hes and treasures, all his horror vanished. At length the
creature was finished, and on the following Thursday the farmer carried
it after nightfall to the cross-roads in the wood. There he put down the
creature, seated himself on a stone, and waited. But every time he
looked at the creature he nearly fell to the ground with terror. If only
a breeze sprung up, it went through the marrow of his bones, and if
only the screech-owl cried afar off, he thought he heard the croaking of
the creature, and the blood froze in his veins. Morning came at last,
and he seized the creature, and slunk away cautiously home.

On the second Thursday it was just the same. At length the night of the
third Thursday came, and now he was to complete the charm. There was a
howling wind, and the moon was covered with thick dark clouds, when the
farmer brought the creature to the cross-roads at dead of night. Then he
set it up as before, but he thought, "If I was now to smash it into a
thousand pieces, and then go home and set hard at work, I need not then
do anything wicked."

Presently, however, he reflected: "But I am so miserably poor, and this
will make me rich. Let it go as it may, I can't be worse off than I am
now."

He looked fearfully round him, turned towards the creature trembling,
let three drops of blood fall on it from his finger, and repeated the
magic words which the old man had taught him.

Suddenly the moon emerged from the clouds and shone upon the place where
the farmer was standing before the figure. But the farmer stood
petrified with terror when he saw the creature come to life. The
spectre rolled his eyes horribly, turned slowly round, and when he saw
his master again, he asked in a grating voice, "What do you want of me?"

But the farmer was almost beside himself with fear, and could not
answer. He rushed away in deadly terror, not caring whither. But the
creature ran after him, clattering and puffing, crying out all the time,
"Why did you bring me to life if you desert me now?"

But the farmer ran on, without daring to look round.

Then the creature grasped his shoulder from behind with his wooden hand,
and screamed out, "You have broken your compact by running away. You
have sold your soul to the devil without gaining the least advantage for
yourself. You have set me free. I am no longer your servant, but will be
your tormenting demon, and will persecute you to your dying hour."

The farmer rushed madly to his h