60 THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SHADOW. 



which opened its frightful jaws before them, here they stopped — here 

 again the devil presented the contract of damnation. And to induce 

 Schlemiht to sign it, he made his shadow float in the air. *' Unhappy 

 wretch that I am," cried Schlemiht, " thus you have made Mr. John 

 rich, and so would you ruin me; hut listen to the words 



of the Saviour " and as he said this he threw the purse of gold 



into the abyss. No sooner had these words escaped his lips than 

 the devil disappeared and Schlemiht continued his route, always 

 trembling when he came into the light. 



His days, however, he passed concealed in the woods and lanes, 

 and only pursued his journey in the night. His boots being now 

 nearly worn out, he chanced one day to come up to the stall of a 

 cobler, of whom he bought a new pair, and then continued his course 

 being deeply absorbed in thought, he walked on not knowing where 

 he was travelling to, or in what direction he was going, when he awoke 

 out of his reverie he found himself in the midst of a forest, and the 

 next moment he was walking upon ground barren and drear, he was 

 now in a desert, without a sign or vestige of life — still advancing, he 

 found himself surrounded by mountains of ice and snow ; the cold 

 was excessive, he could discern no trace of a human habitation. 

 Stepping for a moment or two on the other side, he was overjoyed 

 to find himself under a beautiful and serene sky, the air charged 

 with fragrance, proceeding from the lime and orange trees which 

 were scattered about here and there along the plain in which he found 

 himself situated. Here he sat him down to enjoy the luxury of the 

 scene spread out before him ; and now the idea flashed through his 

 mind, the boots he had so luckily purchased were the boots of twenty 

 miles, or the enchanted boots, ofthe existence of which he had read, 

 and now he was happy to find himself the fortunate owner of so 

 valuable an acquisition. This discovery as may well be imagined 

 caused him inexpressible joy and with a heart overpowered with 

 emotion, he fell on his knees and thanked God for the good fortune 

 which had befallen him, in the purchase of those wonderful boots. 



From his youth he had always had an intenvse desire to acquire a 

 knowledge of natural science ; the study of animated nature had 

 always been his favourite pursuit ; but the misfortunes which had 



