Folklore Pamphlets, 1921-1945

              carried away by Indians. Days, weeks, months and years passed, and he did not return. A few of the more superstitious farmers and others now con¬ cluded that the Devil or some other evil spirit had made way with him.
After fifty years had passed there came to this locality one day a stranger. As he entered this region of now fine farms and fine dairy herds he made in¬ quiries for certain people. They had long gone from there. When he men¬ tioned his own name a few thought that they remembered the early incident of a lost farm hand. Then he told his interesting story. After entering the cave he had become bewildered and lost. He had wandered on and on in the darkness, it appeared to him, for several days or longer. At last, weak from walking and lack of food, he reached an opening at the other end of the cavern. He crawled out and found himself in a strange country and among a strange people. They had cared for him and he had remained among them. His mem¬ ory had gone during his hard experiences in the cave and he could never re¬ member who he was or where he came from.
After fifty years his memory had suddenly returned and like Rip Van Winkle he had set out tO' find his own p>eople. But his pioneer days friends had gone. People who heard his story thought him a little weak in the head, shook their own heads and walked away.
THE KOBOLDER TOY MAKERS
It was formerly a belief of children in some German households in a Midwestern city that in the weeks or month before Christmas (Weinachten) the garrets of homes were occupied by dwarfs called kobolders. These little men were described as being attired in close-fitting brown jackets and knitted brown woolen caps (zipfelkappen) terminating in a long point with a tassel. They had full white or gray beards, and wore pointed cloth shoes.
They were servants of good Saint Nicholas. In the fastnesses of the garret these industrious kobolders were employed in making toys for the children of the household. In their spare time, especially at night, these dwarfs often engaged in bowling contests. They were very fond of the game of ninepins. The young folks could, in their imagination, hear the wooden balls rolling across the attic floor, and the noise which they made when the wooden pins were hit.
No one was ever permitted to gaze upon them when at work or at play. No child, no matter how daring, cared to venture into the garret during their occupancy. They became very angry when interfered with. To gain their good will the older children sometimes placed little offerings of hard cookies, "pfefferniisse", on the attic stairs for their refreshment. These always mys¬ teriously disappeared.
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