Section 1
Once, there was a merchant who had a young son who was not yet able to run independently. The merchant invested all his wealth into two ships, which were filled with valuable goods and sailing on the seas with the hope of making a great profit. However, he received news that both ships were lost. As a result, the once wealthy merchant became very poor, and he had only a small piece of land left. He would often take walks on this land in the evenings to try and relieve his worries.
While the merchant was walking aimlessly and feeling uneasy about his past, present, and future, a small, unrefined-looking, and dark-skinned dwarf appeared out of nowhere before him.The dwarf asked the merchant, "Why are you so sad, my friend? What is troubling you so deeply?" The merchant replied, "If you can offer any help, I would be glad to tell you." The dwarf responded, "Maybe I can be of assistance. Please tell me what is bothering you, and perhaps I can offer some aid."The merchant then confided in the dwarf, telling him about how he had lost all his wealth at sea and was left with only a small piece of land. The dwarf responded, "Don't worry about that. Just promise to bring me whatever greets you first on your way home twelve years from now, and I will reward you with as much money as you desire." The merchant thought it was an easy deal and assumed it would be his dog or cat that would greet him first. He did not remember his young son, Heinel. So, he agreed to the dwarf's proposal and signed a contract to fulfill his end of the bargain.
As the merchant approached his home, his young son, Heinel, ran towards him, grabbed his legs, and looked up at him with joy, laughing. The father was suddenly struck with fear and horror as he remembered the promise he had made to the dwarf. He had promised to give the dwarf whatever greeted him first on his way home, and it turned out to be his beloved son. However, since he had not received any gold, he convinced himself that the dwarf was only playing a prank on him. Moreover, he thought that when the gold eventually arrived, he would see the bearer and refuse to accept it.
A month later, the merchant went up to the lumber-room to search for some old iron that he could sell for a little money. Instead of finding the iron, he saw a large pile of gold on the floor. The sight of the gold filled him with joy, and he completely forgot about his son. He immediately returned to trade and soon became even richer than he was before.
As time passed, Heinel grew up and as the twelve-year deadline drew near, the merchant became sad and anxious, with care and sorrow etched on his face. His son noticed his father's distress and asked him about it, but the merchant was reluctant to reveal the truth. Eventually, he confided in his son that he had unknowingly sold him to a little, ugly-looking, black dwarf for gold, and that the time had come for him to fulfill his part of the bargain.Heinel said directly to his father, "Father, don't worry too much about it, I will be more than a match for the little man."
At the designated time, the father and son went to the agreed location, where the son drew a circle on the ground and placed himself and his father in the center of it. The small black dwarf arrived shortly after and attempted to enter the circle by walking around it repeatedly, but was unable to find a way in. The dwarf seemed incapable or too frightened to jump over the circle.
