His father and mother were very disappointed, too, when they heard what had happened.
“I always knew the lad was a dullard,” said his father.
Jan wandered disconsolately out into the sunshine. It’s not nice to be called a dullard, particularly when you’ve been top of your school for a whole month. His mother came after him.
“You shall have a hot apple pasty for your supper,” she said; “it’s in the oven now.”
But even apple pasty couldn’t console Jan.
He went into the lane and sat down near the place where he had seen the fairy. He rather hoped he might see her again. Sure enough, he hadn’t been there five minutes when he felt a light touch on his shoulder, and there she was, perched on a swaying wild-rose spray in the hedge close beside him.
“Oh, come,” she said when Jan had told her his trouble, “we can soon remedy that.” And she gave him a piece of chalk to keep in his pencil-box together with his fairy slate pencil. “Now you will be able to do sums on the blackboard as well as on your slate,” she said.
Jan thanked her and went home feeling quite happy, so that he was able thoroughly to enjoy his supper and his apple pasty.
Things went swimmingly for a while. Jan did more wonderful sums than ever, both on the blackboard and on his slate. The schoolmaster was more careful this time; but he called in first one person and then another to see what Jan could do, and now he was no longer disappointed. Even the lawyer had to acknowledge that the boy was indeed a marvel.
But alas and alas! After a little time Jan became so conceited that he was quite unbearable. He gave himself the most extraordinary airs. He would hardly condescend to speak to the other boys. He even patronised his own father and mother.
“No boy in the whole country is as clever as I,” he said. “The King ought to see what I can do. I must certainly go to the Court. How they will open their eyes!”
And so one fine day he prepared to set off to the Court to show the King what he could do.
Now the King of that country was a rather cantankerous old gentleman, and made short work of any one who displeased him. Jan’s mother didn’t very much like the idea of his going, but Jan would not be dissuaded.
“You will see, mother,” he said, “I shall come home with a bagful of gold, and perhaps the King will want me to stay at his Court. When I am grown up I shall marry one of the Princesses, and you will be able to ride in a golden coach and to wear a mantle of blue velvet trimmed with ermine. All the neighbours will curtsey to you and call you Madam. Wouldn’t you like that?”