obey you, when you are so kind?'

The king smiled, and his eyes twinkled.

'Well, let us start at once,' said he. 'Lock your door, and put the key
in your pocket.'

The woman looked as if she thought this was needless, seeing it was
quite, quite certain they would never come back. But she dared not say
so, and did as the king told her.

* * * * *

After walking through the forest for a couple of miles, they all three
reached the palace, and by the king's orders servants led the
charcoal-burner and his wife into rooms filled with beautiful things
such as they had never even dreamed of. First they bathed in green
marble baths where the water looked like the sea, and then they put on
silken clothes that felt soft and pleasant. When they were ready, one of
the king's special servants entered, and took them into a small hall,
where dinner was laid, and this pleased them better than anything else.

They were just about to sit down to the table when the king walked in.

'I hope you have been attended to properly,' said he, 'and that you will
enjoy your dinner. My steward will take care you have all you want, and
I wish you to do exactly as you please. Oh, by the bye, there is one
thing! You notice that soup-tureen in the middle of the table? Well, be
careful on no account to lift the lid. If once you take off the cover,
there is an end of your good fortune.' Then bowing to his guests, he
left the room.

'Did you hear what he said?' inquired the charcoal-burner in an
awe-stricken voice. 'We are to have what we want, and do what we please.
Only we must not touch the soup-tureen.'

'No, of course we won't,' answered the wife. 'Why should we wish to? But
all the same it is rather odd, and one can't help wondering what is
inside.'

* * * * *

For many days life went on like a beautiful dream to the charcoal-burner
and his wife. Their beds were so comfortable, they could hardly make up
their minds to get up, their clothes were so lovely they could scarcely
bring themselves to take them off; their dinners were so good that they
found it very difficult to leave off eating. Then outside the palace
were gardens filled with rare flowers and fruits and singing birds, or
if they desired to go further, a golden coach, painted with wreaths of
forget-me-nots and lined with blue satin, awaited their orders.
Sometimes it happened that the king came to see them, and he sm