When, however, it came to the turn of the thirteenth dish, which
nobody ever wanted to eat, a huge black cat ran up, and stood on
the rock close to the cock, while the dish was on his other side.

There they all remained, till they were joined by the old man.

He picked up the dish in one hand, tucked the cat under his arm,
told the cock to get on his shoulder, and all four vanished into
the rock. And this wonderful stone contained not only food, but
clothes and everything you could possibly want in the house.

At first a language was often spoken at meals which was strange
to Elsa, but by the help of the lady and her daughter she began
slowly to understand it, though it was years before she was able
to speak it herself.

One day she asked Kisika why the thirteenth dish came daily to
the table and was sent daily away untouched, but Kisika knew no
more about it than she did. The girl must, however, have told
her mother what Elsa had said, for a few days later she spoke to
Elsa seriously:

'Do not worry yourself with useless wondering. You wish to know
why we never eat of the thirteenth dish? That, dear child, is
the dish of hidden blessings, and we cannot taste of it without
bringing our happy life here to an end. And the world would be a
great deal better if men, in their greed, did not seek to snatch
every thing for themselves, instead of leaving something as a
thankoffering to the giver of the blessings. Greed is man's