From time to time he would give his workmen a sign with his staff , for it was useless to speak amid such a noise . If any of them had noticed that there was a stranger present they took no heed of him , but went on with what they were doing . After some hours ' hard labour came the time for rest , and they all flung their hammers to the ground and trooped out of the cave . Then the master got down from his seat and said to Hans : ' I saw you come in , but the work was pressing , and I could not stop to speak to you . To-day you must be my guest , and I will show you something of the way in which I live . Wait here for a moment , while I lay aside these dirty clothes . ' With these words he unlocked a door in the cave , and bade Hans pass in before him . Oh , what riches and treasures met Hans ' astonished eyes ! Gold and silver bars lay piled on the floor , and glittered so that you could not look at them ! Hans thought he would count them for fun , and had already reached the five hundred and seventieth when his host returned and cried , laughing : ` Do not try to count them , it would take too long ; choose some of the bars from the heap , as I should like to make you a present of them . ' Hans did not wait to be asked twice , and stooped to pick up a bar of gold , but though he put forth all his strength he could not even move it with both hands , still less lift it off the ground . ` Why , you have no more power than a flea , ' laughed the host ; ` you will have to content yourself with feasting your eyes upon them ! ' So he bade Hans follow him through other rooms , till they entered one bigger than a church , filled , like the rest , with gold and silver . Hans wondered to see these vast riches , which might have bought all the kingdoms of the world , and lay buried , useless , he thought , to anyone . ` What is the reason , ' he asked of his guide , ` that you gather up these treasures here , where they can do good to nobody ? If they fell into the hands of men , everyone would be rich , and none need work or suffer hunger . ' ` And it is exactly for that reason , ' answered he , ` that I must keep these riches out of their way . The whole world would sink to idleness if men were not forced to earn their daily bread . It is only through work and care that man can ever hope to be good for anything . ' Hans stared at these words , and at last he begged that his host would tell him what use it was to anybody that this gold and silver should lie mouldering there , and the owner of it be continually trying to increase his treasure , which already overflowed his store rooms . '
I am not really a man , ' replied his guide , ` XXXXX I have the outward form of one , but one of those beings to whom is given the care of the world .
So before for like on than though through till to