But now they did not know what to do next, and began to lay their heads together; when on a sudden a wave threw on the shore a pretty white stone, that looked like an egg. Then the bear said, "That's a lucky thing! this is the wonderful stone; whoever has it needs only to wish, and everything that he wishes for comes to him at once." So Fritz went and picked up the stone, and wished for a palace and a garden, and a stud of horses; and his wish was fulfilled as soon as he had made it. And there he lived in his castle and garden, with fine stables and horses; and all was so grand and beautiful, that he never could wonder and gaze at it enough.
After some time some merchants passed by that way. "See," said they, "what a princely palace! The last time we were here it was nothing but a desert waste." They were very eager to know how all this had happened, and went in and asked the master of the palace how it had been so quickly raised. "I have done nothing myself," said he; "it is the wonderful stone that did all." "What a strange stone that must be!" said they. Then he asked them to walk in, and showed it to them.
They asked him whether he would sell it, and offered him all their goods for it; and the goods seemed so fine and costly, that he quite forgot that the stone would bring him in a moment a thousand better and richer things; and he agreed to make the bargain. Scarcely was the stone, however, out of his hands before all his riches were gone, and poor Fritz found himself sitting in his box in the water, with his jug of water and loaf of bread by his side.
However, his grateful friends, the mouse, the ass, and
