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 thing depends on how it tastes,’ and then he went into the third room. There, too, a cauldron was hanging from the wall, boiling, exactly the same as in the two other rooms, and the Prince took pleasure in trying this also, so he dipped a lock of hair in, and it came out so brightly gilded that it shone again. ‘Some talk about going from bad to worse,’ said the Prince; ‘but this is better and better. If he boils gold here, what can he boil in there?’ He was determined to see, and went through the door into the fourth room. No cauldron was to be seen there, but on a bench someone was seated who was like a king’s daughter, but, whosoever she was, she was so beautiful that never in the Prince’s life had he seen her equal.

‘Oh! in heaven’s name what are you doing here?’ said she who sat upon the bench.

‘I took the place of servant here yesterday,’ said the Prince.

‘May you soon have a better place, if you have come to serve here!’ said she.

‘Oh! but I think I have got a kind master,’ said the Prince. ‘He has not given me hard work to do to-day. When I have cleaned out the stable I shall be done.’

‘Yes, but how will you be able to do that?’ she asked again. ‘If you clean it out as other people do, ten pitchforksful will come in for every one you throw out. But I will teach you how to do it: you must turn your pitchfork upside down, and work with the handle, and then all will fly out of its own accord.’