ter. Hence the trees there grew so dense
and high that is was almost night at noon. When Peter Munk approached
the place, he felt quite awe-stricken, hearing neither voice nor
footstep except his own; no axe resounded, and even the birds seemed to
shun the darkness amidst the pines.

Peter Munk had now reached the highest point of the Tannenbuehl, and
stood before a pine of enormous girth, for which a Dutch ship-builder
would have given many hundred florins on the spot. "Here," said he,
"the treasure-keeper (Schatzhauser) no doubt lives," and pulling off
his large hat, he made a low bow before the tree, cleared his throat,
and said, with a trembling voice, "I wish you a good evening, Mr.
Glass-mannikin." But receiving no answer, and all around remaining
silent as before, he thought it would probably be better to say the
verse, and therefore murmured it forth. On repeating the words, he
saw, to his great astonishment, a singular and very small figure peep
forth from behind the tree. It seemed to him as if he had beheld the
glass-mannikin, just as he was described, the little black jacket, red
stockings, hat, all even to the pale, but fine shrewd countenance of
which the people so much talked, he thought he had seen. But alas, as
quickly as it had peeped forth, as quickly it had disappeared again.
"Mr. Glass-mannikin," cried Peter Munk, after a short hesitation, "pray
don't make a fool of me; if you fancy that I have not seen you, you are
vastly mistaken, I saw you very well peeping forth from behind the
tree." Still no answer, only at times he fancied he heard a low,
hoarse tittering behind the tree. At length his impatience conquered
this fear, which had still restrained him, and he cried, "Wait, you
little rascal, I will have you yet." At the same time he jumped behind
the tree, but there was no Schatzhauser, and only a pretty little
squirrel was running up the tree.

Peter Munk shook his head; he saw he had succeeded to a certain degree
in the incantation, and that he perhaps only wanted one more rhyme to
the verse to evoke the glass-mannikin; he tried over and over again,
but could not think of any thing. The squirrel showed itself on the
lowest branches of the tree, and seemed to encourage or perhaps to mock
him. It trimmed itself, it rolled its pretty tail, and looked at him
with its cunning eyes. At length he was almost afraid of being alone
with this animal; for sometimes it seemed to have a man's h