The King and the Spirit of the Trees

Of those unthinkable tasks Prince Ulrich completed in the islands beyond the immortal sea everything has been said. I will add the history of that spirit hat which has finally earned by its wearer's deeds the fame deserved by its qualities. Once upon a time, the sun recalled the days of yore and sent a summer unlike any suffered for an age and another age before that. A king lived then who considered any hardship nothing more than a reminder that no kingdom is so perfect that it may not be improved. The insistent summer exposed a fault, which was the paucity of shade his kingdom possessed, and thereby inspired the king to take measures thoughtful kings ought to take.
He instructed his knight Manfred in his policy and sent forth that servant who traveled north, south, east, and west, choosing the most pleasant trees and vines, plucking them out of the earth which raised them just as he made squires into knights after their parents yielded them up to his instruction, and hurling the trees toward his lord's lands where they pierced the ground in ordered rows and columns to form as fine an orchard as had ever been seen.
So fine was the orchard that a spirit of trees was minded to relocate there. Without even filling a bag with food or a pouch with money the spirit set out, for only humans are slow to act. That spirit arrived and informed the king of its intentions, for not only humans have manners. King Rudolph answered with no less politeness.
"You are most welcome, for hospitality embraces the humblest, so what should we say about more eminent petitioners? There is only the matter of the fee. Since spirits carry no money, I will content myself with your hat."
The spirit supported that idea no more than the sky supports the earth and went away. Shortly afterward a gardener came to the castle inquiring about employment opportunities. The king said no position was open at that time, but the gardener could stay there until a job became available. Room and board would be provided for a nominal fee of the gardener's hat. The wandering gardener was never seen again.
Later a queen from a foreign land passed through the kingdom with a fantastical retinue carried by zebras and riding on giraffes which stretched so far that those on the end were waking up when those in front went to bed. That queen desired to distribute gifts to the king and his people during her stay, but he swore that he would take nothing from such a beautiful and noble lady except for one thing, which was her hat as a remembrance of her visit. With that, the queen disappeared and all her followers reverted to squirrels and rabbits.
At last, the spirit returned and handed over the hat with neither grace nor complaints and took up residence in the orchard. It is that very spirit hat which Prince Ulrich wears today.
Finis