Hollow places were
cut in the walls, in which stood vases of transparent glass which were
filled with colored spirit or with a bluish vapour. On the floor of the
hall two great glass chests stood opposite to each other, which at once
excited his curiosity. When he went to one of them he saw inside it a
handsome structure like a castle surrounded by farm-buildings, stables
and barns, and a quantity of other good things. Everything was small,
but exceedingly carefully and delicately made, and seemed to be cut out
by a dexterous hand with the greatest exactitude. He might not have turned away his eyes from the consideration of this
rarity for some time, if the voice had not once more made itself heard. It ordered him to turn round and look at the glass chest which was
standing opposite. How his admiration increased when he saw therein a
maiden of the greatest beauty! She lay as if asleep, and was wrapped in
her long fair hair as in a precious mantle. Her eyes were closely shut,
but the brightness of her complexion and a ribbon which her breathing
moved to and fro, left no doubt that she was alive. The tailor was
looking at the beauty with beating heart, when she suddenly opened her
eyes, and started up at the sight of him in joyful terror. “Just
Heaven!” cried she, “my deliverance is at hand! Quick, quick, help me
out of my prison; if thou pushest back the bolt of this glass coffin,
then I shall be free.” The tailor obeyed without delay, and she
immediately raised up the glass lid, came out and hastened into the
corner of the hall, where she covered herself with a large cloak. Then
she seated herself on a stone, ordered the young man to come to her,
and after she had imprinted a friendly kiss on his lips, she said, “My
long-desired deliverer, kind Heaven has guided thee to me, and put an
end to my sorrows. On the self-same day when they end, shall thy
happiness begin. Thou art the husband chosen for me by Heaven, and
shalt pass thy life in unbroken joy, loved by me, and rich to
overflowing in every earthly possession. Seat thyself, and listen to
the story of my life:

“I am the daughter of a rich count. My parents died when I was still in
my tender youth, and recommended me in their last will to my elder
brother, by whom I was brought up. We loved each other so tenderly, and
were so alike in our way of thinking and our inclinations, that we both
embraced the resolution never to marry, but to stay together to the end
of our lives. In our house there was no lack of company; neighbors and
friends visited us often, and we showed the greatest hospitality to
every one. So it came to pass one evening that a stranger came riding
to our castle, and, under pretext of not being able to get on to the
next place, begged for shelter for the night. We granted his request
with ready courtesy, and he entertained us in the most agreeable manner
during supper by conversation intermingled with stories. My brother
liked the stranger so much that he begged him to spend a couple of days
with us, to which, after some hesitation, he consented. We did not rise
from table until late in the night, the stranger was shown to room, and
I hastened, as I was tired, to lay my limbs in my soft bed. Hardly had
I slept for a short time, when the sound of faint and delightful music
awoke me. As I could not conceive from whence it came, I wanted to
summon my waiting-maid who slept in the next room, but to my
astonishment I found that speech was taken away from me by an unknown
force. I felt as if a mountain were weighing down my breast, and was
unable to make the very slightest sound. In the meantime, by the light
of my night-lamp, I saw the stranger enter my room through two doors
which were fast bolted. He came to me and said, that by magic arts
which were at his command, he had caused the lovely music to sound in
order to awaken me, and that he now forced his way through all
fastenings with the intention of offering me his hand and heart. My
repugnance to his magic arts was, however, so great, that I vouchsafed
him no answer. He remained for a time standing without moving,
apparently with the idea of waiting for a favorable decision, but as I
continued to keep silence, he angrily declared he would revenge himself
and find means to punish my pride, and left the room. I passed the
night in the greatest disquietude, and only fell asleep towards
morning. When I awoke, I hurried to my brother, but did not find him in
his room, and the attendants told me that he had ridden forth with the
stranger to the chase by daybreak. “I at once suspected nothing good. I dressed myself quickly, ordered my
palfrey to be saddled, and accompanied only by one servant, rode full
gallop to the forest. The servant fell with his horse, and could not
follow me, for the horse had broken its foot. I pursued my way without
halting, and in a few minutes I saw the stranger coming towards me with
a beautiful stag which he led by a cord. I asked him where he had left
my brother, and how he had come by this stag, out of whose great eyes I
saw tears flowing. Instead of answering me, he began to laugh loudly. I
fell into a great rage at this, pulled out a pistol and discharged it
at the monster; but the ball rebounded from his breast and went into my
horse’s head. I fell to the ground, and the stranger muttered some
words which deprived me of consciousness. “When I came to my senses again I found myself in this underground cave
in a glass coffin. The magician appeared once again, and said he had
changed my brother into a stag, my castle with all that belonged to it,
diminished in size by his arts, he had shut up in the other glass
chest, and my people, who were all turned into smoke, he had confined
in glass bottles. He told me that if I would now comply with his wish,
it was an easy thing for him to put everything back in its former
state, as he had nothing to do but open the vessels, and everything
would return once more to its natural form. I answered him as little as
I had done the first time. He vanished and left me in my prison, in
which a deep sleep came on me. Amongst the visions which passed before
my eyes, that was the most comforting in which a young man came and set
me free, and when I opened my eyes to-day I saw thee, and beheld my
dream fulfilled. Help me to accomplish the other things which happened
in those visions. The first is that we lift the glass chest in which my
castle is enclosed, on to that broad stone.”

As soon as the stone was laden, it began to rise up on high with the
maiden and the young man, and mounted through the opening of the
ceiling into the upper hall, from whence they then could easily reach
the open air. Here the maiden opened the lid, and it was marvellous to
behold how the castle, the houses, and the farm buildings which were
enclosed, stretched themselves out and grew to their natural size with
the greatest rapidity.