Hans, who made the Princess laugh. 271 so it fared no better with Paul the schoolmaster than with Peter the soldier— for Peter and Paul were their names, you must know ! So they took Paul and cut three red stripes out of his back,, pmt salt into tbem, and sent him home again. Well, the youngest brother thought he would have a try néxt» His nåme was Hans. But the brothers laughed and made fun of him, and showed him their sore backs. Besides, the father would not give him leave to go, for he said it was no use his trying, who had so little sense ; all he could do was to sit in a corner on the hearth, like a eat, rooting about in the ashes and cutting chips. But Hans would not give in—he begged and prayed so long, till they got tired of his whimpering, and so he got leave to go to the king's palace and try his luek. When he arrived at the palace, he did not say he had come to try to make the princess laugh, but asked if he could get a situa tion there. No, they had no situation for him ; but Hans was not so easily put off ; they might want one to carry wood and water for the kitchenmaid in such a big place as that, he said. Yes, the king thought so too, and to get rid of the lad he gave him leave^to remain there and carry wood and water for the kitchenmaid. One day, when he was going to fetch water from the brook, he saw a big fish in the water just under an old root of a fir-tree, which the current had carried all the soil away from. He put his bucket quietly under the fish and caught it. As he was going home to the palace, he met an old woman leading a golden goose. Good day, grandmother ! " said Hans. " Thafs a fine bird you have got there ; and such splendid feathers too ! he shines a long way off. I f one had such feathers, one needn't be chopping firewood." The woman thoaght just as much of the fish which Hans had in the bucket, and said if Hans would give her the fish he should have the golden goose ; and this goose was such, that if any one touched it he would be sticking fast to it if he only said : "If you'll come along, then hang on." Yes, Hans would willingly exchange on those terms. " Abird is as good as a fish any day," he said to himself. "If it is as you
