more prosperous than he had ever been in his
life before, if he would give her in return the youngest thing in his
house.

The miller thought she must mean one of his puppies or kittens, so
promised the nixy at once what she asked, and returned to his mill
full of hope. On the threshold he was greeted by a servant with the
news that his wife had just given birth to a boy.

[Footnote 15: From the German. Kletke.]

The poor miller was much horrified by these tidings, and went in to
his wife with a heavy heart to tell her and his relations of the fatal
bargain he had just struck with the nixy. 'I would gladly give up all
the good fortune she promised me,' he said, 'if I could only save my
child.' But no one could think of any advice to give him, beyond
taking care that the child never went near the mill-pond.

[Illustration: The Miller Sees the Nixy of the Mill-pond]

So the boy throve and grew big, and in the meantime all prospered with
the miller, and in a few years he was richer than he had ever been
before. But all the same he did not enjoy his good fortune, for he
could not forget his compact with the nixy, and he knew that sooner or
later she would demand his fulfilment of it. But year after year went
by, and the boy grew up and became a great hunter, and the lord of the
land took him into his service, for he was as smart and bold a hunter
as you would wish to see. In a short time he married a pretty young
wife, and lived with her in great peace and happiness.

One day when he was out hunting a hare sprang up at his feet, and ran
for some way in front of him in the open field. The hunter pursued it
hotly for some time, and at last shot it dead. Then he proceeded to
skin it, never noticing that he was close to the mill-pond, which from
childhood up he had been taught to avoid. He soon finished the
skinning, and went to the water to wash the blood off his hands. He
had hardly dipped them in the pond when the nixy rose up in the water,
and seizing him in her wet arms she dragged him down with her under
the waves.

When the hunter did not come home in the evening his wife grew very
anxious, and when his game bag was found close to the mill-pond she
guessed at once what had befallen him. She was nearly beside herself
with grief, and roamed round and round the pond calling on her husband
without ceasing. At last, worn out with sorrow and fatigue, she fell
asleep and dreamt that she was wandering along a flowery me