re, I have got somewhere up-stairs a little gold
wand, which I was told not to give away; but I'm afraid she who gave it
me must have been dead a long while, and it is of no use keeping it any
longer."

Now this pedlar was the fairy's enemy. He had long suspected that the
wand must be concealed somewhere in that region, and near the sea, and
he had disguised himself, and gone out wandering among the farmhouses
and huts and castles to try if he could hear some tidings of it, and get
it if possible into his power. The moment he heard Hulda mention her
gold wand, he became excessively anxious to see it. He was a gnome, and
when his malicious eyes gleamed with delight they shot out a burning
ray, which scorched the hound who was lying asleep close at hand, and he
sprang up and barked at him.

"Peace, peace, Rhan!" cried little Hulda; "lie down, you unmannerly
hound!" The dog shrank back again growling, and the pedlar said in a
careless tone to Hulda:

"Well, lady, I have no objection just to look at the little gold wand,
and see if it is worth anything."

"But I am not sure that I could part with it," said Hulda.

"Very well," replied the pedlar, "as you please; but I may as well look
at it. I should hope these beautiful things need not go begging." As he
spoke he began carefully to lock up some of the jewels in their little
boxes, as if he meant to go away.

"Oh, don't go," cried Hulda. "I am going up-stairs to fetch my wand. I
shall not be long; pray wait for me."

[Illustration: "'OH, DON'T GO,' CRIED HULDA. 'I AM GOING UP-STAIRS TO
FETCH MY WAND.'"]

Nothing was further from the pedlar's thought than to go away, and while
little Hulda was running up to look for the wand he panted so hard for
fear that after all he might not be able to get it that he woke the
other hound, who came up to him, and smelt his leg.

"What sort of a creature is this?" said the old hound to his companion,
speaking, of course, in the dogs' language.

"I'm sure I can't say," answered the other. "I wonder what he is made
of,--he smells of mushrooms! quite earthy, I declare! as if he had lived
underground all his life."

"Let us stand one on each side of him, and watch that he doesn't steal
anything."

So the two dogs stood staring at him; but the pedlar was too cunning for
them. He looked out of the window, and said, "I think I see the master
coming," upon which they both turned to look across the heath, and the
pedlar snatched up