Part 19 (2/2)

”And why are you afraid of lass You will rub it again, and then that great red hten me”

”I will rub it no more,” said he

”Oh, but you will,” said she; ”I know you will”

”I will not,” said he

”But I can't trust you,” said she ”as long as you hold it in your hand”

”Then I will lay it aside,” said he, and so he did Yes, he did; and he is not the first ood luck for the sake of a pretty face ”Now are you afraid of me?” said he

”No, I aive it to hi so, she snatched up the piece of blue glass as quick as a flash

”Now,” said she, ”it is my turn;” and then the prime-minister knew that his end had colass and rubbed her thureat red Genie stood before her, and the poor pri

”Whosoever hath that piece of blue crystal,” said the Genie, ”that one must I obey What are your orders, O princess?”

”Take this man,” cried the princess, ”and carry him away into the desert where you took those other two, and bring ain”

”To hear is to obey,” said the Genie, and instantly he seized the priles, snatched him up and fleith him swifter than the wind On and on he flew until he had co and Jacob Stuck still thinking about things Down he dropped the pri and Jacob Stuck, and away he fleifter than the wind On and on he flew until he had brought the two back to the palace again; and there sat the princess waiting for them, with the piece of blue crystal in her hand

”You have saved us!” cried the king

”You have saved us!” cried Jacob Stuck ”Yes, you have saved us, and you have ain”

”I will do nothing of the sort,” said the princess ”If the ood luck than to hand it round like a bit of broken glass, it is better for the women folk to keep it for theood co to make it fit for Jacob Stuck, or for any other man, for the matter of that

And now for the end of this story Jacob Stuck lived with his princess in his fine palace as grand as a king, and when the old king died he beca after hi, and they were footsore and weary They stopped at Jacob Stuck's palace and asked for so to eat Jacob Stuck did not know them at first, and then he did One was Joseph and the other was John

This is what had happened to them:

Joseph had sat and sat where John and Jacob Stuck had left him on his box of silverand robbed him of it all John had carried away his pockets and his hat full of gold, and had lived like a prince as long as it had lasted Then he had gone back forand had stolen it all Yes; that hat had happened, and now they were as poor as ever

Jacob Stuck welcoht them in and made much of them

Well, the truth is truth, and this is it: It is better to have a little bit of good luck to help one in what one undertakes than to have a chest of silver or a chest of gold

”And now for your story, holy knight,” said Fortunatus to St George ”for twas your turn, only for this fair lady who came in before you”