To his amazement, two hands, without any body, moved from behind the door, and taking hold of his arm drew him gently into the hall.
He perceived that he was in a fairy palace, and putting his own hands in a friendly pressure on one of the ghostly hands, said:
“You are very kind, but I cannot leave my horse out in the cold.”
The hand beckoned, and another pair of shadowy hands crossed the hall, and went outside and led away the horse to the stable.
Then the merchant’s first friends led him gently onwards till he stood in a large and splendid dining-room, where a costly banquet was spread, evidently intended for him, for the hands placed a chair for him and handed him the dishes, and poured out a refreshing drink for him, and waited on him while he supped.
When his repast was over, they touched him, and beckoned to him; and following them, he found himself in a bedroom furnished with great elegance; the curtains were made of butterflies’ wings sewn together.
The hands undressed the stranger, prepared him a bath of rose-water, lifted him into bed and put out the light.
Then the merchant fell asleep. He did not awake till late the next morning. The sun was streaming in through the beautiful window-curtains, and the birds were uttering their shrill cries in the woods. In that country a singing bird is as rare as a white rose.
As he sprang out of bed some bells rang a silvery chime, and he perceived that he had shaken them by his own movements, for they were attached to the golden bed-rail, and tinkled as he shook it.
At the sound the bedroom door opened, and the hands entered bearing a costly suit of clothes, all embroidered with gold and jewels. Again they prepared a bath of rose-water, and attended on and dressed the merchant. And when his toilette was completed, they led him out of his room and downstairs to a pretty little room, where breakfast awaited him.