After awhile the old woman smelt the burning cakes. “Mercy on me,” she said, “that man has let the cakes burn,” and she set down the milk pail, and ran into the house where the king sat before the fire paying no attention whatever.
“You lazy fellow!” she cried, “see what has happened! The cakes are not fit to eat. You are very trifling indeed, and are too lazy to be trusted.” The king laughed and went to bed without any supper.
“Perhaps I deserved that scolding,” he said. “Even a king should pay attention to the little things of life.” At any rate it was not long before he had gathered his soldiers and had driven the Danes out of his kingdom.
THE GIFTS OF THE NORTH WIND
Wherein gifts come to a boy by obedience to his mother; also showing that he was a careless boy to allow his gifts to be stolen.
Rudolph’s mother sent him with the last money she had to purchase flour to make a little bread. The North Wind blew the flour away. The mother sent him to the North Wind’s cave.
“Mr. Boreas,” said Rudolph, “please give us back our flour or we shall surely die.”
“I have it not,” the North Wind growled, “but I will give you this table-cloth which has a magic charm; you have but to spread it out and every dish which you command will appear upon it.”
Rudolph thanked the North Wind, and on his return home stopped to spend the night at an inn. There he showed his magic table-cloth. While Rudolph slept the inn-keeper crept to his room and stole the table-cloth, putting another in its place.