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246 to watch one after another. The sculptor watched first, and in order to beguile the time he took a log of wood, and cut out of it a beautiful girl. When it was ready the sculptor awoke the tailor and asked him to watch. The tailor seeing the wooden girl asked what it was. 'Just what you see,' answered the sculptor: 'the time lay heavily on my hands, and I have cut this girl out of a log of wood; if you find the time tedious, you may dress her.' The tailor took out at once the scissors, needles, and thread, cut the dress and began to sew it up; when the dress was ready he dressed the girl in it. Afterwards he awoke me, and asked me to watch. I said, 'What have you got there?' 'Just what you see,' he answered; 'the time lay heavily on the sculptor's hands, so he cut this girl out of a log of wood, and I, for the same reason, have dressed her. Should you find the time tedious, you may teach her to speak." I set to work and succeeded in teaching her to speak. But in the morning, when my companions awoke, each of them wanted to take the girl away. The sculptor said, 'I have made her.' The tailor said, 'I have dressed her.' I also defended my right. Tell me now, my little dog, to which of us does the girl belong?"

The little dog remained silent, but instead of it the king's daughter said,—

"To whom should she belong but to you? What is