freely and collect himself; and when he had re- the parents about Klaus, each in their own way; covered his temper, and came back again, he would but they did not notice that a great alteration was grumble out," Klaus will yet be the best of them." taking place in Klaus, and that Valentine had Klaus also gave another favorable sign of himself, made him much less lively and merry at heart; on which his father built many castles; since his for the tales so possessed the boy that he saw and fourth year the boy had always cried out "tho-heard, thought or dreamt, of nothing but witches rough” as soon as he became angry, or began to be and wizards, dragons and giants, enchanted prinviolent or outrageous, particularly when he dou- cesses and magic castles. bled his fists for fighting. None of Peter's other children did this, though all had heard the word often enough from the father's mouth; and Peter experienced pleasure, before Klaus was nine years old, of hearing him called by all the village, old and young, Klaus Thorough, and the people of Dimmelshusen again cried, Thorough, says Klaus Avenstaken."

Thus matters proceeded with Valentine and his lttle auditors till the approach of the holy festival of Christmas, when the long evenings and the many holidays gave opportunities for mirth and tales,-when all the world, on account of the birth of the sweet child Jesus, gave themselves up to feasting and joy, and friend with friend and neighbor with neighbor, lived merrily. Valentine had reserved his best stories for this joyous time; Klaus had arrived at the age of twelve, was he had then, as people say, opened his mouseuncommonly big and strong for his age, stood up-chest to the children, who, with their parents, had right and firm on his legs, had a large head and well remembered him in their presents. But of broad forehead, with long hanging flaxen hair, all the histories which he narrated, they were most under which looked out a pair of laughing blue pleased with that of the Pancake Hill and the Many folks said he was a handsome Glass Hill, of which he used to sing the followyouth. Peter his father said he was the hand- ing melodious verses:— somest boy in the village, but his mother thought him awkward and too fat, and that his brothers were much handsomer. Then came the thirteenth autumn of his life; and in the following November Klaus vanished suddenly from the parental house through a wonderful occurrence, which I will now relate.

eyes.

Peter had hired a new servant, who came on the first of November. He was named John Valentine, and was an elderly man of about fifty. This servant was not long in the house before he contracted a close friendship with the boys, and particularly with Klaus; for Valentine knew many fables, histories, and tales, and all sorts of old long-unheard-of stories, and related them in the evening after work to the children; and he soon became so celebrated for his clever stories, that many of the children of the neighbors came in crowds to Peter's house in order to hear them, This happened mostly on Saturday and Sunday evenings, when Valentine had time to relate them. The children brought with them apples and nuts and other nice things to Valentine, and then the company sat in a corner and feasted and narrated, The chief peculiarity observable was, that of all the children none retained the stories so well or repeated them so vividly as Klaus, so that Peter often listened to him with delight, and simpered smilingly to his wife, "Do you hear Margaret? do you hear how Klaus, the sharp fellow, can tell the stories?" But she treated it coldly, and said, "Ah, a Klaus he is and a Klaus he will continue -a right tale-telling Klaus, but he will never be a bailiff, for he cannot even write." Thus spoke

Who can tell me where the Pancake Hill stands,
With good roast beef well larded,
With sugar and marchpane filled to your hands,
And bushels of dollars long guarded?
Crystaline Hill, Crystaline Hill,

When dost thou open?
Dwarf full of play, dwarf full of skill,
When dost thou waken?

When the clock midnight tolls,
When the thief lurking prowls,
Then do I open.

When the cock has crow'd twice at night,
And the moon is at its height,

Then do I waken.

This tale pleased so much, that they would have it repeated for four or five days at least, and always with fresh embellishments, especially because Valentine knew that the two hills lay in the great forest in the neighborhood, and he particularly described and represented to the boys, who often herded their cattle there, the oak and the beech which stood upon their tops. "By day," he added, "these hills indeed are not to be seen as they actually are, for they then look like any other hills; but at midnight they appear as they really are, the one of the clearest and most trasparent glass, where the moon and stars shine through to the very bottom; and the other like the most splendid pancake, so splendid as never yet a pancake has been fried; the story goes," and then he winked knowingly, and said with a subdued voice," that he who gets into the Pancake Hill will become a great king, and he who jumps into the Crystalline Hill will bring home

sacks full of hard dollars, golden cups, and silver | till they could see the trees of the wood, when aldishes; but who has the courage to do this? most all became quiet. But when they came into Such people are not born every day." the wood, and heard the high trees rustle and the distant waterfall roar. they stood still, and Klaus went on alone. When he saw the others did not follow, he bade them come on, but they heeded him not, but one said this, another that, and none would proceed. He then called them a pack of cowardly dastards, cried deridingly, “Klaus Thorough has the courage," and then rushed vehemently through the bushes right up the mountain; they, on the contrary, fled back over the fields to their homes, and with steps as quick as if they had had a ghost at their heels.

The words" but who has the courage to do this?" gave, as is usual among boys, opportunity for much raillery, and they jeered, bantered, and taunted each other about it, and for some weeks was heard re-echoed at the conclusion of every story," but who has the courage to do this?" and some little rogues said tauntingly, "Klaus Thorough has the courage." Klaus then doubled up his fingers, and would certainly have used them had his father not been present, for Peter severely punished the boys who quarreled in his presence. In the meantime this phrase and the joking went on, as well as the words "Klaus Thorough has the courage" till at length it became unbearable to the boy, and he thought to himself it is too bad to suppose that I have not the courage. So one evening, when they were again goading and taunting him, he exclaimed angrily-" Yes, Klaus Thorough has the courage, if you dare go with him and see you can choose which you will, but I shall take the Pancake Hill wherein the great | part from a resolution that he had made in a more king sits, where the great beech stands; and I will ascend first if you will follow?”

They felt ashamed, and all cried out, "Yes, yes; we will go with you;" for it was then broad daylight, and they thought they had a superfluity of courage, and indeed had at that time. So they went on joking the whole day and evening, and Valentine, and Peter, and Margaret, and the servants and the maids, who had heard it, laughed at them, for they did not imagine they were in earnest. The boys, however, were only the more strengthened in their resolution, and the bold Klaus kept them to their word while he painted everything in the brightest colors, how merrily they should live there, and with what treasures and magnificence they should return home.

It had now become late in the evening, and the church clock struck ten. Then Klaus cried, "Quick, comrades, come on! It is now time; we have more than two miles to the wood." And his companions went out with him, his three brothers and five other boys, all in their Sunday clothes, with white wands in their hands; for with white hazel wands must one go armed against spirits. The old folks looked and laughed after them, and Valentine laughed the loudest, for all thought," they will discover no mountain, but soon be back again."

And Klaus ran quickly on his way through many crooked paths which he knew, now up, now down, till he saw the beech nodding on the highest peak of the forest. Then he was also brought to a stand-still, and his courage also began to fail, especially as he heard four church clocks in the distance just then strike twelve. But as he was a brave boy he repeated to himself what his father had often told him, "A man must never de

cheerful hour, nor when he came to act set himself like a hare on its hinder feet;" and Klaus hallooed "thorough" till the wood re-echoed, and rushed up the mountain. Thus he came at length to the spot where he had seen the beech standing, but it was no longer there, but there reeked and shone the beautiful Pancake Hill in the moonshine. Klaus hesitated not long, shut both his eyes, raised himself upon his toes with both feet, and boldly ventured the leap, crying "Thorough, says Klaus Avenstaken?"

And the leap did not fail him; he slid softly into the mountain, and sank down gently and slowas though in a carriage, or as one would deposit eggs in a sack. And it seemed to him that he had pleasantly swung down or been rocked down, and that he fell asleep, and had wonderful dreams, wherein his old friend Jack Valentine appeared, and smiled on him well pleased and friendly.

When he awoke it was twilight around him, but he felt that he lay in a soft bed, upon pillows softer than his mother had ever given him, and this pleased him exceedingly; but he felt hungry, and that pleased him not. It then began to grow lighter, and he thought and considered of what had happened yesterday and the previous days, and said, "Here then I must actually be in the Pancake Hill; I will see whether Valentine has The boys proceeded rapidly across the fields, deceived me." And he rubbed his eyes, and it Klaus running before them all, so ardent was his became still lighter around him, but there fell desire; and they croaked, and cackled, and shout- only a dim light from above. And his eyes reed, as crows croak when driven from their trees,joiced, and his heart rejoiced even more, for of or fowls cackle when set to flight. All remained what was he aware? That he was actually in firm in their resolution and were full of courage the Pancake Hill, and that Valentine had not fa

ghost at their heels.

Klausan quickly on his way through ked paths which he knew, now up, now he saw the beach nodding on the highof the forest. Then he was also brough

ll, and his courage also began to fail. she heard four church clocks in the then strike towelsh. But as he was he repense to bimself what his fa

hum A nian must never detion that he had made in a more nor when he came to act set himince on its hier feet and Klous dronongle Sili the woud re-echoed, and the mount an Thue he came at length where he had seen the beach standing

get there, but there reeked and utal Pancake Hill in the moonesitated not long, shut both his - upon his toes with both feet, the leap, crying "Thorough,

red not fail him; he slid softly insmooth, and sun down gently and slowach in a care, or as one would deposit And it scened to him that he

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