Opening, part 34 · page 21 2101Give me the arrows, I will finish making them, and you can go to the river and bring home the pack!'102So the old man rose and went, and strapped the meat on his shoulder; but as he was crossing the ford the strap broke and the pack fell into the river.103He stooped to catch it, but it swirled past him.checked by a teacher104He clutched again; but in doing so he over- balanced himself and was hurried into some rapids, where he was knocked against some rocks, and he sank and was drowned, and his body was carried down the stream into smoother water when it rose to the surface again.105But by this time it had lost all likeness to a man, and was changed into a piece of wood.106The wood floated on, and the river got bigger and bigger and entered a new country.107There it was borne by the current close to the shore, and a woman who was down there washing her clothes caught it as it passed, and drew it out, saying to herself: 'What a nice smooth plank!108I will use it as a table to put my food upon.'109And gathering up her clothes she took the plank with her into her hut.110When her supper time came she stretched the board across two strings which hung from the roof, and set upon it the pot containing a stew that smelt very good.111The woman had been working hard all day and was very hungry, so she took her biggest spoon and plunged it into the pot.112But what was her astonishment and disgust when both pot and food vanished instantly before her!113'Oh, you horrid plank, you have brought me ill-luck!' she cried.114And taking it up she flung it away from her.1 2← previousOpening, part 33next →Opening, part 35↑ back to The Orange Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3027/34/page/2/