DANISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES
returned the Northwind—his utterance was thick—"and thanks to yourself! What do you wish?"
"Well," answered the boy, "I wish you would be good enough to return the flour of which you robbed me when I was bringing it out of the store-room. We have very little, and when you proceed in this manner we must all starve." "I have no flour," replied the wind, "but since you are so poor I will give you a table-cloth which will produce all that you need as soon as you bid it thus: 'Cloth, spread yourself, and bring the finest and best dishes!'"
Now the boy was well contented; but as the distance was too great to permit him to return in one day, he stepped into an inn at the roadside, and, when all the guests were ready for supper, he laid the cloth on a table in the corner of the room, and said: "Cloth, spread yourself, and bring the finest and best dishes!" The words were hardly uttered before the cloth was covered with all that they could wish for, and every one thought that this was an excellent treasure. This was especially the thought of the innkeeper's wife, and in the night, when all were asleep, she stole into the boy's room and laid in its place another and similar cloth, which was not capable, however, of producing even an old bread-crust.
When the boy awoke he took his table-cloth and pursued his way. Later in the day he arrived home. "Well," he said, "I paid a visit to the Northwind.
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