Page:Popular Tales of the Germans (Volume 1).djvu/233

 upon the crytal plain, then reted and chatted for a time, pouring between whiles a oft tream of melody from their tuneful tongues. The lurcher, in an extacy of rapture, tood motionles as a marble tatue, and had well nigh lot the golden opportunity of eizing his prize. Luckily he recovered his recollection and awoke jut in eaon from his trance. He left his tation on tip-toe, and crept unperceived through the buhes to the place where the company of wans had quitted their ethereal robes. He found three virgin’s veils pread out on the gras, of an unknown texture, finer than the pider’s web, and whiter than new-fallen now: the top was drawn through a golden crown, and puffed o as to have the appearance of a tuft. Round about lay under-garments of coarer materials, of ea-green lined with pink, apparently of Perian ilk. The audacious robber darted at the firt veil that came within his grap with an eager hand. He then hatened home with his 7