there, in a row, stood the pretty children, and bowed before him, held out their hands, and knelt down. the lord, however, began to bless them, laid his hands on the first, and said, "thou shalt be a powerful king;" and to the second, "thou a prince," to the third, "thou a count," to the fourth, "thou a knight," to the fifth, "thou a nobleman," to the sixth, "thou a burgher," to the seventh, "thou a merchant," to the eighth, "thou a learned man." he bestowed upon them also all his richest blessings. when eve saw that the lord was so mild and gracious, she thought, "i will bring hither my ill-favoured children also, it may be that he will bestow his blessing on them likewise." so she ran and brought them out of the hay, the straw, the stove, and wherever else she had concealed them. then came the whole coarse, dirty, shabby, sooty band. the lord smiled, looked at them all, and said, "i will bless these also." he laid his hands on the first, and said to him, "thou shalt be a peasant," to the second, "thou a fisherman," to the third, "thou a smith," to the fourth, "thou a tanner," to the fifth, "thou a weaver," to the sixth, "thou a shoemaker," to the seventh, "thou a tailor," to the eighth, "thou a potter," to the ninth, "thou a waggoner," to the tenth, "thou a sailor," to the eleventh, "thou an errand-boy," to the twelfth, "thou a scullion all the days of thy life."