Northern mythology

:
90 NORTH GEllMAN TRADITIONS.
ing she meant that he had not taken gold enough, filled
his hat, while she alluded to his stafi" with the Springwurzel,
which on entering he had placed against the wall.
So that when he was going out, the rock suddenly closing,
severed him in two.
A horse-boy lost a couple of his horses, and while he
was out seeking them, and was sitting on the Ilsenstein
crying, because he could not find them, the mountain
suddenly opened, and before him stood the princess, who
asked him why he was crying. He told her of his loss,
and she ordered him to follow her. They then entered
the mountain, and came into a vast stable, containing
many horses, among others his own two. He was overjoyed
at seeing them, and was leading them out, but the
princess told him that he could not have them again,
though she would give him for them gold enough to buy
a hundred others. Saying this she filled his wallet, at the
same time enjoining him not to open it before he had
passed over the third Hse-bridge. But being an inquisitive
fellow, he was impatient to see how much she had
given him, and on reaching the second bridge, could no
longer withstand the temptation, opened the knapsack
and found in it nothing but horsedung. ^^AVhat,"
thought he, "canst thou do with that ?" at the same time
throwing it into the Use ; but hearing it go kling kling
as it fell, he quickly looked into his knapsack, to see if
any remained behind, and found some genuine pistoles.
Goethe, in Faust, makes one of the witches, on her way to the Blocksberg,
pass over the Ilsenstein
1st W. Welchen Weg kommst du her?
2nd W. Uebern Ilsenstein !
Da gnckt' ich dor Eule ins Nest hinein.
Die macht' ein Paar Augen !