"Why not?" asked Martin in anger.
"Because they might catch me, and I should have to suffer instead of
you; besides, there is no food there, for when you threw it away I
picked it up and ate it."
"Monster!" screamed Martin in rage, "I'll teach thee to obey thy
eldest brother. Mihal, give him here to me."
Mihal did not wait to be spoken to twice. They took poor Yanek between
them and put so many blows on him that he was soon lying as if dead on
the ground; then they took their bags on their backs and hurried home
through the woods.
"That lazy-bones!" growled Martin, "let him go wherever he likes; he
will not dare to teach us again." They got out of the forest quickly,
and in the evening came to an inn where they refreshed themselves.
Next morning they set out for home. In the neighboring town, where the
king dwelt, they bought a house, brought their mother to it, and began
to live like great lords.
Yanek, poor fellow, lay for a long time unconscious in the forest. At
last he woke from his trance, rested his head against a tree, and fell
to thinking of his condition. "Oh, cruel brothers, ye have left the
forest! Who knows whether I shall find the way home? I am weak; I
cannot walk far; I will go back to the castle, no matter what meets
me; I will take money, too, and live like a lord."
Many a one will wonder that Yanek changed all at once; but a beating
has brought many a man to new ways. So Yanek made ready and went to
the castle. In the castle there was not a living soul. Yanek took off
his coat, tied the sleeves at the wrist, and began to rake gold into
them. He had almost finished when he heard noises at a distance like
bursts of thunder. These noises grew louder and louder till at last
they were so loud that the castle trembled. All at once a voice as if
a fifteen-year-old bull were bellowing, called, "Hu! hu! I smell the
flesh of a man!" and before Yanek could gather his wits after the
fright, he saw two giants standing at the door.
"Oh, worm of the earth, thou art the one who is stealing our
treasures!" howled one of the giants. "Ha, thou wilt be a nice roast
for supper," added he, smacking his lips so that Yanek lost his
senses. But the second giant whispered something in the ear of the
first, who nodded, and said to Yanek: "Listen, worm of the earth, I
grant thee life, but henceforth thou wilt watch our treasures when we
are from home."
Yanek wanted to kiss the giant's hand, but he could barely reach to
his knee. "Only watch well, worm of the earth," said the giant,
graciously; "but so that thou shouldst not be hungry, strike on this
little table three times with thy fist and call, 'Food for a king!'
and thou wilt have food to thy liking."
Yanek promised everything, and from that time forth he led a very
pleasant life,--he did nothing, no living soul ever came to the
castle, the table was always obedient. But at last he grew tired of
all this. "Watch your own treasures, lord giants," said he one day
when the giants had gone out; "and thou, my good little table,
come!--we will go home."
Yanek put the table on his back, stole away from the castle, and soon
found himself in the forest. He strolled leisurely through the forest,
and after no long time was in the open field. Here an old grandfather
met him, and asked if he had not something to eat. "'Tis long since I
have had a bit in my mouth," lamented the grandfather.
"Then I will help thee," said Yanek; "come with me to that tree over
there." They sat under the tree; Yanek put his table on the ground,
and striking on it three times with his fist, said: "Food for a king!"
The table was covered with the daintiest dishes.
The grandfather ate his fill, and said: "Indeed this is a very
beautiful thing! But, my lad, if thou wouldst give me this little
table, I would give thee something better in place of it. This pack
has the virtue that at command an army will spring out of it as
numerous as ever thou carest to wish."
Yanek was greedy, but only from the time that he got a beating from
his brothers; he took the pack, gave the grandfather the table, and
they parted. But Yanek soon felt hungry; he was in the open field, and
nowhere a house to be seen. Now he was angry at himself for having
given away the table so frivolously; and besides he wished to know if
what the grandfather said of the pack was true. He opened the pack and
commanded "two hundred hussars to the field." He had barely spoken
when horses were neighing, arms rattling, and sooner than he could
think, two hundred hussars stood in line before him. The officers
saluted Yanek, and asked with respect what he wanted.
"About five thousand yards from here, under that tree, an old man took
a table from me; ride after him, take the table, and bring it to me."
He had barely finished speaking when the hussars rode off at a wild
gallop, in no long time they returned, and their leader gave Yanek
the table. Yanek opened his pack and said: "Two hundred hussars in
here." In a twinkle the hussars were in the pack, from the first man
and horse to the last. "That is not a bad thing," said Yanek to
himself as he sat at the table, struck three times with his fist, and
commanded, "Food for a king."
When he had eaten to his content he took his table and his pack and
went on. It was inclining toward evening, and Yanek had to look for a
night's lodging. But this made him small trouble; it was warm enough,
he laid himself under a tree, put the pack under his head, held the
table in his hand, and so fell asleep. Next morning he ate like a king
and went on. This time he met a grandfather as he had the day before,
and he too asked for food. Yanek commanded the table, and the
grandfather ate his fill. "My lad," said he, "here is a bag; give me
thy table for it."
"Oh, grandfather," said Yanek, with a laugh, "nothing can come of
that."
"This is no laughing matter, my lad; the bag is worth getting, for it
has this virtue,--that wherever and whenever thou hast the wish, thou
canst call out of it as many castles as may please thee."