sy with us," said Ezekiel. "I once
questioned a school-master on that point, and he told me that after
death the hearts were weighed, to find out how heavily they had sinned.
The light ones then ascended, the heavy ones sank down; and I think
that our stones will have a pretty good weight."

"Alas, yes," replied Peter; "and I often feel uncomfortable, that my
heart is so unsympathetic and indifferent, when I think on such
subjects."

On the next night, Peter heard the well-known voice whisper in his ear,
five or six times: "Peter, get a warmer heart!" He experienced no
remorse at having killed his wife, but when he told the domestics that
she had gone off on a journey, the thought had instantly occurred to
him: "Where has she probably journeyed to?"

For six days he had lived on in this manner, haunted by these
reflections, and every night he heard this voice, which brought back to
his recollection the terrible threat of the Little Glass-Man; but on
the seventh morning he sprang up from his couch crying: "Now, then, I
will see whether I can procure a warmer heart, for this emotionless
stone in my breast makes my life weary and desolate." He quickly drew
on his Sunday attire, mounted his horse, and rode to the Tannenbuehl.

In the Tannenbuehl the trees stood too closely together to permit of
his riding further, so he tied his horse to a tree, and with hasty
steps went up to the highest point of the hill and when he reached the
largest pine he spoke the verse that had once caused him so much
trouble to learn:

"Keeper of green woods of pine,
All its lands are only thine;
Thou art many centuries old;
Sunday-born children thee behold."

Thereupon the Little Glass-Man appeared, but not with a pleasant
greeting as before; his expression was sad and stern. He wore a coat of
black glass, and a long piece of crape fluttered down from his hat.
Peter well knew for whom the Spirit of the Wood sorrowed.

"What do you want of me, Peter Munk?" asked the Little Glass-Man in a
hollow voice.

"I have still one wish left, Herr Schatzhauser," answered Peter, with
downcast eyes.

"Can hearts of stone have any wishes?" said the Glass-Man. "You have
every thing needful for your wicked course of life, and it is doubtful
whether I should grant your wish."

"But you promised me three wishes; and I have one left yet."

"Still, I have the right to refuse it if it should prove a foolish