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 spinning-wheel, and whir—whir—whir, in a trice the reel was full.

Then he fixed another reel, and whir—whir—whir, thrice round, and that too was full; and so it went on until morning, when all the straw was spun and all the reels were full of gold.

Immediately at sunrise the King came, and when he saw the gold he was astonished and much pleased, but his mind became only the more avaricious. So he had the Miller’s daughter taken to another chamber, larger than the former one, and full of straw, and he ordered her to spin it also in one night, as she valued her life.

The Maiden was at her wit’s end, and began to weep. Then again the door sprang open, and the little Mannikin appeared, and said, ‘What will you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you?’

‘The ring off my finger,’ answered the Maiden.

The little man took the ring, began to whir again at the wheel, and had by morning spun all the straw into gold.

The King was delighted at sight of the masses of gold, but was not even yet satisfied. So he had the Miller’s daughter taken to a still larger chamber, full of straw, and said, ‘This must you to-night spin into gold, but if you succeed you shall become my Queen.’ ‘Even if she is only a Miller’s daughter,’ thought he, ‘I shan’t find a richer woman in the whole world.’