rth."

And as the stool had obeyed the soldier, so everything was done now just
as the magician said.

The next morning back came the hunting-party, and as they rode over the
hill--lo and behold!--there lay stretched out the great parade ground
in which the king's armies used to march around and around, and the land
was as bare as the palm of my hand. Not a stick or a stone of the palace
was left; not a leaf or a blade of the orchards or gardens was to be
seen.

The soldier sat as dumb as a fish, and the king stared with eyes and
mouth wide open. "Where is the palace, and where is my daughter?" said
he, at last, finding words and wit.

"I do not know," said the soldier.

The king's face grew as black as thunder. "You do not know?" he said,
"then you must find out. Seize the traitor!" he cried.

But that was easier said than done, for, quick as a wink, as they came
to lay hold of him, the soldier whisked the feather cap from his pocket
and clapped it upon his head, and then they might as well have hoped to
find the south wind in winter as to find him.

But though he got safe away from that trouble he was deep enough in the
dumps, you may be sure of that. Away he went, out into the wide world,
leaving that town behind him. Away he went, until by-and-by he came to
a great forest, and for three days he travelled on and on--he knew not
whither. On the third night, as he sat beside a fire which he had built
to keep him warm, he suddenly bethought himself of the little round
stone which had dropped from the bird's claw, and which he still had in
his pocket. "Why should it not also help me," said he, "for there must
be some wonder about it." So he brought it out, and sat looking at it
and looking at it, but he could make nothing of it for the life of him.
Nevertheless, it might have some wishing power about it, like the
magic stool. "I wish," said the soldier, "that I might get out of this
scrape." That is what we have all wished many and many a time in a like
case; but just now it did the soldier no more good to wish than it does
good for the rest of us. "Bah!" said he, "it is nothing but a black
stone after all." And then he threw it into the fire.

Puff! Bang! Away flew the embers upon every side, and back tumbled the
soldier, and there in the middle of the flame stood just such a grim,
black being as he had one time shot at with the silver button.

As for the poor soldier, he just lay flat on his back and stared w