nceforth she took care always to wear her apron. A year afterwards,
she became the mother of a fine boy, and when he was nine weeks old, the
window was opened one night, and the intruder cried out, "Give me what
you have carried night and day under your heart, as you promised." The
woman flung him her apron, crying out, "In the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Ghost, receive what I promised you;" and he
instantly vanished with the apron.]

SLYBOOTS.

(KREUTZWALD.)

In the days of the son of Kalev there reigned a very rich king of
Kungla, who gave a great feast to his subjects every seven years at
midsummer, which lasted for two or three weeks together.[119] The time
for the feast came round again, and its commencement had been looked
forward to for some months, though with some uncertainty; for twice
already, seven years ago and fourteen years ago, the anticipated
festival had come to nothing. Both times the king had made full
preparations for the feast, but no man had tasted it. This seemed
strange and incredible, but there were many people everywhere who could
bear witness to the facts. It was said that on both these occasions an
unknown stranger had come to the head-cook and asked to be permitted to
taste a little of the food and drink, but the moment he had dipped his
spoon in the soup-kettle, and put the froth in the beer-can to his
mouth, the whole contents of the storehouses, pantries, and cellars
vanished in a moment, so that not a scrap or drop of anything
remained.[120] The cooks and kitchen-boys had all seen and sworn to the
truth of the matter, but the people were so enraged at the collapse of
the feast, that the king was obliged to appease them seven years before,
by ordering the head-cook to be hanged for having given the stranger
permission to taste the food. In order to prevent any repetition of the
trouble, the king proclaimed that he would richly reward any one who
would undertake the preparation of the feast; and at length, when no one
would undertake the responsibility, the king promised his youngest
daughter in marriage to any one who should succeed, but added that
failure would be punished with death.

A long way from the capital, and near the borders of the kingdom, lived
a rich farmer who had three sons, the youngest of whom showed great
intelligence from his youth, because the Meadow-Queen[121] had nursed
him, and had often secretly given him the breast. The father called