that not a particle was left, put the gold faggots and silver ashes into
the fur, and tied it together with his belt like a bag, so that nothing
could fall out. Although it was not a large bundle, he found it awfully
heavy, so that he had to drag it manfully before he could find a
suitable place to hide his treasure.

Thus Hans became suddenly enriched by an unexpected stroke of good
fortune, and might have bought himself an estate. But after taking
counsel with himself, he decided that it was better for him to leave
his old dwelling-place, and to look for a fresh one at some distance,
where the people did not know him. There he bought himself a nice piece
of land, and he had still a good stock of money left over. Then he took
to himself a wife, and lived happily like a rich man to the end of his
days. Before his death he told his children his secret, and how he had
visited the master of the underground treasures, who had made him rich.
The story was spread about by his children and grandchildren.

* * * * *

Leaving the gnomes, we will now proceed to the wood-spirits, who may
properly be classed among the nature-spirits, though they are not
exactly spirits of the elements.

[Footnote 45: Jannsen regards this master-smith as Ilmarine.]

THE COMPASSIONATE WOODCUTTER.

(JANNSEN.)

This is a story of a man who went into the forest to fell wood, but each
tree begged for mercy in a human voice, and he desisted. Afterwards an
old man emerged from the thicket. He had a long grey beard, a shirt of
birch-bark, and a coat of pine-bark, and he thanked the woodcutter for
sparing his children, and gave him a golden rod, which would fulfil all
wishes that were not so extravagant as to be impossible.

If he wanted a building erected, he was to bend the rod down three times
towards an ant-hill, but not to strike it, for fear of hurting the ants.
If he wanted food, he must ask the kettle to prepare what he wanted; and
if he wanted honey, he must show the rod to the bees, who would bring
him more than he needed, and the trees should yield sap, milk, and
salve. If he needed fabrics, the loom would prepare all he needed. Then
the old man declared himself to be the wood-god and disappeared.

But the man found a quarrelsome wife at home, who abused him for
bringing no wood, and wished that all the birch twigs in the forest
would turn to rods for the lazy hide. "Let it be so," said the man to
t