Page:The pink fairy book (IA pinkfairybooklan00lang).pdf/279

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ESBEN AND THE WITCH
263
black and white illustration of a small young man flying riding a long white stick that vaguely resembles a horse. He dangles a large sack loosely in one hand and holds the "horse's" "reins" in the other. The young man wears a small hat with a pointed brim folded at the sides with a very large feather in it, a puffy-sleeved shirt with a sleeveless tunic over it, leggings, and pointed shoes. The stick has a lumpy "head" with impressions or holes for eyes and nostrils, four slender branches for limbs—branching further at the ends, and two small ones for ears. There is no background.

became still more embittered, and again thought of how to avenge himself on the brothers.

One day he went to the king and told him that the dove was by no means the best thing that the brothers could get for him; for one day he had heard them talking quietly among themselves, and they had said that they could procure a boar whose bristles were of gold and silver time about.

The king again summoned the brothers before him, and asked whether it was true that they had said that they could get for him a boar whose bristles were of gold and silver time about.

'No,' said the brothers; they had never said nor thought such a thing, and they did not believe that there was such a boar in the whole world.

'You must get me that boar within three days,' said the king, 'or it will cost you your heads.'

With that they had to go. This was still worse than before, they thought. Where could they get such a marvellous boar? They all went about hanging their heads; but when only one day remained of the three Esben came