` Are you coming back again ? ' ` That may be , ' said Esben . ` Then you 'll catch it , ' said the witch . It was only a minute before the stick had again landed Esben at the king 's palace , and the brothers were then freed from their distress . The king gave them many fine presents , but Esben did not get even so much as thanks from them . Never had Sir Red been so eaten up with envy as he was now , and he racked his brain day and night to find something quite impossible to demand from the brothers . One day he went to the king and told him that the lamp the brothers had procured was good enough , but they could still get for him something that was far better . The king asked what that was . ` It is , ' said Sir Red , ` the most beautiful coverlet that any mortal ever heard tell of . It also has the property that , when anyone touches it , it sounds so that it can be heard over eight kingdoms . ' ` That must be a splendid coverlet , ' said the king , and he at once sent for the brothers . ` You have said that you know of a coverlet , the most beautiful in the whole world , and which sounds over eight kingdoms when anyone touches it . You shall procure it for me , or else lose your lives , ' said he . The brothers answered him that they had never said a word about such a coverlet , did not believe it existed , and that it was quite impossible for them to procure it . But the king would not hear a word ; he drove them away , telling them that if they did not get it very soon it would cost them their heads . Things looked very black again for the brothers , for they were sure there was no escape for them . The youngest of them , indeed , asked where Esben was , but the others said that that little fool could scarcely keep himself in clothes , and it was not to be expected that he could help them . Not one of them thought it worth while to look for Esben , but he soon came along of himself . ` Well , what 's the matter now ? ' said he .
` Oh , what 's the use XXXXX telling you ? '
about at before for from in of over that to