The little dwarf hid the spoon and went to the door. There stood a very ugly old dwarf. His name was Cross-Patch. All the dwarfs in the wood were afraid of him. He stamped his foot now and said, “I have come to get the magic spoon; Better give it to me soon; Be it morning, night, or noon, Will you give up the magic spoon?” Then the first little dwarf shook his head and cried, “I do not give my spoon away; You’d better call another day!” Cross-Patch said, “I will call to-morrow noon; Then perhaps I’ll get the spoon!” He went off muttering to himself, and shaking his cross old head as he went away. Now the little dwarf was not at all afraid. He said, “I will hide my spoon in a safe place.” Then he put on the red necklace and the blue necklace and the gold necklace, and he said, “When I meet the Fairy Queen I will give her a new necklace every day.” Just then the little dwarf heard a great flapping of wings. He looked out and he saw one hundred crows. Old Cross-Patch had sent the crows to eat up the little dwarf’s corn! The crows ate all night, and till noon the next day. Then they flapped their wings and went away, and old Cross-Patch came and said, “I have come to-day at noon, Will you give up the magic spoon?” The little dwarf was angry, you may be sure. He shook his head and cried, “I will not give my spoon away; You need not call another day.” Then old Cross-Patch shook his fist at the little dwarf and ran down the road. “I have spoiled your corn,” he called back, but this time the little dwarf did not answer him. The next night there was a great noise, and five and twenty little dwarfs came and blew so much soot down the chimney that everything in the little dwarf’s house was ruined. I should say everything except one was ruined. The box in which the little dwarf kept the spoon and necklaces was safe because it was under his pillow. The next morning old Cross-Patch came as before and said, “Here I am at break of day; Will you give your spoon away?” The little dwarf was very angry and he shouted, “I will not give my spoon away; You may not have it now, I say.” Old Cross-Patch went away scolding and grumbling as before. Late that night there was a great noise, and the bricks from the chimney began to fall. The little dwarf had just time to grab his box and run out at the door. All the bricks from the house fell one upon another, and soon the little house was all gone; only a pile of bricks remained! Old Cross-Patch came again and said, “If you won’t give the spoon away, I’ll turn your pretty hair all gray!” The little dwarf had lovely golden curls. Now the spoon was so angry at Cross-Patch that he could stand it no longer. He turned very red in the face and began to kick and roll over. He sprang out of the box, and jumped right at old Cross-Patch and cried, “Be it morning, night, or noon, Come and take the magic spoon!”