The Dwarf-King Hibich.
The Hibichenstein, near Grand, consists of two colossal limestone cliffs leaning against each other, which are said to have been formed in the distant days when giants lived in the Hercynia Sylva,[[1]] from a pebble which a giant threw out of his shoe.
[[1]] The Hercynia Sylva of the Romans was of greater extent than the Harz mountains. It included the Schwarzwald, Thuringen, Bohemia, and the Harz.
In the Hibichenstein dwelt dwarfs, who often attended the children in Grund.
Their King Hibich was ages old, with shaggy hair like a bear, a very wrinkled face, and a long ice-grey beard, which possessed magical power.
He always carried a silver miner's lamp that shone clear as the sun, and wore a golden crown.
Although so small, he could stretch himself much larger.
Formerly his dwarf majesty was allowed to appear in the upper world every five hundred years, but he is no longer permitted to leave his subterranean abode.
He protected the forests, and played serious jokes upon those who did them any injury. But he was benevolent and kind to those in distress who complained to him of their trouble.
Once a miner's wife, whose husband had long lain ill, went from Grund into the wood to gather cones for the baker, who gave her bread for them.
When she had entered the forest, Hibich came to her and asked: "What seekest thou here?"
Then she told him all her want and distress, whereupon he gave her a plant to cure her husband, and pointed out to her a spot where she would find plenty of cones.
Arrived there, she could at first find none, but directly the cones began to fall in showers from the trees, not striking her, however, but all falling into the basket.
When she lifted the basket to put it on her back, she found it much heavier than the cones had ever been before.
Returning to the spot where the King had first met her, he asked her if she had found cones. Then she told him what had happened, and the Dwarf-King revealed to her that his people had done it, and added the cones were pure silver.
He told her she was to take a sufficient number of them to make herself and her sick husband comfortable, and to provide for her children, and with the rest she was to build a church in Grund; but by no means to forget the healing plant.
The sick man became "healthy as a fish" from the hour when he made use of this powerful herb.
In the forester's house in Grund lived in the olden days a forester who had lost his wife early, and had an only son, a good-hearted youth, only somewhat over-inquisitive and indiscreet.
One Sunday afternoon the forester's son, with his friend, the son of a miner, went into the wood for a walk.
As they reached the Hibichstein they fell into a conversation concerning its height, and the miner's son said he should like to see the person who could climb to the top.
The other said that was nothing, he would do it; but his friend endeavoured to dissuade him from his purpose, saying no one who had climbed up could ever get down again, but was always found the next day broken to pieces at the base.
He was not be dissuaded, and climbed to the summit, where he found a large level space, and began to dance and shout for joy, and called to his friend to climb up. But the other shook his head, and told him not to forget he had to come down.
Finally, when his joy had cooled, the forester's son decided to descend, but could not leave the spot, for the Dwarf-King Hibich held him enchanted to the rock for his presumption.
He called to his friend and entreated him to go and tell his father.
Then the forester came with his gun and would shoot his son down.
But as he was about to fire, came Hibich and demanded what he was going to do; and as he replied he was going to shoot his son down from the mountain, the King advised him not to attempt anything so foolish.
Again he took aim, when it began to thunder and lighten, and the rain poured down in torrents.
Night came on, and the forester was obliged to go home till morning.
Hardly had he gone when the dwarfs arrived, all in miners' dress, and each carrying a mine-lamp.
They had the most skilful ladders, which they placed one on the other, and now they held together as if they had been glued.
As soon as this ladder was ready, and reached the top of the Hibichenstein, a dwarf stood at each side and lighted the way.
The forester's son must now seat himself on the shoulders of the dwarf on the topmost rung of the ladder; and see! the ladder is wide enough to permit them to descend between the thick line of lamp-bearing dwarfs on either hand.
No sooner had they reached the base than dwarfs, lights, and ladder had vanished.
Then came the old Hibich, took him by the hand, and said: "As thou hast been on the summit of the Hibichenstein, and hast suffered so much anxiety and terror, thou shalt also see the Dwarf-King's castle."
Then they entered through a great arched door into the mountain, and the King conducted him to a large room, where stood chairs and a table.
The walls glittered with pure ore, the ceiling was a single piece of ponderous spar, white as the driven snow, and from it hung a chandelier of mountain crystal and precious stones.
The floor was strewed with branches of firs, and the panels shimmered with gold and jewels.
In the centre of this superb chamber stood a table of hematite; before it a silver chair, upon which the Dwarf-King seated himself, and commanded his companion also to sit down.
Then he struck with a silver rapier upon the table of hematite, which produced a tone the sweetness of which was never heard before.
A thousand tiny female forms appeared in answer to the summons, bearing strawberries and raspberries; and while the King and his guest partook of the fruit, the dwarf maidens played the most delicious music.
Afterward costly wine was brought in silver goblets.
When the repast was ended, Hibich led his young visitor into an adjoining chamber, on one side of which was silver, on the other gold, and at the royal command, "Silver!" "Gold!" the forester's son must take of the metal named till he was laden with wealth.
Then the Dwarf-King said: "Wilt thou do me a favour? Namely, never to permit any one to shoot at birds on the Hibichenstein; for in this way bits of the rock are broken off.
"As long as the great Hibichenstein remains the great, my crown is secure; but so soon as it becomes the little Hibichenstein, I lose my crown, and can never appear on the earth again."
The youth promised, and Hibich conducted him to another chamber, where stood a delicious bed of fragrant moss, wished him Gute Nacht, and promised to wake him early.
The forester's son had slept but a short time, as it seemed to him, when he was waked up suddenly. It was early dawn, and he shivered, exclaiming, "How cold it is!"
He lay under a bush at the foot of the Hibichenstein, but all the gold and silver that the Dwarf-King Hibich had given him was heaped up beside him.