,
before they could pull upon it with advantage. The tree, although
tall, was indeed a very slender one, with a small top, and, if it had
been as fragile as it was supposed to be, the boys' efforts would
surely have broken it. At last, after much tugging and warm work,
they pulled it into an upright position, and put in the second bolt.
They left the ropes on the tree because, as some of them had
suggested, the people might want to let the tree down again the next
year. It would have been difficult for the boys to carry in their
arms the great pile of fruit they had gathered; but, having noticed a
basket-maker's cottage on their way to the tree, two of them were
sent to buy one of his largest baskets or hampers. This was attached
to two long poles, and, having been filled with the nuts, the boys
took the poles on their shoulders, and marched into the city.

On their way to the palace they attracted a great crowd, and when
they were ushered into the presence of the King, his surprise and
delight knew no bounds. At first he could scarcely believe his eyes;
but he had seen the fruit so often that there could be no mistake
about it.

"I shall not ask you," he said to the boys, "how you procured this
fruit, and thus accomplished a deed which has been the object of the
ambition of myself and my forefathers. All I ask is, did you leave
the tree standing?"

"We did," said the boys.

"Then all that remains to be done," said His Majesty, "is to give you
the reward you have so nobly earned. Treasurer, measure out to each
of them a quart of gold coin. And pray be quick about it, for I am
wild with desire to have a table spread, and one of these nuts
cracked, that I may taste of its luscious contents."

The boys, however, appeared a little dissatisfied. Huddling together,
they consulted in a low tone, and then the eldest boy addressed the
King.

"May it please your Majesty," he said; "we should very much prefer to
have you give each of us one of those nuts instead of a quart of
gold."

The King looked grave. "This is a much greater reward," he said,
"than I had ever expected to pay; but, since you ask it, you must
have it. You have done something which none of my subjects has ever
been able to accomplish, and it is right, therefore, that you should
be fully satisfied."

So he gave them each a nut, with which they departed in triumph to
the ship.

By the afternoon of the next day, the Captain had sold all his cargo
at