So he told her that he had been at the market, that his mare had
foaled, but the foal ran to another farmer who was there with a
gelding. "And now," he said, "it has been decided that the gelding
has foaled." So he thought there could be no mistake; at any rate,
he couldn't help it.
When the queen heard this story she said: "To-morrow, my lord the king
will go out for a stroll. Take a fishing-net, and begin fishing on the
road in front of him. The king will ask you: 'Why are you fishing on a
dry road?' And you must answer: 'Why not? it's as hopeful as expecting
a gelding to foal.' But you must not say who gave you this advice."
So it was. As the king was walking along he saw the farmer fishing
on the dry road. He asked him why he was fishing there.
"Why not?" said he, "it's as hopeful as expecting a gelding to foal."
The king at once began to rate the farmer. "That's not out of your own
head," he said, and he kept at the farmer until he let the secret out.
So the king came home, summoned the queen, and said to her: "You have
been with me for a long time, and you have given advice in spite of
all, so you must go to-morrow. But I will allow you to take with you
the thing you like best."
It was no good arguing. So the king invited all his courtiers and
prepared a splendid banquet. When the banquet was finished, the queen
said to the king: "Before we part, you must drink this glass of wine
to my health," and she had put some opium into the wine on the sly.
The king drank it at a draught and fell asleep at once. A carriage was
got ready, and the queen put the king in it and drove to her father's
old hut. There she laid the king on the straw, and, when he woke up,
he asked where he was.
"You are with me. Didn't you tell me that I could take the thing I
liked best with me?"
The king saw how clever she was, and he said: "Now you can give advice
to anybody you like."
And so they drove home again, and he was king and she queen again.