Chapter II

Again the brownie came in, and said, “What will you give me if I spin this straw into gold?”

The miller’s daughter said, “My gold ring.”

So again he sang,

“Round about, round about,
Lo and behold!
Reel away, reel away,
Straw into gold!”

The king was so glad to see all the gold, that he filled a much larger room with straw.

“Now,” he said, “if you spin this straw into gold I will make you my queen.”

When the brownie came that night, the miller’s daughter said, “I have nothing else to give you.”

“Will you give me your first little child, when you are queen?” said the brownie.

“Yes,” said the miller’s daughter.

Once more the brownie sang. The wheel went round, and soon the room was filled with gold.

The king was so glad that he made the miller’s daughter his queen.

When she held her first little child in her arms, she was so happy that she did not think about the brownie.

But one day he came to take away the baby. The poor queen was very unhappy.

Then the brownie said, “If in three days you can find out my name, I will not take away your child.”