It certainly was a very queer place! There were great fires burning on
every side. Although the huge snowball had cooled the air, it had not
quenched the fires.

The Chief Dwarf was stirring some fat that was boiling in a kettle. When
he saw the Poor Brother standing before him with the ham under his arm,
he cried, "Ho, ho! Who comes here?"

Before the Poor Brother could answer, the seven little dwarfs had
crowded around him, teasing for the ham. It was many a day since they
had tasted ham, and they were very fond of it.

"What will you give me for the ham?" asked the Poor Brother.

"We have neither silver nor gold," said the dwarfs, "but we will give
you the Mill that stands behind the door."

"Of what use would the Mill be to me? I am hungry and have come to boil
the ham," said the Poor Brother.

"It is a wonderful Mill," the Chief Dwarf replied. "It will grind
anything in the world that you might wish, excepting snow and ham. I
will show you how to use it."

The Poor Brother agreed to give the ham in exchange for the Mill, and
the Chief Dwarf told him how to use it.

The dwarf said, "When you wish the Mill to grind, use these words: