It was winter, and a little lad had gone out into the forest to gather
wood to keep the fire going at home. As there was snow upon the ground
he took his little sledge with him, for he could carry home a larger
load on the sledge than on his back.
He gathered together a heap of fallen branches, and then piled them
neatly on the sledge, putting the larger pieces at the bottom. Before
he had finished the task his fingers were almost frozen, for he had no
mittens. “Before I start to drag my sled home,” said he to himself, “I
will build a fire and warm my hands a bit.”
He took a stick, and cleared away some of the snow, so as to have a
place to build the fire. When he had done this he saw a little golden
key lying there on the ground. The little lad picked it up, wondering.
“Wherever there is a key, there must be a lock,” he said.
He began to scrape away the earth, and presently he found a curious
looking chest made of iron inlaid with silver. There were words written
on the lid of the chest, but the little boy could not read them.
He lifted the chest out from the earth, and it seemed to him that
something was stirring inside of it. Then a little thin voice, as thin
as a thread, cried to him. “Let me out! Let me out, and I will make
your fortune.”
The little boy was very much surprised. The chest seemed too small for
any living being to be in it.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Open the chest and see. If you will only let me out you will never be
sorry.”
The little boy put the golden key in the lock and it fitted exactly.
He turned it round and the lock flew back. But as to what was in the
chest you will have to wait until he lifts the lid before you can see.