hand had hidden himself behind the door and stabbed him in
the leg; how a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a
club, and how the devil sat upon the top of the house and cried out,
'Throw the rascal up here!'"

After this the robbers never dared to go back to the house; but the
musicians were so pleased with their quarters that they took up their
abode there; and there they are, I dare say, at this very day.

174

The Taylor translation of Grimm is used for
"The Blue Light." This tale contains several of
the elements most popular in children's
stories. There is merit in distress, an old
witch, the magic blue light, the little black
dwarf, and the exceeding great reward at the
end. From this very story or some variant of it
Hans Christian Andersen must have drawn the
inspiration for "The Tinder Box" (No. 196).

THE BLUE LIGHT

A soldier had served a king his master many years, till at last he was
turned off without pay or reward. How he should get his living he did
not know; so he set out and journeyed homeward all day in a very
downcast mood, until in the evening he came to the edge of a deep wood.
The road leading that way, he pushed forward; but before he had gone
far, he saw a light glimmering through the trees, towards which he bent
his weary steps; and soon he came to a hut where no one lived but an old
witch. The poor fellow begged for a night's lodging and something to eat
and drink; but she would listen to nothing. However, he was not easily
got rid of; and at last she said, "I think I will take pity on you this
once; but if I do, you must dig over all my garden for me in the
morning." The soldier agreed very willingly to anything she asked, and
he became her guest.

The next day he kept his word and dug the garden very neatly. The job
lasted all day; and in the evening, when his mistress would have sent
him away, he said, "I am so tired with my work that I must beg you to
let me stay over the night."

The old lady vowed at first she would not do any such thing; but after a
great deal of talk he carried his point, agreeing to chop up a whole
cart-load of wood for her the next day.

This task too was duly ended; but not till towards night, and then he
found himself so tired that he begged a third night's rest; and this too
was given, but only on his pledging his word that he next day would
fetch the witch th