“Three shillings,” said she.
“I will give you five shillings if you will come and stand in front of the king’s house, and do thus and so when I say this and that,” said Boots.
Oh, yes! she would do that willingly enough.
So Boots and the old woman went on together, and presently came to the king’s house. When they had come there, Boots sat down in front of the door and began bawling as loud as he could—“No, I will not! I will not do it, I say! No, I will not do it!”
So he kept on, bawling louder and louder until he made such a noise that, at last, the king himself came out to see what all of the hubbub was about. But when Boots saw him he only bawled out louder than ever, “No, I will not! I will not do it, I say!”
“Stop! stop!” cried the king, “what is all this about?”
“Why,” said Boots, “everybody wants to buy my cap, but I will not sell it! I will not do it, I say!”
“But, why should anybody want to buy such a cap as that?” said the king.
“Because,” said Boots, “it is a fooling cap and the only one in all of the world.”
