They really believed that he was one of themselves, so they took him with them, and showed him a coat which had the power of rendering invisible the person who wore it. Next they showed him a pair of boots that would enable one to put a mile behind him at every step. He put on both the coat and the boots, as if to test the truth of the story, and immediately made off. The robbers could not even think of trying to follow him, since they could not see him. So he rolled the apple again along the ground before him, and at last he arrived at Muhlenberg. He heard music in every part of the city, cannons were thundering, and above all swept the South-wind. When the South-wind saw him he went down and greeted him, saying, "So here we are, at last, in Muhlenberg!" The young man now went into the city, and, being still invisible, he helped himself to all the food and drink he wanted, and refreshed himself with his gossip, the South-wind. Then, taking leave of him, he made his way into the royal palace which had once been his own. There he saw the Queen beside the newly chosen spouse whom she was about to marry, and heard her sigh: "Just seven years ago to-day my beloved husband deserted me!" Upon this he began to sing a song which he used to be always singing when he was king. She recognized it at once, and, full of joy, cried out, "That is my husband, my first good fortune! My wedding-guests, drink the foaming wine and take your leave. I have no need to marry, for my husband has come home again, my only joy and bliss!" And from this time they lived long and happily together. And the Queen bore to her husband a son with a mole like a golden sword upon his arm, and a beautiful golden-haired daughter. So ends the story. "I should like to go to the Moon," observed the little boy. "They don't go nowadays," said the other grandmother. "That was long ago, before my great-grandmother was born." CHAPTER XV THE LITTLE BOY HOMESICK The little boy did not know what to do with himself, for they were very busy getting dinner ready against his father's return from the zemstvo. He did not know how to play in this house as he did in his own; he felt a little homesick, and presently he began to cry. "What does that mean?" asked his mother, who was making the onion-soup. The little boy only cried the more. "I want my little grandmamma!" he said. "She would tell me a story." "I'll tell you a story," said the other grandmother, who was making noodles. "Come and stand by me. But there must be no more crying, and it must be a very short story, for I am busy. Is that a bargain?" The little boy dried his eyes and stood by the other grandmother to hear A SHORT STORY Once upon a time a Hungarian was crossing a brook. He had on a woollen coat with short sleeves. As long as were the sleeves, so long will be this story. If the sleeves had been longer, the story would have been longer too. "That is a very short story," said the little boy.