DANISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES
and in came the servant with the first dish. The wise man looked at his wife, nodded, and said, "This is the first one." He did not see—in fact, no one did—that the servant turned as pale as a sheet, but busied himself with doing justice to the excellent things before him.
The servant, however, was fearfully frightened, and before returning to the kitchen he stopped behind the chair of the Great Detective, plucking him by the sleeve in order to attract his attention, but without apparent result. The dismayed man had nothing to do but return to the kitchen. He was one of the thieves, and, with two other servants, had stolen the ring and buried it in the Royal gardens under a large apple-tree. Pale and trembling from fear, he told his two friends how the Great Detective had said to his wife, "This is the first one"—meaning, of course, the first thief. As the second servant was to carry in the next dish, his two comrades told him to do his best and ask the wise man to step into the kitchen. Perhaps he could be induced to spare their lives.
As the servant entered the dining-hall, the doctor said to his wife, "This is the second one." She nodded. The servant grew white from fear and pulled him from behind by the sleeve. The great man thought, however, of nothing but the dishes, and did not feel the servant's endeavor to attract his attention. Thus the poor fellow was obliged to return to the kitchen without having accomplished his errand.
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