fall down the steps of the tower. I dare say you
have not forgotten that night! Now it is the turn of your bones. Hi!
comrades, make haste! make haste!'

Like a swarm of midges, a host of tiny headless creatures seemed to
spring straight out of the ground, and every one was armed with a club.
Although they were so small, yet there were such numbers of them and
they struck so hard that even a strong man could do nothing against
them. Hans thought his last hour was come, when just as the fight was at
the hottest another little dwarf arrived on the scene.

'Hold, comrades!' he shouted, turning to the attacking party. 'This man
once did me a service, and I am his debtor. When I was in his power he
granted me my life. And even if he did throw you downstairs, well, a
warm bath soon cured your bruises, so you must just forgive him and go
quietly home.'

The headless dwarfs listened to his words and disappeared as suddenly as
they had come. As soon as Hans recovered himself a little he looked at
his rescuer, and saw he was the dwarf he had found seated in the church
bell.

'Ah!' said the dwarf, seating himself quietly under the tree. 'You
laughed at me when I told you that some day I might do you a good turn.
Now you see I was right, and perhaps you will learn for the future not
to despise any creature, however small.'

'I thank you from my heart,' answered Hans. 'My bones are still sore
from their blows, and had it not been for you I should indeed have fared
badly.'

'I have almost paid my debt,' went on the little man, 'but as you have
suffered already, I will do more, and give you a piece of information.
You need not remain any longer in the service of that stingy minister,
but when you get home to-morrow go at once to the north corner of the
church, and there you will find a large stone built into the wall, but
not cemented like the rest. The day after to-morrow the moon is full,
and at midnight you must go to the spot and get the stone out of the
wall with a pickaxe. Under the stone lies a great treasure, which has
been hidden there in time of war. Besides church plate, you will find
bags of money, which have been lying in this place for over a hundred
years, and no one knows to whom it all belongs. A third of this money
you must give to the poor, but the rest you may keep for yourself.' As
he finished, the cocks in the village crowed, and the little man was
nowhere to be seen. Hans found that his limbs no longer pa