When, next day, the little
man came again, she began with Caspar, Melchoir, Balthazar, and
repeated, each after each, all the names she knew or had heard of; but
at each one the little man said, "That is not my name."
The second day she again sent round about in all directions, to ask
how the people were called, and repeated to the little man the
strangest names she could hear of or imagine: to each he answered
always, "That is not my name."
The third day the messenger returned and said, "I have not been able
to find a single new name; but as I came over a high mountain by a
wood, where the fox and the hare bid each other good-night, I saw a
little house, and before the house was burning a little fire, and
round the fire danced a very funny little man, who hopped upon one
leg, and cried out:--
"To-day I brew, to-morrow I bake,
Next day the queen's child I shall take;
How glad I am that nobody knows
My name is Rumpelstilzchen!"
You may guess how joyful the queen was at hearing this; and when, soon
after, the little man entered and said, "Queen, what is my name?" she
asked him mischievously, "Is your name Kunz?"
"No."
"Is your name Carl?"
"No."
"Are you not sometimes called Rumpelstilzchen?"
"A witch has told you that--a witch has told you!" shrieked the poor
little man, and stamped so furiously with his right foot that it sunk
into the earth up to the hip; then he seized his left foot with both
hands with such violence, that he tore himself right in two.
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