In the evening Filina’s father gave a dance on the village green in honour of his daughter’s marriage, and while the merrymaking was going on, Kelch took the opportunity to slip the Goblin’s ring on Filina’s finger. No sooner had he done so, than, to the dismay of every one, the poor girl vanished out of their sight, and Kelch was in despair. Filina’s father was very angry at the disappearance of his daughter, and his rage was further increased by Hocky, who said that Kelch must have promised to give Filina to the Goblin in exchange for the gold. All the villagers believed this malicious story, and drove Kelch from his home with sticks and stones. So the poor lad found himself at last seated once more under the oak tree, having lost Filina, his gold, his home, and his good name. II. THE REALM OF GOLD. IT was now night-time once more, and the wood was again full of merry faeries, but Kelch was too much taken up with his own sorrows to notice them, although the pranks they played would have amused the saddest person in the world. However, when things are at their worst they generally begin to mend, as Kelch soon found out, for, while he was lamenting his evil fortune, the Owl put her head out of the hole in the oak tree and hooted loudly, “Tu-whit! tu-whoo!” Kelch looked up, and, knowing owls to be wise birds, fond of word-twistings, made instant reply. “True wit I have not owing to my sorrow, and I go not to woo because Filina has been taken from me.” “Very neat indeed,” replied Mrs. Owl politely. “I see you have the real court air.” “It must be natural, then,” said Kelch, with a sigh, “because I’ve never been to court.” “Never mind,” observed the Owl, nodding her head sagely; “perhaps you will go some day. But why do you sit under my tree and cry?” “Because I’m so miserable,” said Kelch, and thereupon he told the Owl all his troubles in connection with Filina. The Owl listened attentively with her head on one side, and, when he came to the end of his story, wiped her eyes with a dry leaf, for she was a very tender-hearted bird, and felt very sorry for Kelch. “Ah, that Goblin, I know him well!” she said, when she had recovered from her emotion; “he has carried off my friend the Wicked Baron, who was no more wicked than you, except that he was too fond of gold. Ah, that was his ruin! for if it had not been for his love of money, the Golden Goblin would never have carried him off.” “Why did he carry him off?” asked Kelch. “Because once a year the Golden Goblin has to make the offering of a human being to the King of Fire, for if he did not, the King of Fire would invade the Realm of Gold, and destroy the kingdom of the Golden Goblin. He offered the Baron as the last victim, and the next will be Filina.” “Filina!” cried Kelch in a tone of despair. “Oh no, it can’t be true.”