Goldy could not conceive what the bird-catcher meant; he returned sadly, but yet not despairingly, to the forest, with the intention of renewing his endeavours to find his father's hut. Day and night he wandered about, climbing over fragments of rock and old fallen trees, and often stumbled and fell over the old black roots which protruded in all directions from out of the ground.
On the third day, however, the forest once more became somewhat clearer, and he issued from it into a beautiful bright garden, full of the most delightful flowers, and as he had never before seen such he stood gazing full of admiration. The gardener no sooner perceived him—for Goldy stood beneath the sunflowers, and his locks glistened in the sunshine just like one of them—than he exclaimed: "Ha! he is just such a boy as I want!" and the garden-gate closed directly. Goldy was very well satisfied, for he thought he should lead a gay life amongst the flowers, and he had again lost the hope of getting back to his father's cottage.
"Off with you to the forest!" said the gardener to him one morning, "and fetch me the stem of a wild rose, that I may engraft cultivated roses on it."
Goldy went and returned with a rose-bush bearing the most beautiful golden-coloured roses imaginable, which looked exactly as if they were the work of the most skilful of goldsmiths, and prepared to adorn a monarch's table.
"Confound you, with these golden roses!" screamed the gardener; "you are in league with the evil one!" and he drove Goldy roughly out of the garden, as with plenty of abuse he trampled the golden roses on the ground.
Goldy knew not what the gardener could mean; but he went calmly back into the forest, and again set himself to seek after his father's cabin.
He walked on day and night, from tree to tree, from rock to rock. On the third day, the forest again became clearer and clearer, and he came to the shore of the blue sea. It lay before him without a boundary; the sun mirrored itself in the crystal surface, which glistened like liquid gold, and gay vessels with far-floating streamers floated on the waves. Some fishermen sat in a pretty bark on the shore, into which Goldy entered, and gazed with wonder out into the bright distance.
"We stand in need of just such a boy," said the fisherman, and off they pushed into the sea. Goldy was well pleased to go with them, for he thought it must be a golden life there amongst the bright waves, and he had quite lost all hope of again finding his father's hut.
The fishermen cast their nets, but took nothing.
"Let us see if you will have better luck," said an old fisherman with silver hair, addressing Goldy. With unskilful hands he let down the net into the deep, drew it up, and lo! he brought up in it—a crown of pure gold.