The Little Glass Man, and Other StoriesHauff, Wilhelm
Science
The Little Glass Man, and Other Stories
Hauff, Wilhelm
Children's stories
'And that is all you can offer me?' asked Peter indignantly; 'I looked
for money and you are going to give me a stone.'
'Well! an hundred thousand florins, methinks, would suffice you for the
present. If you employ it properly, you may soon make it a million.'
'An hundred thousand!' exclaimed the poor coal-burner, joyfully. 'Well,
don't beat so vehemently in my bosom, we shall soon have done with
one another. Agreed, Michel, give me the stone and the money, and the
alarum you may take out of its case.'
'I always thought you were a reasonable fellow,' replied Michel, with a
friendly smile; 'come, let us drink another glass, and then I will pay
you the money.'
They went back to the room and sat down again to the wine, drinking one
glass after another till Peter fell into a profound sleep.
He was awakened by the cheerful blast of a post-boy's bugle, and found
himself sitting in a handsome carriage, driving along on a wide road.
On putting his head out he saw in the airy distance the Schwarzwald
lying behind him. At first he could scarcely believe that it was his
own self sitting in the carriage, for even his clothes were different
from those he had worn the day before; but still he had such a distinct
recollection that, giving up at length all these reflections, he
exclaimed, 'I am Peter and no other, that is certain.'
He was astonished that he could not, in the slightest degree, feel
melancholy now that he for the first time departed from his quiet home
and the forests where he had lived so long. He could not even press a
tear out of his eyes or utter a sigh, when he thought of his mother,
who must now feel helpless and wretched; for he was indifferent to
everything: 'Well,' he said, 'tears and sighs, yearning for home and
sadness, proceed indeed from the heart, but thanks to Dutch Michel,
mine is of stone and cold.' Putting his hand upon his breast, he felt
all quiet and no emotion. 'If Michel,' said he, beginning to search the
carriage, 'keeps his word as well with respect to the hundred thousand
florins as he does with the heart, I shall be very glad.' In his search
he found articles of dress of every description he could wish, but
no money. At length, however, he discovered a pocket containing many
thousand thalers in gold, and bills on large houses in all the great
cities. 'Now I have what I want,' thought he, squeezed himself into the
corner of the carriage and went into the wide world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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