At last the turn came for that brother who knew the dictionary by heart;
but he did not know it now; he had absolutely forgotten it altogether; and
the boards seemed to re-echo with his footsteps, and the ceiling of the hall
was made of looking-glass, so that he saw himself standing on his head; and
at the window stood three clerks and a head clerk, and every one of them
was writing down every single word that was uttered, so that it might be
printed in the newspapers, and sold for a penny at the street corners. It was
a terrible ordeal, and they had, moreover, made such a fire in the stove, that
the room seemed quite red hot.
“It is dreadfully hot here!” observed the first brother.
“Yes,” replied the Princess, “my father is going to roast young pullets
today.”
“Baa!” there he stood like a baa-lamb. He had not been prepared for a
speech of this kind, and had not a word to say, though he intended to say
something witty. “Baa!”
“He is of no use!” said the Princess. “Away with him!”
And he was obliged to go accordingly. And now the second brother came
in.
“It is terribly warm here!” he observed.
“Yes, we’re roasting pullets to-day,” replied the Princess.
“What-what were you-were you pleased to ob-” stammered he-and all the
clerks wrote down, “pleased to ob-”
“He is of no use!” said the Princess. “Away with him!”
Now came the turn of Jean the Dullard. He rode into the hall on his goat.
“Well, it’s most abominably hot here.”
“Yes, because I’m roasting young pullets,” replied the Princess.
“Ah, that’s lucky!” exclaimed Jean the Dullard, “for I suppose you’ll let
me roast my crow at the same time?”
