Page:Danish fairy and folk tales.djvu/259

 But Claus could not think of giving up yet.

"Your chickens are very good-looking, too," said he; "but ours are still better. Their feathers are so long and stiff that they can be used for ships' masts, and their eggs are so large that when we saw them through in the middle we have two good boats. The hens lay so many eggs that we send away ten wagon-loads of them every day. My father loads them, and I drive to town with them. Some days ago we were a little careless, for our load became so high that before I realized anything I was standing at the moon. While I looked around, the load was upset, and there I stood, unable to return. I found some cobweb, however, fastened one end to a tree, and lowered myself downward. The cobweb did not reach far enough, and I was obliged to jump, which I did. I landed in a church, where the congregation was just taking up a collection for the poor. Your father was there; he sat in the middle of the floor, with an old nightcap on his head, and it was drawn down over his ears. His pockets were filled with silver and gold, but he was so covetous that when his turn came he gave only two paltry copper pennies to the poor. His nose was—"

"That is a lie, if you wish to know it!" interrupted the princess, turning scarlet with anger. "My father never wears a nightcap in the church, and he is not covetous!"

"Quite possible," replied the young man, "but that does not matter, for I have made you utter