‘This is not common wood,’ answered the other.
‘What sort of wood is it, then?’ said the Simpleton.
‘If you throw it upon the ground,’ said the man, ‘it will be changed into an army of soldiers.’
‘Come into the ship with us, then.’
And so he too joined them; and away the ship flew on, and on, and on, and once more the Simpleton looked out, and this time he saw a man carrying straw upon his back.
‘Hallo! Where are you carrying that straw to?’
‘To the village,’ said the man.
‘Do you mean to say there is no straw in the village?’
‘Ah! but this is quite a peculiar straw. If you strew it about even in the hottest summer the air at once becomes cold, and snow falls, and the people freeze.’
Then the Simpleton asked him also to join them.