"Come， Gluck， my boy，" said the voice out of the pot again， "I'm all right； pour me out."But Gluck was too much astonished to do anything of the kind.
"Pour me out， I say，" said the voice rather gruffly.
Still Gluck couldn't move.
"WILL you pour me out？" said the voice passionately. "I'm too hot."By a violent effort Gluck recovered the use of his limbs， took hold of the crucible， and sloped it， so as to pour out the gold. But instead of a liquid stream there came out， first a pair of pretty little yellow legs， then some coat tails， then a pair of arms stuck akimbo， and finally the well-known head of his friend the mug--all which articles， uniting as they rolled out， stood up energetically on the floor in the shape of a little golden dwarf about a foot and a half high.
"That's right！" said the dwarf， stretching out first his legs and then his arms， and then shaking his head up and down and as far round as it would go， for five minutes without stopping， apparently with the view of ascertaining if he were quite correctly put together， while Gluck stood contemplating him in speechless amazement. He was dressed in a slashed doublet of spun gold， so fine in its texture that the prismatic colors gleamed over it as if on a surface of mother-of-pearl； and over this brilliant doublet his hair and beard fell full halfway to the ground in waving curls， so exquisitely delicate that Gluck could hardly tell where they ended；they seemed to melt into air. The features of the face， however， were by no means finished with the same delicacy； they were rather coarse， slightly inclining to coppery in complexion， and indicative， in expression， of a very pertinacious and intractable disposition in their small proprietor. When the dwarf had finished his self-examination， he turned his small， sharp eyes full on Gluck and stared at him deliberately for a minute or two. "No， it wouldn't， Gluck， my boy，" said the little man.
This was certainly rather an abrupt and unconnected mode of commencing conversation. It might indeed be supposed to refer to the course of Gluck's thoughts， which had first produced the dwarf's observations out of the pot； but whatever it referred to， Gluck had no inclination to dispute the dictum.
"Wouldn't it， sir？" said Gluck very mildly and submissively indeed.
"No，" said the dwarf， conclusively， "no， it wouldn't." And with that the dwarf pulled his cap hard over his brows and took two turns， of three feet long， up and down the room， lifting his legs up very high and setting them down very hard. This pause gave time for Gluck to collect his thoughts a little， and， seeing no great reason to view his diminutive visitor with dread， and feeling his curiosity overcome his amazement， he ventured on a question of peculiar delicacy.
"Pray， sir，" said Gluck， rather hesitatingly， "were you my mug？"On which the little man turned sharp round， walked straight up to Gluck， and drew himself up to his full height. "I，" said the little man， "am the King of the Golden River." Whereupon he turned about again and took two more turns， some six feet long， in order to allow time for the consternation which this announcement produced in his auditor to evaporate. After which he again walked up to Gluck and stood still， as if expecting some comment on his communication.
Gluck determined to say something at all events. "I hope your Majesty is very well，" said Gluck.
"Listen！" said the little man， deigning no reply to this polite inquiry. "I am the king of what you mortals call the Golden River. The shape you saw me in was owing to the malice of a stronger king， from whose enchantments you have this instant freed me. What I have seen of you and your conduct to your wicked brothers renders me willing to serve you； therefore， attend to what I tell you. Whoever shall climb to the top of that mountain from which you see the Golden River issue， and shall cast into the stream at its source three drops of holy water， for him and for him only the river shall turn to gold. But no one failing in his first can succeed in a second attempt， and if anyone shall cast unholy water into the river， it will overwhelm him and he will become a black stone." So saying， the King of the Golden River turned away and deliberately walked into the center of the hottest flame of the furnace. His figure became red， white， transparent， dazzling，--a blaze of intense light，--rose， trembled， and disappeared. The King of the Golden River had evaporated.
"Oh！" cried poor Gluck， running to look up the chimney after him， "O dear， dear， dear me！ My mug！ my mug！ my mug！"
第一章CHAPTER III HOW MR. HANS SET OFF ON AN EXPEDITION TO THE GOLDEN RIVER， AND HOW HE PROSPERED THEREIN
The King of the Golden River had hardly made the extraordinary exit related in the last chapter， before Hans and Schwartz came roaring into the house very savagely drunk. The discovery of the total loss of their last piece of plate had the effect of sobering them just enough to enable them to stand over Gluck， beating him very steadily for a quarter of an hour； at the expiration of which period they dropped into a couple of chairs and requested to know what he had got to say for himself. Gluck told them his story， of which， of course， they did not believe a word. They beat him again， till their arms were tired， and staggered to bed. In the morning， however， the steadiness with which he adhered to his story obtained him some degree of credence； the immediate consequence of which was that the two brothers， after wrangling a long time on the knotty question， which of them should try his fortune first， drew their swords and began fighting. The noise of the fray alarmed the neighbors， who， finding they could not pacify the combatants， sent for the constable.
Hans， on hearing this， contrived to escape， and hid himself；but Schwartz was taken before the magistrate， fined for breaking the peace， and， having drunk out his last penny the evening before， was thrown into prison till he should pay.
