George Webbe Dasent

“ It was almost dark when they got back to the palace, and the King himself stood out on the steps and waited for them.
"Have you watched well and true the whole day?" said he to Boots.
"I've done my best," answered Boots.
"Then you can tell me what my seven foals eat and drink," said the King.
Then Boots pulled out the flask of wine and the wafer, and showed them to the King.
"Here you see their meat, and here you see their drink," said he.
"Yes," said the King, "you have watched true and well, and you shall have the Princess and half the kingdom." ”

“ So next morning as soon as the first peep of dawn came, the King's coachman let out the seven foals. Away they went, and the lad after them. You may fancy how they tore over hill and dale, through bush and bog. When the lad had run so a long time, he began to get weary, and when he had held on a while longer, he had more than enough of his watching, and just there, he came to a cleft in a rock where an old hag sat and spun with a distaff. ”

“ Then the King got wroth again, and ordered them to cut three red stripes out of the lad's back, and rub salt in, and chase him home that very minute. And so when the lad got home, he also told how he had fared, and said he had gone out once to get a place, but he'd never do so any more.
The third day Boots wanted to set out; he had a great mind to try and watch the seven foals, he said. The others laughed at him, and made game of him, saying,—
"When we fared so ill, you'll do it better—a fine joke; you look like it—you, who have never done anything but lie there and poke about in the ashes." ”