So he trudged along with great comfort until high noontide, against which time he had come nigh to the town, for he could see the red roofs and the tall spires peeping over the crest of the next green hill.  By this time his stomach was crying, “Give! give!” for it longed for bread and cheese.  Now, a great gray stone stood near by at the forking of the road, and just as Peter came to it he heard a noise.  “Click! clack!” he turned his head, and, lo and behold! the side of the stone opened like a door, and out came a little old man dressed all in fine black velvet.  “Good-day, Peter,” said he.  “Good-day, sir,” said Peter, and he took off his hat as he spoke, for he could see with half an eye that this little old gentleman was none of your cheese-paring fine folks.

“Will you strike a bargain with me for your eggs?” said the little old man.  Yes, Peter would strike a bargain; what would the little gentleman give him for his eggs?  “I will give you this,” said the little old man, and he drew a black bottle out of his pocket.

Peter took the bottle and turned it over and over in his hands.  “It is,” said he, “a pretty little, good little, sweet little bottle, but it is not worth as much as my basket of eggs.”

“Prut!” said the little gentleman, “now you are not talking like the wise Peter.  You should never judge by the outside of things.  What would you like to have?”

“I should like,” said Peter, “to have a good dinner.”

“Nothing easier!” said the little gentleman, and he drew the cork.  Pop! pop! and what should come out of the bottle but two tall men, dressed all in blue with gold trimmings.  “What will you have, sir?” said the first of these to the little gentleman.

“A good dinner for two,” said the little man.

No sooner said than done; for, before you could say Frederic Strutzenwillenbachen, there stood a table, with a sweet, clean, white cloth spread over it, and on this was the nicest dinner that you ever saw, for there were beer and chitterlings, and cheese and good white bread, fit for the king.  Then Peter and the little man fell to with might and main, and ate till they could eat no more.  After they were done, the two tall men took table and dishes and all back into the bottle again, and the little gentleman corked it up.

[Illustration:  Clever Peter & the Little Gentleman in Black]

“Yes,” said Peter, “I will give you my basket of eggs for the little black bottle.”  And so the bargain was struck.  Then Peter started off home, and the little man went back again into the great stone and closed the door behind him.  He took the basket of eggs with him; where he took it neither Peter nor I will ever be able to tell you.

So Peter trudged along homeward, until, after a while, the day waxing warm, he grew tired.  “I wish,” said he, “that I had a fine white horse to ride.”

Then he took the cork out of the bottle.  Pop! pop! and out came the two tall fellows, just as they had done for the little old man.  “What will you have, sir?” said the first of them.