10
'Lack a day!' cried Almerich again, the poor lad has lost his bride and his peace of heart; I have been so concerned about him that I could not eat a bit?'
'That fellow could devour the Stackhorn! thought Berthold with some indignation. 'The club foot is not in his right senses, I believe!'
It was really to bad,' began he, resuming his story. 'The dwarf in the barn returned a profusion of thanks to old Bernhard, and said, 'I am a foreign miner, and have lost the road with my good wife; so I have nothing to reward you for your kind services, save a little bit of cheese and a few draughts of wine, take that, and remember the poor fellow who gave you what he could, and will pray that Heaven may reward you farther.'
'Old Bernhard accepted the little bottle and a piece of cheese only to get rid of the importunity of the dwarf, who would take no refusal.
'Towards noon, he was proceeding to his village; the road was long, and feeling fatigued, he lay down in the shade of a tree, took out the gift of the dwarf, and began to eat and drink. Meanwhile, who should my evil stars bring in his way but young Hildebrand, the most miserly fellow in the village! 'God bless you, father Bernhard!'
