When he reached home, the two other apprentices were there again, and each of them certainly had brought a horse with him. But one of them was blind and the other lame. They asked Hans where his horse was. “It will follow me in three days’ time.” Then they laughed and said, “Indeed, stupid Hans! where will you get a horse? It will be a fine one!” Hans went into the parlor, but the miller said he should not sit down to table for he was so ragged and torn, that they would all be ashamed of him if any one came in. So they gave him a mouthful of food outside. At night, when they went to rest, the two others would not let him have a bed, and at last he was forced to creep into the goose-house, and lie down on a little hard straw. In the morning, when he awoke, the three days had passed, and a coach came with six horses and they shone so bright that it was delightful to see them!--and a servant brought a seventh as well, which was for the poor miller’s boy. And a magnificent Princess alighted from the coach, and went into the mill. And this Princess was the little Tabby-Cat whom poor Hans had served for seven years. She asked the miller where the miller’s boy and drudge was. Then the miller said, “We will not have him here in the mill, he is so ragged. He is lying in the goose-house.” Then the King’s Daughter said that they were to fetch him immediately. So they brought him; and he had to hold his little smock together to cover himself. Her servants unpacked splendid garments, and washed him and dressed him. And when it was done, no King could have looked more handsome. Then the Princess desired to see the horses, which the other apprentices had brought home with them. One of them was blind and the other lame. So she ordered her servants to bring the seventh horse. When the miller saw it, he said such a horse as that had never before entered his yard. “And that is for the third miller’s boy,” said she. “Then he must have the mill,” said the miller. But the Princess said that the horse was for himself, and that he was to keep his mill as well. Then she took her faithful Hans, set him in the coach, and drove away with him. They first drove to the little house, which he had built with the silver tools. Behold! it was a great castle! Everything inside it was of silver and gold! Then she married him; and he was rich, so rich that he had enough for all the rest of his life. After this, let no one say that any one who is silly can never become a person of importance. [Illustration] LITTLE RED-CAP Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl, who was loved by every one who looked at her, and most of all by her Grandmother. There was nothing that she would not have given the child! Once she gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would not wear anything else. So she was always called Little Red-Cap.