and it twinkled and sparkled all over with gold and jewels,and at the head of each horse of the one-and-twenty horses stood aslave clad in crimson velvet to hold the bridle. Again he smote hishands together, and there appeared in the ante-room twenty handsomeyoung men, each with a marble bowl filled with gold money, and whenJacob Stuck came out dressed in his fine clothes there they allwere.

  Jacob Stuck mounted upon the horse as white as milk, the young menmounted each upon one of the black horses, the troopers in thegold-and-silver armor wheeled their horses, the trumpets blew, andaway they rode--such a sight as was never seen in that town before,when they had come out into the streets. The young men with thebasins scattered the gold money to the people, and a great crowdran scrambling after, and shouted and cheered.

  So Jacob Stuck rode up to the king’s palace, and the king himselfcame out to meet him with the princess hanging on his arm.

  As for the princess, she knew him the moment she laid eyes on him.She came down the steps, and set the lock of hair against his head,where she had trimmed it off the night before, and it fitted andmatched exactly. “This is the young man,” said she, “and I willmarry him, and none other.”

  But the prime-minister whispered and whispered in the king’s ear:“I tell you this young man is nobody at all,” said he, “but justsome fellow who has had a little bit of good luck.”

  “Pooh!” said the king, “stuff and nonsense! Just look at all thegold and jewels and horses and men. What will you do,” said he toJacob Stuck, “if I let you marry the princess?”

  “I will,” said Jacob Stuck, “build for her the finest palace thatever was seen in all this world.”

  “Very well,” said the king, “yonder are those sand hills overthere. You shall remove them and build your palace there. When itis finished you shall marry the princess.” For if he does that,thought the king to himself, it is something better than mere goodluck.

  “It shall,” said Jacob Stuck, “be done by to-morrow morning.”

  Well, all that day Jacob Stuck feasted and made merry at the king’spalace, and the king wondered when he was going to begin to buildhis palace. But Jacob Stuck said nothing at all; he just feastedand drank and made merry. When night had come, however, it was alldifferent. Away he went by himself, and blew his breath upon hispiece of blue glass, and rubbed it with his thumb. Instantly therestood the Genie before him. “What wouldst thou have?” said he.

  “I would like,” said Jacob Stuck, “to have the sand hills overyonder carried away, and a palace built there of white marble andgold and silver, such as the world never saw before. And let therebe gardens planted there with flowering plants and trees, and letthere be fountains and marble walks. And let there be servants andattendants in the palace of all sorts and kinds--men and women. Andlet there be a splendid feast spread for to-morrow morning, forthen I am going to marry the princess.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie, and instantly he was gone.

  All night there was from the sand hills a ceaseless sound as ofthunder--a sound of bangin
g and clapping and hammering and sawingand calling and shouting. All that night the sounds continuedunceasingly, but at daybreak all was still, and when the sun arosethere stood the most splendid palace it ever looked down upon;shining as white as snow, and blazing with gold and silver. Allaround it were gardens and fountains and orchards. A great highwayhad been built between it and the king’s palace, and all along thehighway a carpet of cloth of gold had been spread for the princessto walk upon.

  Dear! dear! how all the town stared with wonder when they saw sucha splendid palace standing where the day before had been nothingbut naked sand hills! The folk flocked in crowds to see it, and allthe country about was alive with people coming and going. As forthe king, he could not believe his eyes when he saw it. He stoodwith the princess and looked and looked. Then came Jacob Stuck.“And now,” said he, “am I to marry the princess?”

  “Yes,” cried the king in admiration, “you are!”

  So Jacob Stuck married the princess, and a splendid wedding it was.That was what a little bit of good luck did for him.

  After the wedding was over, it was time to go home to the grandnew palace. Then there came a great troop of horsemen with shiningarmor and with music, sent by the Genie to escort Jacob Stuck andthe princess and the king and the prime-minister to Jacob Stuck’snew palace. They rode along over the carpet of gold, and such afine sight was never seen in that land before. As they drew near tothe palace a great crowd of servants, clad in silks and satins andjewels, came out to meet them, singing and dancing and playing onharps and lutes. The king and the princess thought that they mustbe dreaming.

  “All this is yours,” said Jacob Stuck to the princess; and he wasthat fond of her, he would have given her still more if he couldhave thought of anything else.

  Jacob Stuck and the princess, and the king and the prime-minister,all went into the palace, and there was a splendid feast spread inplates of pure gold and silver, and they all four sat down together.

  But the prime-minister was as sour about it all as a crab-apple.All the time they were feasting he kept whispering and whisperingin the king’s ear. “It is all stuff and nonsense,” said he, “forsuch a man as Jacob Stuck to do all this by himself. I tell you, itis all a piece of good luck, and not a bit of merit in it.”

  He whispered and whispered, until at last the king up and spoke.“Tell me, Jacob Stuck,” he said, “where do you get all these finethings?”

  “It all comes of a piece of good luck,” said Jacob Stuck.

  “That is what I told you,” said the prime-minister.

  “A piece of good luck!” said the king. “Where did you come acrosssuch a piece of good luck?”

  “I found it,” said Jacob Stuck.

  “Found it!” said the king; “and have you got it with you now?”

  “Yes, I have,” said Jacob Stuck; “I always carry it about with me;”and he thrust his hand into his pocket and brought out his piece ofblue crystal.

  “That!” said the king. “Why, that is nothing but a piece of blueglass!”

  “That,” said Jacob Stuck, “is just what I thought till I found outbetter. It is no common piece of glass, I can tell you. You justbreathe upon it so, and rub your thumb upon it thus, and instantlya Genie dressed in red comes to do all that he is bidden. That ishow it is.”

  “I should like to see it,” said the king.

  “So you shall,” said Jacob Stuck; “here it is,” said he; and hereached it across the table to the prime-minister to give it to theking.

  Yes, that was what he did; he gave it to the prime-minister to giveit to the king. The prime-minister had been listening to all thathad been said, and he knew what he was about. He took what JacobStuck gave him, and he had never had such a piece of luck come tohim before.

  And did the prime-minister give it to the king, as Jacob Stuck hadintended? Not a bit of it. No sooner had he got it safe in hishand, than he blew his breath upon it and rubbed it with his thumb.

  Crack! dong! boom! crash!

  There stood the Genie, like a flash and as red as fire. Theprincess screamed out and nearly fainted at the sight, and the poorking sat trembling like a rabbit.

  “Whosoever possesses that piece of blue crystal,” said the Genie,in a terrible voice, “him must I obey. What are thy commands?”

  “Take this king,” cried the prime-minister, “and take Jacob Stuck,and carry them both away into the farthest part of the desertwhence the fellow came.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie; and instantly he seized theking in one hand and Jacob Stuck in the other, and flew away withthem swifter than the wind. On and on he flew, and the earthseemed to slide away beneath them like a cloud. On and on he flewuntil he had come to the farthest part of the desert. There he satthem both down, and it was as pretty a pickle as ever the king orJacob Stuck had been in, in all of their lives. Then the Genie flewback again whence he had come.

  There sat the poor princess crying and crying, and there sat theprime-minister trying to comfort her. “Why do you cry?” said he;“why are you afraid of me? I will do you no harm. Listen,” said he;“I will use this piece of good luck in a way that Jacob Stuck wouldnever have thought of. I will make myself king. I will, by means ofit, summon a great army. I will conquer the world, and make myselfemperor over all the earth. Then I will make you my queen.”

  But the poor princess cried and cried.

  “Hast thou any further commands?” said the Genie.

  “Not now,” said the prime-minister; “you may go now;” and the Genievanished like a puff of smoke.

  But the princess cried and cried.

  The prime-minister sat down beside her. “Why do you cry?” said he.

  “Because I am afraid of you,” said she.

  “And why are you afraid of me?” said he.

  “Because of that piece of blue glass. You will rub it again, andthen that great red monster will come again to frighten me.”

  “I will rub it no more,” said he.

  “Oh, but you will,” said she; “I know you will.”

  “I will not,” said he.

  “But I can’t trust you,” said she “as long as you hold it in yourhand.”

  “Then I will lay it aside,” said he, and so he did. Yes, he did;and he is not the first man who has thrown aside a piece of goodluck for the sake of a pretty face. “Now are you afraid of me?”said he.

  “No, I am not,” said she; and she reached out her hand as though togive it to him. But, instead of doing so, she snatched up the pieceof blue glass as quick as a flash.

  “Now,” said she, “it is my turn;” and then the prime-minister knewthat his end had come.

  She blew her breath upon the piece of blue glass and rubbed herthumb upon it. Instantly, as with a clap of thunder, the great redGenie stood before her, and the poor prime-minister sat shaking andtrembling.

  “Whosoever hath that piece of blue crystal,” said the Genie, “thatone must I obey. What are your orders, O princess?”

  “Take this man,” cried the princess, “and carry him away into thedesert where you took those other two, and bring my father andJacob Stuck back again.”

  “To hear is to obey,” said the Genie, and instantly he seizedthe prime-minister, and, in spite of the poor man’s kicks andstruggles, snatched him up and flew away with him swifter than thewind. On and on he flew until he had come to the farthest part ofthe desert, and there sat the king and Jacob Stuck still thinkingabout things. Down he dropped the prime-minister, up he pickedthe king and Jacob Stuck, and away he flew swifter than the wind.On and on he flew until he had brought the two back to the palaceagain; and there sat the princess waiting for them, with the pieceof blue crystal in her hand.

  “You have saved us!” cried the king.

  “You have saved us!” cried Jacob Stuck. “Yes, you have saved us,and you have my piece of good luck into the bargain. Give it to meagain.”

  “I will do nothing of the sort,” said the princess. “If the menfolk think no mor
e of a piece of good luck than to hand it roundlike a bit of broken glass, it is better for the women folk to keepit for them.”

  And there, to my mind, she brewed good common-sense, that needed noskimming to make it fit for Jacob Stuck, or for any other man, forthe matter of that.

  * * * * *

  And now for the end of this story. Jacob Stuck lived with hisprincess in his fine palace as grand as a king, and when the oldking died he became the king after him.

  One day there came two men travelling along, and they were footsoreand weary. They stopped at Jacob Stuck’s palace and asked forsomething to eat. Jacob Stuck did not know them at first, and thenhe did. One was Joseph and the other was John.

  This is what had happened to them:

  Joseph had sat and sat where John and Jacob Stuck had left him onhis box of silver money, until a band of thieves had come along androbbed him of it all. John had carried away his pockets and his hatfull of gold, and had lived like a prince as long as it had lasted.Then he had gone back for more, but in the meantime some rogue hadcome along and had stolen it all. Yes; that was what had happened,and now they were as poor as ever.

  Jacob Stuck welcomed them and brought them in and made much ofthem.

  Well, the truth is truth, and this is it: It is better to have alittle bit of good luck to help one in what one undertakes than tohave a chest of silver or a chest of gold.

  * * * * *

  “_And now for your story, holy knight,” said Fortunatus to St.George; “for ’twas your turn, only for this fair lady who came inbefore you.”_

  _“Aye, aye,” said the saint; “I suppose it was, in sooth, my turn.Ne’th’less, it gives me joy to follow so close so fair and lovelya lady.” And as he spoke he winked one eye at Cinderella, beckonedtowards her with his cup of ale, and took a deep draught to herhealth. “I shall tell you,” said he, as soon as he had caught hisbreath again, “a story about an angel and a poor man who travelledwith him, and all the wonderful things the poor man saw the angeldo.”_

  _“That,” said the Blacksmith who made Death sit in his pear-treeuntil the wind whistled through his ribs--“that, methinks, is abetter thing to tell for a sermon than for a story.”_

  _“Whether or no that be so,” said St. George, “you shall presentlyhear for yourselves.”_

  _He took another deep draught of ale, and then cleared his throat._

  _“Stop a bit, my friend,” said Ali Baba. “What is your storyabout?”_

  _“It is,” said St. George, “about--”_