ThemessengerscametoEmelyá；nandgavehimtheKing’smessage。
Hiswifesaid，’Go，Emelyá；n；workallday，butcomebackhomeatnight。’
SoEmelyá；nwent，andwhenhegottothepalacetheKing’sstewardaskedhim，’Whyhaveyoucomealone，withoutyourwife？’
’WhyshouldIdragherabout？’saidEmelyá；n。’Shehasahousetolivein。’
AttheKing’spalacetheygaveEmelyá；nworkenoughfortwo。Hebeganthejobnothopingtofinishit；butwheneveningcame，loandbehold！itwasalldone。Thestewardsawthatitwasfinished，andsethimfourtimesasmuchfornextday。
Emelyá；nwenthome。Everythingtherewassweptandtidy；theovenwasheated，hissupperwascookedandready，andhiswifesatbythetablesewingandwaitingforhisreturn。Shegreetedhim，laidthetable，gavehimtoeatanddrink，andthenbegantoaskhimabouthiswork。
’Ah！’saidhe，’it’sabadbusiness:theygivemetasksbeyondmystrength，andwanttokillmewithwork。’
’Don’tfretaboutthework，’saidshe，’don’tlookeitherbeforeorbehindtoseehowmuchyouhavedoneorhowmuchthereislefttodo；onlykeeponworkingandallwillberight。’
SoEmelyá；nlaydownandslept。Nextmorninghewenttoworkagainandworkedwithoutoncelookinground。And，loandbehold！
bytheeveningitwasalldone，andbeforedarkhecamehomeforthenight。
AgainandagaintheyincreasedEmelyá；n’swork，buthealwaysgotthroughitingoodtimeandwentbacktohishuttosleep。A
weekpassed，andtheKing’sservantssawtheycouldnotcrushhimwithroughworksotheytriedgivinghimworkthatrequiredskill。Butthis，also，wasofnoavail。Carpentering，andmasonry，androofing，whatevertheysethimtodo，Emelyá；nhaditreadyintime，andwenthometohiswifeatnight。Soasecondweekpassed。
ThentheKingcalledhisservantsandsaid:’AmItofeedyoufornothing？
Twoweekshavegone，andIdon’tseethatyouhavedoneanything。YouweregoingtotireEmelyá；noutwithwork，butIseefrommywindowshowhegoeshomeeveryevening——
singingcheerfully！Doyoumeantomakeafoolofme？’
TheKing’sservantsbegantoexcusethemselves。’Wetriedourbesttowearhimoutwithroughwork，’theysaid，’butnothingwastoohardforhim；hecleareditalloffasthoughhehadsweptitawaywithabroom。Therewasnotiringhimout。Thenwesethimtotasksneedingskill，whichwedidnotthinkhewascleverenoughtodo，buthemanagedthemall。Nomatterwhatonesetshim，hedoesitall，nooneknowshow。Eitherheorhiswifemustknowsomespellthathelpsthem。Weourselvesaresickofhim，andwishtofindataskhecannotmaster。Wehavenowthoughtofsettinghimtobuildacathedralinasingleday。SendforEmelyá；n，andorderhimtobuildacathedralinfrontofthepalaceinasingleday。Then，ifhedoesnotdoit，lethisheadbecutofffordisobedience。’
TheKingsentforEmelyá；n。’Listentomycommand，’saidhe:’buildmeanewcathedralonthesquareinfrontofmypalace，andhaveitreadybyto-morrowevening。IfyouhaveitreadyIwillrewardyou，butifnotIwillhaveyourheadcutoff。’
WhenEmelyá；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。’
SoEmelyá；nlaydownandslept。Hiswiferousedhimearlynextday。’Goquickly，’saidshe，’andfinishthecathedral。Herearenailsandahammer；thereisstillenoughworkthereforaday。’
Emelyá；nwentintothetown，reachedthepalacesquare，andtherestoodalargecathedralnotquitefinished。Emelyá；nsettoworktodowhatwasneeded，andbytheeveningallwasready。
WhentheKingawokehelookedoutfromhispalace，andsawthecathedral，andEmelyá；ngoingaboutdrivinginnailshereandthere。AndtheKingwasnotpleasedtohavethecathedral——hewasannoyedatnotbeingabletocondemnEmelyá；nandtakehiswife。Againhecalledhisservants。’Emelyá；nhasdonethistaskalso，’saidtheKing，’andthereisnoexcuseforputtinghimtodeath。Eventhisworkwasnottoohardforhim。Youmustfindamorecunningplan，orIwillcutoffyourheadsaswellashis。’
SohisservantsplannedthatEmelyá；nshouldbeorderedtomakeariverroundthepalace，withshipssailingonit。AndtheKingsentforEmelyá；nandsethimthisnewtask。
’If，’saidhe，’youcouldbuildacathedralinonenight，youcanalsodothis。To-morrowallmustbeready。Ifnot，Iwillhaveyourheadoff。’
Emelyá；nwasmoredowncastthanbefore，andreturnedtohiswifesadatheart。
’Whyareyousosad？’saidhiswife。’HastheKingsetyouafreshtask？’
Emelyá；ntoldheraboutit。’Wemustfly，’saidhe。
Buthiswifereplied:’Thereisnoescapingthesoldiers；theywillcatchuswhereverwego。Thereisnothingforitbuttoobey。’
’HowcanIdoit？’groanedEmelyá；n。
’Eh！eh！goodman，’saidshe，’don’tbedownhearted。Eatyoursuppernow，andgotosleep。Riseearly，andallwillgetdoneingoodtime。’
SoEmelyá；nlaydownandslept。Inthemorninghiswifewokehim。
’Go，’saidshe’tothepalace——allisready。Only，nearthewharfinfrontofthepalace，thereisamoundleft；takeaspadeandlevelit。
WhentheKingawokehesawariverwheretherehadnotbeenone；shipsweresailingupanddown，andEmelyá；nwaslevellingamoundwithaspade。TheKingwondered，butwaspleasedneitherwiththerivernorwiththeships，sovexedwasheatnotbeingabletocondemnEmelyá；n。’Thereisnotask，’thoughthe，’thathecannotmanage。Whatistobedone？’Andhecalledhisservantsandagainaskedtheiradvice。
’Findsometask，’saidhe，’whichEmelyá；ncannotcompass。Forwhateverweplanhefulfils，andIcannottakehiswifefromhim。’
TheKing’sservantsthoughtandthought，andatlastdevisedaplan。
TheycametotheKingandsaid:’SendforEmelyá；nandsaytohim:“Gotothere，don’tknowwhere，“andbringback“that，don’tknowwhat。“Thenhewillnotbeabletoescapeyou。Nomatterwherehegoes，youcansaythathehasnotgonetotherightplace，andnomatterwhathebrings，youcansayitisnottherightthing。Thenyoucanhavehimbeheadedandcantakehiswife。’
TheKingwaspleased。’Thatiswellthoughtof，’saidhe。SotheKingsentforEmelyá；nandsaidtohim:’Goto“there，don’tknowwhere，“andbringback“that，don’tknowwhat。“Ifyoufailtobringit，Iwillhaveyoubeheaded。’
Emelyá；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。
Emelyá；nsetoff。Heleftthetownbehind，andcametowheresomesoldierswerebeingdrilled。Emelyá；nstoodandwatchedthem。
Afterdrillthesoldierssatdowntorest。ThenEmelyá；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。’
Emelyá；nsatawhilewiththesoldiersandthenwentonagain。
