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WhenGluckfoundthatSchwartzdidnotcomebackhewasverysorry,anddidnotknowwhattodo.
Hehadnomoney,andwasobligedtogoandhirehimselfagaintothegoldsmith,whoworkedhimveryhard,andgavehimverylittlemoney.
So,afteramonthortwo,Gluckgrewtired,andmadeuphismindtogoandtryhisfortunewiththeGoldenRiver.
“Thelittlekinglookedverykind,”thoughthe.
“Idon’tthinkhewillturnmeintoablackstone.”
Sohewenttothepriest,andthepriestgavehimsomeholywaterassoonasheaskedforit.
ThenGlucktooksomebreadinhisbasket,andthebottleofwater,andsetoffveryearlyforthemountains.
Iftheglacierhadoccasionedagreatdealoffatiguetohisbrothers,itwastwentytimesworseforhim,whowasneithersostrongnorsopractisedonthemountains.
Hehadseveralverybadfalls,losthisbasketandbread,andwasverymuchfrightenedatthestrangenoisesundertheice.
Helayalongtimetorestonthegrass,afterhehadgotover,andbegantoclimbthehillinjustthehottestpartoftheday.
Whenhehadclimbedforanhour,hegotdreadfullythirsty,andwasgoingtodrinklikehisbrothers,whenhesawanoldmancomingdownthepathabovehim,lookingveryfeeble,andleaningonastaff.
“Myson,”saidtheoldman,“Iamfaintwiththirst,givemesomeofthatwater.”
ThenGlucklookedathim,and,whenhesawthathewaspaleandweary,hegavehimthewater.
“Onlypraydon’tdrinkitall,”saidGluck.
Buttheoldmandrankagreatdeal,andgavehimbackthebottletwo-thirdsempty.
Thenhebadehimgoodspeed,andGluckwentonagainmerrily.
Andthepathbecameeasiertohisfeet,andtwoorthreebladesofgrassappeareduponit,andsomegrasshoppersbegansingingonthebankbesideit;andGluckthoughthehadneverheardsuchmerrysinging.
Thenhewentonforanotherhour,andthethirstincreasedonhimsothathethoughtheshouldbeforcedtodrink.
But,asheraisedtheflask,hesawalittlechildlyingpantingbytheroadside,anditcriedoutpiteouslyforwater.
ThenGluckstruggledwithhimself,anddeterminedtobearthethirstalittlelonger;andheputthebottletothechild’slips,anditdrankitallbutafewdrops.
Thenitsmiledonhim,andgotup,andrandownthehill;andGlucklookedafterittillitbecameassmallasalittlestar,andthenturnedandbeganclimbingagain.
Andthentherewereallkindsofsweetflowersgrowingontherocks,brightgreenmoss,withpalepinkstarryflowers,andsoftbelledgentians,morebluethantheskyatitsdeepest,andpurewhitetransparentlilies.
Andcrimsonandpurplebutterfliesdartedhitherandthither,andtheskysentdownsuchpurelight,thatGluckhadneverfeltsohappyinhislife.
Yet,whenhehadclimbedforanotherhour,histhirstbecameintolerableagain;and,whenhelookedathisbottle,hesawthattherewereonlyfiveorsixdropsleftinit,andhecouldnotventuretodrink.
And,ashewashangingtheflasktohisbeltagain,hesawalittledoglyingontherocks,gaspingforbreath—justasHanshadseenitonthedayofhisascent.
AndGluckstoppedandlookedatitandthenattheGoldenRiver,notfivehundredyardsabovehim;andhethoughtofthedwarf’swords,“thatnoonecouldsucceed,exceptinhisfirstattempt”;andhetriedtopassthedog,butitwhinedpiteously,andGluckstoppedagain.“Poorbeastie!”
saidGluck:“it’llbedeadwhenIcomedownagain,ifIdon’thelpit.”
Thenhelookedcloserandcloseratit,anditseyeturnedonhimsomournfullythathecouldnotstandit.
“ConfoundtheKingandhisgoldtoo,”saidGluck;andheopenedtheflask,andpouredallthewaterintothedog’smouth.
Thedogsprangupandstoodonitshindlegs.
Itstaildisappeared,itsearsbecamelong,longer,silky,golden;itsnosebecameveryred,itseyesbecameverytwinkling;inthreesecondsthedogwasgone,andbeforeGluckstoodhisoldacquaintance,theKingoftheGoldenRiver.
“Thankyou,”saidthemonarch;“butdon’tbefrightened,it’sallright”;forGluckshowedmanifestsymptomsofconsternationatthisunlooked-forreplytohislastobservation.
“Whydidn’tyoucomebefore,”continuedthedwarf,“insteadofsendingmethoserascallybrothersofyours,formetohavethetroubleofturningintostones?Veryhardstonestheymaketoo.”
“Ohdearme!”saidGluck;“haveyoureallybeensocruel?”
“Cruel!”saidthedwarf,“theypouredunholywaterintomystream;doyousupposeI’mgoingtoallowthat?”
“Why,”saidGluck,“Iamsure,sir—yourMajesty,Imean—theygotthewateroutofthechurchfont.”
“Veryprobably,”repliedthedwarf;“but,”andhiscountenancegrewsternashespoke,“thewaterwhichhasbeenrefusedtothecryofthewearyanddyingisunholy,thoughithadbeenblessedbyeverysaintinheaven;andthewaterwhichisfoundinthevesselofmercyisholy,thoughithadbeendefiledwithcorpses.”
Sosaying,thedwarfstoopedandpluckedalilythatgrewathisfeet.
Onitswhiteleavestherehungthreedropsofcleardew.
AndthedwarfshookthemintotheflaskwhichGluckheldinhishand.
“Casttheseintotheriver,”hesaid,“anddescendontheothersideofthemountainsintotheTreasureValley.Andsogoodspeed.”
Ashespoke,thefigureofthedwarfbecameindistinct.
Theplayingcoloursofhisrobeformedthemselvesintoaprismaticmistofdewylight;hestoodforaninstantveiledwiththemaswiththebeltofabroadrainbow.
Thecoloursgrewfaint,themistroseintotheair;themonarchhadevaporated.
AndGluckclimbedtothebrinkoftheGoldenRiver,anditswaveswereasclearascrystal,andasbrilliantasthesun.
And,whenhecastthethreedropsofdewintothestream,thereopenedwheretheyfellasmallcircularwhirlpool,intowhichthewatersdescendedwithamusicalnoise.
Gluckstoodwatchingitforsometime,verymuchdisappointed,becausenotonlytheriverwasnotturnedintogold,butitswatersseemedmuchdiminishedinquantity.
Yetheobeyedhisfriendthedwarf,anddescendedtheothersideofthemountainstowardtheTreasureValley;and,ashewent,hethoughtheheardthenoiseofwaterworkingitswayundertheground.
And,whenhecameinsightoftheTreasureValley,behold,ariver,liketheGoldenRiverwasspringingfromanewcleftoftherocksaboveit,andwasflowingininnumerablestreamsamongthedryheapsofredsand.
AndasGluckgazed,freshgrasssprangbesidethenewstreams,andcreepingplantsgrew,andclimbedamongthismoisteningsoil.
Youngflowersopenedsuddenlyalongtheriversides,asstarsleapoutwhentwilightisdeepening,andthicketsofmyrtle,andtendrilsofvine,castlengtheningshadowsoverthevalleyastheygrew.
AndthustheTreasureValleybecameagardenagain,andtheinheritancewhichhadbeenlostbycrueltywasregainedbylove.
AndGluckwent,anddweltinthevalley,andthepoorwereneverdrivenfromhisdoor:sothathisbarnsbecamefullofcorn,andhishouseoftreasure.
And,forhim,theriverhad,accordingtothedwarf’spromise,becomeaRiverofGold.
And,tothisday,theinhabitantsofthevalleypointouttheplacewherethethreedropsofholydewwerecastintothestream,andtracethecourseoftheGoldenRiverundertheground,untilitemergesintheTreasureValley.
AndatthetopofthecataractoftheGoldenRiverarestilltobeseentwoBLACKSTONES,roundwhichthewatershowlmournfullyeverydayatsunset,andthesestonesarestillcalledbythepeopleofthevalleyTheBlackBrothers.
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