hem to give him food and shelter; but the only
thing he got was hard words, and a command to beg elsewhere. At length,
however, at their mother's entreaty, he was told that he might pass the
night in the stable. Here he waited until everybody in the house was
sound asleep, when he drew his bag from under his cloak, and desired
that a castle might appear in that place; and the cornet gave him
soldiers to guard the castle, while the table furnished him with a
good supper. In the morning, he caused it all to vanish, and when his
brothers entered the stable they found him lying on the straw.

Jack remained here for many days, doing nothing, and--as far as anybody
knew--eating nothing. This conduct puzzled his brothers greatly, and
they put such constant questions to him, that at length he told them the
secret of the table, and even gave a dinner to them, which far outdid
any they had ever seen or heard of. But though they had solemnly
promised to reveal nothing, somehow or other the tale leaked out, and
before long reached the ears of the king himself. That very evening his
chamberlain arrived at Jack's dwelling, with a request from the king
that he might borrow the table for three days.

'Very well,' answered Jack, 'you can take it back with you. But tell
his majesty that if he does not return it at the end of the three days I
will make war upon him.'

So the chamberlain carried away the table and took it straight to the
king, telling him at the same time of Jack's threat, at which they both
laughed till their sides ached.

Now the king was so delighted with the table, and the dinners it gave
him, that when the three days were over he could not make up his mind to
part with it. Instead, he sent for his carpenter, and bade him copy it
exactly, and when it was done he told his chamberlain to return it
to Jack with his best thanks. It happened to be dinner time, and Jack
invited the chamberlain, who knew nothing of the trick, to stay and dine
with him. The good man, who had eaten several excellent meals provided
by the table in the last three days, accepted the invitation with
pleasure, even though he was to dine in a stable, and sat down on the
straw beside Jack.

'The dinner of an emperor!' cried Jack. But not even a morsel of cheese
made its appearance.

'The dinner of an emperor!' shouted Jack in a voice of thunder. Then
the truth dawned on him; and, crushing the table between his hands,
he turned to the chamberlai