ty of custom, so that I should no longer have been
mending shoes and boots but making new ones. But so goes the world."

"Where is your son, then?" asked James, in a tremulous voice.

"That God only knows," replied his father. "Seven years ago, yes! it
is just that now, he was stolen from us in the market-place."

"Seven years ago, you say?" cried James, with astonishment.

"Yes, little gentleman, seven years ago; the circumstance is as fresh
in my memory as if it had happened to-day, how my poor wife came home
weeping and crying, saying that the child had not come back all day,
and that she had inquired and searched everywhere without finding him.
But I always said it would come to that; for James was a pretty child,
no one could help saying so, therefore my poor wife was proud of him
and fond of hearing people praise him, and often sent him with
vegetables and such like things to the houses of the gentlefolks. All
this was very well; he always received some present. But said I, mark
me, the town is large, and there are many bad people in it, so take
care of James. But it happened as I always said. Once there comes an
ugly old woman to the market, bargains for some fruits and vegetables,
and at length buys so much that she cannot carry it home herself. My
wife, kind soul, sends the lad with her, and--has never seen him again
since that hour."

"And that is now seven years, say you?"

"Seven years this spring. We had him cried in the town, we went from
house to house inquiring; many had known and liked the pretty lad, and
searched with us, but all in vain. Neither did any one know the woman
who bought the vegetables; a very aged woman, however, ninety years
old, said, 'it might possibly have been the wicked fairy, Krauterweis,
who once in fifty years comes to the town to buy various articles.'"

Thus spoke James's father hastily, hammering his shoes at the same
time, and drawing out at great length the twine with both hands. Now
by degrees light broke on the little dwarf's mind, and he saw what had
happened to him, viz., that he had not been dreaming, but had served as
a squirrel seven years with the evil fairy. Rage and sorrow now filled
his heart almost to bursting.

The old witch had robbed him of seven years of his youth, and what had
he in exchange? What was it that he could polish slippers of cocoa-nut
shell? that he could clean rooms with glass floors? that he had learned
all the mysteries of