a dry path. Suddenly he heard a rushing sound behind him like a gust of
wind. When he looked round, he saw the old man charging upon him like a
madman. He sprang up, and had just time to strike the waves with the
rod, and to cry out, "Bridge before, water behind!" He had scarcely
spoken, when he found himself standing on a bridge over the sea,
already at some distance from the shore.[126]

The old man came to the beach panting and puffing, but stopped short
when he saw the thief on the bridge over the sea. He called out,
snuffling, "Nicodemus, my son, where are you going?" "Home, papa," was
the reply. "Nicodemus, my son, you struck me on the head with an axe,
and hung me up to a beam by the legs." "Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son,
did you call seven men to beat me, and steal my gold ring from me?"
"Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, have you bamboozled my daughters?"
"Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, have you stolen my sword and wand?"
"Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, will you come back?" "Yes, papa,"
answered Slyboots again. Meantime he had advanced so far on the bridge,
that he could no longer hear the old man speak. When he had crossed the
sea, he inquired the nearest way to the royal city, and hastened thither
to claim his reward.

But lo! he found everything very different from what he had expected.
Both his brothers had entered the service of the king, one as a
coachman and the other as a chamberlain. Both were living in grand style
and were rich people. When Slyboots applied to the king for his reward,
the latter answered, "I waited for you for a whole year, and I neither
saw nor heard anything of you. I supposed you were dead, and was about
to divide your reward among the poor, as you desired. But one day your
elder brothers arrived to inherit your fortune. I left the matter to the
court, who assigned the money to them, because it was supposed that you
were dead. Since then your brothers have entered my service, and both
still remain in it." When Slyboots heard what the king said, he thought
he must be dreaming, for he imagined that he had been only two nights in
the old man's subterranean dwelling, and had then taken a few days to
return home; but now it appeared that each night had been as long as a
year. He would not go to law with his brothers, but abandoned the money
to them, thanked God that he had escaped with his life, and looked out
for some fresh employment. The king's cook engaged him as kitchen-boy,
an