would do nothing of the kind. If Claus wanted money he had better go out
into, the world to look for it; for some folks said that money was
rolling about in the wide world like peas on a threshing-floor. So said
Hans, for Claus was so poor that Hans was ashamed of him, and wanted him
to leave home so as to be rid of him for good and all.

This was how Claus came to go out into the world.

But before he went, he cut himself a good stout staff of hazel-wood to
help his heavy feet over the road.

Now the staff that Claus had cut was a rod of witch-hazel, which has
the power of showing wherever treasure lies buried. But Claus knew no
more of that than the chick in the shell.

So off he went into the world, walking along with great contentment,
kicking up little clouds of dust at every step, and whistling as gayly
as though trouble had never been hatched from mares' eggs. By-and-by he
came to the great town, and then he went to the market-place and stood,
with many others, with a straw in his mouth--for that meant that he
wanted to take service with somebody.

Presently there came along an old, old man, bent almost double with the
weight of the years which he carried upon his shoulders. This was a
famous doctor of the black-arts. He had read as many as a hundred books,
so that he was more learned than any man in all of the world--even the
minister of the village. He knew, as well as the birds know when the
cherries are ripe, that Claus had a stick of witch-hazel, so he came to
the market-place, peering here and peering there, just as honest folks
do when they are looking for a servant. After a while he came to where