'Was he right? I wondered as I walked home that night. I could not believe it, so I stayed on in the Black Forest till it was time to come home, but without ever hearing of the Little Glass Man. I was on the railroad again. It was early one morning when we stopped at a station; there was no train for two hours, so I took a walk into the town. There was a clear, fast-flowing river below, and in the distance again such wonderful wooded hills. I went into a shop and asked for some writing-paper. 'The gentleman who brought it out had on the shabbiest of coats, but on his head there was an embroidered velvet cap, and his slippers too were embroidered. Only his toes were stuck inside these, and he moved about the shop slowly so as not to leave them behind. '"And what is the name of that wood yonder?--those hills, I mean?--those wooded heights?--that mountain range?" I asked, trying word after word, and at last standing in the doorway and pointing at the hills opposite, while he blankly stared at me. '"Where can you be from that you should not know?" he said at last. '"I am from England," I said rather hotly, "from London, a small place you may have heard of." 'He nodded, "Oh yes, I know. You have not come all that way alone; surely a lady by herself...." '"Oh yes I have," I said, "and I have a good mind to go up among those hills by myself too; perhaps some one up there might tell me what they are called." '"Look here," he said, "if you really mean to go, let me lend you my map. I have got such a splendid one. And I shan't be using it for months, as there is no one to mind the shop for me." 'He brought it out of a drawer and unfolded it, while I stared in my turn. '"You see," he said, "that is the highest point; now be sure you don't miss seeing that. You see Forsthaus Diana marked; well there is the inn, that spot close to it. That is where all those wonderful stories were told." '"What stories?" I said; "nothing about the Little Glass Man, I suppose?" 'He went to the back of the shop and fumbled about. '"Yes, of course, about the Little Glass Man, and about the Golden Florin," he said; "even if you live in an out-of-the-way place like London, you must have heard of them. Here is the book; stories by Hauff. Dear me, to think that my father met the man more than once who stored up all these treasures! You can take the book as well as the map, if you like; if you are not coming back this way you can send them by any one who is." 'There was no chair in the shop, I had to support myself against the counter, I felt so overcome with having found the story at last. The gentleman went on pointing out the best way to go, and what I must see, and after half an hour it was all settled, my luggage was to be sent up one way and I was to go another.