Is it so large that one head fills twelve water-tubs ? ' ' I have not seen that , ' answered the man . ` But I saw twelve waggons , drawn by twelve horses , carrying one head of cauliflower to the market . ' And the servant answered : ` Here are ten florins for you , my man , for you have saved me a long journey . Come with me now , and tell the king what you have just told me . ' ` All right , ' said the man , and they went together to the palace ; and when the king asked the servant if he had found out the truth about the cauliflower , the servant replied : ` Sire , all that you heard was perfectly true ; here is a man from the country who will tell you so . ' So the king had to pay the thief the six hundred florins . And the two partners set out once more on their travels , with their nine hundred florins . When they reached the country of the neighbouring king , the thief entered the royal presence , and began conversation by asking if his majesty knew that in an adjacent kingdom there was a town with a church steeple on which a bird had alighted , and that the steeple was so high , and the bird 's beak so long , that it had pecked the stars till some of them fell out of the sky . ' I do n't believe it , ' said the king . ` Nevertheless I am prepared to bet twelve hundred florins that it is true , ' answered the thief . ` And I bet twelve hundred florins that it is a lie , ' replied the king . And he straightway sent a servant into the neighbouring country to find out the truth . As he rode , the servant met a man coming in the opposite direction . So he hailed him and asked him where he came from . And the man replied that he came out of the very town to which the man was bound . Then the servant asked him if the story they had heard about the bird with the long beak was true . ' I do n't know about that , ' answered the man , ` as I have never seen the bird ; but I once saw twelve men shoving all their might and main with brooms to push a monster egg into a cellar . ' -LSB- Illustration : `` I once saw '' 12 MEN SHOVING ALL THEIR MIGHT AND MAIN WITH BROOMS TO PUSH A MONSTER EGG INTO A CELLAR -RSB- ` That is capital , ' answered the servant , presenting the man with ten florins . ` Come and tell your tale to the king , and you will save me a long journey . '
So , when the story was repeated to the king , there was nothing for him to do but to pay the thief the twelve hundred XXXXX .
Sire beak brooms direction florins right story straightway waggons water-tubs