A PIECE OF GOOD LUCK

Stuck came to her all glittering and shining with jewels
and gold, and took her by the hand. He led her up the
hall, and as he did so the musicians struck up and began
playing the most beautiful music in the world. Then
Jacob Stuck and the princess sat down to supper and
began eating and drinking, and Jacob Stuck talked of all
the sweetest things he could think of. Thousands of
wax candles made the palace bright as day, and as the
princess looked about her she thought she had never
seen anything so fine in all the world. After they had
eaten their supper and ended with a dessert of all kinds
of fruits and of sweetmeats, the door opened and there
came a beautiful young serving-lad, carrying a silver
tray, upon which was something wrapped in a napkin.
He kneeled before Jacob Stuck and held the tray, and
from the napkin Jacob Stuck took a necklace of diamonds,
each stone as big as a pigeon’s egg.

“This is to remind you of me,” said Jacob Stuck,
“when you have gone home again.” And as he spoke he
hung it around the princess’s neck.

Just then the clock struck twelve.

Hardly had the last stroke sounded when every light
was snuffed out, and all was instantly dark and still.
Then, before she had time to think, the Genie of Good
Luck snatched the princess up once more and flew back
to the palace more swiftly than the wind. And, before
the princess knew what had happened to her, there she
was.

It was all so strange that the princess might have
thought it was a dream, only for the necklace of diamonds,
the like of which was not to be found in all the world.

The next morning there was a great buzzing in the

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