Oh! if that was all that he wanted he should have it and welcome, that was what the king said. So the pretty princess was sent for, and the king asked her if she would give the Master of Black Arts the ruby ring that she wore. “Oh, yes!” says the princess, “he shall have that and welcome, for I have grown tired of it long ago.” So she gave it to him, and off he went on the same path that he had come. As soon as he had reached home, he put the ring into a mortar and ground it up until it was as fine as flour in the mill. “There!” said he to himself, “that is an end of the Clever Student at any rate.” After that he went back to his books again and began to read them, and then he soon found how he had been tricked by the Clever Student. The princess and the Clever Student were sitting together. “See, now,” said the Student, “the Master of Black Arts will be coming this way again in a little while. He will be wanting the necklace of carbuncles, and you will have to let him have it. But I have a trick for his trick yet, so that perhaps we will get the better of him in the end.” [Illustration: The Master of Black Arts bringeth a curious little Black Hen to the King. ¶⁋] So the Clever Student did as he had done before; he pricked his arm till it bled, and with the blood he wet a lock of his hair. Then by his arts he changed the lock of hair into just such a necklace of carbuncles as he himself had been. After that he changed himself into a pearl ear-drop, and the princess hung him in her ear, and there he dangled. Sure enough; by and by came along the Master of Black Arts with another basket. And you may believe that they did not let him cool his toes by long standing outside the door. He opened his basket, and in it was a white drake. “Only a white drake!” you say? Yes, yes; but just wait for a little! The Master of Black Arts stood the drake on the table and said, “Spickety-lickety!” “Quack! quack!” said the drake, and every time it said “quack” a gold piece dropped from its mouth. Hui! if the king was pleased with the little black hen, you can guess how glad he was to have such a drake as that! All that the Master of Black Arts had to do was to ask for what he wanted, and he might have it if the king had it to give. “Good!” says the Master of Black Arts; “then the princess has a necklace of carbuncles that I have taken a fancy to; if I may have that I will be satisfied.” So the princess was sent for without waiting any longer, and would she let the Master have the necklace of carbuncles that she wore around her neck? “Yes, indeed!” says the princess, “that I will! I have grown sick and tired of it long ago.” So she took it off of her neck and gave it to the Master of Black Arts, and off he went with it.