The three little men came slily up to him, and thought by their
nimbleness to get back the cap, but he held his prize fast, and they saw
clearly that nothing was to be done in this way with him, for in size
and strength John was a giant in comparison with these little fellows,
who hardly came up to his knee. The owner of the cap now came up very
humbly to the finder, and begged, in as supplicating a tone as if his
life depended upon it, that he would give him back his cap.

"No," said John, "you sly little rogue, you will get the cap no more.
That's not the sort of thing one gives away for buttered cake. I should
be in a nice way with you if I had not something of yours, but now you
have no power over me, but must do what I please. I will go down with
you and see how you live down below, and you shall be my servant. Nay,
no grumbling. You know you must. I know that just as well as you do, for
Klas Starkwolt told it to me often and often!"

The little man made as if he had not heard or understood one word of all
this. He began his crying and whining over again, and wept and screamed
and howled most piteously for his little cap. John, however, cut the
matter short by saying--

"Have done. You are my servant, and I intend to make a trip with you."

So he gave up, especially as the others told him there was no remedy.

John now flung away his old hat, and put on the cap, and set it firm on
his head lest it should slip off or fly away, for all his power lay in
the cap. He lost no time in trying its virtues, and commanded his new
servant to fetch him food and drink. The servant ran away like the wind,
and in a second was there again with bottles of wine, and bread, and