About a year later the queen had a lovely child, but she forgot all
about her promise.
One day the little old man came hopping into the queen's room and said,
"Now give me what you have promised."
The queen was filled with terror, and offered the little man all the
riches of the kingdom if he would leave her the child.
"No, I do not care for riches; you must keep your promise."
Then the queen began to mourn and to weep, until the little man had pity
for her.
"I will give you three days," he said, "and if, in that time, you can
guess my name, you shall keep the child."
The queen lay awake that night, thinking of all the names she had ever
heard. In the morning men were sent to every part of the kingdom to find
strange names.
The next day the little man came again. The queen began to call off to
him all the names that she had found--Caspar, Melchior, and many, many
others.
At each one the little man shook his head, and said, "No, that is not my
name."
Then the queen had her men go from house to house through the town. They
took down the name of every man, woman, and child.
When the little man came again, the queen had a long list of names to
give him.
"Is your name Cowribs, or Sheepshanks, or Bandy legs?" she said to him
at last.