e of his door at
early evening and pound his hands upon his knees so--chink, chink,
chink--and think of the gay city. Then he would strike his hands on his
knees again. He did not know that it was fool's gold, all.

"He grew more and more discontented with his simple lot. One day he went
out into the forest alone to cut wood. When he had become tired he sat
down by a running stream to hear the birds sing and to strike his hands
on his knees.

"A shadow came gliding across the mosses of the stream. It was like the
form of a dark man. Slowly it came on, and as it did so the flowers on
the banks of the stream withered. The woodman looked up, and a black
giant stood before him.

"'You look unhappy to-day,' said the black giant. 'You did not use to
look that way. What is wanting?'

"The woodman looked down, clasped his hands, and struck them on his
knees--chink, chink, chink.

"'Ah, I see--money! The world all wants money. Selfishness could not
thrive without money. I will give you all the money that you want, on
one condition.'

"'Name it.'

"'That you will exchange your heart.'

"'What will you give me for my heart?'

"'Your heart is a human heart, a very simple human heart. I will put in
its place a heart of stone, and then all your wishes shall turn to gold.
Whatever you wish you shall have.'

"'Shall I be happy?'

"'Happy! Ha, ha, ha! are not people happy who have their wishes?'

"'Some are, and some are happy who give up their wishes and wills and
desires."

"The woodman leaned his face upon his hands for a while, seemed in
great doubt and distress. He thought of his wife, who used to say that
contentment was happiness, and that one could be rich by having a few
wants. Then he thought of the city. The vision rose before him like a
Vanity Fair. He clasped his hands again, and struck them on his
knees--chink, chink, chink--and said, 'I will do it.'

"Suddenly he felt a heart within him as cold as stone. He looked up to
the giant, and saw that he held his own good, true heart in his hands.

"'I will put it away in a glass jar in my house,' he said, 'where I keep
the hearts of the rich. Now, listen. You have only to strike your locked
hands on your knees three times--chink, chink, chink--whenever you want
for gold, and wish, and you will find your pockets full of money.'

"The woodman struck his palms on his knees and wished, then felt in his
pockets. Sure enough, his pockets were full of gold.

"He