So they made their
bargain, and off went the master with Claus at his heels. After they had
come a little distance away from the crowd at the marketplace, the
master of black-arts asked Claus where he had got that fine staff of
hazel.
[Illustration: Claus and the Master of Black-Arts]
"Oh, I got it over yonder," said Claus, pointing with his thumb.
But could he find the place again?
Well, Claus did not know how about that; perhaps he could, and perhaps
he could not.
But suppose that Claus had a thaler in his hand, _then_ could he find
the place again?
Oh yes; in that case Claus was almost sure that he could find the place
again.
So good. Then here was a bottle of yellow water. If Claus would take the
bottle of yellow water, and pour it over the stump from which he had cut
his staff, there would come seven green snakes out of a hole at the foot
of the hazel-bush. After these seven snakes, there would come a white
snake, with a golden crown on its head, from out of the same hole. Now
if Claus would catch that white snake in the empty bottle, and bring it
to the master of black-arts, he should have not one thaler, but
two--that was what the master said.
Oh yes, Claus could do that; that was no such hard thing. So he took the
bottle of yellow water and off he went.
By-and-by he came to the place where he had cut his hazel-twig. There he
did as the master of black-arts had told him; he poured the yellow water
over the stump of hazel from which he had cut his staff.
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