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292 as he begged so prettily, at last he got leave to be with the coachman, and learn how to groom and handle horses. That he was right glad to do, for he was fond of horses, and he was both quick and ready, so that he soon learnt how to bed and rub them down, and it was not long before every one in the king's grange was fond of him; but every hour he had to himself he was up in the loft looking at the picture, for he had hung it up in a corner of the hayloft.

As for his brothers, they were dull and lazy, and so they often got scolding and stripes; and when they saw that Boots fared better than they, they got jealous of him, and told the coachman he was a worshipper of false gods, for he prayed to a picture and not to our Lord. Now, even though the coachman thought well of the lad, still he wasn't long before he told the king what he had heard. But the king only swore and snapped at him, for he had grown very, very sad and sorrowful since his daughters had been carried off by Trolls. But they so dinned it into the king's ears, that at last he must and would know what it was that the lad did. But when he went up into the hayloft and set his eyes on the picture, he saw that it was his youngest daughter who was painted on it. But when the brothers of Boots heard that, they were ready with an answer, and said to the coachman—

"If our brother only would, he has said he was good to get the king's daughter back."

You may fancy it was not long before the coachman went to the king with this story; and when the king heard it he called for Boots, and said—