up at the table of my first attendant."

Then Muck thought he had at last found the fortune, of which he had so
long been in search, and was merry and light-hearted. Moreover, he
rejoiced in the peculiar favor of the king, for the latter employed
him on his quickest and most secret errands, which he performed with
the greatest care, and with inconceivable rapidity.

But the other attendants of the king were not well affected towards
him, because they reluctantly saw themselves displaced from their
lord's favor by a dwarf, who knew how to do nothing, but to run fast.
They set on foot many a conspiracy against him in order to work his
destruction, but all failed, through the confidence which the king
placed in his private Oberleiblaeufer, (for to this dignity had he in
so short a time arrived.)

Muck, upon whom these movements against himself produced no effect,
thought not of revenge; for that he had too good a heart: no, he
reflected upon the means of making himself necessary to his enemies,
and beloved by them. Thereupon the staff, which in his good fortune he
had forgotten, occurred to him; if he could find treasures, he thought
the lords would be more favorably disposed towards him. He had before
this often heard that the father of the present king had buried much
of his gold, when the enemy had invaded the land; they said, moreover,
that he had died without imparting the secret to his son. From this
time Muck always carried his cane, in the hope that he would some
time pass over the place where the money of the old king was buried.

One evening, chance led him into a remote portion of the
castle-garden, which he seldom visited, when suddenly he felt the
staff move in his hand, and three times it beat upon the ground. He
knew in an instant what this indicated; accordingly he drew forth his
dagger, made marks on the surrounding trees, and then slipped back
into the castle. Then he procured a spade, and awaited night for his
undertaking.

Treasure-digging, however, gave Muck more trouble than he had
anticipated. His arms were very feeble, his spade large and heavy; he
might perhaps have been laboring a couple of hours, without getting
any farther down than as many feet. At length he hit upon something
hard, which sounded like iron: he then set to work still more
diligently, and soon brought up a large cover; he then descended into
the hole, in order to examine what the cover concealed, and found a
large pot compl