princes, which one hears on the
market-place, are untrue. There are fairies to-day, and it is not so
long ago that I myself was the witness of an occurrence in which genii
were concerned.

In an important city of my dear fatherland, Germany, there lived, some
years ago, a poor but honest shoemaker and his wife. In the day time he
sat at the corner of the street, repairing shoes and slippers, and even
made new ones when he could find a customer, although he had to first
purchase the leather, as he was too poor to keep any stock on hand. His
wife sold vegetables and fruits, raised by her on a small plat before
their door, and many people chose to buy of her because she was clean
and neatly dressed, and knew how to make the best display of her
vegetables.

These worthy people had a pleasant-faced, handsome boy, well-shaped and
quite large for a child of eight years. He was accustomed to sit by his
mother's side on the market-place, and to carry home a part of the
fruit for the women or cooks who bought largely of his mother; and he
rarely returned from these errands without a beautiful flower, or a
piece of money, or cakes;--as the masters of these cooks were always
pleased to see the little fellow at their houses, and never failed to
reward him generously.

One day the shoemaker's wife sat, as usual, in the market-place; while
ranged around her were baskets of cabbages and other vegetables, all
kinds of herbs and seeds, and also, in a small basket, early pears,
apples, and apricots. Little Jacob--this was the boy's name--sat near
her and cried her wares in a manly voice: "This way, gentlemen! see
what beautiful cabbages! how sweet-smelling are these herbs! early
pears, ladies! early apples and apricots! Who buys? My mother offers
them cheap." An old woman came to the market, torn and ragged, with a
small sharp-featured face, wrinkled with age, and a crooked pointed
nose that nearly reached the chin. She leaned on a long crutch; and it
was not easy to see how she got over the ground, as she limped and slid
and staggered along--as if she had wheels on her feet, and was in
momentary danger of being tilted over and striking her pointed nose on
the pavement.

The shoemaker's wife looked attentively at this old woman. For sixteen
years she had been in daily attendance at the market, but had never
before seen this singular creature. But she involuntarily shrank back,
as the old woman tottered towards her and stopped before