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Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and looked

terrible. He was old, however, and had a long white beard. 'You

wretch,' cried he, 'you shall soon learn what it is to shudder,

for you shall die.' 'Not so fast,' replied the youth. 'If I am to

die, I shall have to have a say in it.' 'I will soon seize you,'

said the fiend. 'Softly, softly, do not talk so big. I am as

strong as you are, and perhaps even stronger.' 'We shall see,'

said the old man. 'If you are stronger, I will let you go--come,

we will try.' Then he led him by dark passages to a smith's

forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the

ground. 'I can do better than that,' said the youth, and went to

the other anvil. The old man placed himself near and wanted to

look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youth seized the

axe, split the anvil with one blow, and in it caught the old

man's beard. 'Now I have you,' said the youth.