Just then a beautiful fairy floated down from heaven, and softly said,
"Thy wish is granted thee." So the poor stonecutter found himself rich
and powerful and resting easily on his silken couch with its red
curtain. As he gazed out, however, he saw the king of the country ride
by with many horsemen before and behind him, and with a great golden
sunshade held over his head. It irritated the rich man to have no
parasol over his head and to see another more powerful than himself, and
in his discontentment he exclaimed, "Would that I were a king such as
that one."

Once again his good fairy appeared, waved his wand, and said, "It shall
be as thou desirest." Immediately the man was king, and before him and
behind him rode his men-at-arms, and over his head was a golden
sunshade. But elsewhere the sun shone fiercely down and dried up the
vegetation with its terrible heat. It was reflected into the
face of the king so that even the golden sunshade did not keep him from
suffering. Once more he sighed discontentedly, "If I could only be the
sun!"

[Illustration: THE STONECUTTER AND HIS SILKEN COUCH]

Almost before he spoke he found himself to be the sun, and he began
joyously to send his fiery rays above, below and everywhere roundabout
him. He scorched the grass of the earth, and burned the faces of its
rulers and felt his power unlimited until a little cloud placed itself
between him and the earth and threw back his scorching rays. It still
angered him to find something more powerful than himself, and he wished
aloud that he might be the cloud.