he heart
of old Anthony.

In the neighbourhood of Eisenach a row of stony mountains rises up.
One of these mountains is round in outline, and lifts itself above the
rest, naked and without tree, bush, or grass. It is called the Venus
Mount. In this mountain dwells Lady Venus, one of the deities of the
heathen times. She is also called Lady Holle; and every child in and
around Eisenach has heard about her. She it was who lured Tannhauser,
the noble knight and minstrel, from the circle of the singers of the
Wartburg into her mountain.

[Illustration: IMPERTINENT MOLLY.]

Little Molly and Anthony often stood by this mountain; and once Molly
said:

"You may knock and say, 'Lady Holle, open the door--Tannhauser is
here!"

But Anthony did not dare. Molly, however, did it, though she only said
the words "Lady Holle, Lady Holle!" aloud and distinctly; the rest she
muttered so indistinctly that Anthony felt convinced she had not
really said anything; and yet she looked as bold and saucy as
possible--as saucy as when she sometimes came round him with other
little girls in the garden, and all wanted to kiss him because he did
not like to be kissed and tried to keep them off; and she was the only
one who dared to kiss him in spite of his resistance.

"_I_ may kiss him!" she would say proudly.

That was her vanity; and Anthony submitted, and thought no more about
it.

How charming and how teasing Molly was! It was said that Lady Holle in
the mountain was beautiful also, but that her beauty was like that of
a tempting fiend. The greatest beauty and grace was possessed by Saint
Elizabeth, the patron of the country, the pious Princess of Thuringia,
whose good actions have been immortalized in many places in legends
and stories. In the chapel her picture was hanging, surrounded by
silver lamps; but it was not in the least like Molly.

The apple tree which the two children had planted grew year by year,
and became taller and taller--so tall, that it had to be transplanted
into the garden, into the fresh air, where the dew fell and the sun
shone warm. And the tree developed itself strongly, so that it could
resist the winter. And it seemed as if, after the rigour of the cold
season was past, it put forth blossoms in spring for very joy. In the
autumn it brought two apples--one for Molly and one for Anthony. It
could not well have produced less.

The tree had grown apace, and Molly grew like the tree. She was as
fresh as an