Page:The shoemaker's apron (1920).djvu/239

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THE DEVIL’S GIFTS
219

“And that isn’t all!” the shoemaker said. “I’ve got something else in my bag.”

He pulled out the red rooster, put him on the table, and said:

“Crow, rooster, crow!”

The rooster crowed and a golden ducat dropped from his bill.

“Oh!” the children cried, and the youngest one begged: “Make him do it again! Make him do it again!”

So again the shoemaker said: “Crow, rooster, crow!” and again a golden ducat dropped from the rooster’s bill.

The children were so amused that the shoemaker kept the rooster crowing all night long until the room was overflowing with a great heap of shining ducats.

The next day the shoemaker said to his wife:

“We must measure our money and see how much we have. Send one of the children over to Godfather to borrow a bushel measure.”

So the youngest child ran over to the rich man’s house and said:

“Godfather, my father says will you please lend us a bushel measure to measure our money.”

“Measure your money!” the rich man growled.