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HOME-SPEITE. 513
to his barn, to burn the goblin that haunted it ; when it is all
ablaze, there sits the sprite at the back of the cart in which they
were removing the contents (Deut. sag. no. 72). l In Moneys
Anzeiger 1835, 312 we read of a little black man that was
bought with a chest, and when this was opened, he hopped out
and slipped behind the oven, whence all efforts to rout him out
were fruitless ; but he lived on excellent terms with the house
hold, and occasionally shewed himself to them, though
never to
strangers. This black figure reminds one both of the Scandi
navian dwarfs, and of the devil. Some thoroughly good goblin -
stories are in Adalb. Kuhn s collection, pp. 42. 55. 84. 107. 159.
191-3. 372. 2
There are also goblins who, like nix and watersprite, are
engaged in no man s service, but live independently ; when such
a one is caught, he will offer you gifts or tell your fortune, to be
set at liberty again. Of this sort is the butt in the nursery-tale
1 Very similar stories in Kuhn, no. 103, Thiele 1, 136, and the Irish tale of the
cluricaun (pp. 92. 213 of the transl.). Also a capital Polish story about Iskrzycki,
in Woycicki s Klechdy 1, 198 : An unknown person, who called himself Iskrzycki
[flinty, from iskra = spark, says Grimm ;
there is also a Slav. iskri = near, iskrenny
= neighbour, friendly] came and offered his services to a man of noble family.
The agreement was drawn up, and even signed, when the master observed that Isk
rzycki had horse s feet, and gave him notice of withdrawal. But the servant stood
on his rights, and declared his intention of serving his master whether he would
or no. He lived invisible by the fireplace, did all the tasks assigned him, and by
degrees they got used to him ; but at last the lady pressed her husband to move,
and he arranged to take another estate. The family all set out from the mansion,
and had got through the better part of the way, when, the log-road being out of
repair, the carriage threatens to upset, and the lady cries out in alarm. Suddenly
a voice from the back of the carriage calls out : Never fear, my masters ! Iskrzycki
is with you (nie boj si, pani ; Iskrzycki z wami). The masters then perceiving
that they could not shake him off, turned back to their old house, and lived at
peace with the servant until his term expired. [English readers will remember
Tennyson s Yes, we re flitting, says the ghost. ] The alraun or gallows-mannikin
in Deutsche sagen nos. b3. 84 is not properly a kobold, but a semi-diabolic
being carved out of a root, and so diminutive that he can be kept in a glass ; like
an idol, he has to be bathed and nursed. In one thing however he resembles the
home-sprite, that he will not leave his owner, and even when thrown away he
always comes back again, unless indeed he be sold [orig. bought ] for less than
he cost. The last purchaser has to keep him. Sirnpliciss. 2, 184. 203. Conf.
Schm. 3, 9C-7. [Home-sprites can be bought and sold, but the third buyer must
keep him, Miillenhoff p. 322. With ref. to the idol : (gotze) As the figure of the
child Jesus has its shirt washed (Sommer, pp. 38. 173), so the heckmdnnchen must
be dressed up anew at a certain time every year, 10 Ehen, p. 235. Extr. from
SUPPL.]
2 To escape the futtermannchen, a farmer built a new house, but the day before
he moved, he spied the f. dipping his grey coat in the brook : My little coat here
I swill and souse, To-morrow we move to a fine new house. Borner s Orlagau,
p. 246. Whoever has the kobold must not wash or comb himself (Sommer p. 171.
Miillenh. 209) so in the case of ; the devil, ch. XXXIII. Extr. from SUPPL.