“Oh, look!” said he, “yonder is a crow sitting in the tree with three white stripes on his back!” But the king was not so silly as to be fooled in that way. “Here is a Jack,” said he, “who will soon have more stripes on his back than he will like. Take him away and give him his whipping!” Then it was done as the king had said, and Paul went away home bawling like a calf. One day up spoke Boots. “I should like to go and have a try for the pretty princess, too,” said he. [Illustration: Peter goes to the castle to befool the king, dressed in his finest clothes.] At this they all stared and sniggered. What! he go where his clever brothers had failed, and had nothing to show for the trying but a good beating? What had come over the lout! Here was a pretty business, to be sure! That was what they all said. But all of this rolled away from Boots like water from a duck’s back. No matter, he would like to go and have a try like the others. So he begged and begged until his father was glad to let him go to be rid of his teasing, if nothing else. Then Boots asked if he might have the old tattered hat that hung back of the chimney. Oh, yes, he might have that if he wanted it, for nobody with good wits was likely to wear such a thing. So Boots took the hat, and after he had brushed the ashes from his shoes set off for the town, whistling as he went. The first body whom he met was an old woman with a great load of earthenware pots and crocks on her shoulders. “Good-day, mother,” said Boots. “Good-day, son,” said she. “What will you take for all of your pots and crocks?” said Boots. “Three shillings,” said she. “I will give you five shillings if you will come and stand in front of the king’s house, and do thus and so when I say this and that,” said Boots. Oh, yes! she would do that willingly enough. So Boots and the old woman went on together, and presently came to the king’s house. When they had come there, Boots sat down in front of the door and began bawling as loud as he could—“No, I will not! I will not do it, I say! No, I will not do it!” So he kept on, bawling louder and louder until he made such a noise that, at last, the king himself came out to see what all of the hubbub was about. But when Boots saw him he only bawled out louder than ever, “No, I will not! I will not do it, I say!” “Stop! stop!” cried the king, “what is all this about?” “Why,” said Boots, “everybody wants to buy my cap, but I will not sell it! I will not do it, I say!” “But, why should anybody want to buy such a cap as that?” said the king. “Because,” said Boots, “it is a fooling cap and the only one in all of the world.” [Illustration: Paul comes home again from the king’s castle with no luck. ¶] “A fooling cap!” said the king. For he did not like to hear of such a cap as that coming into the town. “Hum-m-m-m! I should like to see you fool somebody with it. Could you fool that old body yonder with the pots and the crocks?”