went in the priest's gown. The
king was in the balcony with his crown and sceptre, and was dressed in
such a costume that he looked a king."

"'So you have come,' said the king.

"'Yes,' said the clerk. It was quite certain that he was there.

"'Tell me' said the king, 'how far the east is from the west?'

"'A day's journey,' answered the clerk.

"'How can that be?' said the king.

"'The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and generally does
it in a day,' answered the clerk.

"'Good,' said the king. 'But tell me now how much money I am worth?'

"'Well,' replied the clerk, 'Christ was sold for thirty pieces of
silver, and I should put you at twenty-nine.'

"'A good answer,' said the king. 'But tell me now what I am at this
moment thinking about?'

"'That's easy to answer,' replied the clerk. 'The fact is, you think I
am the priest, but I am only the clerk.'

"'Then go you home and be priest, and, let the priest be clerk,'
commanded the king."

"A very excellent story," said Hardy, "and, as you say, shows a strong
sense of rough justice and humour."

"There is a child's story," said the Pastor, "with its humour; but it
is very simple, as all stories of the people should be. A boy found a
pretty box in a wood, but he could not open it, for it was locked. A
little further he found a key. The question was whether the key would
fit the box. He blew into the key and put the key into the lock, when
lo! it fitted, and the box opened. But can you guess what was in the
box? No, of course not. There was a calf's tail in the box, but if the
calf's tail had been longer, so would this story be."

"But that is a Norwegian story," said Hardy. "Are there none
essentially Danish?"

"They are related to some extent in H. C. Andersen's stories, and they
have been translated into English. There is a story, however, that may
not have been translated. A king and queen had no children; but a
beggar came to her and said, 'You can have a son, if you will let me
be his godfather when he is christened.' The queen assented. The queen
had a son, but the king had to go to war to quell a rebellion. The
king made her promise that she would nurse the child herself, and not
trust to nurses and other people. The queen did so, and the beggar
stood godfather. The beggar bent down over the child, and said that
everything it wished for it should have. This the king's attendant
heard. He was accustomed to attend the king when hunting