One evening, just as the moon shone clearly down from the heavens, a man went out into the fields. And as he walked, his eyes happened to fall on the long, fine shadow he left behind him in the moonlight. And as he walked along, delighting in it, there came a little man to him, and addressed him, saying:

"That is quite a splendid shadow you have. Would you sell it to me?"

At first the man smiled at this, but when the little One continued his request, and showed him some lovely, shiny ducats, they at last came to an agreement on the conditions, and the deal was closed. Now the little man took the shadow, folded it carefully, put it in his pocket, and went on his way again. The man also went home, and felt a little bit strange, but the beautiful, shiny coins quickly drove away all doubt, and comforted him. Some time later, he went out in the fields with his wife, and saw how lovely the grain stood and waved in the clear moonlight. And as they walked over the field, the

"See what a shadow I have, how large and wide it is; but you, husband, have no shadow." The man tried to avoid the conversation, but the woman mulled over it just the same. As time went by, the children and the neighbors all finally realized that he had no shadow. They all estranged themselves from him, so that in order to avoid the ridicule that always followed him, he left the town he had been born in, and ended his life in a foreign land.

woman suddenly burst out: "See what a shadow I have, how large and wide it is; but you, husband, have no shadow." The man tried to avoid the conversation, but the woman mulled over it just the same. As time went by, the children and the neighbors all finally realized that he had no shadow. They all estranged themselves from him, so that in order to avoid the Ridicule that always followed him, he left the town he had been born in, and ended his life in a foreign land.