timental about it, and is evidently the offspring of his own fancy.
Manifold are the whims of Rubezahl; or, as his goblinship has been designated in English, Number Nip. He is particularly displeased when he hears his name irreverently shouted aloud; and on such occasions seldom fails to send the impertinent traveller home with a drenched skin, by collecting the clouds and raising violent thunder-storms above his head. At other times he takes a malicious pleasure in leading strangers, ignorant of the country, far astray into the most lonely and cheerless regions of his mountain-domains. He has, however, a good many gentlemanly traits about him. For instance, he delights to outwit and punish the rascally Jewish horse-venders, by sometimes presenting himself to them under the appearance of a wealthy nobleman, mounted upon a fine steed which he wishes to dispose of. The horse-dealer is, of course, allowed to drive an excellent bargain; but his triumph is of short duration, for he soon finds his new purchase changed into a bundle of straw! Again, should Rubezahl espy some poor knight wending his way in a threadbare suit, and upon a sorry animal, among the defiles of the mountain, he will sometimes hit upon a most delicate mode of relieving his necessities. Riding up to the traveller in the appearance of a stately knight, mounted upon a noble charger, he enters into conversation with him, and speedily contrives to engage himself in some absurd wager, stipulating that the loser shall forfeit his raiment and horse. In this way without offending the most knightly feelings, he has sent many a cavalier out of his regions with a merry heart, who had entered them drooping and desponding. Occasionally too, not content with making them the gift of a steed, he secretly slips into their pockets a few hundreds of gold coins. But should some worthless profligate think to retrieve his shattered fortune by Rubezahl’s bounty, he finds himself wofully outwitted. The ordinary bargain is made to be sure, and the fellow, as usual, wins the wager, and rides gaily off, chuckling
