One day he took a load of stone to the house of a rich man. There he saw so many beautiful things that when he went back to his mountain he could think of nothing else. Then he began to wish that he too might sleep in a bed as soft as down, with curtains of silk, and tassels of gold. And he sighed:—
“Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only were rich as he!”
To his surprise, the voice of the Mountain Spirit answered:—
“Have thou thy wish!”
When Hofus returned home that evening his little hut was gone, and in its place stood a great palace. It was filled with beautiful things, and the best of all was a bed of down, with curtains of silk and tassels of gold.
Hofus decided to work no more. But he was not used to being idle, and time passed slowly,—the days seemed very long.
One day as he sat by the window he saw a carriage dash past. It was drawn by snow-white horses. In it sat a prince, while before and behind were servants in suits of blue and white. One was holding a golden umbrella over the prince.
When the stone-cutter saw this, he began to feel unhappy, and he sighed:—
“Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only a prince might be!”
And again the same voice that he had heard on the mountain answered:—