“Another destiny is for you!”
She was thus impelled forward into the open path; and, creeping close to the mountain-side, she now pursued her way along it. It was with no small relief that she noticed the sun was nearly sinking behind the opposite heights, so that soon she might hope to be safe from the gaze of men.
And yet, as darkness fell around, it became but the source of other fears. And the sense of her loneliness and abandonment took away her courage to proceed any farther.
She leant against the rock for support, and her tears fell fast and warm upon its stony side—piteously enough, you might have thought, to move and melt it.
And so it was! for see! the hard rock yielded and made way before the noble form of a knight in armour, who said, with compassionate voice,—
“Maiden, wherefore these tears?”
“Because my father is dead, and his enemies have taken his castle, and I have no shelter and nothing to eat!” sobbed Klein-Else.
“If that is all,” answered the noble knight, “it is easily made straight.” And with that he turned to the rock, and said,—
“Open, hoary rock!”
And the hoary rock opened, and disclosed a treasure of every imaginable kind of riches stored around—jewels and coin, and shining armour, and dazzling dresses.