He mounted his three-legged stool and away he flew through the
air until he had come again to the tavern where he was lodging.
There he sat him down and began to churn his thoughts, and the
butter he made was worth the having, I can tell you. He wished
for a grand palace of white marble, and then he wished for all
sorts of things to fill it--the finest that could be had. Then he
wished for servants in clothes of gold and silver, and then he
wished for fine horses and gilded coaches. Then he wished for
gardens and orchards and lawns and flower-plats and fountains,
and all kinds and sorts of things, until the sweat ran down his
face from hard thinking and wishing. And as he thought and
wished, all the things he thought and wished for grew up like
soap-bubbles from nothing at all.

Then, when day began to break, he wished himself with his fine
clothes to be in the palace that his own wits had made, and away
he flew through the air until he had come there safe and sound.

But when the sun rose and shone down upon the beautiful palace
and all the gardens and orchards around it, the king and queen
and all the court stood dumb with wonder at the sight. Then, as
they stood staring, the gates opened and out came the soldier
riding in his gilded coach with his servants in silver and gold
marching beside him, and such a sight the daylight never looked
upon before that day.

Well, the princess and the soldier were married, and if no couple
had ever been happy in the world before, they were then. Nothing
was heard but feasting and merrymaking, and at night all the sky
was lit with fireworks. Such a wedding had never been before, and