There was once a merchant who had only one child, a son, that wasvery young, and barely able to run alone. He had two richly ladenships then making a voyage upon the seas, in which he had embarked allhis wealth, in the hope of making great gains, when the news came thatboth were lost. Thus from being a rich man he became all at once sovery poor that nothing was left to him but one small plot of land; andthere he often went in an evening to take his walk, and ease his mindof a little of his trouble.
One day, as he was roaming along in a brown study, thinking with nogreat comfort on what he had been and what he now was, and was like tobe, all on a sudden there stood before him a little, rough-looking,black dwarf. «Prithee, friend, why so sorrowful?» said he to themerchant; «what is it you take so deeply to heart?» «If you woulddo me any good I would willingly tell you,» said the merchant. «Whoknows but I may?» said the little man: «tell me what ails you, andperhaps you will find I may be of some use.» Then the merchant told himhow all his wealth was gone to the bottom of the sea, and how he hadnothing left but that little plot of land. «Oh, trouble notyourself about that,» said the dwarf; «only undertake to bring mehere, twelve years hence, whatever meets you first on your goinghome, and I will give you as much as you please.» The merchantthought this was no great thing to ask; that it would most likely be hisdog or his cat, or something of that sort, but forgot his little boyHeinel; so he agreed to the bargain, and signed and sealed the bond todo what was asked of him.
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