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　　ThemessengerscametoEmely&aacute；nandgavehimtheKing’smessage。

　　Hiswifesaid，’Go，Emely&aacute；n；workallday，butcomebackhomeatnight。’

　　SoEmely&aacute；nwent，andwhenhegottothepalacetheKing’sstewardaskedhim，’Whyhaveyoucomealone，withoutyourwife？’

　　’WhyshouldIdragherabout？’saidEmely&aacute；n。’Shehasahousetolivein。’

　　AttheKing’spalacetheygaveEmely&aacute；nworkenoughfortwo。Hebeganthejobnothopingtofinishit；butwheneveningcame，loandbehold！itwasalldone。Thestewardsawthatitwasfinished，andsethimfourtimesasmuchfornextday。

　　Emely&aacute；nwenthome。Everythingtherewassweptandtidy；theovenwasheated，hissupperwascookedandready，andhiswifesatbythetablesewingandwaitingforhisreturn。Shegreetedhim，laidthetable，gavehimtoeatanddrink，andthenbegantoaskhimabouthiswork。

　　’Ah！’saidhe，’it’sabadbusiness:theygivemetasksbeyondmystrength，andwanttokillmewithwork。’

　　’Don’tfretaboutthework，’saidshe，’don’tlookeitherbeforeorbehindtoseehowmuchyouhavedoneorhowmuchthereislefttodo；onlykeeponworkingandallwillberight。’

　　SoEmely&aacute；nlaydownandslept。Nextmorninghewenttoworkagainandworkedwithoutoncelookinground。And，loandbehold！

　　bytheeveningitwasalldone，andbeforedarkhecamehomeforthenight。

　　AgainandagaintheyincreasedEmely&aacute；n’swork，buthealwaysgotthroughitingoodtimeandwentbacktohishuttosleep。A

　　weekpassed，andtheKing’sservantssawtheycouldnotcrushhimwithroughworksotheytriedgivinghimworkthatrequiredskill。Butthis，also，wasofnoavail。Carpentering，andmasonry，androofing，whatevertheysethimtodo，Emely&aacute；nhaditreadyintime，andwenthometohiswifeatnight。Soasecondweekpassed。

　　ThentheKingcalledhisservantsandsaid:’AmItofeedyoufornothing？

　　Twoweekshavegone，andIdon’tseethatyouhavedoneanything。YouweregoingtotireEmely&aacute；noutwithwork，butIseefrommywindowshowhegoeshomeeveryevening——

　　singingcheerfully！Doyoumeantomakeafoolofme？’

　　TheKing’sservantsbegantoexcusethemselves。’Wetriedourbesttowearhimoutwithroughwork，’theysaid，’butnothingwastoohardforhim；hecleareditalloffasthoughhehadsweptitawaywithabroom。Therewasnotiringhimout。Thenwesethimtotasksneedingskill，whichwedidnotthinkhewascleverenoughtodo，buthemanagedthemall。Nomatterwhatonesetshim，hedoesitall，nooneknowshow。Eitherheorhiswifemustknowsomespellthathelpsthem。Weourselvesaresickofhim，andwishtofindataskhecannotmaster。Wehavenowthoughtofsettinghimtobuildacathedralinasingleday。SendforEmely&aacute；n，andorderhimtobuildacathedralinfrontofthepalaceinasingleday。Then，ifhedoesnotdoit，lethisheadbecutofffordisobedience。’

　　TheKingsentforEmely&aacute；n。’Listentomycommand，’saidhe:’buildmeanewcathedralonthesquareinfrontofmypalace，andhaveitreadybyto-morrowevening。IfyouhaveitreadyIwillrewardyou，butifnotIwillhaveyourheadcutoff。’

　　WhenEmely&aacute；nheardtheKing’scommandheturnedawayandwenthome。’Myendisnear，’thoughthe。Andcomingtohiswife，hesaid:’Getready，wifewemustflyfromhere，orIshallbelostbynofaultofmyown。’

　　’Whathasfrightenedyouso？’saidshe，’andwhyshouldwerunaway？’

　　’HowcanIhelpbeingfrightened？TheKinghasorderedme，to-morrow，inasingleday，tobuildhimacathedral。IfIfailhewillcutmyheadoff。Thereisonlyonethingtobedone:wemustflywhilethereisyettime。’

　　Buthiswifewouldnothearofit。’TheKinghasmanysoldiers，’saidshe。’Theywouldcatchusanywhere。Wecannotescapefromhim，butmustobeyhimaslongasstrengthholdsout。’

　　’HowcanIobeyhimwhenthetaskisbeyondmystrength？’

　　’Eh，goodman，don’tbedownhearted。Eatyoursuppernow，andgotosleep。

　　Riseearlyinthemorningandallwillgetdone。’

　　SoEmely&aacute；nlaydownandslept。Hiswiferousedhimearlynextday。’Goquickly，’saidshe，’andfinishthecathedral。Herearenailsandahammer；thereisstillenoughworkthereforaday。’

　　Emely&aacute；nwentintothetown，reachedthepalacesquare，andtherestoodalargecathedralnotquitefinished。Emely&aacute；nsettoworktodowhatwasneeded，andbytheeveningallwasready。

　　WhentheKingawokehelookedoutfromhispalace，andsawthecathedral，andEmely&aacute；ngoingaboutdrivinginnailshereandthere。AndtheKingwasnotpleasedtohavethecathedral——hewasannoyedatnotbeingabletocondemnEmely&aacute；nandtakehiswife。Againhecalledhisservants。’Emely&aacute；nhasdonethistaskalso，’saidtheKing，’andthereisnoexcuseforputtinghimtodeath。Eventhisworkwasnottoohardforhim。Youmustfindamorecunningplan，orIwillcutoffyourheadsaswellashis。’

　　SohisservantsplannedthatEmely&aacute；nshouldbeorderedtomakeariverroundthepalace，withshipssailingonit。AndtheKingsentforEmely&aacute；nandsethimthisnewtask。

　　’If，’saidhe，’youcouldbuildacathedralinonenight，youcanalsodothis。To-morrowallmustbeready。Ifnot，Iwillhaveyourheadoff。’

　　Emely&aacute；nwasmoredowncastthanbefore，andreturnedtohiswifesadatheart。

　　’Whyareyousosad？’saidhiswife。’HastheKingsetyouafreshtask？’

　　Emely&aacute；ntoldheraboutit。’Wemustfly，’saidhe。

　　Buthiswifereplied:’Thereisnoescapingthesoldiers；theywillcatchuswhereverwego。Thereisnothingforitbuttoobey。’

　　’HowcanIdoit？’groanedEmely&aacute；n。

　　’Eh！eh！goodman，’saidshe，’don’tbedownhearted。Eatyoursuppernow，andgotosleep。Riseearly，andallwillgetdoneingoodtime。’

　　SoEmely&aacute；nlaydownandslept。Inthemorninghiswifewokehim。

　　’Go，’saidshe’tothepalace——allisready。Only，nearthewharfinfrontofthepalace，thereisamoundleft；takeaspadeandlevelit。

　　WhentheKingawokehesawariverwheretherehadnotbeenone；shipsweresailingupanddown，andEmely&aacute；nwaslevellingamoundwithaspade。TheKingwondered，butwaspleasedneitherwiththerivernorwiththeships，sovexedwasheatnotbeingabletocondemnEmely&aacute；n。’Thereisnotask，’thoughthe，’thathecannotmanage。Whatistobedone？’Andhecalledhisservantsandagainaskedtheiradvice。

　　’Findsometask，’saidhe，’whichEmely&aacute；ncannotcompass。Forwhateverweplanhefulfils，andIcannottakehiswifefromhim。’

　　TheKing’sservantsthoughtandthought，andatlastdevisedaplan。

　　TheycametotheKingandsaid:’SendforEmely&aacute；nandsaytohim:“Gotothere，don’tknowwhere，“andbringback“that，don’tknowwhat。“Thenhewillnotbeabletoescapeyou。Nomatterwherehegoes，youcansaythathehasnotgonetotherightplace，andnomatterwhathebrings，youcansayitisnottherightthing。Thenyoucanhavehimbeheadedandcantakehiswife。’

　　TheKingwaspleased。’Thatiswellthoughtof，’saidhe。SotheKingsentforEmely&aacute；nandsaidtohim:’Goto“there，don’tknowwhere，“andbringback“that，don’tknowwhat。“Ifyoufailtobringit，Iwillhaveyoubeheaded。’

　　Emely&aacute；nreturnedtohiswifeandtoldherwhattheKinghadsaid。

　　Hiswifebecamethoughtful。

　　’Well，’saidshe，’theyhavetaughttheKinghowtocatchyou。Nowwemustactwarily。’Soshesatandthought，andatlastsaidtoherhusband:’Youmustgofar，toourGrandam——theoldpeasantwoman，themotherofsoldiers——andyoumustaskheraid。Ifshehelpsyoutoanything，gostraighttothepalacewithit，Ishallbethere:Icannotescapethemnow。Theywilltakemebyforce，butitwillnotbeforlong。IfyoudoeverythingasGrandamdirects，youwillsoonsaveme。’

　　Sothewifegotherhusbandreadyforthejourney。Shegavehimawallet，andalsoaspindle。’Giveherthis，’saidshe。’Bythistokenshewillknowthatyouaremyhusband。’Andhiswifeshowedhimhisroad。

　　Emely&aacute；nsetoff。Heleftthetownbehind，andcametowheresomesoldierswerebeingdrilled。Emely&aacute；nstoodandwatchedthem。

　　Afterdrillthesoldierssatdowntorest。ThenEmely&aacute；nwentuptothemandasked:’Doyouknow，brothers，thewayto“there，don’tknowwhere？“andhowIcanget“that，don’tknowwhat？“’

　　Thesoldierslistenedtohimwithsurprise。’Whosentyouonthiserrand？’

　　saidthey’TheKing，’saidhe。

　　’Weourselves，’saidthey，’fromthedaywebecamesoldiers，gowe“don’tknowwhere，“andneveryethavewegotthere；andweseekwe“don’tknowwhat，“andcannotfindit。Wecannothelpyou。’

　　Emely&aacute；nsatawhilewiththesoldiersandthenwentonagain。