braver and braver, and would downright abuse and vilify him. They little thought that the reason why the apparently peaceful Spirit took no notice of their impertinences was simply that in the depths where he had retreated their insolent bravadoes never reached his ear. What was Rubezahl’s amazement, what his indignation, when he now found that his unhappy amour was an ordinary subject of jest and mockery in the mouths of the contemptible creatures who had made good their intrusion on his domains. Like a whirlwind, and as invisible, he rushed through the thick forest of firs, and was just about to strangle the fellow who had, however unconsciously, insulted him, when, on the instant, he reflected that so terrible a vengeance, necessarily exciting general alarm throughout the country, would drive away all travellers from his mountains, and thus deprive him of the pleasure he promised himself, of playing a thousand pranks upon the children of Adam; he therefore permitted the delinquent and his companions to pass on undisturbed for the present, with the clear intention, however, of punishing him most severely for his offence on a very early occasion.
At the next cross-roads, the Spirit-mocker parted from his two companions, and reached his native town, Hirschberg, safe and sound, and without the slightest notion of the scrape he had got into. Rubezahl having followed him to the inn where he
