[[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.