hearts wish for anything?" said the other. "You have
everything that your evil mind desired; and I shall be very reluctant
to grant you anything."

"But you promised me three wishes; and one of them still remains to
me."

"But I can reject it, if it is foolish," the forest spirit replied.
"Yet, speak out, I will listen to what you have to say."

"Then take this dead stone away, and give me my living heart," said
Peter.

"Did I make the bargain with you?" the Glassmanikin demanded. "Am I
Dutch Michael, who gives away riches and cold hearts? To him you must
go if you want your own heart again."

"Alas, he will never give it back to me," answered Peter, dejectedly.

"I am sorry for you, bad as you are," said the little man, after a
moment's reflection. "And as your wish is not a foolish one, I can at
least, not refuse to help you. Listen, therefore. By force you can
never regain possession of your heart, but you can do so by cunning;
and by such means you may achieve your purpose without much difficulty;
for Michael is still the stupid Michael, although he deems himself so
clever. Go straight to him, therefore, and do exactly as I tell you!"
Saying which, he gave him full instructions how to proceed, and handed
him a little cross of transparent glass. "He cannot take your life, and
if you hold this up in front of him, saying your prayers meanwhile, he
will have to let you go unharmed. And if you succeed in obtaining that
which you go for, return to me here immediately."

Peter Munk took the little cross, and trying to remember all that he
had been told to do, he proceeded to Dutch Michael's abode. Having
called him thrice by name, the giant stood before him.

"And so you have slain your wife?" asked the Dutchman, laughing
horribly. "I should have done the same, for she was squandering all
your fortune on beggars. But you must leave the country for a time, for
there will be trouble when they find she is missing; and you want
money, of course, and have come to me for some?"

"You have guessed aright!" replied Peter; "and a substantial sum this
time, for it is a long way to America."

Michael led the way to his cottage, where he opened a desk in which lay
a store of money, and took therefrom a roll of gold coins. As he was
counting them out on the table, Peter said to him: "You are a miserable
cheat, Michael, to have deceived me as you did, trying to make me
believe that I had a stone in my breast and that you had