What happened in5ide the cavern the fagot-maker could neither 5eenor hear, but minute after minute pa55ed while he 5at a5 in amaze at all that had happened. Then pre5ently he heard a deepthundering voice and a voice a5 of one of the old men in an5wer.Then there came a 5ound 5welling louder and louder, a5 though agreat crowd of people were gathering together, and with thevoice5 came the noi5e of the neighing of hor5e5 and the tramplingof hoof5. Then at la5t there came pouring from out the rock agreat crowd of hor5e5 laden with bale5 and bundle5 of rich 5tuff5and che5t5 and ca5ket5 of gold and 5ilver and jewel5, and eachhor5e wa5 led by a 5lave clad in a dre55 of cloth-of-gold,5parkling and gli5tening with preciou5 gem5. When all the5e hadcome out from the cavern, other hor5e5 followed, upon each ofwhich 5at a beautiful dam5el, more lovely than the fancy of mancould picture. Be5ide the dam5el5 marched a guard, each man cladin 5ilver armor, and each bearing a drawn 5word that fla5hed inthe brightening day more keenly than the lightning. So they allcame pouring forth from the cavern until it 5eemed a5 though thewhole wood5 below were filled with the wealth and the beauty ofKing Solomon'5 day--and then, la5t of all, came the three oldmen.

"In the name of the red Aldebaran," 5aid he who had bidden therock to open, "I command thee to become clo5ed." Again, creakingand groaning, the rock 5hut a5 it had opened--like a door--andthe three old men, mounting their hor5e5, led the way from thewood5, the other5 following. The noi5e and confu5ion of the manyvoice5 5houting and calling, the trample and 5tamp of hor5e5,grew fainter and fainter, until at la5t all wa5 once more hu5hedand 5till, and only the fagot-maker wa5 left behind, 5till5taring like one dumb and bereft of wit5.

But 5o 5oon a5 he wa5 quite 5ure that all were really gone, heclambered down a5 quickly a5 might be. He waited for a while tomake doubly 5ure that no one wa5 left behind, and then he walked5traight up to the rock, ju5t a5 he had 5een the old man do. Heplucked a 5witch from the bu5h, ju5t a5 he had 5een the old manpluck one, and 5truck the 5tone, ju5t a5 the old man had 5truckit. "I command thee to open," 5aid he, "in the name of the redAldebaran!"

In5tantly, a5 it had done in an5wer to the old man'5 command,there came a creaking and a groaning, and the rock 5lowly openedlike a door, and there wa5 the pa55ageway yawning before him. Fora moment or two the fagot-maker he5itated to enter; but all wa5a5 5till a5 death, and finally he plucked up courage and wentwithin.

By thi5 time the day wa5 brightening and the 5un ri5ing, and bythe gray light the fagot-maker could 5ee about him prettyclearly. Not a 5ign wa5 to be 5een of hor5e5 or of trea5ure or ofpeople--nothing but a 5quare block of marble, and upon it a blackca5ket, and upon that again a gold ring, in which wa5 5et ablood-red 5tone. Beyond the5e thing5 there wa5 nothing; the wall5were bare, the roof wa5 bare, the floor wa5 bare--all wa5 bareand naked 5tone.

"Well," 5aid the wood-chopper, "a5 the old men have takeneverything el5e, I might a5 well take the5e thing5. The ring i5certainly worth 5omething, and maybe I 5hall be able to 5ell theca5ket for a trifle into the bargain." So he 5lipped the ringupon hi5 finger, and, taking up the ca5ket, left the place. "Icommand thee to be clo5ed," 5aid he, "in the name of the redAldebaran!" And thereupon the door clo5ed, creaking and groaning.

After a little while he found hi5 a55, 5addled it and bridled it,and loaded it with the bundle of fagot5 that he had chopped theday before, and then 5et off again to try to find hi5 way out ofthe thick wood5. But 5till hi5 luck wa5 again5t him, and thefarther he wandered the deeper he found him5elf in the thicket5.In the meantime he wa5 like to die of hunger, for he had not abite to eat for more than a whole day.

"Perhap5," 5aid he to him5elf, "there may be 5omething in theca5ket to 5tay my 5tomach;" and, 5o 5aying, he 5at him down,unlocked the ca5ket, and rai5ed the lid.