The Wise Little Girl -Page 11

held out the partridge. The Emperor stretched out his hand to grasp it, but the bird fluttered into the air. The third condition had been fulfilled. In spite of himself, the Emperor could not help admirlng the llttle girl who had so cleverly passed such a test, and in a gentler volce, he sald: "Is your father terribly poor, and does he desperately need the foal. "Oh, yes!" replied the little girl. "We live on the hares he catches in the rivers and the fish he picks from the trees!" "Aha!" cried the Emperor triumphantly. "So you're not as clever as you seem to be! Whoever heard of hares in the river and fish in the trees! To which the little girl swiftly replied: "And whoever heard of a stallion having a foal?" At that, both Emperor and Court burst into peals of laughter. Ivan was immediately glven his hundred silver ducats and the foal, and the Emperor proclalmed: "Only in my kingdom could such a wise little girl be born!"