162 Fairy Tales ©

them with all his heart, and the dwarf
woman particularly. So it enraged him to
think that she had carried out her schemes ;
and when his wife told him that the young
king was both angry and unhappy, he so far
forgot his dignity and his white beard as to
snap his fingers in the air, and cry—‘‘I told
you so!” And although he would not con-
descend to ask questions, his wife had
learned by long experience that she must
repeat everything that passed, and that it
was her duty to talk to the children as often
as she could.

By this means she grew—for she was
tender-hearted—quite fond of them, and
came back one day wiping her red eyes.

“So like a woman!” snapped her hus-
band. “Do you ever see mecry? I daresay
it is all about nothing, too, for you women
have no self-control.”

He was sitting cross-legged on his board,
stitching together a blue and yellow coat,
and he was rather extra disagreeable that
morning because he had heard no gossip.