At first they did not want to give him the mill for the bread, so he turned away.

But some of the fairies began to cry, "Let him have the old mill. We never use it now. And only good people can make it work."

Then they gave him the mill. He put it under his arm and went out of fairy-land. He fount the old man waiting for him.

"That is it," the old man said. "This is how to use it. Only good people can use it. You must never let any other person use it."

It was quite late when the poor man reached home.

"Where have you been?" said his wife. "There is no fire and no food in the house. The children are cold and crying for food. What is that you are carrying. It looks like an old mill."

"It is a mill," he said. "Now watch. Say what you want, and you will have it."

He put the mill on the table and began to turn it. Out of the little mill came wood for the fire, oil for lighting and cooking, clothes, corn, and many other good things.

"It is a magic mill," said his wife. "Now we are rich."

"Yes, but no-one must know about it. We must hide it and use it only when no-one is watching."

The poor man soon became as rich as his brother. He did not keep all the good things for his own family. He gave many things to poor friends.

When his brother heard about this, he said to himself, "I do not know why my brother has become rich. I must find the reason for his riches."

For a long time he tried to find the reason, but he could not. But one day he gave a servant some money and ordered him to watch the house of his brother at night. That night, the servant looked through the window and saw the family standing round the mill, which was working. He went back and told what he had seen.

The next day the brother got in his boat and sailed across the water. He said to his brother, "I see that you are now quite rich, and I know the reason. You have a little magic mill. Sell it to me. How much money do you want for it?"

"I cannot sell it," said the poor man. "It must never leave my hands. The old man said, 'There will be great danger if you sell it or give it to any other person.' That is what he said."

Then the rich brother sailed away home. But later, one dark night, he came back, went very quietly into the house, and stole the mill. He quickly carried it to the sea, where his boat was waiting. Then he sailed away to his island.

But the bad brother wanted very much to make the mill work. He did not wait until he reached home. While he was sailing in the boat, he tried to make it work.

"Salt," he said. "Salt is what I sell, and salt is what I want." Then he began to turn the mill.

Then salt bean to come out of the mill. He laughed and began to sing. Masses of salt came out and began to fill the boat. The boat became low in the water. He tried to throw some of the salt into the sea. But more came in, masses of it. He stopped laughing and singing. Then he began to be afraid.

More salt came out of the mill, and soon the boat was full of it. Then water came in and filled the boat. The boat went down, down to the bottom of the sea, carrying with it the thief and the magic mill.joozone.com