This cake was a real treasure, such as in the days of the fairies, who still lived in certain parts of Norway, was known to be of the kind they loved. A piece of it was always cut and laid outside in the snow, in case they should wish to taste it. Hulda's grandmother had also dropped a ring into this cake before it was put into the oven, and it is well known that whoever gets such a ring in his or her slice of cake has only to wish for something directly, and the fairies are bound to give it, _if they possibly can_. There have been cases known when the fairies could not give it, and then, of course, they were not to blame. On this occasion the children said: "Let us all be ready with our wishes, because sometimes people have been known to lose them from being so long making up their minds when the ring has come to them." "Yes," cried the eldest boy. "It does not seem fair that only one should wish. I am the eldest. I begin. I shall wish that Twelfth-night would come twice a year." "They cannot give you that, I am sure," said Friedrich, his brother, who sat by him. "Then," said the boy, "I wish father may take me with him the next time he goes out bear-shooting." "I wish for a white kitten with blue eyes," said a little girl whose name was Therese. "I shall wish to find an amber necklace that does not belong to any one," said another little girl. "I wish to be a king," said a boy whose name was Karl. "No, I think I shall wish to be the burgomaster, that I may go on board the ships in the harbor, and make their captains show me what is in them. I shall see how the sailors make their sails go up." "I shall wish to marry Hulda," said another boy; "when I am a man I mean. And besides that, I wish I may find a black puppy in my room at home, for I love dogs." "But that is not fair," said the other children. "You must only wish for one thing, as we did." "But I really wish for both," said the boy. "If you wish for both perhaps you will get neither," said little Hulda. "Well, then," answered the boy, "I wish for the puppy." And so they all went on wishing till at last it came to Hulda's turn. "What do you wish for, my child?" said her mother. "Not for anything at all," she answered, shaking her head. "Oh, but you must wish for something!" cried all the children. "Yes," said her mother, "and I am now going to cut the cake. See, Hulda, the knife is going into it. Think of something." "Well, then," answered the little girl, "I cannot think of anything else, so I shall wish that you may all have your wishes."