Berthold forced his way into the house,
and sat down near the fire,
laying his portmanteau near him.
The family were silent, and looked distressed.
But the woman set
before him a meal.
“Let us sing,” said the collier at last.
He turned to a table where were musical
glasses, and began to play.
How sweet and delicate, like an angel’s
strain, the music was! Then
he began to sing with his family:
“Now the woods are all
sleeping,
O guard us, we pray!”
The merchant thought that he had never
listened to anything so
beautiful.
After the old German song, Herman said:
“Let us pray—will you
kneel with us, traveler? You may have need of
our prayers, for you have come in to us
at your peril.”
Much astonished at these words, the merchant
knelt down beside his
portmanteau. The collier began to
pray, when there was a light sound
at the storm-door, and a draft of wind
stirred the ashes.
The merchant turned his face towards the door.
A strange sight met his gaze, such as he had never seen before. A little dwarf stood there with eyes like coal and with a red mantle. He moved the door to and fro. His eyes gleamed. He looked like a burning image. At last, swaying the door, he gave the merchant an evil glance that seemed to burn out his very soul, and was gone.
The prayer ended, and the family rose from their knees.
“I will now show you to your chamber,” said the collier; “but before we go up, listen to me. If you do not think one evil thought or speak one evil word during the night, no harm will befall you. Promise me now that you will not think one evil thought or speak one evil word, whatever may befall you.”
“I promise you, good people, that
I will try not to think one evil
thought or to speak one evil word, whatsoever
may befall me.”
“And you must not give way to anger;
if you do, anger is fire, and he
will grow!” said the collier.
The collier led the merchant up the stairs
to his room and left him
there, saying, “Remember.”
The moon shone into the room. The
Swiss cuckoo clock struck
ten—eleven—twelve.
The merchant could not sleep. He was haunted by
the fiery eyes that he had seen at the
storm-door.
Suddenly the door of his own chamber opened,
and a red light filled
the room. The same dwarf with the
red mantle had entered the chamber
and was approaching the bed.
The merchant had laid his portmanteau
of jewels upon the foot of the
bed, with the straps hanging over the
bedside. He put his foot down
under the clothes so as to touch the case.
The light grew brighter, and advanced
nearer. Now the dwarf stood full
in view, his eyes flashing, and his feet
moving as cautiously, his head
now and then turned aside, and his hands
lifting the red mantle.