“Anything,” said Jack gaily, meaning, of course, that he could do any foolish bit of work about a house.

But the gentleman saw a way of pleasing his gay young daughter and getting rid of the trouble of employing Jack; so he laughs and says, “If you can do anything, my good lad,” says he, “you had better do this.  By eight o’clock to-morrow morning you must have dug a lake four miles round in front of my mansion, and on it there must be floating a whole fleet of vessels.  And they must range up in front of my mansion and fire a salute of guns.  And the very last shot must break the leg of the four-post bed on which my daughter sleeps, for she is always late of a morning!”

Well!  Jack was terribly flabbergasted, but he faltered out: 

“And if I don’t do it?”

“Then,” said the master of the house quite calmly, “your life will be the forfeit.”

So he bade the servants take Jack to a turret-room and lock the door on him.

Well!  Jack sate on the side of his bed and tried to think things out, but he felt as if he didn’t know b from a battledore, so he decided to think no more, and after saying his prayers he lay down and went to sleep.  And he did sleep!  When he woke it was close on eight o’clock, and he had only time to fly to the window and look out, when the great clock on the tower began to whirr before it struck the hour.  And there was the lawn in front of the house all set with beds of roses and stocks and marigolds!  Well! all of a sudden he remembered the little golden snuff-box.

“I’m near enough to death,” quoth he to himself, as he drew it out and opened it.

And no sooner had he opened it than out hopped three funny little red men in red night-caps, rubbing their eyes and yawning; for, see you, they had been locked up in the box for years, and years, and years.

“What do you want, Master?” they said between their yawns.  But Jack heard that clock a-whirring and knew he hadn’t a moment to lose, so he just gabbled off his orders.  Then the clock began to strike, and the little men flew out of the window, and suddenly

Bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! bang!

went the guns, and the last one must have broken the leg of the four-post bed, for there at the window was the gay young daughter in her nightcap, gazing with astonishment at the lake four miles round, with the fleet of vessels floating on it!

And so did Jack!  He had never seen such a sight in his life, and he was quite sorry when the three little red men disturbed him by flying in at the window and scrambling into the golden snuff-box.

“Give us a little more time when you want us next, Master,” they said sulkily.  Then they shut down the lid, and Jack could hear them yawning inside as they settled down to sleep.

As you may imagine, the master of the house was fair astonished, while as for the gay young daughter, she declared at once that she would never marry any one else but the young man who could do such wonderful things; the truth being that she and Jack had fallen in love with each other at first sight.