Pagina 240 di 626

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her

hard fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking

little man hobbled in, and said, 'Good morrow to you, my good

lass; what are you weeping for?' 'Alas!' said she, 'I must spin

this straw into gold, and I know not how.' 'What will you give

me,' said the hobgoblin, 'to do it for you?' 'My necklace,'

replied the maiden. He took her at her word, and sat himself down

to the wheel, and whistled and sang:

'Round about, round about, Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away,

Straw into gold!'

And round about the wheel went merrily; the work was quickly

done, and the straw was all spun into gold.