Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/329

 Rh take these fine forks, John, you'll never do it with that one." "Oh," says John, "I'm used to this sort of work." He went to the stable and found that there was just enough room for him to stand, for the stable was chock full of litter. John set to work, but found that for every forkful he threw out nine came in; and he was very soon nigh smothered in dung. So the poor fellow sat down and cried over his hard lot. At dinner-time the princess came with his dinner and said, "Ah, John! you're there, are you? but eat your dinner, and I'll help you." So she took the fork from him while he was eating and threw out one forkful; and with that all the rest went out and left the needle in the middle of the stable. "Take that needle to my father." He took the needle to Grey Norris who was very surprised and said, "Now, come and get a gun and shoot some birds, and with their feathers build me a bridge over that stream of running water." After he said this he took him to a lot of fine guns; but the princess told John to take none of the new ones, but the old one. So John took the old one in spite of all Grey Norris's coaxings. When he came to the river he lifted up his gun and shot a bird, and threw the feathers of it into the river, but as soon as they touched the water they were whipped away by the tide. When John saw this he begun to cry and wail. "The princess can't do this," he said, "and I will be put to death by to-night." He went on like this till dinner-time came. When the princess brought his dinner, "Puzzled again, John," she said, "but eat your dinner, I'll do it for you." She took the gun and shot a bird, and as she threw three feathers into the water a beautiful bridge rose right over the stream.

When the old man came down at night-time he was greatly surprised to see a bridge of feathers. "Now," said he, "come and get an axe and before night you must have all that forest made into cups and dishes or I'll put you to death." John followed the princess's advice, and took the old axe; but when he came to chop one of the trees three trees grew up and wedged him in so that he could not move. So he said, "Well, it's a certain thing the princess can't help me this time." But when the princess came at twelve o'clock she laughed to see him helpless; and said she would do the work for him. And at the first chop she made at the tree John was free and all the big