thought he to himself, "i must dig a pit for him." he, however, who digs a pit for another, falls into it himself. in the evening when work was over and it had grown dusk, he stole to the king and said, "lord king, the tailor is an arrogant fellow and has boasted that he will get the gold crown back again which was lost in ancient times." "that would please me very much," said the king, and he caused the tailor to be brought before him next morning, and ordered him to get the crown back again, or to leave the town for ever. "oho!" thought the tailor, "a rogue gives more than he has got. if the surly king wants me to do what can be done by no one, i will not wait till morning, but will go out of the town at once, to-day." he packed up his bundle, therefore, but when he was without the gate he could not help being sorry to give up his good fortune, and turn his back on the town in which all had gone so well with him. he came to the pond where he had made the acquaintance of the ducks; at that very moment the old one whose young ones he had spared, was sitting there by the shore, pluming herself with her beak.