down, and while you hold it like that gold pieces will come pouring out of it."
He took it, and, sure enough, whenever he held it up out came the gold pieces. So he thanked her very much, and off she went.
Next night the corporal had to play sentry, and the old woman came up to him and asked to sit by the side of the fire.
"Certainly, marm," said he, "and welcome you are. I have known what it is to shiver in my bones."
So the old woman sat by the fire for a time, and when she was leaving gave the corporal a tablecloth.
Said he, "Thank you, marm, kindly, but we soldiers rarely use tablecloths when we are eating our vittles."
"Yes, but this gives you vittles to eat," said the old woman. "Whenever you put this over a table or on the ground and call out 'Be covered!' the finest dinner you could eat at once comes upon it."
"If that is so," said the corporal, "I'll take it and thank you kindly." And with that the old woman departed, and the corporal woke up his comrades and called out: "Tablecloth be covered!" And, sure enough, the finest dinner you could imagine appeared upon the cloth.
Next night the private marched up and down doing sentry-go, when the old woman appeared again and asked to sit by the fire.
