with these words he went quietly up the back stairs to the garret , where the student lived . the student 's candle was burning still , and the goblin peeped through the keyhole and saw that he was reading in the torn book which he had bought out of the shop . but how light the room was ! from the book shot forth a ray of light which grew broad and full like the stem of a tree , from which bright rays spread upward and over the student 's head . each leaf was fresh , and each flower was like a beautiful female head -- some with dark and sparkling eyes and others with eyes that were wonderfully blue and clear . the fruit gleamed like stars , and the room was filled with sounds of beautiful music . the little goblin had never imagined , much less seen or heard of , any sight so glorious as this . he stood still on tiptoe , peeping in , till the light went out . the student no doubt had blown out his candle and gone to bed , but the little goblin remained standing there , listening to the music which still sounded , soft and beautiful -- a sweet cradle song for the student who had lain down to rest . after what he had seen , the goblin could no longer sit and listen quietly to the wisdom and understanding downstairs . as soon as the evening light glimmered in the garret , he took courage , for it seemed to him that the rays of light were strong cables , drawing him up and obliging him to go and peep through the keyhole . while there , a feeling of vastness came over him , such as we experience by the ever - moving sea when the storm breaks forth , and it brought tears into his eyes . he did not himself know why he wept , yet a kind of pleasant feeling mingled with his tears . " how wonderfully glorious it would be to sit with the student under such a tree ! " but that was out of the question ; he must be content to look through the keyhole and be thankful for even that . soon after , the goblin was waked in the middle of the night by a terrible noise and knocking against the window shutters and the house doors and by the sound of the watchman 's horn . a great fire had broken out , and the whole street seemed full of flames . was it in their house or a neighbor 's ? no one could tell , for terror had seized upon all . the huckster 's wife was so bewildered that she took her gold earrings out of her ears and put them in her pocket , that she might save something at least . the huckster ran to get his business papers , and the servant resolved to save her black silk mantle , which she had managed to buy . all wished to keep the best things they had . the goblin had the same wish , for with one spring he was upstairs in the student 's room . he found him standing by the open window and looking quite calmly at the fire , which was raging in the house of a neighbor opposite . the goblin caught up the wonderful book , which lay on the table , and popped it into his red cap , which he held tightly with both hands . the greatest treasure in the house was saved , and he ran away with it to the roof and seated himself on the chimney . the flames of the burning house opposite illuminated him as he sat with both hands pressed tightly over his cap , in which the treasure lay . it was then that he understood what feelings were really strongest in his heart and knew exactly which way they tended . yet , when the fire was extinguished and the goblin again began to reflect , he hesitated , and said at last , " i must divide myself between the two ; i can not quite give up the huckster , because of the jam . " this is a representation of human nature . we are like the goblin ; we all go to visit the huckster , " because of the jam . " 
it made such a glorious tree of light .
why did the goblin save the book ?
why did the goblin save the book ?