In spite of the softness of the bed , he was very glad when morning came at last . After breakfast was over , the king said to Jesper , ` Just come with me , and I 'll show you what you must do first . ' He led him out to the barn , and there in the middle of the floor was a large pile of grain . ` Here , ' said the king , ` you have a mixed heap of wheat , barley , oats , and rye , a sackful of each . By an hour before sunset you must have these sorted out into four heaps , and if a single grain is found to be in a wrong heap you have no further chance of marrying my daughter . I shall lock the door , so that no one can get in to assist you , and I shall return at the appointed time to see how you have succeeded . ' The king walked off , and Jesper looked in despair at the task before him . Then he sat down and tried what he could do at it , but it was soon very clear that single-handed he could never hope to accomplish it in the time . Assistance was out of the question -- unless , he suddenly thought -- unless the King of the Ants could help . On him he began to call , and before many minutes had passed that royal personage made his appearance . Jesper explained the trouble he was in . ` Is that all ? ' said the ant ; ` we shall soon put that to rights . ' He gave the royal signal , and in a minute or two a stream of ants came pouring into the barn , who under the king 's orders set to work to separate the grain into the proper heaps . Jesper watched them for a while , but through the continual movement of the little creatures , and his not having slept during the previous night , he soon fell sound asleep . When he woke again , the king had just come into the barn , and was amazed to find that not only was the task accomplished , but that Jesper had found time to take a nap as well . ` Wonderful , ' said he ; ' I could n't have believed it possible . However , the hardest is yet to come , as you will see to-morrow . ' Jesper thought so too when the next day 's task was set before him . The king 's gamekeepers had caught a hundred live hares , which were to be let loose in a large meadow , and there Jesper must herd them all day , and bring them safely home in the evening : if even one were missing , he must give up all thought of marrying the princess .
Before he had quite grasped the fact that this was an impossible task , the keepers had opened the sacks in which the hares were brought to the field , and , with a whisk XXXXX the short tail and a flap of the long ears , each one of the hundred flew in a different direction .
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