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“Prut!” said the little gentleman, “now you are not talking like the wise Peter. You should never judge by the outside of things. What would you like to have?”

“I should like,” said Peter, “to have a good dinner.”

“Nothing easier!” said the little gentleman, and he drew the cork. Pop! pop! and what should come out of the bottle but two tall men, dressed all in blue with gold trimmings. “What will you have, sir?” said the first of these to the little gentleman.

“A good dinner for two,” said the little man.

No sooner said than done; for, before you could say Frederic Strutzenwillenbachen, there stood a table, with a sweet, clean, white cloth spread over it, and on this was the nicest dinner that you ever saw, for there were beer and chitterlings, and cheese and good white bread, fit for the king. Then Peter and the little man fell to with might and main, and ate till they could eat no more. After they were done, the two tall men took table and dishes and all back into the bottle again, and the little gentleman corked it up.

The next day he started off to the palace once more. Rap! rap! rap! he knocked at the door. Was the King at home? Yes, the King was at home; would he come and sit in the parlor?

Presently the King came in, in dressing-gown and slippers. “What! are you back again?” said he.

“Yes; I am back again,” said Peter.

“What do you want?” said the King.

“I want to marry the Princess,” said Peter.

“What have you brought this time?” said the King.

“I have brought another bottle,” said Peter.

Then the King rubbed his hands and was very polite indeed, and asked Peter in to breakfast, and Peter went. So they all three sat down together, the King, the Princess, and Peter.

“My dear,” said the King, to the Princess, “the Lord Peter has brought another bottle with him.” Thereat the Princess was very polite also. Would Lord Peter let them see the bottle? Oh yes! Peter would do that: so he drew it out of his pocket and sat it upon the table.

Perhaps they would like to have it opened. Yes, that they would. So Peter opened the bottle.

Hui! what a hubbub there was! The King hopped about till his slippers flew off, his dressing-gown fluttered like great wings, and his crown rolled off from his head and across the floor, like a quoit at the fair. As for the Princess, she never danced in all of her life as she danced that morning. They made such a noise that the soldiers of the Royal Guard came running in; but the two tall black men spared them no more than the King and the Princess. Then came all of the Lords of the Council, and they likewise danced to the same music as the rest.

“Oh, Peter! dear Lord Peter! cork up your men again!” they all cried.

“Will you give me back my bottle?” said Peter.

“Yes! yes!” cried the King.

“Will you marry me?” said Peter.

“Yes! yes!” cried the Princess.

Then Peter said “brikket-ligg!” and the two tall men popped back into the bottle again. So the King gave him back his other bottle, and the minister was called in and married him to the Princess.

After that he lived happily, and when the old King died he became King over all of the land. As for the Princess, she was as good a wife as you ever saw, but Peter always kept the bottle near to him–maybe that was the reason.

Ah me! if I could only take my eggs to such a
market and get two such bottles for them!
What would I do with them? It would
take too long to tell you.