Page:Legends of Rubezahl, and Other Tales (1845).djvu/168

 on the appointed day he rose very early in the morning, roused his wife and children, directed her to wash and comb them nicely, and to dress herself and them in their Sunday clothes, desiring her, in especial, to put on the new shoes and fine scarlet bodice he had bought her for a new-year’s gift, and which she had only worn once. He himself donned his best things, and, meantime, opening the window, called out: “Hans, put to the horses!”

“Why what’s the meaning of all this?” asked his wife; tis no holiday or church festival to-day; what has put thee into this merry-making vein? Where art thou going to take us?”—“Oh!” said he, laughingly, “I’m going to see those rich relations beyond the mountains, who helped us in the time of need, and to pay my debt; to-day, principal and interest, the money falls due.” The wife, highly delighted, dressed out herself and her children in all their finery, and to complete the favourable effect she intended to produce in the minds of her rich relations, and manifestly to prove that her circumstances were now good, she hung round her neck a string of crooked ducats. Everybody being ready, Veit took the heavy bag of dollars in his hand, and off they started; and Hans making the four horses keep up a good trot, they were not long in reaching the Giant Mountains.

At the bottom of a steep hill Veit stopped the