Now, it chanced that morning that the chief ranger had started to see how the work was being done, and, on reaching the forest, asked the guards if many wood-cutters had entered.  They all replied that only one had made his appearance, but he must be working vigorously, since all that morning, and the whole day before, the wood had resounded with the blows of axes.  The Lord Woodmount thereupon rode on in great anger, for he thought that Ranier had mocked him.  But presently he came to great piles of hewn timber which astonished him much; and then he heard the axes’ sound, which astonished him more, for it seemed as though twenty wood-choppers were engaged at once, so great was the din.  When he came to where the ax was at work, he thought he saw—­and this was through the magic power of the fairy—­thousands of wood-cutters, all arrayed in green hose and red jerkins, some felling the trees, some hewing them into square timber, and others arranging the hewn logs into piles of a hundred each, while Ranier stood looking on.  He was so angry at the guards for having misinformed him, that he at once rode back and rated them soundly on their supposed untruth.  But as they persisted in the story that but one man had passed, he grew angrier than ever.  While he was still rating them, Ranier came up.

“Well, my lord,” said the latter, “if you will go or send to examine, you will find that twenty thousand trees are already cut, squared, and made ready to be hauled to the king’s palace-ground.”

The ranger at once rode back into the forest, and, having counted the number of piles, was much pleased, and ordered Ranier to come that day week when the timber would be inspected, and if it were all properly done he would receive the twenty thousand nobles agreed upon.

“Excuse me, my lord,” suggested Ranier, “but the work has been done in two days instead of thirty; and twenty-eight days off at a hundred nobles per day makes twenty-two thousand eight hundred nobles as my due.”

“True,” replied the ranger; “and if you want money now—­”

“Oh no!” interrupted Ranier, “I have three groats in my purse, and ten more at home, which will be quite sufficient for my needs.”

At this the ranger laughed outright, and then rode away.

At the end of a week, Ranier sought the ranger’s castle, and there received not only an order on the king’s treasurer for the money, but also the patent of deputy-ranger of the king’s forest, and the allotment of a handsome house in which to live.  Thither Ranier brought his mother, and as he was now rich, he bought him fine clothing, and hired him servants, and lived in grand style, performing all the duties of his office as though he had been used to it all his life.  People noticed, however, that the new deputy-ranger never went out without his ax, which occasioned some gossip at first; but some one having suggested that he did so to show that he was not ashamed of his former condition, folk were satisfied,—­though the truth was that he carried the ax for service only.