“Very well,” said the soldier. “In a week’s time I will come back for the gold, and do you gather it together and have it ready for me.”
The next thing the soldier did was to hire all the tailors he could get, and have them make for him an enormous sack, and when it was finished it was as big as a house.
When it was done he and the strong man went back to the palace together, and the week was just up. The strong man carried the sack, rolled up, on his shoulders.
Meanwhile the King had had a ton of gold brought up from his treasure-house, and that, he was sure, was more than the strongest man could carry.
When the soldier and his comrade came where the gold was the strong man opened up the sack, and taking up the ton of gold with one hand he threw it into the sack. “That will do for a beginning,” said he, “but we will have to have more than that.”
The King was frightened. He ordered more gold and more to be brought up from his treasure-house, and still there did not begin to be enough. “I can easily carry twice as much, and more,” cried the strong man.
At last the King’s treasure-house was empty, and he sent out all over the kingdom for more gold, and still there was not enough.
“Oh, well!” cried the strong man at last, “I see you have done your best; we will have to be content with what we have.” Then he swung the sack up over his shoulder and marched off with it, and the soldier and the other comrades went along with him.
But the King was in a terrible state of mind. Here all his treasure had been carried off by a common soldier and his followers. He would almost rather have given up the Princess than that. He stamped and raged, and then he called his horsemen together, and sent out two regiments after the comrades to bring them back again and the treasure with them.
It did not take the horsemen long to catch up to the comrades for they were traveling along quietly enough, and without any haste.