We shall certainly make our fortunes . Let us start together for the palace of the king of the neighbouring country . When we get there , I will go into his presence alone , and will tell him the most startling thing I can invent . Then you must follow and back up my lie . ' Having agreed to do this , they set out on their travels . After several days ' journeying , they reached the town where the king 's palace was , and here they parted for a few hours , while the thief sought an interview with the king , and begged his majesty to give him a glass of beer . ` That is impossible , ' said the king , ` as this year there has been a failure of all the crops , and of the hops and the vines ; so we have neither wine nor beer in the whole kingdom . ' ` How extraordinary ! ' answered the thief . ' I have just come from a country where the crops were so fine that I saw twelve barrels of beer made out of one branch of hops . ' ' I bet you three hundred florins that is not true , ' answered the king . ` And I bet you three hundred florins it is true , ' replied the thief . Then each staked his three hundred florins , and the king said he would decide the question by sending a servant into that country to see if it was true . So the servant set out on horseback , and on the way he met a man , and he asked him whence he came . And the man told him that he came from the self-same country to which the servant was at that moment bound . ` If that is the case , ' said the servant , ` you can tell me how high the hops grow in your country , and how many barrels of beer can be brewed from one branch ? ' ' I ca n't tell you that , ' answered the man , ` but I happened to be present when the hops were being gathered in , and I saw that it took three men with axes three days to cut down one branch . ' Then the servant thought that he might save himself a long journey ; so he gave the man ten florins , and told him he must repeat to the king what he had just told him . And when they got back to the palace , they came together into the king 's presence . And the king asked him : ` Well , is it true about the hops ? '
` Yes , sire , it is , ' answered the servant ; ` and here is a man I have brought XXXXX me from the country to confirm the tale . '
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