“Stick, which beats of itself, punish those who have offended me.”
The stick at once left the hands of the lad and commenced to lay itself
on the brothers, crying—
“You have done your brother enough wrong. Now, then, suffer yourselves
in your turn.”
The brothers were as much astounded as if a kettle of hot water had
fallen about their ears. They cried out and ran off, disappearing in a
cloud of dust. The stick at length came back to its master, who entered
the house, climbed up on the stove, and, calling his mother, told her
all that had happened. Then he said—
“Wonderful cloth, let him who is hungry and thirsty find here all he
wants.”
A whistling was heard, something came sparkling in the air, and they
found before them a table spread as if for a king’s banquet. There were
dishes, glasses, and goblets of hydromel and wine, and all the things
were of gold or silver. The simpleton and his mother for a time admired
the feast, and then, just as they were sitting down to it, the door
opened and his father came in. He was thunderstruck when he saw the
table, but, being invited to share the good things with them, quickly
sat down and fell to. When they had finished the whistling noise was
again heard, and all the things disappeared.
The shepherd went off to the Court to tell the king all about these
wonderful things, and the king despatched an officer to the fool. When
he came into the house he found the simpleton lying on the stove, and
said to him—
“If you love your life, listen and obey the orders of the king. You are
to send him by myself the wonderful cloth which provides feasts of
itself, and for this you shall be honoured by the royal favour. If you
do not comply, you shall remain in your present wretched condition, and
shall, moreover, receive the punishment of a disobedient fellow. Do you
understand me?”
“Oh yes,” said the lad, “I understand you;” and then he quietly said—
“Stick, which beats of itself, give those who deserve them some good
blows.”
With the speed of lightning the stick left the fool’s hands. Three times
it alighted on the officer’s body, and then he fled. The stick, however,
was not content to let him off so easily, and it followed him, beating
him all the time, and crying—
“Promises befool children. Don’t make them too rashly. To teach you
better, take that, knave, and that.”
Beaten and bewildered, the officer returned to the king and told him
all, and when his majesty heard that the lad had a stick which beat of
its own accord, he longed so much for it that he quite forgot the cloth.
So he sent off some of his soldiers to the lad with orders to bring the
stick. The soldiers came to the hut and found the fool on the stove.
“Give us the cudgel,” said they. “The king will give you what you ask
for it. If you will not give it to us we shall take it.”