THE GOBLIN AND THE HUCKSTER [1]
as this. He stood still on tiptoe, peeping in,
till the light went out in the garret. The student no doubt had
blown out his candle and gone to bed; but the little goblin remained
standing there nevertheless, and listening to the music which still
sounded on, soft and beautiful, a sweet cradle-song for the student,
who had lain down to rest."
"This is a wonderful place," said the goblin; "I never expected
such a thing. I should like to stay here with the student;" and the
little man thought it over, for he was a sensible little spirit. At
last he sighed, "but the student has no jam!" So he went down stairs
again into the huckster's shop, and it was a good thing he got back
when he did, for the cask had almost worn out the lady's tongue; he
had given a description of all that he contained on one side, and
was just about to turn himself over to the other side to describe what
was there, when the goblin entered and restored the tongue to the
lady. But from that time forward, the whole shop, from the cash box
down to the pinewood logs, formed their opinions from that of the
cask; and they all had such confidence in him, and treated him with so
much respect, that when the huckster read the criticisms on
theatricals and art of an evening, they fancied it must all come
from the cask.
But after what he had seen, the goblin could no longer sit and
listen quietly to the wisdom and understanding down stairs; so, as
soon as the evening light glimmered in the garret, he took courage,
for it seemed to him as if the rays of light were strong cables,
drawing him up, and obliging him to go and peep through the keyhole;
and, while there, a feeling of vastness came over him such as we
experience by the ever-moving sea, when the storm breaks forth; and it
brought tears into his eyes. He did not himself know why he wept,
yet a kind of pleasant feeling mingled with his tears. "How
wonderfully glorious it would be to sit with the student under such
a tree;" but that was out of the question, he must be content to
look through the keyhole, and be thankful for even that.
There he stood on the old landing, with the autumn wind blowing
down upon him through the trap-door. It was very cold; but the
little creature did not really feel it, till the light in the garret
went out, and the tones of music died away. Then how he shivered,
and crept down stairs again to his warm corner, where it felt
home-like and comfortable. And when Christmas came again, and
brought the dish of jam and the great lump of butter, he liked the
huckster best of all.
Soon after, in the middle of the night, the goblin was awoke by
a terrible noise and knocking against the window shutters and the
house doors, and by the sound of the watchman's horn; for a great fire
had broken out, and the whole street appeared full of flames. Was it
in their house, or a neighbor's? No one could tell, for terror had
seized upon all. The huckster's wife was so bewildered that she took
her gold ear-rings out of her ears and put them in her pocket, that
she might save something at least. The huckster ran to get his
business papers, and the servant resolved to save her blue silk
mantle, which she had managed to buy. Each wished to keep the best
things they had. The goblin had the same wish; for, with one spring,
he was up stairs and in the student's room, whom he found standing
by the open window, and looking quite calmly at the fire, which was
raging at the house of a neighbor opposite. The goblin caught up the
wonderful book which lay on the table, and popped it into his red cap,
which he held tightly with both hands. The greatest treasure in the
house was saved; and he ran away with it to the roof, and seated
himself on the chimney. The flames of the burning house opposite
illuminated him as he sat, both hands pressed tightly over his cap, in
which the treasure lay; and then he found out what feelings really
reigned in his heart, and knew exactly which way they
till the light went out in the garret. The student no doubt had
blown out his candle and gone to bed; but the little goblin remained
standing there nevertheless, and listening to the music which still
sounded on, soft and beautiful, a sweet cradle-song for the student,
who had lain down to rest."
"This is a wonderful place," said the goblin; "I never expected
such a thing. I should like to stay here with the student;" and the
little man thought it over, for he was a sensible little spirit. At
last he sighed, "but the student has no jam!" So he went down stairs
again into the huckster's shop, and it was a good thing he got back
when he did, for the cask had almost worn out the lady's tongue; he
had given a description of all that he contained on one side, and
was just about to turn himself over to the other side to describe what
was there, when the goblin entered and restored the tongue to the
lady. But from that time forward, the whole shop, from the cash box
down to the pinewood logs, formed their opinions from that of the
cask; and they all had such confidence in him, and treated him with so
much respect, that when the huckster read the criticisms on
theatricals and art of an evening, they fancied it must all come
from the cask.
But after what he had seen, the goblin could no longer sit and
listen quietly to the wisdom and understanding down stairs; so, as
soon as the evening light glimmered in the garret, he took courage,
for it seemed to him as if the rays of light were strong cables,
drawing him up, and obliging him to go and peep through the keyhole;
and, while there, a feeling of vastness came over him such as we
experience by the ever-moving sea, when the storm breaks forth; and it
brought tears into his eyes. He did not himself know why he wept,
yet a kind of pleasant feeling mingled with his tears. "How
wonderfully glorious it would be to sit with the student under such
a tree;" but that was out of the question, he must be content to
look through the keyhole, and be thankful for even that.
There he stood on the old landing, with the autumn wind blowing
down upon him through the trap-door. It was very cold; but the
little creature did not really feel it, till the light in the garret
went out, and the tones of music died away. Then how he shivered,
and crept down stairs again to his warm corner, where it felt
home-like and comfortable. And when Christmas came again, and
brought the dish of jam and the great lump of butter, he liked the
huckster best of all.
Soon after, in the middle of the night, the goblin was awoke by
a terrible noise and knocking against the window shutters and the
house doors, and by the sound of the watchman's horn; for a great fire
had broken out, and the whole street appeared full of flames. Was it
in their house, or a neighbor's? No one could tell, for terror had
seized upon all. The huckster's wife was so bewildered that she took
her gold ear-rings out of her ears and put them in her pocket, that
she might save something at least. The huckster ran to get his
business papers, and the servant resolved to save her blue silk
mantle, which she had managed to buy. Each wished to keep the best
things they had. The goblin had the same wish; for, with one spring,
he was up stairs and in the student's room, whom he found standing
by the open window, and looking quite calmly at the fire, which was
raging at the house of a neighbor opposite. The goblin caught up the
wonderful book which lay on the table, and popped it into his red cap,
which he held tightly with both hands. The greatest treasure in the
house was saved; and he ran away with it to the roof, and seated
himself on the chimney. The flames of the burning house opposite
illuminated him as he sat, both hands pressed tightly over his cap, in
which the treasure lay; and then he found out what feelings really
reigned in his heart, and knew exactly which way they