Once more the sharp-eared comrade overheard the King 's words while he was still talking to the courtier , and reported them to the Simpleton . ` Alas , alas ! ' he sighed ; ` what in the world shall I do ? Why , it would take us a year , possibly our whole lives , to eat up twelve oxen and twelve tons of bread . ' ` Never fear , ' said the glutton . ` It will scarcely be enough for me , I 'm so hungry . ' So when the courtier arrived with the royal message he was told to take back word to the King that his orders should be obeyed . Then twelve roasted oxen and twelve tons of bread were brought alongside of the ship , and at one sitting the glutton had devoured it all . ' I call that a small meal , ' he said . ' I wish they 'd brought me some more . ' Next , the King ordered that forty casks of wine , containing forty gallons each , were to be drunk up on the spot by the Simpleton and his party . When these words were overheard by the sharp-eared comrade and repeated to the Simpleton , he was in despair . ` Alas , alas ! ' he exclaimed ; ` what is to be done ? It would take us a year , possibly our whole lives , to drink so much . ' ` Never fear , ' said his thirsty comrade . ` I 'll drink it all up at a gulp , see if I do n't . ' And sure enough , when the forty casks of wine containing forty gallons each were brought alongside of the ship , they disappeared down the thirsty comrade 's throat in no time ; and when they were empty he remarked : ` Why , I 'm still thirsty . I should have been glad of two more casks . ' Then the King took counsel with himself and sent an order to the Simpleton that he was to have a bath , in a bath-room at the royal palace , and after that the betrothal should take place .
Now the bath-room was built of iron , and the XXXXX gave orders that it was to be heated to such a pitch that it would suffocate the Simpleton .
King Simpleton bath-room casks comrade counsel glutton meal word year