ced that should the Princess see one of them it
would not be necessary for him to have a flying ship, laid out their
best clothes and gave each a satchel containing a lunch of white bread
and jam and fruit, and wished them good luck on their journeys.

Now the third son was called Simple, because he did not do as his
brothers did, and cared nothing for fine clothes and fine airs, but
liked to wander off in the woods by himself. When Simple saw his
brothers starting off all so grandly he said: "Give me a lunch, and I
will go and build a flying ship."

The truth was that the idea of a flying ship very much appealed to
Simple, though he did not give much thought to the Princess.

But his mother said: "Go back into the woods, Simple, that is the place
for you."

But Simple persisted, and at last she gave him a satchel containing a
lunch of black bread without any jam, and a flask of water.

As Simple neared the woods he met a Manikin who asked him for something
to eat. Simple was ashamed to open his satchel with the black bread and
water in it. "But," he reflected, "if one is hungry black bread is
better than no bread." The Manikin certainly looked hungry, so Simple
put his hand into the satchel and took out the roll of bread--and lo--it
was not black at all, but white, made of the finest flour, and spread
with rich, golden butter. The flask, too, when he took it out, was not
as it had been when his mother put it in, but was filled with red wine.

So Simple and the Manikin sat down by the roadside and ate together.
Then the Manikin asked Simple where he was going, and Simple told him
that he was going to build a flying ship. He almost forgot about the
Princess, but remembered, as an afterthought, and he told the Manikin
that when the ship was done he would fly in it to the palace and marry
the Princess.

"Well," said the Manikin, "if you want to do that take this ax with you
and the first tree that you come to strike it three times with the ax,
then bow before it three times, and then kneel down with your face
hidden until you are told to get up. There will be a flying ship before
you. Climb into it and fly to the palace of the Princess, and if you
meet anybody along the way take them along."

So Simple took the ax and went into the wood, and the first tree that he
came to he struck three times with the ax, then bowed three times before
it, then knelt down and hid his face. By-and-by he felt someone touch
his shoul