The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by the fire, and once more began his old song: \\u0027If I could but shudder!\\u0027 When midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; at first it was low, but it grew louder and louder.Then it was quiet for a while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the chimney and fell before him. \\u0027Hullo!\\u0027 cried he, \\u0027another half belongs to this. This is not enough!\\u0027 Then the uproar began again,there was a roaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. \\u0027Wait,\\u0027 said he, \\u0027I will just stoke up the fire a little for you.\\u0027 When he had done that and looked round again, the two pieces were joined together,and a hideous man was sitting in his place. \\u0027That is no part of our bargain,\\u0027 said the youth, \\u0027the bench is mine.\\u0027 The man wanted to push him away; the youth,however, would not allow that, but thrust him off with all his strength, and seated himself again in his own place. Then still more men fell down, one after the other; they brought nine dead men\\u0027s legs and two skulls, and set them up and played at nine-pins with them. The youth also wanted to play and said: \\u0027Listen you, can I join you?\\u0027 \\u0027Yes, if you have any money.\\u0027\\u0027Money enough,\\u0027 replied he, \\u0027but your balls are not quite round.\\u0027 Then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and turned them till they were round. \\u0027There,now they will roll better!\\u0027 said he. \\u0027Hurrah! now we\\u0027ll have fun!\\u0027 He played with them and lost some of his money, but when it struck twelve, everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly fell asleep.Next morning the king came to inquire after him.\\u0027How has it fared with you this time?\\u0027 asked he. \\u0027I have been playing at nine-pins,\\u0027 he answered, \\u0027and have lost a couple of farthings.\\u0027 \\u0027Have you not shuddered then?\\u0027\\u0027What?\\u0027 said he, \\u0027I have had a wonderful time! If I did but know what it was to shudder!\\u0027
The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly: \\u0027If I could but shudder.\\u0027 When it grew late, six tall men came in and brought a coffin. Then he said: \\u0027Ha, ha, that is certainly my little cousin, who died only a few days ago,\\u0027 and he beckoned with his finger, and cried: \\u0027Come, little cousin, come.\\u0027 They placed the coffin on the ground, but he went to it and took the lid off, and a dead man lay therein. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. \\u0027Wait,\\u0027 said he, \\u0027I will warm you a little,\\u0027 and went to the fire and warmed his hand and laid it on the dead man\\u0027s face, but he remained cold. Then he took him out, and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast and rubbed his arms that the blood might circulate again. As this also did no good,he thought to himself: \\u0027When two people lie in bed together, they warm each other,\\u0027 and carried him to the bed, covered him over and lay down by him. After a short time the dead man became warm too, and began to move. Then said the youth, \\u0027See, little cousin, have I not warmed you?\\u0027 The dead man, however, got up and cried: \\u0027Now will I strangle you.\\u0027
\\u0027What!\\u0027 said he, \\u0027is that the way you thank me? You shall at once go into your coffin again,\\u0027 and he took him up, threw him into it, and shut the lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. \\u0027I cannot manage to shudder,\\u0027 said he. \\u0027I shall never learn it here as long as I live.\\u0027
Then a man entered who was taller than all others,and looked terrible. He was old, however, and had a long white beard. \\u0027You wretch,\\u0027 cried he, \\u0027you shall soon learn what it is to shudder, for you shall die.\\u0027 \\u0027Not so fast,\\u0027 replied the youth. \\u0027If I am to die, I shall have to have a say in it.\\u0027 \\u0027I will soon seize you,\\u0027 said the fiend. \\u0027Softly, softly, do not talk so big. I am as strong as you are, and perhaps even stronger.\\u0027 \\u0027We shall see,\\u0027said the old man. \\u0027If you are stronger, I will let you go—come, we will try.\\u0027 Then he led him by dark passages to a smith\\u0027s forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the ground. \\u0027I can do better than that,\\u0027 said the youth, and went to the other anvil.The old man placed himself near and wanted to look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youth seized the axe, split the anvil with one blow, and in it caught the old man\\u0027s beard. \\u0027Now I have you,\\u0027 said the youth. \\u0027Now it is your turn to die.\\u0027 Then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man till he moaned and entreated him to stop, when he would give him great riches. The youth drew out the axe and let him go. The old man led him back into the castle, and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold. \\u0027Of these,\\u0027 said he, \\u0027one part is for the poor, the other for the king, the third yours.\\u0027 In the meantime it struck twelve, and the spirit disappeared, so that the youth stood in darkness.\\u0027I shall still be able to find my way out,\\u0027 said he, and felt about, found the way into the room, and slept there by his fire. Next morning the king came and said:\\u0027Now you must have learnt what shuddering is?\\u0027 \\u0027No,\\u0027he answered; \\u0027what can it be? My dead cousin was here, and a bearded man came and showed me a great deal of money down below, but no one told me what it was to shudder.\\u0027 \\u0027Then,\\u0027 said the king, \\u0027you have saved the castle, and shall marry my daughter.\\u0027 \\u0027That is all very well,\\u0027 said he, \\u0027but still I do not know what it is to shudder!\\u0027
Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but howsoever much the young king loved his wife, and however happy he was, he still said always: \\u0027If I could but shudder—if I could but shudder.\\u0027 And this at last angered her. Her waitingmaid said: \\u0027I will find a cure for him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder.\\u0027 She went out to the stream which flowed through the garden, and had a whole bucketful of gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young king was sleeping, his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucket full of cold water with the gudgeons in it over him, so that the little fishes would sprawl about him. Then he woke up and cried: \\u0027Oh, what makes me shudder so?—what makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! now I know what it is to shudder!\\u0027