THE DWARF NOSEY. 
477 
single thing ; and that about the herb Magen- 
trost we did not even know ourselves.” 
He gave orders that everything he required 
should be given to the dwarf, and two chairs 
supporting a slab of marble were placed before 
the table. Standing upon this platform , 
Jacob began his experiment. When all the 
ingredients were well mixed together, the pots 
were placed over the fire, and Jacob began 
counting ; when he had counted up to five 
hundred he called “ Stop ! ” and ordered the 
dishes to be removed from the stove. A 
delicious odour filled the kitchen as the covers 
were lifted, and Jacob invited the Lord High 
Kitc.henmaster to come and taste them. 
“ Splendid ! ” he cried. (t Splendid ! ” as 
he closed his eyes in rapture and smacked his 
lips. “ All honour to your art, chief break- 
fast maker, but this surpasses anything you 
ever made.” 
In their turn the Lord Intendant of the 
palace and the chief breakfast-maker tasted 
of the dishes, and found them wonderfully 
good. 
Just then they were interrupted by a 
ducal chamberlain, who came to say that 
his Transparency demanded his breakfast. 
The soup and dumplings, served upon 
golden dishes, were taken upstairs. 
Shortly afterwards a messenger came 
from the Duke bidding the Lord High Kitchen- 
master come to him at once ; so he put on 
his festal robes and went to the Duke’s 
breakfast-room. The Duke was a man of 
portly presence. He had just finished every 
drop and every morsel in the dishes and was 
in the act of wiping his mouth, when the 
Lord High Kitc.henmaster entered. In high 
good humour he called to him : (t Tell me 
at once who prepared my breakfast this 
morning, for I want to send that cook a 
handful of ducats. Never as long as 1 have 
sat on the throne of my fathers have I had 
such a delightful breakfast.” 
“ Your Transparency,” answered the Lord 
High Kitchenmaster, “ that is a strange 
story ” — and then he told him all about the 
queer little dwarf and his wonderful cooking. 
“ Bring him here instantly/’ exclaimed the 
Duke. 
* Then Jacob was sent for, and when he 
appeared, and bowed so low that his great 
nose touched the floor, his Transparency 
laughed so immoderately that his whole fat 
body shook. 
“ You must stay with me,” at last he 
managed to say. “ You shall have the 
position of special Court cook to my own 
Transparent person, and every morning you 
must yourself prepare my breakfast, for I 
always want to have such a good one as this 
morning. Your further duties will be to 
superintend the preparing of all my meals. 
I will pay you fifty ducats a month, you 
shall have your own private apartments, and 
as many fine clothes as you want.” 
In token of his respectful acceptance of 
this ducal grace the dwarf prostrated himself 
before his new master and kissed his feet. 
“ It is my custom,” continued the Duke, 
“ to bestow a name, on everyone who enters 
my service. Henceforth you shall be called 
‘ Nosey,’ ” he added, pointing significantly 
to the dwarf’s nasal extremity. 
A happy time now followed, for Nosey 
was popular with his fellow-servants. He 
was a jolly comrade and could very well 
stand a joke at his own expense. As for the 
Duke, he had never had such a good time in 
his life before ; no single dish was ever 
spoiled, and Nosey continued to bring to 
his table the newest and rarest dainties. 
Dwarf Nosey was the wonder of the town ; 
such a splendid cook had never been heard 
of, and the mightiest noblemen of the country 
obtained from the Duke the great favour of 
being permitted to send their own cooks to 
take lessons from the dwarf in the ducal 
kitchen. 
One day Nosey went to market to buy 
some geese, which he intended to prepare in 
some particularly dainty way. Presently he 
saw some geese that suited him, so he bought 
three, together with their cage, hoisted it on 
