<h2><SPAN name="THE_NIX_IN_MISCHIEF" id="THE_NIX_IN_MISCHIEF"></SPAN>THE NIX IN MISCHIEF.</h2>
<p>A certain lake in Germany was once the home of a Nix, who
became tired of the monotony of life under water, and wished to
go into the upper world and amuse himself.</p>
<p>His friends and relations all tried to dissuade him. "Be
wise," said they, "and remain where you are safe, seeing that
no business summons you from the lake. Few of our kindred have
had dealings with the human race without suffering from their
curiosity or clumsiness; and, do them what good you may, in the
long run you will reap nothing but ingratitude. From how many
waters have they not already banished us? Wherefore let well
alone, and stay where you are."</p>
<p>But this counsel did not please the Nix—(as, indeed,
there is no reason to suppose that advice is more palatable
under water than on dry land)—and he only said, "I shall
not expect gratitude, for I have no intention of conferring
benefits; but I wish to amuse myself. The Dwarfs and Kobolds
play what pranks they please on men and women, and they do not
always have the worst of it. When I hear of their adventures,
the soles of my feet tingle. This is a sign of travelling, and
am I to be debarred from fun because I live in a lake instead
of a hill?"</p>
<p>His friends repeated their warnings, but to no purpose. The
Nix remained unconvinced, and spent his time in dreaming of the
clever tricks by which he should outwit the human race, and the
fame he would thereby acquire on his return to the lake.</p>
<p>Mischief seldom lacks opportunity, and shortly after this it
happened that a young girl came down to the lake for water to
wash with; and dipping her pail just above the Nix's head, in a
moment he jumped in, and was brought safe to land. The maid was
Bess, the washerwoman's daughter; and as she had had one good
scolding that morning for oversleeping herself, and another
about noon for dawdling with her work, she took up the pail and
set off home without delay.</p>
<p>But though she held it steadily enough, the bucket shook,
and the water spilled hither and thither. Thinking that her
right arm might be tired, she moved the weight to her left, but
with no better success, for the water still spilled at every
step. "One would think there were fishes in the pail," said
Bess, as she set it down. But there was nothing to be seen but
a thin red water-worm wriggling at the bottom, such as you may
see any day in a soft-water tub. It was in this shape, however,
that the Nix had disguised himself, and he almost writhed out
of his skin with delight at the success of his first essay in
mischief.</p>
<p>When they once more set forward the Nix leaped and jumped
harder than ever, so that not only was the water spilled, but
the maiden's dress was soaked, and her tears dropped almost as
fast as the wet dripped from her clothes.</p>
<p>"The pail is bewitched!" cried the poor girl. "How my mother
will beat me for this! And my back aches as if I were carrying
lead, and yet the water is nearly all gone."</p>
<p>"This is something like fun!" laughed the Nix. "When I go
home and relate <i>my</i> adventures, no dwarfs pranks will be
named again!" But when Bess looked into the pail, he was the
same slimy, stupid-looking worm as before. She dared not return
to the lake for more water—"for," said she, "I should be
as much beaten for being late as for bringing short measure,
and have the labour to boot." So she took up her burden again,
and the Nix began his dance afresh, and by the time they came
to their journey's end, there was not a quart of water in the
pail.</p>
<p>"Was ever a poor woman plagued with such a careless hussy?"
cried the mother when she saw the dripping dress; and, as Bess
had expected, she seasoned her complaints with a hearty slap.
"And look what she calls a pailful of water!" added the mother,
with a second blow.</p>
<p>"Late in the morning's unlucky all day," thought poor Bess,
and, as her mother curled her, she screamed till the house rang
with the noise; for she had good lungs, and knew that it is
well to cry out before one gets too much hurt.</p>
<p>Meanwhile the Nix thought she was enduring agonies, and
could hardly contain his mischievous glee; and when the woman
bade her "warm some water quickly for the wash," he was in no
way disturbed, for he had never seen boiling water, and only
anticipated fresh sport as he slipped from the pail into the
kettle.</p>
<p>"Now," cried the mother sharply, "see if you can lift
<i>that</i> without slopping your clothes."</p>
<p>"Aye, aye," laughed the Nix, "see if you can, my dear!" and
as poor Bess seized it in her sturdy red hands he began to
dance as before. But the kettle had a lid, which the pail had
not. Moreover Bess was a strong, strapping lass, and,
stimulated by the remembrance of her mother's slaps, with a
vigorous effort she set the kettle on the fire. "I shall be
glad when I'm safely in bed," she muttered. "Everything goes
wrong to-day."</p>
<p>"It is warm in here," said the Nix to himself, after a
while; "in fact—stuffy. But one must pay something for a
frolic, and it tickles my ears to hear that old woman rating
her daughter for my pranks. Give me time and opportunity, and
I'll set the whole stupid race by the ears. There she goes
again! It is worth enduring a little discomfort, though it
certainly is warm, and I fancy it grows warmer."</p>
<p>By degrees the bottom of the kettle grew quite hot, and
burnt the Nix, so that he had to jump up and down in the water
to keep himself cool. The noise of this made the woman think
that the kettle was boiling, and she began to scold her
daughter as before, shouting, "Are you coming with that tub
to-night or not? The water is hot already."</p>
<p>This time the Nix laughed (as they say) on the other side of
his mouth; for the water had now become as hot as the bottom of
the kettle, and he screamed at the top of his shrill tiny voice
with pain.</p>
<p>"How the kettle sings to-night!" said Bess, "and how it
rains!" she added. For at that moment a tremendous storm burst
around the house, and the rain poured down in sheets of water,
as if it meant to wash everything into the lake. The kettle now
really boiled, and the lid danced up and down with the frantic
leaping and jumping of the agonized Nix, who puffed and blew
till his breath came out of the spout in clouds of steam.</p>
<p>"If your eyes were as sharp as your ears you'd see that the
water is boiling over," snapped the woman; and giving her
daughter a passing push, she hurried to the fire-place, and
lifted the kettle on to the ground.</p>
<p>But no sooner had she set it down, than the lid flew off,
and out jumped a little man with green teeth and a tall green
hat, who ran out of the door wringing his hands and
crying—</p>
<p>"Three hundred and three years have I lived in the water of
this lake, and I never knew it boil before!"</p>
<p>As he crossed the threshold, a clap of thunder broke with
what sounded like a peal of laughter from many voices, and then
the storm ceased as suddenly as it had begun.</p>
<p>The woman now saw how matters stood, and did not fail next
morning to fasten an old horseshoe to the door of her house.
And seeing that she had behaved unjustly to her daughter, she
bought her the gayest set of pink ribbons that were to be found
at the next fair.</p>
<p>It is on record that Bess (who cared little for slaps and
sharp speeches) thought this the best bargain she had ever
made. But whether the Nix was equally well satisfied is not
known.</p>
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