If you serve me faithfully for a year , I promise you it shall be for your advantage . ' So Martin consented , and for a year he worked diligently , and served his master faithfully , not sparing himself in any way . When the day of reckoning had come the peasant led him into a barn , and pointing to two full sacks , said : ` Take whichever of these you choose . ' Martin examined the contents of the sacks , and seeing that one was full of silver and the other of sand , he said to himself : ` There must be some trick about this ; I had better take the sand . ' And throwing the sack over his shoulders he started out into the world , in search of fresh work . On and on he walked , and at last he reached a great gloomy wood . In the middle of the wood he came upon a meadow , where a fire was burning , and in the midst of the fire , surrounded by flames , was a lovely damsel , more beautiful than anything that Martin had ever seen , and when she saw him she called to him : ` Martin , if you would win happiness , save my life . Extinguish the flames with the sand that you earned in payment of your faithful service . ' ` Truly , ' thought Martin to himself , ` it would be more sensible to save a fellow-being 's life with this sand than to drag it about on one 's back , seeing what a weight it is . ' And forthwith he lowered the sack from his shoulders and emptied its contents on the flames , and instantly the fire was extinguished ; but at the same moment lo ! and behold the lovely damsel turned into a Serpent , and , darting upon him , coiled itself round his neck , and whispered lovingly in his ear : ` Do not be afraid of me , Martin ; I love you , and will go with you through the world . But first you must follow me boldly into my Father 's Kingdom , underneath the earth ; and when we get there , remember this -- he will offer you gold and silver , and dazzling gems , but do not touch them . Ask him , instead , for the ring which he wears on his little finger , for in that ring lies a magic power ; you have only to throw it from one hand to the other , and at once twelve young men will appear , who will do your bidding , no matter how difficult , in a single night . ' So they started on their way , and after much wandering they reached a spot where a great rock rose straight up in the middle of the road . Instantly the Serpent uncoiled itself from his neck , and , as it touched the damp earth , it resumed the shape of the lovely damsel . Pointing to the rock , she showed him an opening just big enough for a man to wriggle through . Passing into it , they entered a long underground passage , which led out on to a wide field , above which spread a blue sky . In the middle of the field stood a magnificent castle , built out of porphyry , with a roof of gold and with glittering battlements . And his beautiful guide told him that this was the palace in which her father lived and reigned over his kingdom in the Under-world . Together they entered the palace , and were received by the King with great kindness .
Turning to his daughter , he said : ` My child , I had almost given up the hope XXXXX ever seeing you again .
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