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The old devil was overjoyed as he thought, "Now my enterprise is on a
fair road and I will be able to ruin the Fool--as I did his brothers."
The fools obtained sufficient gold to distribute among the entire
community, the women and young girls of the village wearing much of it
as ornaments, while to the children they gave some pieces to play with
on the streets.
When they had secured all they wanted they stopped working and the
"noblemen" did not get his house more than half finished. He had neither
provisions nor cattle for the year, and ordered the people to bring him
both. He directed them also to go on with the building of the palace and
factories. He promised to pay them liberally in gold for everything they
did. No one responded to his call--only once in awhile a little boy or
girl would call to exchange eggs for his gold.
Thus was the "nobleman" deserted, and, having nothing to eat, he went
to the village to procure some provisions for his dinner. He went to
one house and offered gold in return for a chicken, but was refused, the
owner saying: "We have enough of that already and do not want any more."
He next went to a fish-woman to buy some herring, when she, too, refused
to accept his gold in return for fish, saying: "I do not wish it, my
dear man; I have no children to whom I can give it to play with. I have
three pieces which I keep as curiosities only."
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