First came out a tiny pair of yellow legs; then a pair of yellow
coat-tails; then a strange little yellow body, and, last, a wee yellow
face, with long curls of gold hair. And the whole put itself together as
it fell, and stood up on the floor,--the strangest little yellow dwarf,
about a foot high!

"Dear, me!" said Gluck.

But the little yellow man said, "Gluck, do you know who I am? I am the
King of the Golden River."

Gluck did not know what to say, so he said nothing; and, indeed, the
little man gave him no chance. He said, "Gluck, I have been watching you,
and what I have seen of you, I like. Listen, and I will tell you something
for your good. Whoever shall climb to the top of the mountain from which
the Golden River falls, and shall cast into its waters three drops of holy
water, for him and him only shall its waters turn to gold. But no one can
succeed except at the first trial, and anyone who casts unholy water in
the river will be turned into a black stone."

And then, before Gluck could draw his breath, the King walked straight
into the hottest flame of the fire, and vanished up the chimney!

When Gluck's brothers came home, they beat him black and blue, because the
mug was gone. But when he told them about the King of the Golden River
they quarrelled all night, as to which should go to get the gold. At last,
Hans, who was the stronger, got the better of Schwartz, and started off.
The priest would not give such a bad man any holy water, so he stole a
bottleful. Then he took a basket of bread and wine, and began to climb the
mountain.