THE FLYING CARPET 135

The third piece of property is a cap that renders its wearer
invisible. Now, my good man, you see our difficulty: there
are but two of us, and we are fighting to decide how these
three lots may be divided into two equal parts.”

“T can help you,” said the fisherman, “provided you will
do as I tell you. Leave the three lots here just as they are—
the carpet, the club, and the magic cap. I will roll a stone
from the top of this hill to the bottom—whoever catches it
first shall have two lots for his share. What do you say?”

“ Agreed!” cried the demons, racing after the stone that
rolled and bounded on its way down.

In the meantime the fisherman hastily put on the cap,
seized the club, and sitting down on the carpet, repeated the
magic formula without forgetting a single word.

He was already high up in the air when the demons re-
turned carrying the stone and calling out to him to come
and reward the winner.

“Come down and divide those things between us,” they
cried after him.

The fisherman’s only answer was the magic address to
his club. This enchanted weapon then fell upon them and
struck so hard that the country round echoed to the sound
thereof. In the midst of screams and cries and clouds of
dust they escaped at last, and the club, of its own accord,
came back and placed itself at the fisherman’s orders. He,
in spite of the rapid motion, sat comfortably on the carpet
with the cap under his arm and the club in his hand. Thus
they flew over forests, under clouds, and so high that seen
from the earth they looked like a tiny white cloud.

Within two or three days they stopped at the king’s