Page:Hansel and Gretel and other stories.djvu/238

THE THREE MAGIC GIFTS or a meadow, or to any spot he fancied. Directly he put it down and said, "Lay yourself," everything was on it that his heart could desire.

At last it occurred to him to go back to his father, whose wrath by this time was sure to have died down, and who would welcome him if he came with the wonderful little table on his back.

It happened that while he was on the way he came to an inn that was filled with guests; they bade him welcome, and invited him to sit down with them to dinner, otherwise he would stand a poor chance of getting anything, as the inn was full.

"No," answered the carpenter, "I will not rob you of a mouthful; on the contrary, I should like to entertain you as my guests."

They laughed, and thought he was joking.

He, however, put down his wooden table in the middle of the room, and said, "Little table, lay yourself." Immediately it was covered with good things to eat, far better than anything the host could supply, and the smell of which seemed very appetising to the guests.

"Set to work, dear friends," said the carpenter; and the guests, when they saw he really meant it, did not wait to be asked again, but came to the table and plied their knives and forks with a will.

The host stood in a corner and looked on; he 234