for the country whence the thief had come, to find out if his
story of the cauliflower was true. On his journey the servant met
with a man. Stopping his horse he asked him where he came from,
and the man replied that he came from the country to which the
other was travelling.

‘If that is the case,' said the servant, ‘you can tell me to what
size cauliflower grows in your country? Is it so large that one
head fills twelve water-tubs?'

‘I have not seen that,' answered the man. ‘But I saw twelve
waggons, drawn by twelve horses, carrying one head of cauliflower
to the market.'

And the servant answered: ‘Here are ten florins for you, my man,
for you have saved me a long journey. Come with me now, and tell
the king what you have just told me.'

‘All right,' said the man, and they went together to the palace;
and when the king asked the servant if he had found out the truth
about the cauliflower, the servant replied: ‘Sire, all that you
heard was perfectly true; here is a man from the country who will
tell you so.'

So the king had to pay the thief the six hundred florins. And the
two partners set out once more on their travels, with their nine
hundred florins. When they reached the country of the
neighbouring king, the thief entered the royal presence, and
began conversation by asking if his majesty knew that in an
adjacent kingdom there was a town with a church steeple on which