The Charcoal-Burner. 310 entered with the others. The king then told them that he had lost his most costly ring, and he felt sure it had been stolen. He had therefore called together all the learned clergy in the country, to hear if any of them could tell him who the thief was. And the king promised that he would handsomely reward the one who could tell him about it, — if he was a curate, he should get a living ; if hewasarector,heshouldbemadeadean;ifhewasadean,he should be made a bishop ; and if he was a bishop, he should be the first man after the king. So the king went from one to the other, and asked them all if they could tell him who the thief was, and when he came to the charcoal burner, he said : " Who are you ? " I am the wise parson and the true prophet," said the charcoal burner. " Then you can tell me who has tåken my ring ? " said the king. " Well, it isn't beyond sense and reason, that what has happened in the dark might be brought to light," said the charcoal-burner ; " but it isn't every year that the salmon plays in the fir-tops. I have now been studying and working for seven years to get bread for myself and my family, but I haven't got a living yet, so if the thief is to be found, I must have plenty of time and paper, for I must write and reckon early and late." Yes, he should have as much time and paper as he wished, if he only could find the thief. So he got a room to himself in the palace, and before long they found out that he must know something more than writing a scrmon, for he used so much paper that it lay about in heaps; but there wasn't one who could make out a word of all he had written, for it was only pothooks and marks like a crow's toes. But the time wore on, and he could not find any trace of the thief. So the king got tired of waiting, and told him that if he couldn't find the thief in three days, he should lose his life. " Ah, but he that rules must not be hasty, but wait till his temper cools," said the charcoal-burner. " One can't begin and rake out the coals, till they are thoroughly burnt and the fire has gone out." But the king stuck to what he said, and the charcoal-burner felt
