‘Stay, sir, I have something to ask of you.’
The gentleman stopped, and the young Jew asked him, ‘Where is the principal goldsmith’s in this town?’
He directed him there; the young Jew went to this goldsmith.
‘Will you make me an old hen and her chickens of gold? [[179]]The old hen must have eyes of diamonds and the young chickens also.’
‘Very well.’
‘But I stipulate further that she be alive.’
The goldsmith, who was a great wizard, replied, ‘Very good, sir; I will do so if you will pay me.’
‘I will pay you as much as ten thousand.’
Three days later he returned to get what he had ordered. He chose a Sunday, at the time when the princess was going to church. It was then he proposed to exhibit this golden hen and her chickens in such a way that the princess should see them. Well, he went to the goldsmith’s; he got the golden hen with her young chickens. On the following Sunday, he went near the church, this young Jew; he placed a table there, and on it he exposed his golden hen with the young chicks. Nobody who passed that way thought any more about going to church, but all stopped to gaze with wonder at this golden hen with her young chickens. A throng of people gathered from all parts of the town to see this hen and her chickens. The priest himself does not go into the church, but stops before the hen and her chickens; he looks at them so greedily that his eyes are almost starting out of his head. At last the king’s daughter comes to church. She looks to see what is going on there. A crowd of people, gentle and simple, gathered together. She had four lackeys with her.
‘Go,’ she said to one of them, ‘see what is going on there.’