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STORIES OF THE DWARFS.

MANY are the stories told of the dwarfs who figure in the popular traditions of almost every country in Christendom. They are variously called Trolls, Dwarfs, Hill-people; and, though they differ in some particulars, they are all so far alike, in that they are gifted with faculties above mankind, and have it in their power, in many ways, to befriend or annoy him. Those who have visited their dwellings report the riches and magnificence which they have found there, as well as the clean and orderly style in which they live. Sometimes they live solitarily, but usually they are formed into societies, though (except in some of the old ballads) they are not represented as ruled over by kings. They have the power of protecting and rendering themselves invisible by means of a peculiar kind of cap which they possess; and also of transporting and introducing themselves wherever they have a mind. A few traditions are here subjoined, which will help to illustrate the popular belief on the subject, and other instances will occur elsewhere in this collection.

The race of Elves and Fairies belong to a somewhat different class. They do not generally inhabit the interior of hills or caverns, but, on the contrary, choose the meadows and groves, or the upper air, in which to sport themselves. They appear, too, to be ruled by kings and queens, for we read of the Elf-king, the Fairy-king, queen, &c. But, like the Dwarfs, their supposed characters will be best understood from the stories in which they appear.

OLD people have positively asserted that some years ago, at the celebration of a wedding in the village of Glass, a stunde from the Wunderberg, and the same distance from the city of Luttzburg, there came, towards evening, a little Hill-man out of the Wunderberg. He desired all the guests to be merry and cheerful, and begged to be permitted to join in their dance, which was not refused. He accordingly danced three dances with one and another reputable maiden, and, with a gracefulness that inspired all present with admiration and delight. After the dance he returned them his thanks, accompanied by a present to each of the bridal party of three pieces of money of an unknown coin, each of which they estimated to be worth four creutzers. Moreover, he recommended them to dwell in peace and concord, to live like Christians, and, by a pious education, to bring up their children in goodness. He told them to lay up these coins with their money, and constantly to think of him, and so they would rarely come to distress; but warned them against becoming proud, and advised them, on the contrary, to relieve their neighbours with their superfluities. The Hill-man remained with them till night, and took some meat and drink from each as they offered it to him, but only very little. He then renewed his thanks, and concluded by begging of one of the company to put him over the river Latzach, opposite the mountain. There was at the wedding a boatman, named John Ständle, who got ready to comply with the dwarf's request, and they went together to the water's edge. As they were crossing, the man asked for his payment, and the Hill-man humbly presented him threepence. The boatman utterly rejected this paltry payment; but the little man gave him for answer, that he should not let

that annoy him, but keep the threepence safe, and he would never suffer want, provided he put a restraint on arrogance. He gave him, at the same time, a little stone, with these words, "Hang this on your neck, and you will never be drowned in the water." And of this he had a proof that very year. Finally, the Hill-man exhorted him to a pious and humble life, and, being landed on the opposite bank, departed speedily from the place.

CLOSE to the little town of Dardesheim, between Halberstad and Brunswick, is a spring of the finest water, called the Smansborn, and which flows out of a hill in which, in old times, the dwarfs dwelt. When the former inhabitants of the country were in want of a holiday-dress, or, at a family festival, of any rare utensils, they went and stood before this Dwarfhill, knocked three times, and pronounced their petition in a distinct and audible tone, adding,

"Before the sun is up to-morrow,

At the hill shall be the things we borrow."

The dwarfs thought themselves sufficiently compensated if there was only some of the festive victuals set down before the hill, along with the borrowed goods.

THERE is a hill called Bodedys, close to the road in the neighbourhood of Tynge, that is near Loröe. Not far from it lived an old farmer, whose only son was used to take long journeys on business. His father had for a long time heard

no tidings of him, and the old man became convinced that his son was dead. This caused him much affliction, as was natural for an old man like him, and thus some time passed over. One evening, as he was coming with a loaded cart by Bodedys, the hill opened, and a Troll came out and desired him to drive his cart into it. The poor man was to be sure greatly amazed at this, but well knowing how little it would avail him to refuse to comply with the Troll's request, he turned about his horses, and drove his cart straight into the hill. The Troll now began to deal with him for his goods, and finally bought and paid him honestly for his entire cargo. When he had finished the unloading of his vehicle, and was about to drive again out of the hill, the Troll said to him, "If you will now only keep a silent tongue in your head about all that has happened to you, I shall from this time forth have an eye to your interest; and if you will come here again to-morrow morning, it may be you will get your son." The farmer did not well know at first what to say to all this; but as he was, however, of opinion that the Troll was able to perform what he had promised, he was greatly rejoiced, and failed not to come at the appointed time to Bodedys. He sat there waiting a long time, and at last he fell asleep, and when he awoke from his slumber, behold! there was his son lying by his side. Both father and son found it difficult to explain how this had come to pass. The son related how he had been thrown into prison, and had there suffered great hardship and distress; but that one night, while he was lying asleep in his cell, there came a man to him who said, "Do you still love your father?" And when he had answered that he surely did, his chains fell off and the wall burst open. While he was telling this he

chanced to put his hand up to his neck, and he found that he had brought a piece of the iron chain away with him. They both were for some time mute through excess of wonder; and they then arose and went straightway to Lynge, where they hung up the piece of the chain in the church, as a memorial of the wonderful event that had occurred.

ONE evening, after sunset, there came a strange man to the ferry of Lund. He engaged all the ferry-boats there to go backwards and forwards the whole night long between that place and Vendsyssel, without the people knowing what lading they had. He told them that they should take their freight on board half a mile to the east of Lund, near the alehouse at the bridge of Lange. At the appointed time the man was at that place; the ferrymen, though unable to see any thing, perceived very clearly that the boat sunk deeper and deeper, so that they easily concluded that they had gotten a very heavy freight on board. The ferry-boats passed in this manner to and fro the whole night long; and though they got every trip a fresh cargo, the strange man never left them, but stayed to have everything regulated by his directions. When morning was breaking, they received the payment they had agreed for; and they then ventured to inquire wnat it was they had been bringing over; but on that head then employer would give them no satisfaction.

But there happened to be among the ferrymen a smart fellow, who knew more about these matters than the others. He jumped on shore, took the clay from under his right foot, and put it into his cap; and when he set it on his head he