"Again this night have I saved your treasure, and mayhap your life as
well. Yet a third time I shall do it, and this time you shall learn
the name of the thief. But if I do this, you must promise me one
thing, and that is that you will place me in your royal crown and wear
me as a jewel. Will you do this?"
"That will I, right gladly!" replied King Sligo, "for a jewel indeed
you are."
"That is well!" said the coal. "It is true that I am dying; but no
matter. It is a fine thing to be a jewel in a king's crown, even if
one is dead. Now listen, and follow my directions closely. As soon
as I am quite black and dead,--which will be in about ten minutes
from now,--you must take me in your hand and rub me all over and
around the handle of the door of the treasure-chamber. A good part
of me will be rubbed off, but there will be enough left to put in
your crown. When you have thoroughly rubbed the door, lay the key of
the treasure-chamber on your table, as if you had left it there by
mistake. You may then go hunting or riding, but not for more than an
hour; and when you return, you must instantly call all your court
together, as if on business of the greatest importance. Invent some
excuse for asking them to raise their hands, and then arrest the man
whose hands are black. Do you understand?"
"I do!" replied King Sligo, fervently, "I do, and my warmest thanks,
good Coal, are due to you for this--"
But here he stopped, for already the coal was quite black, and in
less than ten minutes it was dead and cold. Then the king took it
and rubbed it carefully over the door of the treasure-chamber, and
laying the key of the door in plain sight on his dressing-table, he
called his huntsmen together, and mounting his horse, rode away to the
forest. As soon as he was gone, the High Cellarer, who had pleaded
a headache when asked to join the hunt, crept softly to the king's
room, and to his surprise found the key on the table. Full of joy, he
sought the treasure-chamber at once, and began filling his pockets
with gold and jewels, which he carried to his own apartment, returning
greedily for more. In this way he opened and closed the door many
times. Suddenly, as he was stooping over a silver barrel containing
sapphires, he heard the sound of a trumpet, blown once, twice, thrice.
The wicked thief started, for it was the signal for the entire court
to appear instantly before the king, and the penalty of disobedience
was death. Hastily cramming a handful of sapphires into his pocket,
he stumbled to the door, which he closed and locked, putting the
key also in his pocket, as there was no time to return it. He flew
to the presence-chamber, where the lords of the kingdom were hastily
assembling.
The king was seated on his throne, still in his hunting-dress, though
he had put on his crown over his hat, which presented a peculiar
appearance. It was with a majestic air, however, that he rose and
said:--
"Nobles, and gentlemen of my court! I have called you together to
pray for the soul of my lamented grandmother, who died, as you may
remember, several years ago. In token of respect, I desire you all to
raise your hands to Heaven."
The astonished courtiers, one and all, lifted their hands high in air.
The king looked, and, behold! the hands of the High Cellarer were as
black as soot! The king caused him to be arrested and searched, and
the sapphires in his pocket, besides the key of the treasure-chamber,
gave ample proof of his guilt. His head was removed at once, and
the king had the useful coal, set in sapphires, placed in the very
front of his crown, where it was much admired and praised as a BLACK
DIAMOND.