Now any one can see that a man who practised so cunning a roguery was greedy beyond the intentions of Providence. Every day, as he watched his daughter’s beauty increase, his thoughts were: “When will she be able to pay me back for all the expense she has been to me?” He would have grudged her the very food she ate, if it had not been necessary to keep her in the good looks which were some day to bring him his fortune. For he was greedier than any gnome after gold.
Now all good gnomes have this about them: they love whatever is beautiful, and hate to see harm happen to it. A gnome who lived far away underground below where stood the rat-catcher’s house, said to his fellows: “Up yonder is a man who has a daughter; so greedy is he, he would sell her to the first comer who gave him gold enough! I am going up to look after her.”
So one night, when the rat-catcher set a trap, the gnome went and got himself caught in it. There in the morning, when the rat-catcher came, he found a funny little fellow, all bright and golden, wriggling and beating to be free.
“I can’t get out!” cried the little gnome. “Let me go!”
The rat-catcher screwed up his mouth to look virtuous. “If I let you out, what will you give me?” “A sack full of gold,” answered the gnome, “just as heavy as myself—not a pennyweight less!”
“Not enough!” said the rat-catcher. “Guess again!”
“As heavy as you are!” cried the gnome, beginning to plead in a thin, whining tone.
“I’m a poor man,” said the rat-catcher; “a poor man mayn’t afford to be generous!”
“What is it you want of me?” cried the gnome.
“If I let you go,” said the rat-catcher, “you must make me the richest man in the world!” Then he thought of his daughter: “Also you must make the king’s son marry my daughter; then I will let you go.”