smanikin just as the latter had been described to him,
with his little black jerkin, little red stockings, little hat;
everything, indeed, even the pale, but wise and refined little face of
which he had heard so much. But, alas! the Glassmanikin vanished as
quickly as he had appeared.

"Master Glassmanikin!" said Peter Munk, after a moment's hesitation,
"please don't take me for a fool!--Master Glassmanikin, if you think
that I did not catch sight of you, you are greatly mistaken: I saw you
quite clearly peeping from behind the tree."

Still no answer, though, at times, he fancied he could hear a faint,
hoarse chuckle from behind the tree. Finally, his impatience overcame
his fear, which until now had restrained him.

"Just you wait a moment, you little beggar," he cried out, "I'll soon
have you!" and at one bound he was behind the pine-tree, but there was
no "guardian of gold in the pine-tree wold," nothing but a pretty
little squirrel clambering away up the tree.

Peter Munk shook his head; he perceived that he had succeeded in
working the spell to a certain degree; and if he could only think of
the last line to the rhyme he would be able to induce the Glassmanikin
to show himself. He pondered, and pondered, and pondered, but all to no
purpose. He could see the little squirrel perched on the lowest branch
of the pine, and he could not be sure whether it was trying to inspire
him with courage or only making fun of him. It cleaned itself, whisked
its beautiful tail to and fro, gazing at him all the while with
intelligent eyes, until he began to be almost afraid of being alone
with the creature; for, at one moment, the little squirrel appeared to
have a human head covered with a three cornered hat; then it looked
just like any other squirrel, except that on its hind legs it had red
stockings and black shoes. In short it was a comical creature; but,
nevertheless, it made Charcoal Peter feel quite uncomfortable, for it
seemed to him to be so uncanny.

Peter returned at a quicker pace than he had gone thither. The gloom of
the pine-forest seemed to be intensified, the trees grew in denser
clumps, and at last he was so fearful that he broke into a run, and did
not regain courage until he heard dogs barking in the distance, and
saw, shortly afterwards the smoke from a cottage rising between the
trees. On drawing nearer, he was able to distinguish the costume of the
people in the cottage, and he realised to his consternat