w it any longer; he had quite forgotten
it in the rank and file. And the floor creaked, and the ceiling was all
made of glass mirrors, so that he saw himself standing on his head, and
by each window were standing three reporters and an editor; and each
of them was writing down what was said, to publish it in the paper that
came out and was sold at the street corners for a penny. It was fearful,
and they had made up the fire so hot that it was grilling.

'It is hot in here, isn't it!' said the suitor.

'Of course it is! My father is roasting young chickens to-day!' said the
Princess.

'Ahem!' There he stood like an idiot. He was not prepared for such a
speech; he did not know what to say, although he wanted to say something
witty. 'Ahem!'

'It doesn't matter!' said the Princess. 'Take him out!' and out he had
to go.

Now the other brother entered.

'How hot it is!' he said.

'Of course! We are roasting young chickens to-day!' remarked the
Princess.

'How do you--um!' he said, and the reporters wrote down. 'How do
you--um.'

'It doesn't matter!' said the Princess. 'Take him out!'

Now Blockhead-Hans came in; he rode his goat right into the hall.

'I say! How roasting hot it is here!' said he.

'Of course! I am roasting young chickens to-day!' said the Princess.

'That's good!' replied Blockhead-Hans; 'then can I roast a crow with
them?'

'With the greatest of pleasure!' said the Princess; 'but have you
anything you can roast them in? for I have neither pot nor saucepan.'

'Oh, rather!' said Blockhead-Hans. 'Here is a cooking implement with tin
rings,' and he drew out the old wooden shoe, and laid the crow in it.

'That is quite a meal!' said the Princess; 'but where shall we get the
soup from?'

'I've got that in my pocket!' said Blockhead-Hans. 'I have so much that
I can quite well throw some away!' and he poured some mud out of his
pocket.

'I like you!' said the Princess. 'You can answer, and you can speak, and
I will marry you; but do you know that every word which we are saying
and have said has been taken down and will be in the paper to-morrow?
By each window do you see there are standing three reporters and an
old editor, and this old editor is the worst, for he doesn't understand
anything!' but she only said this to tease Blockhead-Hans. And the
reporters giggled, and each dropped a blot of ink on the floor.

'Ah! are those the great people?' said Blockhead-Hans. 'Then I will give
the ed