y came upon a dark and
deep ravine. Dutch Michel sprang down the rocks as if they were an easy
marble stair-case; but Peter came near fainting with fright, when Dutch
Michel on reaching the bottom, made himself as tall as a church
steeple, and stretched out an arm as long as a weaver's beam, with a
hand as broad as the table in the tavern, and shouted in a voice that
echoed like a deep funeral bell: "Set down on my hand and hold fast to
the fingers, and you will not fall." Peter tremblingly obeyed him,
taking a seat on the giant's hand, and holding on to his thumb.

They went down and down for a great distance, but still, to Peter's
astonishment it did not grow darker; on the contrary, it seemed to be
lighter in the ravine, so that for some time his eyes could not endure
the light. The farther they descended, the smaller did Dutch Michel
make himself, and he now, in his former stature, stood before a house
neither better nor worse than those owned by wealthy peasants in the
Black Forest. The room into which Peter was conducted did not differ
from the rooms of other houses, except that an indescribable air of
loneliness pervaded it. The wooden clock, the enormous Dutch tile
stove, the utensils on the shelves, were the same as those in use
every-where. Michel showed him to a seat behind the large table and
then went out, returning soon with a pitcher of wine and glasses. He
poured out the wine, and they talked at random, until Dutch Michel
began to tell about the pleasures of the world, of strange lands, and
of beautiful cities and rivers, so that Peter at last became possessed
of a strong desire to travel also, and told the giant so openly.

"However desirous you might be of undertaking anything, a couple of
quick beats of your silly heart would make you tremble; and as for
injured reputation, for misfortune, why should a sensible fellow
trouble himself with such matters? Did you feel the insult in your head
when recently you were called a cheat and swindler? Did your stomach
pain you when the sheriff came to turn you out of house and home? Tell
me, where were you conscious of pain?"

"In my heart," answered Peter, laying his hand on his breast; for it
seemed to him as though his heart was swinging to and fro unsteadily.

"You have--don't take it amiss--you have thrown away many hundred
guldens on idle beggars and other low fellows; how did that benefit
you? They blessed you, and wished you a long life; do you therefo