ted to return.[134]

In some of the German and Bohemian tales a curious incident occurs.
Beneath the Rollberg, near Niemes, in Bohemia, is a treasure-vault, the
door of which stands open for a short time every Palm Sunday. A woman
once found it open thus and entered with her child. There she saw a
number of Knights Templars sitting round a table, gambling. They did not
notice her; so she helped herself from a pile of gold lying near them,
having first set down her child. Beside the gold lay a black dog, which
barked from time to time. The woman knew that the third time it barked
the door would close; wherefore she hastened out. When she bethought
herself of the child it was too late: she had left it behind in her
haste, and the vault was closed. The following year she returned at the
hour when the door was open, and found the little one safe and sound, in
either hand a fair red apple. Frequently in these tales a beautiful lady
comes and ministers to the child during its mother's absence; at other
times, a man. The treasure of King Darius is believed to be buried
beneath the Sattelburg in Transylvania. A Wallachian woman, with her
yearling babe in her arms, once found the door open and went in. There
sat an old, long-bearded man, and about him stood chests full of silver
and gold. She asked him if she might take some of this treasure for
herself. "Oh, yes," answered he, "as much as you like." She put down the
child and filled her skirts with gold, put the gold outside and
re-entered. Having obtained permission, she filled and emptied her
skirts a second time. But when she turned to enter a third time the door
banged-to, and she was left outside. She cried out for her child, and
wept--in vain. Then she made her way to the priest and laid her case
before him. He advised her to pray daily for a whole year, and she would
then get her child again. She carried out his injunction; and the
following year she went again to the Sattelburg. The door was open, and
she found the babe still seated in the chest where she had put it down.
It was playing with a golden apple, which it held up to her, crying:
"Look, mother, look!" The mother was astonished to hear it speak, and
asked: "Whence hast thou that beautiful apple?" "From the old man, who
has given me to eat too." The man was, however, no longer to be seen;
and as the mother took her child and left the place, the door closed
behind her.[135]

But the most numerous, and assuredly