As the little man was passing the tall garden-hedge, Tony slipped out at the back-door, and crept softly to the hedge, saying—­

“Wait a minute, and give me your bag.”

The little man gave him the bag, and Tony ran to the store-room, where there were several sacks, and filled the man’s bag with the finest and best meal he could find.  The man received it with joy, and thanked Tony heartily for his kindness, and said to him, “If you are ever in distress, and want help, come to the oak spring.”

He nodded his head, and Tony saw him take the steep path up the mountains.

“Poor little man!” said Tony to himself, “perhaps he has a hungry little child at home, for whom he wants to make some porridge.  It was very wrong of me to go and take father’s meal out of the store-room without his knowledge; yet the little man’s need was so great, and he begged so earnestly, that it would have been a greater injustice not to have taken pity on him.  I will go to my mother and ask her to give me less for my breakfast and supper, until the meal is replaced.”

Summer was nearly over when one day a water-spout burst in, the upper valley, which caused such a sudden and terrible flood, that the miller and his family had only time to save their lives by flight.

When the waters had subsided, the miller contrived a hovel in the only corner left standing of the mill; and here, with his wife and Tony, abode in the extreme of poverty.

The good boy was grieved for his parents’ misery, but chiefly for his poor mother, who was now unable to leave her wretched bed of moss and leaves.

Two goats had escaped the general destruction.  These Tony took care of, and drove them out to feed upon the mountains every day.  Having set out with them one morning, he took the same hill-path by which the brown man had gone, until he came to a large oak-tree, under whose roots he perceived a cave, which appeared to have been hollowed out by a spring.  At the entrance Tony sat down beneath the tree, and suffered his goats to browse and skip about at pleasure.

“Oh!” said he, “if father only was more cheerful and mother quite well, all would be right, and although we have no mill, and only dry bread and goats’ milk, I should be quite content.”

With these thoughts in his head he fell asleep.  He had not slept long before he heard his name called, and on opening his eyes he saw far into the cave, and at its entrance stood the little brown man, who, nodding kindly, said—­

“Art thou come at last?  I will show thee my house and garden, which will, I am sure, please thee.”

Tony followed the little brown man, and after going on a long way, they came to a passage lined with smooth stone.  As they proceeded the light became stronger, and they next entered another, the walls of which were formed of large iron plates.  Passing through this they reached another lined with bright sheets of copper, which led to a large hall with a roof and pillars of burnished silver.  From this hall a pair of folding-doors gave access to a splendid room, with walls, roof, and floor of solid gold, and windows of transparent crystal.  The next room was covered with red rubies, having windows formed of large diamonds.