to the wood where the nuts grow,
you will find a silver-linden on your right; at its foot lies a copper
coloured slow-worm, which is not dangerous. It show you the way to the
goldpowder. But before you go, you must give the old man a kiss, that is
to say, if you want to."

Little Bluewing held up her lips and kissed the old man, and immediately
his face changed and he looked fifty years younger.

"I have kissed a child, I have grown young again," said the gardener.
"You owe me no thanks. Farewell!"

Little Bluewing went to the wood where the nuts grew. The silver-linden
was rustling in the breeze, and the humble-bees hummed and buzzed round
its blossoms. The slow-worm was really there, although its copper looked
a bit rusty.

"Hallo! There is Little Bluewing, who is to have the goldpowder," said
the copper snake. "Well, you shall have it on three conditions: no to
talk, not to be led astray, not to be inquisitive. Now go straight ahead
and you will find the goldpowder."

Little Bluewing went straight ahead. On her way she met a woman.

"Good morning, child," said the woman. "Have you been to see the
gardener at Sunnyglade?"

"Good morning, woman," said Little Bluewing without stopping.

"Well, you aren't a gossip," said the woman.

Next she met a gipsy.

"Where are you going to?" asked the gipsy.

"Straight ahead," answered Little Bluewing.

"Then you won't be led astray," said the gipsy.

Then she met a milkman. But she could not understand why the horse was
inside the cart and the milkman harnessed to the shafts.

"Now I shall shy and run away," said the milkman, and gave such a start
that the horse fell out of the cart into the ditch.... "Now I shall
water the rye," he went on, and took the lid off one of his milk cans.

Little Bluewing thought it strange, but continued her way without giving
him as much as a look.

"And you aren't curious, either," said the milkman.

And now Little Bluewing was standing at the foot of the mountain;
the sunbeams fell through the hazel bushes on the green leaves of a
luxurious plant which shone like gold.

It was the goldpowder. Little Bluewing noticed how it followed the vein
of the spring down the mountain side into the rich man's meadow.

She belt down and gathered three flowers, put them carefully into her
pinafore and took them home to her father.

The dragoon put on sword, helmet, and uniform, and went with his little
daughter to the clergyman. And all t