At this the little man grinned and shook his head, but said not a word in reply, only begging and praying the more to get loose.  The farmer thought he must now entreat him if he would coax any information out of him.  But it was all to no purpose.  He then adopted the contrary method, and whipped and slashed him, but just to as little effect.  The little black thing remained as dumb as the grave, for this species is the most malicious and obstinate of all the underground folk.

The farmer now got angry, and said—­

“Do but be quiet, my child.  I should be a fool to put myself into a passion with such a little brat.  Never fear, I shall soon make you tame enough.”

So saying, he ran home with him, and clapped him into a black sooty iron pot, and put the iron lid upon it, and laid on the top of the lid a great heavy stone.  Then he set the pot in a dark, cold room, and as he was going out, said to him—­

“Stay there, now, and freeze till you are black!  I’ll engage that at last you will answer me civilly.”

Twice a week the farmer went regularly into the room and asked his little black captive if he would answer him now, but the little one still obstinately persisted in his silence.  The farmer had, without success, pursued this course for six weeks, at the end of which time his prisoner at last gave up.  One day, as the farmer was opening the room door, of his own accord he asked him to come and take him out of his dirty, gloomy dungeon, promising that he would now cheerfully do all that was wanted of him.

The farmer first ordered him to tell him his history.  The black one replied—­

“My dear friend, you know it just as well as I do, or else you never would have had me here.  You see I happened by chance to come too near the cross, a thing we little people may not do, and then I was held fast, and obliged instantly to let my body become visible.  In order that people might not recognise me, I turned myself into an insect.  But you found me out.  When we get fastened to holy or consecrated things we can never get away from them unless a man takes us off.  That, however, does not happen without plague and annoyance to us; though, indeed, to say the truth, the staying fastened there is not over pleasant.  So I struggled against you too, for we have a natural aversion to let ourselves be taken in a man’s hand.”

“Ho, ho! is that the tune with you?” cried the farmer.  “You have a natural aversion have you?  Believe me, my sooty friend, I have just the same for you, and so you shall be away without a moment’s delay, and we will lose no time in making our bargain with each other.  But you must first make me some present.”

“What you will you have only to ask,” said the little one, “silver and gold, and precious stones, and costly furniture—­all shall be thine in less than an instant.”