He carefully
wrapped the body in a piece of fine, soft cloth, and waited, until
evening should come, to bury it himself; when he would be safe from
observation and possible ridicule. Accordingly, after nightfall, he took
a spade, a lantern, and poor Beelzebub's body, which was stiff and stark
by that time, and went down into the garden, where he set to work to
dig the grave, under the sacred eglantine, in what seemed to him like
hallowed ground. He wanted to make it deep enough to insure its
not being disturbed by any roaming beast of prey, and worked away
diligently, until his spade struck sharply against some hard substance,
that he at first thought must be a large stone, or piece of rock
perhaps. He attempted, in various ways, to dislodge it, but all in vain,
and it gave out such a peculiar, hollow sound at every blow, that
at last he threw down his spade and took the lantern to see what the
strange obstacle might be.
He was greatly surprised at finding the corner of a stout oaken chest,
strengthened with iron bands, much rusted, but still intact. He dug all
round it, and then, using his spade as a lever, succeeded in raising it,
though it was very heavy, to the edge of the hole, and sliding it out
on the grass beside it; then he put poor Beelzebub into the place it
had occupied, and filled up the grave.
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