ter.

"You have indeed a clever daughter," said he. "Take your beans home
and bring me back the eggs I gave you."

The man was very glad when he heard that, and made haste to obey. He
carried the beans home and then took the eggs and brought them back to
the palace of the King.

After the King had received the eggs he gave the man a handful of
flax. "Take this to your clever daughter," he said, "and bid her make
for me within the week a full set of sails for a large ship. If she
does this she shall receive the half of my kingdom as a reward, but if
she fails you shall have a drubbing that you will not soon forget."

The man returned to his home, loudly lamenting his hard lot.

"What is the matter?" asked his daughter. "Has the King set another
task that I must do?"

Yes, that he had; and her father showed her the flax the King had sent
her and gave her the message.

"Do not be troubled," said the girl. "No harm shall come to you. Go to
bed and sleep quietly, and to-morrow I will send the King an answer
that will satisfy him."

The man believed what his daughter said. He went to bed and slept
quietly.

The next day the girl gave her father a small piece of wood. "Carry
this to the King," said she. "Tell him I am ready to make the sails,
but first let him make me of this wood a large ship that I may fit the
sails to it."

The father did as the girl bade him, and the King was surprised at the
cleverness of the girl in returning him such an answer.

"That is all very well," said he, "and I will excuse her from this
task. But here! Here is a glass mug. Take it home to your clever
daughter. Tell her it is my command that she dip out the waters from
the ocean bed so that I can ride over the bottom dry shod. If she does
this, I will take her for my wife, but if she fails you shall be
beaten within an inch of your life."

The man took the mug and hastened home, weeping aloud and bemoaning
his fate.

"Well, and what is it?" asked his daughter. "What does the King demand
of me now?"

The man gave her the glass mug and told her what the King had said.

"Do not be troubled," said the girl. "Go to bed and sleep in peace.
You shall not be beaten, and soon I shall be reigning as Queen over
all this land."

The man had trust in her. He went to bed and slept and dreamed he saw
her sitting by the King with a crown on her head.

The next day the girl gave her father a bunch of tow. "Take this to
the King," she said.