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So away he was taken; but as he stood on the steps he said, 'My

Lord Judge, grant me one last request.' 'Anything but thy life,'

replied the other. 'No,' said he, 'I do not ask my life; only to

let me play upon my fiddle for the last time.' The miser cried

out, 'Oh, no! no! for heaven's sake don't listen to him! don't

listen to him!' But the judge said, 'It is only this once, he

will soon have done.' The fact was, he could not refuse the

request, on account of the dwarf's third gift.