Jan shook his head doubtfully, and, seeing his hesitation, the student cried:
“Come now, we’ll give you five hundred, and not a penny more. You’d better accept, or you’ll lose your chance.”
“Well then, hand over the money. I don’t know what my wife will say, but....”
“She’ll give you a kiss for making such a splendid bargain,” cried the student, pushing a bag of coins into Jan’s hand and snatching the magic cap. “Hurry off home as fast as you can to tell her the good news!” Then the three went away, laughing, slapping each other on the back in their joy at having got the better of the simple peasant.
That afternoon the students, eager to take advantage of the qualities of the magic cap, invited about fifty of their friends to a splendid feast at the largest inn in the town. Everybody who was invited came, as you may imagine, and the resources of the innkeeper were taxed to the utmost to supply the hungry and thirsty crowd with all that they wanted. When the feast was ended, the student who had Jan’s cap called the host, and twirling it three times round his finger, said: “Now, sir, everything is paid for, isn’t it?”
“Paid for?” cried the innkeeper. “What do you mean? I’ve not seen the colour of your money yet.”
TWIRLED THE CAP ROUND THREE TIMES ON HIS FINGER