d in them, which was to go
back to the village in her stead. By the time the sun rose the doll had
attained her full size, and no one could have told one girl from
the other. Elsa started back when she met herself as she looked only
yesterday.

'You must not be frightened,' said the lady, when she noticed her
terror; 'this clay figure can do you no harm. It is for your stepmother,
that she may beat it instead of you. Let her flog it as hard as she
will, it can never feel any pain. And if the wicked woman does not come
one day to a better mind your double will be able at last to give her
the punishment she deserves.'

From this moment Elsa's life was that of the ordinary happy child, who
has been rocked to sleep in her babyhood in a lovely golden cradle. She
had no cares or troubles of any sort, and every day her tasks became
easier, and the years that had gone before seemed more and more like
a bad dream. But the happier she grew the deeper was her wonder at
everything around her, and the more firmly she was persuaded that some
great unknown power must be at the bottom of it all.

In the courtyard stood a huge granite block about twenty steps from the
house, and when meal times came round the old man with the long beard
went to the block, drew out a small silver staff, and struck the stone
with it three times, so that the sound could be heard a long way off.
At the third blow, out sprang a large golden cock, and stood upon the
stone. Whenever he crowed and flapped his wings the rock opened and
something came out of it. First a long table covered with dishes ready
laid for the number of persons who would be seated round it, and this
flew into the house all by itself.

When the cock crowed for the second time, a number of chairs appeared,
and flew after the table; then wine, apples, and other fruit, all
without trouble to anybody. After everybody had had enough, the old
man struck the rock again. The golden cock crowed afresh, and back went
dishes, table, chairs, and plates into the middle of the block.

When, however, it came to the turn of the thirteenth dish, which nobody
ever wanted to eat, a huge black cat ran up, and stood on the rock close
to the cock, while the dish was on his other side.

There they all remained, till they were joined by the old man.

He picked up the dish in one hand, tucked the cat under his arm, told
the cock to get on his shoulder, and all four vanished into the rock.
And this wonderf