The Chief Man went away and talked with the other men; but no matter what
they did they could not make the Poor Brother uncomfortable; so at last
the Chief Man came back and said,--
"What'll you take to go home?"
"What have you got?" said the Poor Brother.
"Well," said the Chief Man, "if you'll go home quietly I'll give you the
Little Mill that stands behind my door."
"What's the good of it?" said the Poor Brother.
"It is the most wonderful mill in the world," said the Chief Man.
"Anything at all that you want, you have only to name it, and say, 'Grind
this, Little Mill, and grind quickly,' and the Mill will grind that thing
until you say the magic word, to stop it."
"That sounds nice," said the Poor Brother. "I'll take it." And he took the
Little Mill under his arm, and went up, and up, and up, till he came to
his own house.
When he was in front of his little old hut, he put the Little Mill down on
the ground and said to it, "Grind a fine house, Little Mill, and grind
quickly." And the Little Mill ground, and ground, and ground the finest
house that ever was seen. It had fine big chimneys, and gable windows,
and broad piazzas; and just as the Little Mill ground the last step of the
last flight of steps, the Poor Brother said the magic word, and it
stopped.
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