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A Lost Wand
by
Hulda replied that her mother was gone to the fair at Christiana, and would not be back for several days.
“Can I then speak with the lord of the castle?” asked the pedlar.
“My father is gone out to fish in the fiord,” replied little Hulda; “he will not return for some time, and the maids and the men are all gone to make hay in the fields; there is no one left at home but me and my old nurse.”
The pedlar was very much delighted to hear this. However, he pretended to be disappointed.
“It is very unfortunate,” he said, “that your honored parents are not at home, for I have got some things here of such wonderful beauty that nothing could have given them so much pleasure as to have feasted their eyes with the sight of them–rings, bracelets, lockets, pictures–in short, there is nothing beautiful that I have not got in my pack, and if your parents could have seen them they would have given all the money they had in the world rather than not have bought some of them.”
“Good pedlar,” said little Hulda, “could you not be so very kind as just to let me have a sight of them?”
The pedlar at first pretended to be unwilling, but after he had looked all across the wide heath and seen that there was no one coming, and that the hounds by the doorway were fast asleep in the sun, and the very pigeons on the roof had all got their heads under their wings, he ventured to step across the threshold into the bay window, and begin to open his pack and display all his fine things, taking care to set them out in the sunshine, which, made them glitter like glowworms.
Little Hulda had never seen anything half so splendid before. There were little glasses set round with diamonds, and hung with small tinkling bells which made delightful music whenever they were shaken; ropes of pearls which had a more fragrant scent than bean-fields or hyacinths; rings, the precious stones of which changed color as you frowned or smiled upon them; silver boxes that could play tunes; pictures of beautiful ladies and gentlemen, set with emeralds, with devices in coral at the back; little golden snakes, with brilliant eyes that would move about; and so many other rare and splendid jewels that Hulda was quite dazzled, and stood looking at them with blushing cheeks and a beating heart, so much she wished that she might have one of them.
“Well, young lady,” said the cunning pedlar, “how do you find these jewels? Did I boast too much of their beauty?”
“Oh, no!” said Hulda, “I did not think there had been anything so beautiful in the world. I did not think even our queen had such fine jewels as these. Thank you, pedlar, for the sight of them.”
“Will you buy something, then, of a poor man?” answered the pedlar. “I’ve travelled a great distance, and not sold anything this many a day.”
“I should be very glad to buy,” said little Hulda, “but I have scarcely any money; not half the price of one of these jewels, I am sure.”
Now there was lying on the table an ancient signet-ring set with a large opal.
“Maybe the young lady would not mind parting with this?” said he, taking it up. “I could give her a new one for it of the latest fashion.”
“Oh, no, thank you!” cried Hulda, hastily, “I must not do so. This ring is my mother’s, and was left her by my grandmother.”
The pedlar looked disappointed. However, he put the ring down, and said, “But if my young lady has no money, perhaps she has some old trinkets or toys that she would not mind parting with–a coral and bells, or a silver mug, or a necklace, or, in short, anything that she keeps put away, and that is of no use to her?”