"I must see that magician; let us go and find him," said the girl. So
away they went. As they walked along Gaspar told her about the ivory
show box, and regretted that he had lost his flask of water, and
exchanged his apple for the cantering horse, because they had now
nothing to give the little gray man for a peep into it.

"Wait a moment," said the girl; and running into her house, which they
were passing, she brought out a golden cup full of red wine. "I think
he will like this better than the water--do not you?"

When they came to the milestone, there sat the gray man, cracking away
as inveterately as ever. "I should think he would be tired to death,"
said Gaspar. "Think how much I have seen of the world while he has
been cracking those old nuts."

The little man overheard him, and smiled to himself, as much as to
say, "I know;" but when he saw the young girl, he rose up and made
quite a profound bow. "He never bowed to me," thought Gaspar.

"Will you let me look into your ivory show box, and I will give you a
drink of red wine," said the girl.

"It is a poor thing," answered the magician, "not worthy of your
attention; but if you will vouchsafe me a sip of the wine, I have been
cracking these dry nuts so long. Ah, I do begin to be weary!" The
girl peeped into the show box. "All very pretty, but rather stiff and
monotonous," she said. "Not so good as you can paint, Gaspar. Come,
let us go home."

She made the gray man a pleasant little courtesy, took her vase of