and one on the faces of twenty other men. Then he slipped the
bottle back in the Wise Man's robe.

By-and-by he went up to the king's daughter again, and begged for
the honour of another dance. She consented, and while he was
stooping to tie the ribbons on his shoe she took out from her
pocket another bottle, which the Wizard had given her, and put a
black dot on his cheek. But she was not as skilful as the Wise
Man, and the Shifty Lad felt the touch of her fingers; so as soon
as the dance was over he contrived to place a second black dot on
the faces of the twenty men and two more on the Wizard, after
which he slipped the bottle into her pocket.

At length the ball came to an end, and then the king ordered all
the doors to be shut, and search made for a man with two black
dots on his cheek. The chamberlain went among the guests, and
soon found such a man, but just as he was going to arrest him and
bring him before the king his eye fell on another with the same
mark, and another, and another, till he had counted twenty--
besides the Wise Man--on whose face were found spots.

Not knowing what to do, the chamberlain hurried back with his
tale to the king, who immediately sent for the Wise Man, and then
for his daughter.

'The thief must have stolen your bottle,' said the king to the
Wizard.

'No, my lord, it is here,' answered the Wise Man, holding it out.