When it suited him he did not enter an
inn at all, but either on the plain, in a wood, a meadow, or wherever
he fancied, he took his little table off his back, set it down before
him, and said, “Cover thyself,” and then everything appeared that his
heart desired. At length he took it into his head to go back to his
father, whose anger would now be appeased, and who would now willingly
receive him with his wishing-table. It came to pass that on his way
home, he came one evening to an inn which was filled with guests. They
bade him welcome, and invited him to sit and eat with them, for
otherwise he would have difficulty in getting anything. “No,” answered
the joiner, “I will not take the few bites out of your mouths; rather
than that, you shall be my guests.” They laughed, and thought he was
jesting with them; he, however, placed his wooden table in the middle
of the room, and said, “Little table, cover thyself.” Instantly it was
covered with food, so good that the host could never have procured it,
and the smell of it ascended pleasantly to the nostrils of the guests. “Fall to, dear friends,” said the joiner; and the guests when they saw
that he meant it, did not need to be asked twice, but drew near, pulled
out their knives and attacked it valiantly. And what surprised them the
most was that when a dish became empty, a full one instantly took its
place of its own accord. The innkeeper stood in one corner and watched
the affair; he did not at all know what to say, but thought, “Thou
couldst easily find a use for such a cook as that in thy kitchen.” The
joiner and his comrades made merry until late into the night; at length
they lay down to sleep, and the young apprentice also went to bed, and
set his magic table against the wall. The host’s thoughts, however, let
him have no rest; it occurred to him that there was a little old table
in his lumber-room which looked just like the apprentice’s and he
brought it out quite softly, and exchanged it for the wishing-table. Next morning, the joiner paid for his bed, took up his table, never
thinking that he had got a false one, and went his way. At mid-day he
reached his father, who received him with great joy. “Well, my dear
son, what hast thou learnt?” said he to him. “Father, I have become a
joiner.”

“A good trade,” replied the old man; “but what hast thou brought back
with thee from thy apprenticeship?” “Father, the best thing which I
have brought back with me is this little table.” The tailor inspected
it on all sides and said, “Thou didst not make a masterpiece when thou
mad’st that; it is a bad old table.” “But it is a table which furnishes
itself,” replied the son. “When I set it out, and tell it to cover
itself, the most beautiful dishes stand on it, and a wine also, which
gladdens the heart. Just invite all our relations and friends, they
shall refresh and enjoy themselves for once, for the table will give
them all they require.” When the company was assembled, he put his
table in the middle of the room and said, “Little table, cover
thyself,” but the little table did not bestir itself, and remained just
as bare as any other table which did not understand language. Then the
poor apprentice became aware that his table had been changed, and was
ashamed at having to stand there like a liar. The relations, however,
mocked him, and were forced to go home without having eaten or drunk. The father brought out his patches again, and went on tailoring, but
the son went to a master in the craft. The second son had gone to a miller and had apprenticed himself to him. When his years were over, the master said, “As thou hast conducted
thyself so well, I give thee an ass of a peculiar kind, which neither
draws a cart nor carries a sack.” “To what use is he put, then?” asked
the young apprentice. “He lets gold drop from his mouth,” answered the
miller. “If thou settest him on a cloth and sayest ‘Bricklebrit,’ the
good animal will drop gold pieces for thee.” “That is a fine thing,”
said the apprentice, and thanked the master, and went out into the
world. When he had need of gold, he had only to say “Bricklebrit” to
his ass, and it rained gold pieces, and he had nothing to do but pick
them off the ground. Wheresoever he went, the best of everything was
good enough for him, and the dearer the better, for he had always a
full purse. When he had looked about the world for some time, he
thought, “Thou must seek out thy father; if thou goest to him with the
gold-ass he will forget his anger, and receive thee well.” It came to
pass that he came to the same public-house in which his brother’s table
had been exchanged. He led his ass by the bridle, and the host was
about to take the animal from him and tie him up, but the young
apprentice said, “Don’t trouble yourself, I will take my grey horse
into the stable, and tie him up myself too, for I must know where he
stands.” This struck the host as odd, and he thought that a man who was
forced to look after his ass himself, could not have much to spend; but
when the stranger put his hand in his pocket and brought out two gold
pieces, and said he was to provide something good for him, the host
opened his eyes wide, and ran and sought out the best he could muster. After dinner the guest asked what he owed. The host did not see why he
should not double the reckoning, and said the apprentice must give two
more gold pieces. He felt in his pocket, but his gold was just at an
end. “Wait an instant, sir host,” said he, “I will go and fetch some
money;” but he took the table-cloth with him. The host could not
imagine what this could mean, and being curious, stole after him, and
as the guest bolted the stable-door, he peeped through a hole left by a
knot in the wood. The stranger spread out the cloth under the animal
and cried, “Bricklebrit,” and immediately the beast began to let gold
pieces fall, so that it fairly rained down money on the ground. “Eh, my
word,” said the host, “ducats are quickly coined there! A purse like
that is not amiss.” The guest paid his score, and went to bed, but in
the night the host stole down into the stable, led away the master of
the mint, and tied up another ass in his place. Early next morning the
apprentice travelled away with his ass, and thought that he had his
gold-ass. At mid-day he reached his father, who rejoiced to see him
again, and gladly took him in. “What hast thou made of thyself, my
son?” asked the old man. “A miller,” dear father, he answered. “What
hast thou brought back with thee from thy travels?” “Nothing else but
an ass.” “There are asses enough here,” said the father, “I would
rather have had a good goat.” “Yes,” replied the son, “but it is no
common ass, but a gold-ass, when I say ‘Bricklebrit,’ the good beast
opens its mouth and drops a whole sheetful of gold pieces.