The crimson fairy book . table and fodderfor my horse. And in a moment the castle was beforehim just as he had wished. In this way he travelled through many countries, tillat last he came to a land that was ruled over by a greatking. Leaving his horse outside the walls, he cladhimself in the dress of a poor man, and went up to thepalace. The queen, who was looking out of the window,saw him approaching, and filled with pity sent a servant toask who he was and what he wanted. * I am a strangerhere, answered the young king, and very poor. I havecome to beg for some work. We have everybody wewant,
The crimson fairy book . table and fodderfor my horse. And in a moment the castle was beforehim just as he had wished. In this way he travelled through many countries, tillat last he came to a land that was ruled over by a greatking. Leaving his horse outside the walls, he cladhimself in the dress of a poor man, and went up to thepalace. The queen, who was looking out of the window,saw him approaching, and filled with pity sent a servant toask who he was and what he wanted. * I am a strangerhere, answered the young king, and very poor. I havecome to beg for some work. We have everybody wewant, said the queen, when the servant told her theyoung mans reply. * We have a gate-keeper, and a hallporter, and servants of all sorts in the palace; the onlyperson we have not got is a goose-boy. Tell him thathe can be our goose-boy if he likes. The youth answeredthat he was quite content to be goose-boy; and that washow he got his nickname of Paperarello. And in orderthat no one should guess that he was any better than a. ^) THE KING GIVESTHL PRJNCES5 TO FAPEafiK^LLolHi IN THE PAPERABELLO 129 goose-boy should be, he rubbed his face and his rags overwith mud, and made himself altogether such a disgusting• object that every one crossed over to the other side ofthe road when he was seen coming. * Do go and wash yourself, Paperarello! said thequeen sometimes, for he did his work so well that shetook an interest in him. * Oh, I should not feel comfort-able if I was clean, your Majesty, answered he, andwent whistling after his geese. It happened one day that, owing to some accident tothe great flour mills which supplied the city, there wasno bread to be had, the kings army had to dowithout. When the king heard of it, he sent for thecook, and told him that by the next morning he musthave all the bread that the oven, heated seven timesover, could bake. But, your Majesty, it is not possible,cried the poor man in despair. * The mills have only justbegun working, and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondon, bookyear190
