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author: Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> 2025-10-15 02:47:29 -0700
committer: Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> 2025-10-15 02:47:29 -0700
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+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume II (of 17), by Various
+    </title>
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+
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+<pre>
+
+Project Gutenberg's Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17), by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17)
+       Folk-Lore, Fables, And Fairy Tales
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: William Byron Forbush, Herbert Treadwell Wade, Winton James Baltzell, Rossiter Johnson, and Daniel Edwin Wheeler
+
+Release Date: July 12, 2009 [EBook #29386]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BOYS AND GIRLS BOOKSHELF ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Anne Storer and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class="box1">
+
+<h1>
+BOYS AND GIRLS<br />
+BOOKSHELF</h1>
+
+<p class="sub"><em>A Practical Plan of Character Building</em></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>COMPLETE IN SEVENTEEN VOLUMES</strong></p>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>I</td>  <td align='left'>Fun and Thought for Little Folk</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>II</td>  <td align='left'>Folk-Lore, Fables, and Fairy Tales</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>III</td>  <td align='left'>Famous Tales and Nature Stories</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>IV</td>  <td align='left'>Things to Make and Things to Do</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>V</td>  <td align='left'>True Stories from Every Land</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>VI</td>  <td align='left'>Famous Songs and Picture Stories</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>VII</td>  <td align='left'>Nature and Outdoor Life, Part I</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>VIII</td>  <td align='left'>Nature and Outdoor Life, Part II</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>IX</td>  <td align='left'>Earth, Sea, and Sky</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>X</td>  <td align='left'>Games and Handicraft</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XI</td>  <td align='left'>Wonders of Invention</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XII</td>  <td align='left'>Marvels of Industry</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XIII</td>  <td align='left'>Every Land and its Story</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XIV</td>  <td align='left'>Famous Men and Women</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XV</td>  <td align='left'>Bookland&mdash;Story and Verse, Part I</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XVI</td>  <td align='left'>Bookland&mdash;Story and Verse, Part II</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'>XVII</td>  <td align='left'>Graded and Classified Index</td>  </tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center"><span style="font-size: 1.5em;">THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY</span><br />
+<span style="font-size: .6em;">INCORPORATED</span><br />
+<em>New York</em></p>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img2.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt="Illustration" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE SUNSET FAIRIES<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a drawing by florence mary anderson</span></span>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+
+
+<div class="box1">
+
+<h1>
+BOYS AND GIRLS<br />
+BOOKSHELF</h1>
+
+<p class="sub"><em>A Practical Plan of Character Building</em></p>
+
+<p class="center">Little Folks&#8217; Section</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;">
+<img src="images/img3.png" width="150" height="140" alt="Logo" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center">Prepared Under the Supervision of<br />
+<span style="font-size: 1.3em;">THE EDITORIAL BOARD</span> <em>of the</em> <span style="font-size: 1.3em;">UNIVERSITY SOCIETY</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center">Volume II</p>
+<p class="center"><span style="font-size: 1.3em;">FOLK-LORE, FABLES, AND FAIRY TALES</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center"><span style="font-size: 1.5em;">THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY</span><br />
+<span style="font-size: .6em;">INCORPORATED</span><br />
+<em>New York</em></p>
+
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+<p class="center">Copyright, 1920, By<br />
+THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY INC.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 10%;" />
+
+<p class="center">Copyright, 1912, 1915, By<br />
+THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY INC.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center"><em>Manufactured in the U. S. A.</em></p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></a>INTRODUCTION</h2>
+
+<p>This volume is devoted to a choice collection of the standard and new
+fairy-tales, wonder stories, and fables. They speak so truly and convincingly
+for themselves that we wish to use this introductory page only
+to emphasize their value to young children. There are still those who find no
+room in their own reading, and would give none in the reading of the young,
+except for facts. They confuse facts and truth, and forget that there is a world
+of truth that is larger than the mere facts of life, being compact of imagination
+and vision and ideals. Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie convinced us of this in his
+cogent words.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;America,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;has at present greater facility in producing &lsquo;smart&rsquo;
+men than in producing able men; the alert, quick-witted money-maker abounds,
+but the men who live with ideas, who care for the principles of things, and who
+make life rich in resource and interest, are comparatively few. America needs
+poetry more than it needs industrial training, though the two ought never to be
+separated. The time to awaken the imagination, which is the creative faculty,
+is early childhood, and the most accessible material for this education is the literature
+which the race created in its childhood.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The value of the fairy-tale and the wonder-tale is that they tell about the
+magic of living. Like the old woman in Mother Goose, they &ldquo;brush the cobwebs
+out of the sky.&rdquo; They enrich, not cheapen, life. Plenty of things do
+cheapen life for children. Most movies do. Sunday comic supplements do.
+Ragtime songs do. Mere gossip does. But fairy stories enhance life.</p>
+
+<p>They are called &ldquo;folk-tales,&rdquo; that is, tales of the common folk. They were
+largely the dreams of the poor. They consist of fancies that have illumined
+the hard facts of life. They find animals, trees, flowers, and the stars friendly.
+They speak of victory. In them the child is master even of dragons. He can
+live like a prince, in disguise, or, if he be uncomely, he may hope to win Beauty
+after he is free of his masquerade.</p>
+
+<p>Wonder-stories help make good children as well as happy children. In these
+stories witches, wolves, and evil persons are defeated or exposed. Fairy godmothers
+are ministers of justice. The side that the child wishes to triumph
+always does triumph, and so goodness always is made to seem worth-while.</p>
+
+<p>Almost every fairy-tale contains a test of character or shrewdness or courage.
+Sharp distinctions are made, that require a child of parts to discern.</p>
+
+<p>And the heroes of these nursery tales are much more convincing than precepts
+or golden texts, for they impress upon the child not merely what he ought
+to do, but what nobly has been done. And the small hero-worshiper will follow
+where his admirations lead.</p>
+
+<p>Fables do much the same, and by imagining that the animals have arrived
+at human speech and wisdom, they help the child to think shrewdly and in a
+friendly way, as if in comradeship with his pets and with our brothers and
+sisters, the beasts of the field and forest.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr>  <td align='left'></td>  <td align='right'><span class="smcap">page</span></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><a href="#INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION</a></td>  <td align='right'>iii</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_1"><strong>THE OLD FAIRY TALES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_2">The Road to Fairy Land</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>2</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Cecil Cavendish</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_3">The Beautiful Princess Goldenlocks</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>3</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#PRINCE">Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>7</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Madame Leprince De Beaumont</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CINDERELLA">Cinderella</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>10</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Charles Perrault</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SLEEPING">The Sleeping Beauty</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>13</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Adapted from the Brothers Grimm</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BEAUTY">Beauty and the Beast</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>15</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#DARLING">Prince Darling</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>20</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_25">Rumpelstiltskin</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>26</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Adapted from the Grimm Brothers</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#RAP">Rapunzell, or the Fair Maid with Golden Hair</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>28</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By the Brothers Grimm</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SNOW"><span class="smcap">Snow-White and Rose-Red</span></a></span></td>  <td align='right'>30</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By the Brothers Grimm</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HANSEL">Hansel and Grethel</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>34</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By the Brothers Grimm</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_39"><strong>STORIES BY FAVORITE AMERICAN WRITERS</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_39">The Flag-Bearer</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>39</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Carolyn Sherwin Bailey</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CHUCK">Johnny Chuck Finds the Best Thing in the World</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>40</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Thornton W. Burgess</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#WEE">Little Wee Pumpkin&#8217;s Thanksgiving</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>41</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Madge A. Bingham</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#KING">The Coming of the King</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>42</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Laura E. Richards</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_44">The Little Pig</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>44</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Maud Lindsay</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#TRAVELS">The Travels of the Little Toy Soldier</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>44</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Carolyn Sherwin Bailey</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#DUMPS">What Happened to Dumps</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>45</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Carolyn Sherwin Bailey</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_47">The Wreck of the Hesperus</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>47</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_48">Ballad of the Little Page</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>48</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Abbie Farwell Brown</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#IMAGE">The Snow-Image</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>51</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Nathaniel Hawthorne</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GEMS">The Castle of Gems</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>55</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Sophie May</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HEN">The Hen that Hatched Ducks</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>58</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Harriet Beecher Stowe</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_63">The Ballad of Piping Will</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>63</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Anna Hempstead Branch</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_68">Little Annie&#8217;s Dream, or the Fairy Flower</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>68</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Louisa M. Alcott</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#COMPANIONS">Companions</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>71</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Helen Hunt Jackson</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#LITTLE">Prince Little Boy</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>73</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By S. Weir Mitchell, M.D.</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_77">The Bee-Man of Orn</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>77</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Frank R. Stockton</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GOLD">The Pot of Gold</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>82</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Mary E. Wilkins Freeman</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_87"><strong>VERSES ABOUT FAIRIES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_87">The Fairy Thorn</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>87</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Samuel Ferguson</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#DAYS">Fairy Days</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>88</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By William Makepeace Thackeray</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_89">The Fairy Queen</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>89</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SEA">The Sea Princess</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>89</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#AGO">Long Ago</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>89</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THISTLE">Thistle-Tassel</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>90</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Florence Harrison</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SONG">Song of the Fairy</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>90</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By William Shakespeare</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_92">The Fairies</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>92</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By William Allingham</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#WHERE">Oh, Where Do Fairies Hide Their Heads?</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>92</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Thomas Haynes Bayly</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_93"><strong>MODERN FAIRY TALES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_93">The Elf of the Woodlands</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>93</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold from Richard Hengist Horne by</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">William Byron Forbush</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FINOLA">Princess Finola and the Dwarf</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>95</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Edmund Leamy</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#OX">The Straw Ox</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>100</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_103">The Little Princess of the Fearless Heart</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>103</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By B. J. Daskam</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_110">Mopsa the Fairy</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>110</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold from Jean Ingelow</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BLIND">The Line of Golden Light, or the Little Blind Sister</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>114</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Elizabeth Harrison</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_118">A Fairy Story About a Philosopher&#8217;s Stone Which Was Lost</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>118</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By M. Bowley</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_124">The Bad Temper of the Princess</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>124</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Marian Burton</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_130">The Flying Ship</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>130</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_133">Robin of the Loving Heart</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>133</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Emma Endicott Marean</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SPRING">In Spring</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>137</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_138">A Famous Case</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>138</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Theodore C. Williams</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_139"><strong>OLD-FASHIONED STORIES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_139">The Twelve Huntsmen</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>139</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#DANCING">The Twelve Dancing Princesses</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>140</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#EDWY">Edwy and the Echo</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>143</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#VINEGAR">The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar-Bottle</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>146</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_148">The Snow Queen</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>148</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_158">The Master-Maid</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>158</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_163">Cap o&#8217; Rushes</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>163</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FULFILLED">Fulfilled</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>165</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GRISLY">King Grisly-Beard</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>166</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold from the Brothers Grimm</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_171"><strong>FABLES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_172">The Fox and the Goat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>172</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FROGS">The Two Frogs</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>172</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#MANGER">The Dog in the Manger</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>172</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#STAG">The Stag at the Pool</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>172</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#ASS">The War-Horse and the Ass</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>172</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#WHO">The Frogs Who Wanted a King</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>172</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_173">The Ox and the Frog</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>173</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_174">The Heron Who Was Hard to Please</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>174</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_175">The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>175</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#COCK">The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>175</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BEAR">The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>175</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HORSE">The Horse and the Stag</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>175</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BOAR">The Lion and the Boar</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>175</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FISHERMAN">The Huntsman and the Fisherman</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>175</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_176">The Ass in the Lion&#8217;s Skin</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>176</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_177">The Hare and the Tortoise</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>177</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_178">The Fox and the Wood-cutter</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#OTHER">The Lion and Other Beasts on a Hunt</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#EAGLE">The Eagle and the Arrow</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#MOUSE">The Mouse and the Frog</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GOAT">The Wolf and the Goat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BAD">The Bad Dog</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#KID">The Kid and the Wolf</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>178</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_179">The Fox and the Grapes</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>179</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_180">The Fox and the Raven</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>180</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_181">The Bull and the Goat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SWAN">The Raven and the Swan</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THIEF">The Thief and the Dog</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#LOADED">The Horse and the Loaded Ass</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SALT">The Ass With the Salt</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#JEWEL">The Cock and the Jewel</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#TAIL">The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>181</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_182">The Eagle and the Jackdaw</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>182</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_183">The Hen and the Golden Eggs</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>183</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_184">The Dog and the Ass</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>184</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SUN">The North Wind and the Sun</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>184</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FOX">The Fox and the Lion</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>184</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#PITCHER">The Crow and the Pitcher</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>184</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SHADOW">The Ass and His Shadow</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>184</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CRANE">The Wolf and the Crane</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>184</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_185">The Fox and the Crane</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>185</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_186">The Cat and the Monkey</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>186</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_187">The Dancing Monkeys</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>187</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HARES">The Hares and the Frogs</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>187</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GNAT">The Lion and the Gnat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>187</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BULLS">The Frogs and the Bulls</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>187</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#LARK">The Lark and Her Young Ones</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>187</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BELLING">Belling the Cat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>187</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_188">A Miller, His Son, and Their Ass</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>188</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_190">The Tortoise and the Eagle</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>190</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#JUNO">The Peacock and Juno</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>190</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_ASS">The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>190</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FATHER">The Father and His Sons</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>190</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_191">The Dove and the Ant</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>191</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_192">The Fox and the Cat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>192</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_193">The Ants and the Grasshopper</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>193</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_194"><strong>FABLES FROM INDIA</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='center'>Adapted by Ramaswami Raju</td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_194">The Glow-worm and the Daw</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>194</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#VILLAGERS">The Fox and the Villagers</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>194</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SNAKE">The Frog and the Snake</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>194</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#ASSEMBLY">The Assembly of Animals</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>194</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THREE">The Cock and His Three Hens</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>194</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#WHITE">The Black Dog and the White Dog</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>195</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#APE">The Elephant and the Ape</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>195</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#DAWN">The Crow and the Dawn</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>195</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_GOAT">The Lion and the Goat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>195</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SUNLING">The Sunling</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>196</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#MUSHROOM">The Mushroom and the Goose</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>196</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FABLES">The Fables of Pilpay the Hindu</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>196</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_FOX">The Fox and the Hen</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>196</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FISHES">The Three Fishes</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>196</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#FALCON">The Falcon and the Hen</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>197</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#KIND">The King Who Grew Kind</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>197</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#MODERN_FABLES"><strong>MODERN FABLES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#COUNCIL">The Horses&#8217; Council</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>197</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Adapted from John Gay</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#REED">The Oak and the Reed</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>198</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Adapted from the French of La Fontaine</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#KNOWLEDGE">The Advantage of Knowledge</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>198</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Adapted from the French of La Fontaine</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#RIVER">The Torrent and the River</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>198</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Adapted from the French of La Fontaine</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_199">The Tomtit and the Bear</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>199</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By the Brothers Grimm</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#STRIPES">Why Jimmy Skunk Wears Stripes</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>200</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Thornton W. Burgess</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_202">How Cats Came to Purr</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>202</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By John Bennett</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_207"><strong>STORIES FROM SCANDINAVIA</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_207">The Greedy Cat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>207</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HILLSIDE">Gudbrand on the Hillside</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>210</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HONEY">Pork and Honey</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>212</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BRUIN">How Reynard Outwitted Bruin</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>212</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CRESTED">The Cock and the Crested Hen</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>213</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#TRAMP">The Old Woman and the Tramp</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>213</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#OLD_WOMAN">The Old Woman and the Fish</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>216</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#LAD">The Lad and the Fox</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>217</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#ASHPOT">Adventures of Ashpot</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>217</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#LEGENDS">Norwegian Bird-Legends</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>219</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_222">The Ugly Duckling</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>222</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Hans Christian Andersen</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_227">The Wild Swans</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>227</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Hans Christian Andersen</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_235">Taper Tom</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>235</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#NORTH">The Boy Who Went to the North Wind</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>236</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#IRON">The Wonderful Iron Pot</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>238</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SHEEP">The Sheep and Pig Who Set Up Housekeeping</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>239</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GRASS">Doll-in-the-Grass</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>241</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BROTHERS">Boots and His Brothers</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>242</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BEATE">Viggo and Beate</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>244</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Translated by Mrs. Gudrun Thorne-Thompson</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_251"><strong>STORIES FROM IRELAND</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_251">The Four White Swans</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>251</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#ANDY">The Mishaps of Handy Andy</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>258</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GREEDY">The Greedy Shepherd</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>263</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CUCKOO">The Cobblers and the Cuckoo</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>264</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#COAT">The Merry Cobbler and His Coat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>268</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CHARITY">The Story of Child Charity</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>270</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Frances Browne</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#GIANT">The Selfish Giant</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>272</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Oscar Wilde</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_275"><strong>STORIES FROM GREAT BRITAIN</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_275">The Battle of the Birds,<br />
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;or the Grateful Raven and the Prince</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>275</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_277">Jack and the Beanstalk</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>277</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold by Mary Lena Wilson</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#THUMB">Tom Thumb</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>280</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold by Laura Clarke</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_283">Whittington and His Cat</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>283</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_287">Wild Robin</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>287</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold by Sophie May</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_291">The Story of Merlin</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>291</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_293"><strong>JAPANESE AND OTHER ORIENTAL TALES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_293">The Cub&#8217;s Triumph</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>293</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#CHIN">Chin-Chin Kobakama</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>294</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#MALLET">The Wonderful Mallet</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>296</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_298">The Selfish Sparrow and the Houseless Crows</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>298</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#ZIRAC">The Story of Zirac</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>298</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#RICE">My Lord Bag of Rice</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>302</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_305">The Little Hare of Oki</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>305</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold by B. M. Burrell</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_309">The Little Brother of Loo-lee Loo</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>309</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Margaret Johnson</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_314">The Curious Case of Ah-Top</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>314</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_316">The Jackal and the Camel</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>316</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#HASHNU">Hashnu the Stonecutter</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>316</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BRAHMAN">The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>318</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#WILLOW">The Story of the Willow Pattern Plate</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>319</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold by M. Alston Buckley</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_321"><strong>BR&#8217;ER RABBIT AND HIS NEIGHBORS</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#TAR">Brother Fox&#8217;s Tar Baby</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>321</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Translated by Joel Chandler Harris</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#PEAS">The Rabbit and the Peas</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>322</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Mrs. M. R. Allen</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_325">Br'er Rabbit's Fishing</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>325</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#PEACE">Br&#8217;er Possum Loves Peace</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>326</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#TACKLES">Br&#8217;er Fox Tackles Old Br'er Tarrypin</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>327</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_329">How Cousin Wildcat Served Br&#8217;er Fox</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>329</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_332">Plantation Stories</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>332</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Grace MacGowan Cooke</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'>&nbsp;</td> <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='center'><a href="#Page_337"><strong>AMERICAN INDIAN STORIES</strong></a></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_337">Robin Redbreast</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>337</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#WISHES">The Three Wishes</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>338</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#JOKER">The Joker</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>340</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#RIDE">Little Moccasin&#8217;s Ride on the Thunder-Horse</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>342</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Colonel Guido Ilges</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_348">Waukewa&#8217;s Eagle</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>348</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By James Buckham</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_352">A Huron Cinderella</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>352</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Howard Angus Kennedy</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#Page_356">The Fire Bringer</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>356</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By Mary Austin</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#SCAR">Scar Face</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>358</td>  </tr>
+
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span class="smcap"><a href="#BABY">Why the Baby Says &ldquo;Goo&rdquo;</a></span></td>  <td align='right'>359</td>  </tr>
+<tr>  <td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Retold by Ehrma G. Filer</span></td>  <td align='right'></td>  </tr>
+
+</table></div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 95%;" />
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 372px;">
+<img src="images/img11.jpg" width="372" height="500" alt="The Old Fairy Tales" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img12.jpg" width="500" height="105" alt="The Road To Fairy Land" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 7em;">
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">The day is dull and dreary,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And chilly winds and eerie</span><br />
+Are sweeping through the tall oak trees that fringe the orchard lane.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">They send the dead leaves flying,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And with a mournful crying</span><br />
+They dash the western window-panes with slanting lines of rain.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">My little &#8217;Trude and Teddy,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Come quickly and make ready,</span><br />
+Take down from off the highest shelf the book you think so grand.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">We&#8217;ll travel off together,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">To lands of golden weather,</span><br />
+For well we know the winding road that leads to Fairy Land.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 7em;">
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">A long, long road, no byway,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">The fairy kings&#8217; broad highway,</span><br />
+Sometimes we&#8217;ll see a castled hill stand up against the blue,<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And every brook that passes,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">A-whispering through the grasses,</span><br />
+Is just a magic fountain filled with youth and health for you;<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And we&#8217;ll meet fair princesses</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">With shining golden tresses,</span><br />
+Some pacing by on palfreys white, some humbly tending sheep;<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And merchants homeward faring,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">With goods beyond comparing,</span><br />
+And in the hills are robber bands, who dwell in caverns deep.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 7em;">
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Sometimes the road ascending,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Around a mountain bending,</span><br />
+Will lead us to the forests dark, and there among the pines<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Live woodmen, to whose dwelling</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Come wicked witches, telling</span><br />
+Of wondrous gifts of golden wealth. There, too, are lonely mines.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">But busy gnomes have found them,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And all night work around them,</span><br />
+And sometimes leave a bag of gold at some poor cottage door.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">There waterfalls are splashing,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And down the rocks are dashing,</span><br />
+But we can hear the sprites&#8217; clear call above the torrent&#8217;s roar.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 7em;">
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Where quiet rivers glisten</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">We&#8217;ll sometimes stop and listen</span><br />
+To tales a gray old hermit tells, or wandering minstrel&#8217;s song.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">We&#8217;ll loiter by the ferries,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">And pluck the wayside berries,</span><br />
+And watch the gallant knights spur by in haste to right a wrong.<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Oh, little &#8217;Trude and Teddy,</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">For wonders, then, make ready,</span><br />
+You&#8217;ll see a shining gateway, and, within, a palace grand,<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">Of elfin realm the center;</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 7em;">But pause before you enter</span><br />
+To pity all good folk who&#8217;ve missed the road to Fairy Land.<br />
+                  <span style="margin-left: 18em;"><em>Cecil Cavendish</em></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS GOLDENLOCKS</h2>
+
+<p>There was once a lovely Princess who had
+such beautiful golden hair that everyone called
+her Goldenlocks. She possessed everything that
+she wanted: she was lovely to look at, she had
+beautiful clothes, and great wealth, and besides
+all these, she was the Princess in a large kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>In the country next to that of Goldenlocks
+there ruled a rich and handsome young King.
+When he heard about the charming Princess he
+decided that he wanted her for his Queen. The
+question was, of course, how to make her feel
+that she wanted him for her husband!</p>
+
+<p>This young King did not go about his wooing
+after the manner of people that you and I know.
+He called one of the chief men of his court, and
+said: &ldquo;You have heard of the lovely Princess
+Goldenlocks. I have determined that she shall
+be my bride. I want you to go and see her; tell
+her about me, and beg her to become my Queen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the King ordered a great number of
+horses brought for the ambassador, and he directed
+his men to send more than a hundred
+servants also. You see, in that way he hoped
+to be able to impress the Princess with his
+wealth and importance.</p>
+
+<p>The King was conceited, and did not think for
+a moment that any Princess, no matter how beautiful,
+would refuse to become his wife. So he
+ordered his servants to make great preparations
+for her coming, and to refurnish the palace. He
+told his ambassador to be sure to bring the Princess
+back with him.</p>
+
+<p>The King waited with great impatience for the
+return of the ambassador, who had quite a long
+journey to make before he could get to the court
+of the Princess Goldenlocks. Then one day he
+appeared in the King&#8217;s court.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where is my lovely bride?&rdquo; the King asked
+eagerly, expecting the ambassador to say that
+she was in the next room, and would come in
+at once.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your Majesty,&rdquo; replied the ambassador, very
+sadly, &ldquo;I could not bring the Princess to you.
+She sent you her thanks for your offer, but she
+could not accept the gifts which you sent her,
+and she will not marry you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What!&rdquo; the King exclaimed indignantly, as
+he fingered the pearls and diamonds which he
+had sent Goldenlocks, and which she had sent
+back. &ldquo;I and my jewels are not good enough
+for the Princess Goldenlocks!&rdquo; And the King
+cried and cried, just as if he had not been
+grown up.</p>
+
+<p>All the people in the court were greatly disturbed
+because the ambassador had failed in his
+mission. They felt themselves injured to think
+that Goldenlocks would not marry their King.
+There was one courtier, named Charming, who
+felt especially bad, for he was very fond of the
+King. He even said one day that he was certain
+that if the King had only let him go to
+Goldenlocks, she would have consented to a royal
+marriage.</p>
+
+<p>Now, there were in that court some very jealous
+men, who thought that Charming was altogether
+too great a favorite with the King. When
+they heard him say that he could have won Goldenlocks
+for his master, they got together and
+agreed to tell the King that Charming was making
+silly boasts.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; one of them said, &ldquo;Charming
+told us that if you had let him go to Goldenlocks
+she would never have refused to marry you.
+He thinks that he is so attractive that the Princess
+would have fallen in love with him immediately,
+and would have consented to go anywhere
+he wished with him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Villain!&rdquo; the King exclaimed. &ldquo;And I thought
+he was my friend.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Of course, you and I know that if the King
+himself had been any sort of a friend he would
+never have doubted the good faith of Charming
+just because someone else spoke evil of him. But
+what did the King do but order Charming put
+into a dungeon and given no food or water, so
+that the poor fellow should die of hunger!</p>
+
+<p>Poor Charming was bewildered when the
+King&#8217;s guards came to carry him off to prison.
+He could not imagine why the King had turned
+against him in this unfair way. It made him
+miserable enough to be in a cold, damp cell, with
+no food to eat, and no water to drink except that
+from a little stream which flowed through the
+cell. He had no bed&mdash;just a dirty pile of straw.
+But all these discomforts were as nothing to the
+worry he had as to why the King, whom he
+had always liked, had treated him so unjustly.
+He used to talk to himself about it. One day he
+said, as he had thought dozens of times before:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What have I done that my kindest friend, to
+whom I have always been faithful, should have
+turned against me and left me to die in this
+prison cell?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As luck would have it, the King himself was
+passing by the dungeon where Charming was confined
+when he spoke these words, and the King
+heard them. Perhaps the King&#8217;s better self had
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>
+been telling him that he ought at least to have
+given Charming a chance to tell his side of the
+story before condemning him to die. I do not
+know. At any rate when he heard this voice
+coming out of the dungeon he insisted on going
+in at once to see Charming.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your Gracious Majesty,&rdquo; said Charming, &ldquo;I
+could not believe that it was really your wish
+that I be confined in this cell. All my life I have
+had no wish but to serve you faithfully.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Charming!&rdquo; the King exclaimed, &ldquo;can this be
+true! They told me that you have made fun of
+me because the Princess Goldenlocks had refused
+to marry me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I, Your Majesty, mocked you?&rdquo; Charming
+was astonished. &ldquo;That is not true. It is true,
+however, that I said that if you would send me
+to Goldenlocks I believed I could persuade her
+to become your wife, because I know so many
+good things about you which I would tell her. I
+could paint such a lovely picture of you that she
+could not possibly help falling in love with your
+Majesty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the King knew that he had been deceived
+by his courtiers, and he felt that he had
+been very silly to believe them. He took Charming
+with him to the palace right away, and, after
+having the best supper which the cooks could
+prepare served for Charming, the King asked
+him to go and see whether it was not yet possible
+to persuade Goldenlocks to marry him.</p>
+
+<p>Charming did not set off with any such retinue
+of servants as had the other ambassador. The
+King gave him letters to the Princess, and
+Charming picked out one present for her&mdash;a
+lovely scarf embroidered with pearls.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning Charming started out. He
+had armed himself with a notebook and pencil.
+As he rode along he thought much about what
+he might say to the Princess that would make
+her want to marry his King.</p>
+
+<p>One day as he rode along he saw a deer
+stretching out its neck to reach the leaves of the
+tree above it. &ldquo;What a graceful creature!&rdquo;
+thought Charming. &ldquo;I will tell Goldenlocks that
+the King is as graceful as a deer.&rdquo; Then on
+the road ahead he saw a great shadow, cast by
+an eagle in its flight. &ldquo;How swift and strong
+that eagle is,&rdquo; he mused. &ldquo;I will tell the Princess
+that the King is like the eagle in strength and
+swiftness and majesty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming got off his horse and sat down by
+a brook to jot down his thoughts in his notebook.
+As he opened his book to write he saw,
+struggling in the grass by his side, a golden
+carp. The fish had jumped too high when it
+tried to catch a fly, and had landed on the
+ground. The poor creature was helpless to get
+back into the water, and was gasping for breath;
+fish, you know, cannot live long out of water.
+Charming felt so sorry for the carp that he could
+not write until he had put it carefully back into
+the brook.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you, Charming,&rdquo; said a voice from the
+water. Charming had never heard a fish speak
+before, and you can imagine that he was mightily
+surprised. &ldquo;Some day I will repay this kindness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>For several days after this adventure Charming
+journeyed on. Then, one morning, he heard
+a great crying in the air, above him. A huge vulture
+was pursuing a raven. The vulture was
+drawing closer and closer to its prey&mdash;was almost
+upon it. Charming could not stand idly by and
+watch the helpless little raven fight against its
+enormous enemy. He drew his bow, and shot
+an arrow straight into the vulture&#8217;s heart. The
+raven flew down, and as it passed Charming it
+said gratefully: &ldquo;I have you to thank that I am
+not now in that great vulture&#8217;s beak. I will remember
+your great kindness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Not long afterward, Charming came upon a
+great net which men had stretched in the woods
+in order to catch birds. A poor owl was caught
+in it. &ldquo;Men are cruel creatures,&rdquo; thought Charming.
+&ldquo;I don&#8217;t think it is very kind or praiseworthy
+to set a trap for these creatures who do
+no one any harm.&rdquo; And Charming proceeded to
+cut the net and set the owl free.</p>
+
+<p>The owl flapped its wings noisily as it flew out
+of the net. &ldquo;Thank you, Charming,&rdquo; it said.
+&ldquo;You know I can&#8217;t see well in the daylight, and
+I did not notice this trap. I shall never forget
+that I have you to thank for my being alive.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming found Goldenlocks surrounded by a
+splendor greater than any he had ever seen before.
+Pearls and diamonds were so plentiful that
+he began to think they must grow on trees in this
+kingdom! It worried him a little, for he thought
+he would have to be very clever to persuade
+Goldenlocks to leave so much luxury.</p>
+
+<p>With fear and trembling Charming presented
+himself at the door of Princess Goldenlocks&#8217; palace
+on the morning after his arrival. He had
+dressed himself with the greatest care in a handsome
+suit of crimson velvet. On his head was a
+hat of the same brocaded material, trimmed with
+waving ostrich plumes, which were fastened to
+his hat with a clasp set with flashing diamonds.
+A messenger was sent at once to the Princess to
+announce his arrival.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your Majesty,&rdquo; the messenger said. &ldquo;There
+is the most handsome gentleman sent from a King
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>
+awaiting you below. He is dressed like a Prince,
+and he is the most charming person I have ever
+seen. In fact, his very name is Charming.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;His name sounds as if I would like him,&rdquo;
+said the Princess, musingly. &ldquo;I will see him
+presently. Honora, bring me my best blue satin
+gown&mdash;the one embroidered with pearls.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Princess had a fresh wreath of pink
+roses made to wind in her lovely golden hair;
+Honora pushed tiny blue satin slippers on the
+feet of her mistress, and handed her an exquisite
+silver lace fan. Then Goldenlocks was all ready.
+She assumed her most princess-like manner, and
+entered the great throne room. You may be sure,
+however, that she stopped on the way, in the hall
+of mirrors, to see that she really deserved all the
+compliments which her handmaids gave her.</p>
+
+<p>When Goldenlocks was seated on the throne of
+gold and ivory, and her handmaids were posed
+gracefully about her, playing idly on guitars,
+Charming was brought in. He was as though
+struck dumb by the beauty which greeted his
+eyes. He forgot for the moment all that he had
+intended to say&mdash;all the long harangue prepared
+so carefully on the way. Then he took a deep
+breath, and began, just as he had intended, with:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Most lovely Princess Goldenlocks, I have come
+to ask your hand in marriage for the most noble
+King in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I think his speech must have been very interesting,
+for Goldenlocks did not take her eyes
+from Charming&#8217;s face during the hour in which
+Charming described the glories of his King.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What, O most gracious Princess, may I take
+to the King as an answer to his plea?&rdquo; Charming
+finally inquired.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tell him,&rdquo; said Goldenlocks kindly, &ldquo;I believe
+that no King who was not worthy and charming
+himself could have an ambassador like you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But,&rdquo; she added after a pause, &ldquo;tell him also
+that Goldenlocks may not marry. I have taken a
+solemn vow that I will not marry until a ring
+which I lost in the brook a month ago is found.
+I valued that ring more than my whole kingdom,
+but it cannot be found.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming went away disheartened, because he
+did not have the slightest idea how to go about
+finding the Princess&#8217;s ring. Luckily for him, he
+had brought with him a cunning little dog named
+Frisk. Frisk was a light-hearted creature. He
+always was hopeful. So he said to Charming:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, master, let us not give up hope without
+even trying. Let&#8217;s go down to the brook to-morrow
+morning and see if we can&#8217;t find the
+Princess&#8217;s bothersome ring.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So, bright and early the next day, Charming
+and Frisk walked slowly along the edge of the
+brook which flowed near the palace, hunting for
+the ring. They walked for about half an hour,
+when a voice spoke to them out of nowhere:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Charming, I have kept my promise.
+You once saved my life, you know. Now I have
+brought you the Princess Goldenlocks&#8217; ring.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming looked up and down and all around
+in great amazement. Then, at his very feet, he
+saw the golden carp which he had rescued a few
+days before; and, best of all, in the carp&#8217;s mouth
+was the Princess&#8217;s gold ring.</p>
+
+<p>With joy in his heart Charming rushed to the
+palace, with Frisk dancing along at his heels.
+Goldenlocks was disappointed to hear that he had
+come back so soon. &ldquo;He must have given up
+already,&rdquo; she told her handmaids, as she made
+ready to receive Charming.</p>
+
+<p>When Charming entered the Princess&#8217;s throne
+room he did not say a word; he simply handed
+her the ring.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My ring!&rdquo; the Princess called out in amazement.
+&ldquo;You have found it!&rdquo; And she seemed
+delighted that Charming had succeeded.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said Charming, with something of assurance,
+&ldquo;you will make ready to return to my
+King with me, will you not?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; the Princess cried, as if she had
+never thought of such a thing. &ldquo;I can never
+marry until an awful enemy of mine is killed.
+There is a fierce giant who lives near here. He
+once asked me to marry him, and I, of course, refused.
+It made him very angry. He swore vengeance
+upon me, and I am afraid to leave my
+kingdom while he is alive. I think the creature&mdash;his
+name is Galifron&mdash;can really have no human
+heart at all, for he can kill two or three or four
+persons a day without feeling anything but joy
+in his crimes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming shuddered at this appalling picture
+of his enemy-to-be.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If it be in my power so to do, Princess Goldenlocks,
+I will slay your enemy.&rdquo; With these
+words Charming turned on his heels and left the
+palace.</p>
+
+<p>Frisk realized that Charming was worried
+about the difficult new task which Goldenlocks
+had given him. &ldquo;Never you worry, Master,&rdquo; he
+said cheerfully. &ldquo;If you will but attack the
+monster I will bark and bite at his heels until
+he won&#8217;t know what he is doing. He will be so
+confused that I know you will be able to conquer
+him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming rode up to the giant&#8217;s castle boldly
+enough. He knew the monster was coming
+toward him, because he could hear the crash of
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>
+trees which broke under the huge feet. Then
+he heard a voice roaring like thunder:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Poof, woof, clear the way!</span><br />
+ Bing, bang, &#8217;tis to-day!<br />
+ Zip, zook, I must slay!<br />
+ Whizz, fizz, the King&#8217;s pet, Charming!<br />
+ Pish, tush, isn&#8217;t it alarming!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming trembled, and he could feel the cold
+perspiration stand out on his brow. But he took
+a deep breath, and shouted as loud as he could
+(which was not nearly as loud as the giant
+could):</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Galifron, take warning,</span><br />
+ For your day is ending.<br />
+ Prepare to find that Charming<br />
+ Is really quite alarming!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Galifron was so high above Charming that
+he had to hunt quite hard before he could discover
+who was saying these words. When he
+saw the little fellow standing ready to fight him
+he laughed, and yet he was angry. He lifted his
+great club and would have knocked the life out
+of Charming in a trice, but suddenly he could
+not see. He roared with pain, for a raven had
+plucked out his eyes. Galifron beat wildly in the
+air, trying to protect himself from the bird; meanwhile
+Charming seized his opportunity, and it was
+only a moment until Galifron lay at Charming&#8217;s
+feet. Only Galifron was so big that Charming
+had to stand on top of him in order to make sure
+that he was really dead.</p>
+
+<p>To the Princess, Charming rode back as fast
+as his horse could carry him. In front of him,
+on his saddle, he carried the giant&#8217;s head. The
+Princess was taking her afternoon nap, when she
+was awakened by loud shouts of &ldquo;Hail, Charming!
+Hail, conqueror of hideous Galifron!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Goldenlocks could scarcely believe her ears.
+She rushed to the front of the palace, and sure
+enough, there she was greeted by Charming, bearing
+her enemy&#8217;s head.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed as if such a feat of daring should
+have been enough to satisfy even Goldenlocks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, fair Princess, will you not return with
+me to my King?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Charming, I cannot,&rdquo; said the Princess; and
+to Charming her words sounded like the stroke
+of doom. &ldquo;Before I marry I must have some
+water from the spring of eternal youth. This
+spring is at the bottom of Gloomy Cavern&mdash;a
+great cave not far from here, which is guarded
+by two fierce dragons. If I have a flask from
+that spring I shall always remain young and
+beautiful. I should never dare to marry without
+its protection.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Beautiful Goldenlocks, you could never be
+anything but young and beautiful; but I will none
+the less try to fulfill your mission.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Even though Charming had just conquered a
+giant he did not feel very comfortable at the
+idea of having to find his way past two dragons
+into a dark and gloomy cavern. He approached
+the cavern with much determination, but with
+many misgivings. When Frisk saw the black
+smoke belching out of the rocks at the entrance
+of the cavern the dog shook all over with fear;
+and I have been told that when Charming saw
+Frisk run off and try to hide, he himself would
+have been very glad if he could have run away,
+too. But being a man, he, of course, had to be
+brave; so he set his teeth and approached the
+cave.</p>
+
+<p>Then he saw the first dragon&mdash;a huge, slimy
+creature, all yellow and green, with great red
+claws, and a tail which seemed to Charming to
+be nearly a mile long.</p>
+
+<p>Charming turned back and called to Frisk.
+&ldquo;Dear Frisk,&rdquo; he said sadly, &ldquo;I know I shall
+never see the light of day again if I enter this
+cavern. Wait here for me until nightfall; then,
+if I have not come back, go and tell the Princess
+that I have lost my life trying to win for her
+eternal youth and beauty. Then tell the King
+that I did my best for him, but failed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming turned again to attack the dragon.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wait a minute, Charming!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charming looked around to see who spoke
+these words. &ldquo;It&#8217;s I, Charming, the owl you
+rescued from the net the fowlers set for us poor
+birds. Let me take Goldenlocks&#8217; flask, and I will
+fetch the water for you. I know every turn of
+that dark cavern, and the dragons will not notice
+whether I pass them or not.&rdquo; And the owl took
+the flask out of Charming&#8217;s hand, fluttered into
+the cavern, and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here you are, Charming. You see I did not
+forget your kindness to me.&rdquo; With these words
+the owl handed to Charming the flask full of
+water from the magic spring. Charming was so
+happy that he could hardly find words to thank
+the owl. He rode straight to Goldenlocks with
+the wonderful liquid.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Beautiful Goldenlocks, here is the water you
+asked me to get for you. My mind cannot conceive
+of anything, however, which would add to
+your beauty. I do know, however, something
+which would add to your happiness. I have
+found your ring, slain your enemy, brought you
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>
+the secret of youth and health; now will you not
+come with me to my King, who loves you so
+much that he will make you the happiest woman
+on earth?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Goldenlocks, softly. Her answer
+really surprised Charming very much, because he
+had come to think that she would never cease to
+find new tasks for him to perform. She gave
+orders at once for the necessary preparations for
+the journey, and in a few days she and Charming
+and little Frisk set out for home, with a great
+retinue of servants, of course.</p>
+
+<p>The King greeted them with the greatest enthusiasm.
+He proclaimed a holiday throughout
+his kingdom, and every one feasted and danced.</p>
+
+<p>But, strange to say, the Princess Goldenlocks
+found herself daily thinking more and more, not
+of the King, but of Charming.</p>
+
+<p>One day Charming found himself once more
+in prison, bound hand and foot. The King
+thought this would be a good way to rid himself
+of his rival.</p>
+
+<p>Goldenlocks used to beg the King to set Charming
+free, but that only made things worse. Little
+Frisk was Charming&#8217;s only comfort; he used
+to take him all the court news.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe,&rdquo; said the King to himself one day,
+&ldquo;the reason Goldenlocks prefers Charming to me
+is that I am not beautiful enough to suit her. I
+believe I will try some of that water of eternal
+beauty and health that she is always talking
+about.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Without a word to anyone the King stole into
+the Queen&#8217;s room and hunted about until he found
+the flask of water. He bathed his face in the
+water and stood in front of a mirror to watch
+the change. A few hours later the Queen found
+him sound asleep. She could not awaken him,
+and they sent for the court physician; he could
+not rouse the King. &ldquo;The King,&rdquo; the physician
+told the Queen, &ldquo;is dead.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now this is what had happened. One day
+when the Princess&#8217;s maid Honora was cleaning
+her room she knocked over the flask which contained
+the precious water, and broke it in a
+thousand pieces. Honora was terribly frightened.
+She would not have let the Princess know
+what had occurred for anything. She remembered
+seeing a flask in the King&#8217;s room just like
+the one she had broken, and she put it in the
+very spot from which she had knocked the other.</p>
+
+<p>Unluckily for the King, the maid took a flask
+which contained a deadly water which was used
+to &ldquo;do away&rdquo; with criminals.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Woof, woof!&rdquo; said Frisk in the Queen&#8217;s ear.
+&ldquo;Please have pity on my poor master, good
+Queen! Remember all he did for you, and how
+he is suffering for your sake now!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Goldenlocks at once left the room where the
+King&#8217;s body lay in state and went to the tower
+where Charming was confined. She opened his
+cell and set him free. She put a golden crown on
+his head, and removed the chains from his wrists
+and ankles.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;King Charming!&rdquo; said the Queen, &ldquo;now you
+and I shall be married, and&mdash;live happily ever
+after!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="PRINCE" id="PRINCE"></a>PRINCE HYACINTH<br />
+AND THE DEAR LITTLE PRINCESS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY MADAME LEPRINCE DE BEAUMONT</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived a King who was
+deeply in love with a Princess, but she could
+not marry anyone, because she was under an enchantment.
+So the King set out to seek a fairy,
+and asked what he could do to win the Princess&#8217;s
+love. The Fairy said to him:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You know that the Princess has a great cat
+which she is very fond of. Whoever is clever
+enough to tread on that cat&#8217;s tail is the man she is
+destined to marry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King said to himself that this would not
+be very difficult; and he left the Fairy, determined
+to grind the cat&#8217;s tail to powder rather
+than not tread on it at all.</p>
+
+<p>You may imagine that it was not long before
+he went to see the Princess; and puss, as usual,
+marched in before him, arching its back. The
+King took a long step, and quite thought he had
+the tail under his foot, but the cat turned round
+so sharply that he trod only on air. And so it
+went on for eight days, till the King began to
+think that this fatal tail must be full of quick-silver&mdash;it
+was never still for a moment.</p>
+
+<p>At last, however, he was lucky enough to come
+upon puss fast asleep and with its tail conveniently
+spread out. So the King, without losing
+a moment, set his foot upon it heavily.</p>
+
+<p>With one terrific yell the cat sprang up and
+instantly changed into a tall man, who, fixing
+his angry eyes upon the King, said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You shall marry the Princess because you
+have been able to break the enchantment, but I
+will have my revenge. You shall have a son,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>
+who will never be happy until he finds out that
+his nose is too long, and if you ever tell anyone
+what I have just said to you, you shall vanish
+away instantly, and no one shall ever see you
+or hear of you again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Though the King was horribly afraid of the
+enchanter, he could not help laughing at this
+threat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If my son has such a long nose as that,&rdquo; he
+said to himself, &ldquo;he must always see it or feel
+it; at least, if he is not blind or without hands.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But, as the enchanter had vanished, he did not
+waste any more time in thinking, but went to
+seek the Princess, who very soon consented to
+marry him. But after all, they had not been
+married very long when the King died, and the
+Queen had nothing left to care for but her little
+son, who was called Hyacinth. The little Prince
+had large blue eyes, the prettiest eyes in the
+world, and a sweet little mouth, but, alas! his
+nose was so enormous that it covered half his
+face. The Queen was inconsolable when she saw
+this great nose, but her ladies assured her that
+it was not really as large as it looked; that it was
+a Roman nose, and you had only to open any
+history book to see that every hero has a large nose.
+The Queen, who was devoted to her baby, was
+pleased with what they told her, and when she
+looked at Hyacinth again, his nose certainly did
+not seem to her <em>quite</em> so large.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince was brought up with great care;
+and, as soon as he could speak, they told him all
+sorts of dreadful stories about people who had
+short noses. No one was allowed to come near
+him whose nose did not more or less resemble
+his own, and the courtiers, to get into favor
+with the Queen, took to pulling their babies&#8217;
+noses several times every day to make them grow
+long. But, do what they would, they were nothing
+by comparison with the Prince&#8217;s.</p>
+
+<p>When he grew older he learned history; and
+whenever any great prince or beautiful princess
+was spoken of, his teachers took care to tell him
+that they had long noses.</p>
+
+<p>His room was hung with pictures, all of people
+with very large noses; and the Prince grew up
+so convinced that a long nose was a great beauty
+that he would not on any account have had his
+own a single inch shorter!</p>
+
+<p>When his twentieth birthday was past, the
+Queen thought it was time that he should be
+married, so she commanded that the portraits of
+several princesses should be brought for him to
+see, and among the others was a picture of the
+Dear Little Princess!</p>
+
+<p>Now, she was the daughter of a great King,
+and would some day possess several kingdoms
+herself; but Prince Hyacinth had not a thought
+to spare for anything of that sort, he was so
+much struck with her beauty. The Princess, whom
+he thought quite charming, had, however, a little
+saucy nose, which, in her face, was the prettiest
+thing possible, but it was a cause of great
+embarrassment to the courtiers, who had got into
+such a habit of laughing at little noses that they
+sometimes found themselves laughing at hers before
+they had time to think; but this did not do
+at all before the Prince, who quite failed to see
+the joke, and actually banished two of his courtiers
+who had dared to mention disrespectfully the
+Dear Little Princess&#8217;s tiny nose!</p>
+
+<p>The others, taking warning from this, learned
+to think twice before they spoke, and one even
+went so far as to tell the Prince that, though it
+was quite true that no man could be worth anything
+unless he had a long nose, still, a woman&#8217;s
+beauty was a different thing, and he knew a
+learned man who understood Greek and had read
+in some old manuscripts that the beautiful Cleopatra
+herself had a &ldquo;tip-tilted&rdquo; nose!</p>
+
+<p>The Prince made him a splendid present as a
+reward for this good news, and at once sent
+ambassadors to ask the Dear Little Princess in
+marriage. The King, her father, gave his consent;
+and Prince Hyacinth, who, in his anxiety
+to see the Princess, had gone three leagues to
+meet her, was just advancing to kiss her hand
+when, to the horror of all who stood by, the enchanter
+appeared as suddenly as a flash of lightning,
+and, snatching up the Dear Little Princess,
+whirled her away out of their sight!</p>
+
+<p>The Prince was left quite inconsolable, and declared
+that nothing should induce him to go back
+to his kingdom until he had found her again,
+and refusing to allow any of his courtiers to
+follow him, he mounted his horse and rode sadly
+away, letting the animal choose its own path.</p>
+
+<p>So it happened that he came presently to a great
+plain, across which he rode all day long without
+seeing a single house, and horse and rider were
+terribly hungry, when, as the night fell, the Prince
+caught sight of a light.</p>
+
+<p>He rode up to it, and saw a little old woman,
+who appeared to be at least a hundred years old.</p>
+
+<p>She put on her spectacles to look at Prince
+Hyacinth, but it was quite a long time before
+she could fix them securely, because her nose was
+so very short.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince and the Fairy (for that was who
+she was) had no sooner looked at one another
+than they went into fits of laughter, and cried
+at the same moment, &ldquo;Oh, what a funny nose!&rdquo;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not so funny as your own,&rdquo; said Prince Hyacinth
+to the Fairy; &ldquo;but, madam, I beg you to
+leave the consideration of our noses&mdash;such as they
+are&mdash;and to be good enough to give me something
+to eat, for I am starving, and so is my
+poor horse.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;With all my heart!&rdquo; said the Fairy. &ldquo;Though
+your nose is so ridiculous, you are, nevertheless,
+the son of my best friend. I loved your father
+as if he had been my brother. Now <em>he</em> had a
+very handsome nose!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And pray, what does mine lack?&rdquo; said the
+Prince.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! it doesn&#8217;t <em>lack anything</em>,&rdquo; replied the
+Fairy. &ldquo;On the contrary quite, there is only too
+much of it. But never mind, one may be a very
+worthy man though his nose is too long. I was
+telling you that I was your father&#8217;s friend; he
+often came to see me in the old times, and you
+must know that I was very pretty in those days;
+at least, he used to say so. I should like to tell
+you of a conversation we had the last time I
+ever saw him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; said the Prince, &ldquo;when I have supped
+it will give me the greatest pleasure to hear it;
+but consider, madam, I beg of you, that I have
+had nothing to eat to-day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The poor boy is right,&rdquo; said the Fairy; &ldquo;I
+was forgetting. Come in, then, and I will give
+you some supper, and while you are eating I can
+tell you my story in a very few words&mdash;for I
+don&#8217;t like endless tales myself. Too long a tongue
+is worse than too long a nose, and I remember
+when I was young that I was so much admired
+for not being a great chatterer. They used to tell
+the Queen, my mother, that it was so. For though
+you see what I am now, I was the daughter of
+a great king. My father&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your father, I dare say, got something to eat
+when he was hungry!&rdquo; interrupted the Prince.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! certainly,&rdquo; answered the Fairy, &ldquo;and you
+also shall have supper directly. I only just
+wanted to tell you&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I really cannot listen to anything until I
+have had something to eat,&rdquo; cried the Prince,
+who was getting quite angry; but then, remembering
+that he had better be polite as he much
+needed the Fairy&#8217;s help, he added:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know that in the pleasure of listening to you
+I should quite forget my own hunger; but my
+horse, who cannot hear you, must really be fed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Fairy was very much flattered by this compliment,
+and said, calling to her servants:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You shall not wait another minute, you are
+so polite, and in spite of the enormous size of
+your nose you are really very agreeable.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Plague take the old lady! How she does go
+on about my nose!&rdquo; said the Prince to himself.
+&ldquo;One would almost think that mine had taken
+all the extra length that hers lacks! If I were
+not so hungry I would soon have done with this
+chatterpie who thinks she talks very little! How
+stupid people are not to see their own faults!
+That comes of being a princess; she has been
+spoilt by flatterers, who have made her believe
+that she is quite a moderate talker!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the servants were putting the supper
+on the table, and the Prince was much amused
+to hear the Fairy, who asked them a thousand
+questions simply for the pleasure of hearing herself
+speak; especially he noticed one maid who,
+no matter what was being said, always contrived
+to praise her mistress&#8217;s wisdom.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well!&rdquo; he thought, as he ate his supper. &ldquo;I&#8217;m
+very glad I came here. This just shows me how
+sensible I have been in never listening to flatterers.
+People of that sort praise us to our faces
+without shame, and hide our faults or change
+them into virtues. For my part I never will be
+taken in by them. I know my own defects, I
+hope.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Poor Prince Hyacinth! He really believed what
+he said, and hadn&#8217;t an idea that the people who
+had praised his nose were laughing at him, just as
+the Fairy&#8217;s maid was laughing at her; for the
+Prince had seen her laugh slyly when she could
+do so without the Fairy&#8217;s noticing her.</p>
+
+<p>However, he said nothing, and presently, when
+his hunger began to be appeased, the Fairy said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear Prince, might I beg you to move a
+little more that way, for your nose casts such
+a shadow that I really cannot see what I have on
+my plate. Ah! thanks. Now let us speak of your
+father. When I went to his Court he was only
+a little boy, but that is forty years ago, and I have
+been in this desolate place ever since. Tell me
+what goes on nowadays; are the ladies as fond of
+amusement as ever? In my time one saw them
+at parties, theaters, balls, and promenades every
+day. Dear me! <em>What</em> a long nose you have! I
+cannot get used to it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Really, madam,&rdquo; said the Prince, &ldquo;I wish you
+would leave off mentioning my nose. It cannot
+matter to you what it is like. I am quite satisfied
+with it, and have no wish to have it shorter. One
+must take what is given one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now you are angry with me, my poor Hyacinth,&rdquo;
+said the Fairy, &ldquo;and I assure you that I
+didn&#8217;t mean to vex you; on the contrary, I wished
+to do you a service. However, though I really
+cannot help your nose being a shock to me, I will
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>
+try not to say anything about it. I will even try
+to think that you have an ordinary nose. To tell
+the truth, it would make three reasonable ones.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince, who was no longer hungry, grew
+so impatient at the Fairy&#8217;s continual remarks
+about his nose that at last he threw himself upon
+his horse and rode hastily away. But wherever
+he came in his journey he thought the people were
+mad, for they all talked of his nose, and yet he
+could not bring himself to admit that it was too
+long, he had been so used all his life to hear it
+called handsome.</p>
+
+<p>The old Fairy, who wished to make him happy,
+at last hit upon a plan. She shut the Dear Little
+Princess up in a palace of crystal, and put this
+palace down where the Prince could not fail to
+find it. His joy at seeing the Princess again was
+extreme, and he set to work with all his might
+to try to break her prison, but in spite of all his
+efforts he failed utterly. In despair he thought at
+least that he would try to get near enough to speak
+to the Dear Little Princess, who, on her part,
+stretched out her hand that he might kiss it; but
+turn which way he might, he never could raise it
+to his lips, for his long nose always prevented it.
+For the first time he realized how long it really
+was, and exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, it must be admitted that my nose <em>is</em> too
+long!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In an instant the crystal prison flew into a
+thousand splinters, and the old Fairy, taking the
+Dear Little Princess by the hand, said to the
+Prince:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, say if you are not very much obliged
+to me. Much good it was for me to talk to you
+about your nose! You would never have found
+out how extraordinary it was if it hadn&#8217;t hindered
+you from doing what you wanted to. You
+see how self-love keeps us from knowing our
+own defects of mind and body. Our reason tries
+in vain to show them to us; we refuse to see
+them till we find them in our way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Prince Hyacinth, whose nose was now just
+like anyone else&#8217;s, did not fail to profit by
+the lesson he had received. He married the
+Dear Little Princess, and they lived happily
+ever after.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CINDERELLA" id="CINDERELLA"></a>CINDERELLA</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY CHARLES PERRAULT</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once there was a gentleman who married,
+for his second wife, the proudest and most
+haughty woman that was ever seen. She had,
+by a former husband, two daughters of her
+own humor, who were, indeed, exactly like her in
+all things. He had likewise, by his first wife, a
+young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and
+sweetness of temper, which she took from her
+mother, who was the best creature in the world.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding
+over but the step-mother began to show herself
+in her true colors. She could not bear the good
+qualities of this pretty girl, and the less because
+they made her own daughters appear the more
+odious. She employed her in the meanest work
+of the house: the young girl scoured the dishes,
+tables, etc., and scrubbed madam&#8217;s chamber, and
+those of misses, her daughters; she lay up in a
+sorry garret, upon a wretched straw bed, while
+her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid,
+upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where
+they had looking glasses so large that they might
+see themselves at their full length from head to
+foot.</p>
+
+<p>The poor girl bore all patiently, and dared not
+tell her father, who would have rattled her off;
+for his wife governed him entirely. When she
+had done her work, she used to go into the chimney-corner,
+and sit down among cinders and ashes,
+which made her commonly be called <em>Cinderwench</em>;
+but the youngest, who was not so rude and uncivil
+as the eldest, called her Cinderella. However,
+Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel,
+was a hundred times handsomer than her
+sisters, though they were always dressed very
+richly.</p>
+
+<p>It happened that the King&#8217;s son gave a ball,
+and invited all persons of fashion to it. Our
+young misses were also invited, for they cut a
+very grand figure among the quality. They were
+mightily delighted at this invitation, and wonderfully
+busy in choosing out such gowns, petticoats,
+and head-clothes as might become them. This
+was a new trouble to Cinderella; for it was she
+who ironed her sister&#8217;s linen, and plaited their
+ruffles; they talked all day long of nothing but
+how they should be dressed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;For my part,&rdquo; said the eldest, &ldquo;I will wear my
+red velvet suit with French trimming.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I,&rdquo; said the youngest, &ldquo;shall have my
+usual petticoat; but then, to make amends for that,
+I will put on my gold-flowered manteau, and my
+diamond stomacher, which is far from being
+the most ordinary one in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They sent for the best tire-woman they could
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>
+get to dress their hair and to adjust their double
+pinners.</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella was likewise called up to them to be
+consulted in all these matters, for she had excellent
+notions, and advised them always for the
+best, nay, and offered her services to dress their
+heads, which they were very willing she should
+do. As she was doing this, they said to her:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Cinderella, would you not be glad to go to the
+ball?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;you only jeer at me; it is
+not for such as I am to go thither.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thou art in the right of it,&rdquo; replied they; &ldquo;it
+would make the people laugh to see a Cinderwench
+at a ball.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Anyone but Cinderella would have dressed their
+heads awry, but she was very good, and did them
+perfectly well. They were almost two days without
+eating, so much they were transported with
+joy. They broke above a dozen of laces in trying
+to be laced up close, that they might have a
+fine slender shape, and they were continually at
+their looking-glasses. At last the happy day came;
+they went to Court, and Cinderella followed them
+with her eyes as long as she could, and when she
+had lost sight of them, she fell a-crying.</p>
+
+<p>Her godmother, who saw her all in tears, asked
+her what was the matter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wish I could&mdash;I wish I could&mdash;&rdquo; she was
+not able to speak the rest, being interrupted by
+her tears and sobbing.</p>
+
+<p>This godmother of hers, who was a fairy, said
+to her, &ldquo;Thou wishest thou couldst go to the ball;
+is it not so?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Y&mdash;es,&rdquo; cried Cinderella, with a great sigh.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said her godmother, &ldquo;be but a good
+girl, and I will contrive that thou shalt go.&rdquo; Then
+she took her into her chamber, and said to her,
+&ldquo;Run into the garden, and bring me a pumpkin.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella went immediately to gather the
+finest she could get, and brought it to her godmother,
+not being able to imagine how this pumpkin
+could make her go to the ball. Her godmother
+scooped out all the inside of it, having
+left nothing but the rind; which done, she struck
+it with her wand, and the pumpkin was instantly
+turned into a fine coach, gilded all over with
+gold.</p>
+
+<p>She then went to look into the mouse-trap,
+where she found six mice, all alive, and ordered
+Cinderella to lift up a little the trap-door, when,
+giving each mouse, as it went out, a little tap
+with her wand, the mouse was that moment
+turned into a fine horse, which altogether made
+a very fine set of six horses of a beautiful mouse-colored
+dapple-gray. Being at a loss for a coachman,</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will go and see,&rdquo; says Cinderella, &ldquo;if there
+should be a rat in the rat-trap&mdash;we may make a
+coachman of him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thou art in the right,&rdquo; replied her godmother;
+&ldquo;go and look.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella brought the trap to her and in it
+there were three huge rats. The fairy made
+choice of one of the three which had the largest
+beard, and, having touched him with her wand,
+he was turned into a fat, jolly coachman, who
+had the smartest whiskers eyes ever beheld.
+After that, she said to her:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go again into the garden, and you will find
+six lizards behind the watering-pot, bring them
+to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She had no sooner done so than her godmother
+turned them into six footmen, who skipped up
+immediately behind the coach, with their liveries
+all bedaubed with gold and silver, and clung as
+close behind each other as if they had done nothing
+else their whole lives. The Fairy then said
+to Cinderella:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you see here an equipage fit to go to
+the ball with; are you not pleased with it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! yes,&rdquo; cried she; &ldquo;but must I go thither
+as I am, in these nasty rags?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Her godmother only just touched her with her
+wand, and, at the same instant, her clothes were
+turned into cloth of gold and silver, all beset
+with jewels. This done, she gave her a pair
+of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole world.
+Being thus decked out, she got up into her coach;
+but her godmother, above all things, commanded
+her not to stay till after midnight, telling her,
+at the same time, that if she stayed one moment
+longer, the coach would be a pumpkin again, her
+horses mice, her coachman a rat, her footmen
+lizards, and her clothes become just as they were
+before.</p>
+
+<p>She promised her godmother she would not
+fail of leaving the ball before midnight; and then
+away she drove, scarce able to contain herself
+for joy. The King&#8217;s son, who was told that a
+great princess, whom nobody knew, was come,
+ran out to receive her; he gave her his hand as she
+alighted out of the coach, and led her into the
+hall, among all the company. There was immediately
+a profound silence, they left off dancing
+and the violins ceased to play, so attentive
+was everyone to contemplate the singular beauties
+of the unknown new-comer. Nothing was
+then heard but a confused noise of:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! how handsome she is! Ah! how handsome
+she is!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King himself, old as he was, could not
+help watching her, and telling the Queen softly
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>
+that it was a long time since he had seen so
+beautiful and lovely a creature.</p>
+
+<p>All the ladies were busied in considering her
+clothes and head-dress, that they might have
+some made next day after the same pattern,
+provided they could meet with such fine materials
+and as able hands to make them.</p>
+
+<p>The King&#8217;s son conducted her to the most
+honorable seat, and afterward took her out to
+dance with him; she danced so very gracefully
+that they all more and more admired her. A fine
+collation was served up, whereof the young Prince
+ate not a morsel, so intently was he busied in
+gazing on her.</p>
+
+<p>She went and sat down by her sisters, showing
+them a thousand civilities, giving them part
+of the oranges and citrons which the Prince had
+presented her with, which very much surprised
+them, for they did not know her. While Cinderella
+was thus amusing her sisters, she heard
+the clock strike eleven and three-quarters, whereupon
+she immediately made a courtesy to the
+company and hastened away as fast as she could.</p>
+
+<p>Arrived at home, she ran to seek out her godmother,
+and, after having thanked her, she said
+she could not but heartily wish she might go next
+day to the ball, because the King&#8217;s son had
+desired her.</p>
+
+<p>As she was eagerly telling her godmother
+whatever had passed at the ball, her two sisters
+knocked at the door, which Cinderella ran and
+opened.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How long you have stayed!&rdquo; cried she, gaping,
+rubbing her eyes and stretching herself as
+if she had been just waked out of her sleep;
+she had not, however, any manner of inclination
+to sleep since they went from home.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If thou hadst been at the ball,&rdquo; says one of
+her sisters, &ldquo;thou wouldst not have been tired
+with it. There came thither the finest princess,
+the most beautiful ever seen with mortal eyes;
+she showed us a thousand civilities, and gave
+us oranges and citrons.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella seemed very indifferent in the matter.
+She did ask them the name of that princess;
+but they told her they did not know it, and that
+the King&#8217;s son was very uneasy on her account
+and would give all the world to know who she
+was. At this Cinderella, smiling, replied:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She must, then, be very beautiful indeed; how
+happy you have been! Could not I see her? Ah!
+dear Miss Charlotte, do lend me your yellow
+suit of clothes which you wear every day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ay, to be sure!&rdquo; cried Miss Charlotte; &ldquo;lend
+my clothes to such a dirty Cinderwench as thou
+art! I should be a fool.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella, indeed, expected well such an answer,
+and was very glad of the refusal; for she
+would have been sadly put to it if her sister had
+lent her what she asked for jestingly.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the two sisters were at the ball,
+and so was Cinderella, but dressed more magnificently
+than before. The King&#8217;s son was always
+by her, and never ceased his compliments and
+kind speeches to her. All this was so far from
+being tiresome that she quite forgot what her
+godmother had recommended to her; so that she,
+at last, counted the clock striking twelve when
+she took it to be no more than eleven. She then
+rose up and fled, as nimble as a deer. The Prince
+followed, but could not overtake her. She left
+behind one of her glass slippers, which the Prince
+took up most carefully. She got home, but quite
+out of breath, and in her nasty old clothes, having
+nothing left her of all her finery but one of the
+little slippers, fellow to that she dropped.</p>
+
+<p>The guards at the palace gate were asked if
+they had not seen a princess go out. To this they
+replied that they had seen nobody go out but a
+young girl, very meanly dressed, and who had
+more the air of a poor country wench than a
+gentlewoman.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 247px;">
+<img src="images/img22.jpg" width="247" height="330" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>When the two sisters returned from the ball
+Cinderella asked them whether they had had a
+good time, and if the fine lady had been there.</p>
+
+<p>They told her: &ldquo;Yes, but she hurried away
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>
+immediately when it struck twelve, and with so
+much haste that she dropped one of her little
+glass slippers, the prettiest in the world, which
+the King&#8217;s son picked up; he did nothing but
+look at her all the time at the ball, and most
+certainly he is very much in love with the beautiful
+person who owned the glass slipper.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>What they said was very true; for a few days
+after the King&#8217;s son caused it to be proclaimed,
+by sound of trumpet, that he would marry her
+whose foot this slipper would just fit. They
+whom he employed began to try it upon the
+princesses, then the duchesses and all the Court,
+but in vain; it was brought to the two sisters,
+who did all they possibly could to thrust their
+foot into the slipper, but they could not effect it.
+Cinderella, who saw all this, and knew her slipper,
+said to them, laughing:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me see if it will not fit me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Her sisters burst out a-laughing, and began
+to banter her. The gentleman who was sent to
+try the slipper looked earnestly at Cinderella, and,
+finding her very handsome, said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is but just that she should try, and I have
+orders to let everyone make trial.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He obliged Cinderella to sit down, and, putting
+the slipper to her foot, he found it went on very
+easily, and fitted her as if it had been made of
+wax. The astonishment her two sisters were in
+was excessively great, but still abundantly greater
+when Cinderella pulled out of her pocket the
+other slipper, and put it on her foot. Thereupon,
+in came her godmother, who, having touched
+with her wand Cinderella&#8217;s clothes, made them
+richer and more magnificent than any of those
+she had before.</p>
+
+<p>And now her two sisters found her to be that
+fine, beautiful lady whom they had seen at the
+ball. They threw themselves at her feet to beg
+pardon for all the ill-treatment they had made
+her undergo. Cinderella took them up, and, as
+she embraced them, cried:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I forgive you with all my heart, and I want
+you to love me always.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She was conducted to the young Prince, dressed
+as she was; he thought her more charming than
+ever, and, a few days after, married her. Cinderella,
+who was no less good than beautiful,
+gave her two sisters lodgings in the palace, and
+that very same day matched them with two great
+lords of the Court.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SLEEPING" id="SLEEPING"></a>THE SLEEPING BEAUTY</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>The King and Queen of a faraway country
+once had a little daughter, who was more beautiful
+than any child that had ever before been
+seen. Her father and mother were so delighted
+that they proclaimed a public holiday on her
+christening, and invited to act as godmothers the
+seven good fairies who lived in the kingdom.
+Unfortunately, they forgot to ask one ugly old
+fairy, who had remained shut up in her tower so
+many years that people really had forgotten about
+her.</p>
+
+<p>When the night of the christening arrived the
+castle was beautiful to behold. Lights shone
+even to the highest tower; beautiful music sounded
+from behind masses of fragrant flowers;
+splendidly dressed knights and ladies were there
+to honor the little Princess; and the seven good
+fairies smilingly gave her their gifts.</p>
+
+<p>So excited and happy were all that no one
+noticed an old creature who had slipped in and
+stood in the shadow looking on. This was the
+fairy who had not been invited; and, in anger at
+the slight, she was waiting her chance to make
+trouble.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;For my gift,&rdquo; said the first fairy, &ldquo;I grant
+that the Princess shall be the most beautiful
+person in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I give her the mind of an angel,&rdquo; said the
+second.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She shall be grace itself,&rdquo; said the third.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She shall dance like a goddess,&rdquo; said the
+fourth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Her voice shall equal the nightingale&#8217;s,&rdquo; said
+the fifth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The art of playing on all musical instruments
+shall be hers,&rdquo; said the sixth.</p>
+
+<p>Now the wicked old enchantress thought that
+all seven good fairies had spoken, so she stepped
+forth, her face distorted with hatred and envy,
+and said: &ldquo;So I am not thought good enough
+to be a guest here: you despise me because I
+am old and ugly. I shall make a gift, and it
+shall be a curse. When your fine young lady
+becomes sixteen she shall fall asleep, and nothing
+you can do will be able to waken her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then with a horrid laugh the hag disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Horror seized the guests, and the party, which
+had been so gay, became solemn indeed.</p>
+
+<p>Then the seventh good fairy sprang up and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>
+said in silvery tones: &ldquo;My gift is yet to be laid
+before the Princess. I am young, and I can not
+undo the evil that has befallen. But be not unhappy,
+for I grant that on the day when the
+curse falls, every living thing in the castle shall
+also fall asleep. Moreover, I grant that whenever
+there is a Prince who is brave enough to
+be worthy of this lovely Princess, he shall find
+a way to break the spell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As the little girl grew older the words of the
+good fairies came true. Not only was she beautiful
+and gifted, but she was so kind and thoughtful
+that everyone loved her dearly.</p>
+
+<p>At first they were very careful to tell her
+nothing of the wicked fairy&#8217;s curse, and then there
+were so many other things to think about that
+people forgot all about the old fairy and her gift.</p>
+
+<p>The sixteenth birthday arrived, and there was
+a very special celebration to please the Princess.
+The castle was decorated more beautifully, if possible,
+than on the night of the christening, and
+everyone was dancing or laughing and as happy
+as could be. Suddenly the old fairy stepped out
+from a shadow, as she had done years before,
+and looking at the beautiful girl said, &ldquo;Sleep.&rdquo;
+Immediately not one sound or stir was in that
+gorgeous castle.</p>
+
+<p>Now, you must forget for a bit all about the
+Sleeping Beauty, and hear about a noble Prince
+who was born many years later in a kingdom
+not far from this one. Not only was this Prince
+handsome and brave, but he was so kind and
+good that people called him &ldquo;Prince Winsome.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All his life he had heard terrible stories about
+an enchanted castle, whose towers could be seen
+on a clear day far off above a dense forest. It
+was said that the trees grew so close together in
+this forest that when a knight attempted to force
+his way through, he always became entangled
+in the branches and perished. Many young men
+were said to have met this fate; so little by little
+people stopped trying to reach the castle.</p>
+
+<p>But the little Prince was courageous. &ldquo;When
+I am sixteen, I shall start out for the magic
+forest and rescue the beautiful maiden, whom,
+I am sure, I shall find in the castle,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img24.jpg" width="500" height="441" alt="image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">jakob and wilhelm grimm</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>True to his word, on his sixteenth birthday our
+Prince set off eagerly on his adventure. His courtiers
+urged him not to go, and his subjects pleaded
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>
+with him, for they did not wish to lose their
+Prince. They were afraid he would die in the
+forest they so dreaded. They did not realize how
+difficulties and dangers give way before a brave,
+true-hearted youth.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 452px;">
+<img src="images/img25.jpg" width="452" height="450" alt="image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the sleeping beauty<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a drawing by edith w. yaffee</span></span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>When Prince Winsome reached the edge of the
+dense forest it looked as if no man could ever
+enter. Great trees grew close together with their
+branches intertwined. So thick were they that
+the place looked as dark as night. When Winsome
+came near, a marvelous thing happened.
+The branches slowly untwined and the trees
+seemed to bend apart and make a narrow pathway
+for his entrance. They closed immediately
+after him, so that his followers were closed out
+and he went on alone. After a long time he
+found himself in the courtyard of a great
+castle. There was not a sound or a stir; the
+watchman stood sleeping at the gate, and the
+guards were standing as if playing a game of dice,
+but all were sound asleep.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Winsome entered the castle hall and
+found it full of noble ladies and knights, servants,
+waiting maids, flower girls, all motionless and yet
+the flush of life on their cheeks. The dancers
+seemed about to whirl away in the waltz; the musicians
+bent over their violins; and a servant was
+in the act of passing cakes to the guests&mdash;yet they
+all held the same fixed position, and had since that
+day years before when sleep overcame them.</p>
+
+<p>Advancing from room to room the same sight
+everywhere met our hero&#8217;s eyes, but his heart began
+to beat faster and faster, and he knew that
+the object of his search was near. At last he
+entered the throne room and there on an ivory
+throne, her head resting against a satin pillow,
+was his longed-for Princess. She was so much
+more beautiful than he had even imagined that he
+paused in rapture; then, crossing to her, he knelt
+by her side and kissed her tenderly on the brow.</p>
+
+<p>Then what do you think happened? The Princess
+smiled, drew a long breath, opened her eyes
+slowly, and said: &ldquo;Oh, my Prince! I knew you
+would come.&rdquo; At the same moment the musicians
+went on just where they had stopped playing so
+many years before; the dancers finished their
+waltz; the servant offered the cakes; and no one
+but the Prince seemed to think the proceeding
+strange at all.</p>
+
+<p>The Sleeping Beauty and Prince Winsome were
+married at once, and lived long and happily.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BEAUTY" id="BEAUTY"></a>BEAUTY AND THE BEAST</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once a merchant who was extremely
+rich. He had six children&mdash;three boys and three
+girls; and as he was a very sensible man, he
+spared nothing on their education, but gave them
+all kinds of masters. His daughters were beautiful,
+but the youngest had such a peculiar charm
+about her that even from her birth she had been
+called Beauty; and this name caused her sisters to
+feel jealous and envious of her. The reason she
+was so much more admired than they were, was
+that she was much more amiable. Her sweet face
+beamed with good temper and cheerfulness. No
+frown ever spoiled her fair brow, or bowed the
+corners of her mouth. She possessed the charm
+of good temper, which is in itself beauty.</p>
+
+<p>The merchant&#8217;s elder daughters were idle, ill-tempered,
+and proud; therefore people soon forgot
+that they were beautiful, and only remembered
+them as very disagreeable.</p>
+
+<p>The pride of these young ladies was so great
+that they did not care to visit the daughters of
+men in their father&#8217;s own rank of life, but wished
+to be the friends of great ladies and princesses.</p>
+
+<p>They were always busy trying to get great
+acquaintances, and met with many mortifications
+in the effort; however, it pleased them to go out
+and endeavor to be people of fashion. Every day
+they drove in the parks, and went in the evening
+to balls, operas, and plays.</p>
+
+<p>Meantime, Beauty spent almost all her days
+in studying. Her recreation was to do good. She
+was to be found in every poor cottage where there
+was trouble or sickness, and the poor loved her
+as much as the rich admired her. As it was
+known that their father was very rich, many merchants
+asked the girls in marriage; but all these
+offers were refused, because the two eldest thought
+they ought at least to be wives of a rich nobleman
+or a prince.</p>
+
+<p>As for Beauty, she thanked those who asked
+her to share their fortunes, but told them that
+she was too young; that she wished to be her
+father&#8217;s companion, and cheer his old age by her
+loving care.</p>
+
+<p>One unhappy day the merchant returned home
+in the evening, and told them that he was ruined;
+that his ships had gone down at sea, and that the
+firms with which he had been dealing were bankrupt.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty wept for grief, because her father was
+unhappy and unfortunate, and asked him what
+was to be done.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! my child,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;we must give up
+our house, and go into the country. There I can
+get a cottage to shelter us; and we must live by
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>
+the work of our own hands.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said Beauty eagerly, &ldquo;I can spin and
+knit, and sew very well. I dare say I shall be
+able to help you, my dear father.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the elder daughters did not speak. They
+had made up their minds to marry one or the
+other of their rejected lovers, and did not intend
+to share their father&#8217;s fallen fortunes.</p>
+
+<p>They found themselves, however, greatly mistaken.
+The merchants who had wished to marry
+them when rich cared nothing for them when
+poor, and never came to see them again. But
+those who had loved Beauty crowded to the house,
+and begged and besought her to marry them and
+share their fortunes. Beauty was grateful, but
+she told them that she could not leave her father
+in his sorrow; she must go with him to console
+him and work for him. The poor girl was very
+sorry to lose her fortune, because she could not
+do so much good without it; but she knew that
+her place was ordered for her, and that she might
+be quite as happy poor as rich.</p>
+
+<p>Very soon the merchant&#8217;s family had to leave
+their noble mansion, to sell off all their costly
+furniture, and to go into the country, where the
+father and his sons got work; the former as
+a bailiff, the latter as farm laborers. And now
+Beauty had to think and work for all.</p>
+
+<p>She rose at four o&#8217;clock every morning. She
+cleaned the house; prepared the breakfast; spread
+it neatly, and decked the board with the sweetest
+flowers. Then she cooked the dinner, and when
+evening came and brought the laborers home,
+Beauty had always a cheerful welcome for them,
+a clean home, and a savory supper. During the
+hours of the afternoon she used to read and keep
+up her knowledge of languages; and all the time
+she worked she sang like a bird. Her taste made
+their poor home look nice, even elegant.</p>
+
+<p>She was happy in doing her duty. Her early
+rising revealed to her a thousand beauties in nature
+of which she had never before dreamed.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty acknowledged to herself that sunrise
+was finer than any picture she had ever seen;
+that no perfumes equalled those of the flowers;
+that no opera gave her so much enjoyment as the
+song of the lark and the serenade of the nightingale.</p>
+
+<p>Her sleep was as happy and peaceful as that
+of a child; her awakening, cheerful, contented,
+and blest by heaven.</p>
+
+<p>Meantime her sisters grew peevish, cross, and
+miserable. They would not work, and as they
+had nothing else to amuse them, the days dragged
+along, and seemed as if they would never end.
+They did nothing but regret the past and bewail
+the present. As they had no one to admire them,
+they did not care how they looked, and were as
+dirty and neglected in appearance as Beauty was
+neat and fresh and charming.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps they had some consciousness of the
+contrast between her and themselves, for they disliked
+the poor girl more than ever, and were always
+mocking her, and jesting about her wonderful
+fitness for being a servant.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is quite plain,&rdquo; they would say, &ldquo;that you
+are just where you ought to be: We are ladies;
+but you are a low-minded girl, who have found
+your right place in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Beauty only answered her sisters&#8217; unkind words
+with soft and tender ones, so there was no quarrelling,
+and by-and-by they became ashamed to
+speak to her harshly.</p>
+
+<p>At the expiration of a year the merchant received
+intelligence of the arrival of one of his
+richest ships, which had escaped the storm. He
+prepared to set off to a distant port to claim his
+property; but before he went he asked each daughter
+what gift he should bring back for her. The
+eldest wished for pearls; the second for diamonds;
+but the third said, &ldquo;Dear father, bring me a white
+rose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now it is no easy task to find a white rose in
+that country, yet, as Beauty was his kindest
+daughter, and was very fond of flowers, her
+father said he would try what he could do. So
+he kissed all three, and bade them good-by. And
+when the time came for him to go home, he had
+bought pearls and jewels for the two eldest, but
+he had sought everywhere in vain for the white
+rose; and when he went into any garden and asked
+for such a thing, the people laughed at him, and
+asked him who had ever heard of a white rose.
+This grieved him very much, for his third daughter
+was his dearest child; and as he was journeying
+home, thinking what he should bring her, he
+lost his way in a wood. The night was closing
+in, and as the merchant was aware that there
+were many bears in that country, he became very
+anxious to find a shelter for the night.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by he perceived afar off a light, which
+appeared to come from a human dwelling, and he
+urged on his tired horse till he gained the spot.
+Instead of the woodman&#8217;s hut on a hill which he
+had expected to see, he found himself in front of
+a magnificent castle, built of white marble. Approaching
+the door, he blew a golden horn which
+hung from a chain by the side of it, and as the
+blast echoed through the wood, the door slowly
+unclosed, and revealed to him a wide and noble
+hall, illuminated by myriads of golden lamps.</p>
+
+<p>He looked to see who had admitted him, but
+perceiving no one, he said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sir porter, a weary traveler craves shelter for
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>
+the night.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>To his amazement, two hands, without any body,
+moved from behind the door, and taking
+hold of his arm drew him gently into the hall.</p>
+
+<p>He perceived that he was in a fairy palace, and
+putting his own hands in a friendly pressure on
+one of the ghostly hands, said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are very kind, but I cannot leave my horse
+out in the cold.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The hand beckoned, and another pair of shadowy
+hands crossed the hall, and went outside and
+led away the horse to the stable.</p>
+
+<p>Then the merchant&#8217;s first friends led him gently
+onwards till he stood in a large and splendid dining-room,
+where a costly banquet was spread,
+evidently intended for him, for the hands placed
+a chair for him and handed him the dishes, and
+poured out a refreshing drink for him, and waited
+on him while he supped.</p>
+
+<p>When his repast was over, they touched him,
+and beckoned to him; and following them, he
+found himself in a bedroom furnished with great
+elegance; the curtains were made of butterflies&#8217;
+wings sewn together.</p>
+
+<p>The hands undressed the stranger, prepared him
+a bath of rose-water, lifted him into bed and put
+out the light.</p>
+
+<p>Then the merchant fell asleep. He did not
+awake till late the next morning. The sun was
+streaming in through the beautiful window-curtains,
+and the birds were uttering their shrill cries
+in the woods. In that country a singing bird is
+as rare as a white rose.</p>
+
+<p>As he sprang out of bed some bells rang a
+silvery chime, and he perceived that he had shaken
+them by his own movements, for they were attached
+to the golden bed-rail, and tinkled as he
+shook it.</p>
+
+<p>At the sound the bedroom door opened, and the
+hands entered bearing a costly suit of clothes, all
+embroidered with gold and jewels. Again they
+prepared a bath of rose-water, and attended on
+and dressed the merchant. And when his toilette
+was completed, they led him out of his room and
+downstairs to a pretty little room, where breakfast
+awaited him.</p>
+
+<p>When he had quite finished eating he thought
+that it was time to resume his journey; therefore,
+laying a costly diamond ring on the table, he said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kind fairy, whoever you may be to whom I
+owe this hospitality, accept my thanks and this
+small token of my gratitude.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The hands took the gift up, and the merchant
+therefore considered that it was accepted. Then
+he left the castle and proceeded to the stables to
+find and saddle his horse.</p>
+
+<p>The path led through a most enchanting garden
+full of the fairest flowers, and as the merchant
+proceeded, he paused occasionally to glance at the
+wonderful plants and choice flowers around him.
+Suddenly his eyes rested on a white rose-tree,
+which was quite weighed down by its wealth of
+blossoms.</p>
+
+<p>He remembered his promise to his youngest
+daughter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; he thought, &ldquo;at last I have found a <em>white</em>
+rose. The fairy who has been so generous to me
+already will not grudge me a single flower from
+amongst so many.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And bending down, he gathered a white rose.</p>
+
+<p>At that moment he was startled by a loud and
+terrific roar, and a fierce lion sprang on him and
+exclaimed in tones of thunder:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Whoever dares to steal my roses shall be eaten
+up alive.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the merchant said: &ldquo;I knew not that the
+garden belonged to you; I plucked only a rose as
+a present for my daughter; can nothing save my
+life?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No!&rdquo; said the Lion, &ldquo;nothing, unless you undertake
+to come back in a month, and bring me
+whatever meets you first on your return home.
+If you agree to this, I will give you your life;
+and the rose, too, for your daughter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the man was unwilling to do so, and said,
+&ldquo;It may be my youngest daughter, who loves me
+most, and always runs to meet me when I go
+home.&rdquo; But then he thought again, &ldquo;It may, perhaps,
+be only a cat or a dog.&rdquo; And at last he
+yielded with a heavy heart, and took the rose,
+and said he would give the Lion whatever should
+meet him first on his return.</p>
+
+<p>As he came near home, it was his youngest
+and dearest daughter that met him; she came running
+out and kissed him, and welcomed him home;
+and when she saw that he had brought her the
+rose, she was still more glad.</p>
+
+<p>But her father began to be very sorrowful, and
+to weep, saying, &ldquo;Alas! my dearest child! I have
+bought this flower at a high price, for I have
+said I would give you to a wild lion, and when
+he has you, he will, perhaps, tear you in pieces
+and eat you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he told her all that had happened, and
+said she should not go, let what would come of it.</p>
+
+<p>But she comforted him, and said, &ldquo;Dear father,
+the word you have given must be kept; I will go
+with you to the Lion and coax him; perhaps he
+will let us both return safe home again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The time now arrived for the merchant to return
+to the Lion&#8217;s palace, and he made preparations
+for his dreadful journey. Beauty had so
+fully made up her mind to accompany him, that
+nothing could turn her from her purpose. Her
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>
+father, seeing this, determined to take her, and
+they accordingly set out on their journey. The
+horses galloped swiftly across the forest, and
+speedily reached the palace. As they entered they
+were greeted with the most enchanting music; but
+no living creature was to be seen. On entering
+the salon, the furniture of which was of the most
+costly kind, they found a rich repast prepared for
+them, consisting of every delicacy. Beauty&#8217;s heart
+failed her, for she feared something strange would
+soon happen. They, however, sat down, and partook
+freely of the various delicacies. As soon as
+they had finished, the table was cleared by the
+hands. Shortly afterward there was a knock at
+the door.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Enter,&rdquo; replied the merchant; and immediately
+the door flew open, and the same monster that
+had seized the merchant entered the room.</p>
+
+<p>The sight of his form terrified both the merchant
+and his daughter; as for Beauty, she almost
+fainted with fright.</p>
+
+<p>But the Lion, having a handsome mantle thrown
+over him, advanced toward them, and seating
+himself opposite Beauty, said: &ldquo;Well, merchant,
+I admire your fidelity in keeping your promise;
+is this the daughter for whom you gathered the
+rose?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied the merchant; &ldquo;so great is my
+daughter&#8217;s love to me that she met me first on my
+return home, and she is now come here in fulfillment
+of my promise.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She shall have no reason to repent it,&rdquo; said
+the Lion, &ldquo;for everything in this palace shall be
+at her command. As for yourself, you must depart
+on the morrow, and leave Beauty with me.
+I will take care that no harm shall happen to her.
+You will find an apartment prepared for her.&rdquo;
+Having said this, he arose, wished them good-night,
+and departed.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Beauty heard all that passed, and she
+trembled from head to foot with fear. As the
+night was far advanced the merchant led Beauty
+to the apartment prepared for her, and she retired
+to rest. This room was furnished in the richest
+manner. The chairs and sofas were magnificently
+adorned with jewels. The hangings were of the
+finest silk and gold, and on all sides were mirrors
+reaching from the floor to the ceiling; it contained,
+in fact, everything that was rich and splendid.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty and her father slept soundly, notwithstanding
+their sorrow at the thought of so soon
+parting. In the morning they met in the salon,
+where a handsome breakfast was ready prepared,
+of which they partook. When they had concluded,
+the merchant prepared for his departure; but
+Beauty threw herself on his neck and wept. He
+also wept at the thought of leaving her in this
+forlorn state, but he could not delay his return
+forever, so at length he rushed into the courtyard,
+mounted his horse, and soon disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Beauty, now left to herself, resolved to
+be as happy as she could. She amused herself by
+walking in the gardens and gathering the white
+roses, and when tired of that she read and played
+on the harp which she found in her room. On
+her dressing-table she found these lines, which
+greatly comforted her:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Welcome, Beauty! dry your tears,</span><br />
+ Banish all your sighs and fears;<br />
+ You are queen and mistress here,<br />
+ Whate&#8217;er you ask for shall appear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After amusing herself thus for some time she
+returned to the salon, where she found dinner
+ready prepared. The most delightful music was
+played during the whole of dinner. When Beauty
+had finished, the table was cleared, and the most
+delicious fruits were produced. At the same hour
+as on the preceding day the Lion rapped at the
+door, and asked permission to enter. Beauty was
+terrified, and with a trembling voice she said:
+&ldquo;Come in.&rdquo; He then entered, and advancing toward
+Beauty, who dared not look up, he said:
+&ldquo;Will you permit me to sit with you?&rdquo; &ldquo;That is
+as you please,&rdquo; replied she. &ldquo;Not so,&rdquo; said the
+Lion, &ldquo;for you are mistress here; and if my company
+is disagreeable I will at once retire.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Beauty, struck with the courtesy of the Lion,
+and with the friendly tone of his voice, began to
+feel more courageous; and she desired him to be
+seated. He then entered into the most agreeable
+conversation, which so charmed Beauty that she
+ventured to look up; but when she saw his terrible
+face she could scarcely avoid screaming aloud.
+The Lion, seeing this, got up, and making a respectful
+bow, wished her good-night. Soon after,
+Beauty herself retired to rest.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day she amused herself as
+before, and began to feel more reconciled to her
+condition; for she had everything at her command
+which could promote her happiness. As evening
+approached she anticipated the visit of the Lion;
+for, notwithstanding his terrible looks, his conversation
+and manners were very pleasing. He
+continued to visit her every day, till at length she
+began to think he was not so terrible as she once
+thought him. One day when they were seated together
+the Lion took hold of her hand, and said
+in a gentle voice: &ldquo;Beauty, will you marry me?&rdquo;
+She hastily withdrew her hand, but made no reply;
+at which the Lion sighed deeply and withdrew.
+On his next visit he appeared sorrowful and dejected,
+but said nothing. Some weeks after he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>
+repeated the question, when Beauty replied: &ldquo;No,
+Lion, I cannot marry you, but I will do all in my
+power to make you happy.&rdquo; &ldquo;This you cannot
+do,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;for unless you marry me I shall
+die.&rdquo; &ldquo;Oh, say not so,&rdquo; said Beauty, &ldquo;for it is
+impossible that I can ever marry you.&rdquo; The Lion
+then departed, more unhappy than ever.</p>
+
+<p>Amidst all this, Beauty did not forget her father.
+One day she felt a strong desire to know how he
+was, and what he was doing; at that instant she
+cast her eyes on a mirror and saw her father
+lying on a sick-bed, in the greatest pain, whilst
+her sisters were trying on some fine dresses in
+another room. At this sad sight poor Beauty
+wept bitterly.</p>
+
+<p>When the Lion came as usual he perceived her
+sorrow, and inquired the cause. She told him
+what she had seen, and how much she wished to
+go and nurse her father. He asked her if she
+would promise to return at a certain time if she
+went. Beauty gave him her promise, and he immediately
+presented her with a rose, like that
+which her father had plucked, saying: &ldquo;Take
+this rose, and you may be transported to whatever
+place you choose; but, remember, I rely
+on your promise to return.&rdquo; He then withdrew.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty felt very grateful for his kindness. She
+wished herself in her father&#8217;s cottage, and immediately
+she was at the door.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img031.jpg" width="500" height="392" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="sub1" style="margin-left: 19em;">Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art</span><br />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;listening to fairy tales&rdquo;</span><br />
+<span class="caption" style="font-size: smaller;">from a painting by j. j. shannon</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Full of joy, she entered the house, ran to her
+father&#8217;s room, and fell on her knees by his bedside
+and kissed him. His illness had been much increased
+by fretting for poor Beauty, who he
+thought had long since died, either from fear or
+by the cruel monster. He was overcome with
+joy on finding her still alive. He now soon began
+to recover under the affectionate nursing of Beauty.
+The two sisters were very much annoyed
+at Beauty&#8217;s return, for they had hoped that the
+Lion would have destroyed her. They were
+greatly annoyed to see her so superbly dressed,
+and felt extremely vexed to think that Beauty
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>
+should have clothes as splendid as a queen&#8217;s,
+whilst they could not get anything half so fine.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty related all that had passed in the Beast&#8217;s
+palace, and told them of her promise to return
+on such a day. The two sisters were so very
+jealous that they determined to ruin her prospects
+if possible. The eldest said to the other: &ldquo;Why
+should this minx be better off than we are? Let
+us try to keep her here beyond the time; the
+monster will then be so enraged with her for
+breaking her promise, that he will destroy her at
+once when she returns.&rdquo; &ldquo;That is well thought
+of,&rdquo; replied the sister. &ldquo;We will keep her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In order to succeed, they treated Beauty with
+the greatest affection, and the day before her
+intended departure they stole the rose which she
+had told them was the means of conveying her
+in an instant wherever she might wish. Beauty
+was so much affected by their kindness that she
+was easily persuaded to remain a few days. In
+the meantime the envious sisters thought of enriching
+themselves by means of the rose, and they
+accordingly wished themselves in some grand
+place. Instead of being carried away as they
+expected, the rose withered, and they heard a
+most terrible noise, which so alarmed them that
+they threw down the flower and hid themselves.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty was greatly troubled at the loss of her
+rose, and sought everywhere for it, but in vain.
+She happened, however, to enter her sisters&#8217; room,
+and, to her great joy, saw it lying withered on
+the floor; but as soon as she picked it up, it at
+once recovered all its freshness and beauty. She
+then remembered her broken promise, and, after
+taking leave of her father, she wished herself in
+the Beast&#8217;s palace, and in an instant she was
+transported thither. Everything was just as she
+had left it; but the sweet sounds of music which
+used to greet her were now hushed, and there was
+an air of apparent gloom hanging over everything.
+She herself felt very melancholy, but
+she knew not why.</p>
+
+<p>At the usual time she expected a visit from
+the Lion, but no Lion appeared. Beauty, wondering
+what all this could mean, now reproached
+herself for her ingratitude in not having returned
+as she promised. She feared the poor Beast
+had died of grief, and she thought that she could
+have married him rather than suffer him to die.
+She resolved to seek him in the morning in every
+part of the palace. After a miserable and sleepless
+night, she arose early and ran through every
+apartment, but no Lion could be seen. With a
+sorrowful heart she went into the garden, saying,
+&ldquo;Oh that I had married the poor Lion who has
+been so kind to me; for, terrible though he is,
+I might have saved his life. I wish I could once
+more see him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At that moment she arrived at a plot of grass
+where the poor Lion lay as if dead. Beauty ran
+toward him, and knelt by his side, and seized
+his paw.</p>
+
+<p>He opened his eyes and said: &ldquo;Beauty, you
+forgot your promise, in consequence of which I
+must die.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, dear Lion,&rdquo; exclaimed Beauty, weeping,
+&ldquo;no, you shall not die. What can I do to save
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you marry me?&rdquo; asked he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Beauty, &ldquo;to save your life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had these words passed her lips than
+the lion-form disappeared, and she saw at her feet
+a handsome Prince, who thanked her for having
+broken his enchantment. He told her that a
+wicked magician had condemned him to wear the
+form of a lion until a beautiful lady should consent
+to marry him; a kind fairy had, however,
+given him the magic rose to help him.</p>
+
+<p>At the same instant that the Prince was changed
+the whole palace became full of courtiers, all of
+whom had been rendered invisible when the
+Prince was enchanted.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince now led Beauty into the palace,
+where she found her father. The Prince related
+all to him, and asked him to allow Beauty to
+become his wife, to which he cheerfully assented,
+and the nuptials were solemnized with great rejoicing.</p>
+
+<p>The good fairy appeared to congratulate the
+Prince on his deliverance and on his marriage
+with Beauty. As for the two sisters, she punished
+them severely for their jealous and unkind behavior.
+But the Prince and his wife Beauty
+lived happily together in the royal palace for
+many, many years.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="DARLING" id="DARLING"></a>PRINCE DARLING</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a young Prince
+who was so well liked by everyone in the kingdom
+where he lived that they named him Prince
+Darling.</p>
+
+<p>This boy&#8217;s father, the King, was a very good
+man, and his subjects loved and respected him
+for his justness and kindness. The King loved
+his son greatly, and he loved his subjects, too.
+He was very anxious to have his son grow up to
+be a splendid man, and a just ruler for his
+people. The King was no longer young, and he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>
+knew that it would not be many years before
+his son would be left without a father&#8217;s advice.
+He knew, too, that the boy would succeed to the
+throne, and would have to see that everyone in
+the kingdom was treated justly and kindly.</p>
+
+<p>One day a strange thing happened. The King
+was out hunting, when suddenly a little white
+rabbit leaped into his arms. The rabbit seemed
+to think that in the King&#8217;s arms it would find
+protection from the dogs that were chasing it,
+and had nearly run it down. And the rabbit was
+right; for the King stroked the trembling creature
+gently, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The dogs shan&#8217;t get you now, poor bunny!&rdquo;
+Then the King took the rabbit home, and saw that
+the best care was given it.</p>
+
+<p>That night, after everyone else had gone to
+bed, the King sat alone thinking about Prince
+Darling. Suddenly a beautiful lady seemed to
+come into the room. She was dressed in pure
+white, and wore a wreath of white roses on her
+golden hair.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You don&#8217;t recognize me, do you?&rdquo; she asked
+in a lovely, clear voice. &ldquo;I am the rabbit you
+rescued from the dogs in the forest this afternoon.
+The rabbit was really the Fairy Truth. I took
+the shape of a rabbit to see whether you were
+really as good as everyone said. Now I know
+you are, and I shall always be your friend. Isn&#8217;t
+there something you want, above everything else
+in the world, which I can give you to repay you
+for your goodness to me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King was amazed by the lovely Fairy and
+her wonderful offer. He thought at once that if
+only he could win the friendship of the Fairy
+Truth for Prince Darling, all would be well. So
+he said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good Fairy, above all things I should like
+to know that you would be my son&#8217;s friend.
+Will you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gladly. I will make him the richest or the
+handsomest or the most powerful Prince in the
+world. Which shall it be?&rdquo; the Fairy inquired.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would not ask any of those things, good
+Fairy, but I would have him good, the best instead
+of the richest of princes. If he is good and
+his conscience does not trouble him, I am sure he
+will be happy. Riches and power and good looks,
+without goodness, cannot make him happy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is all true,&rdquo; said the Fairy, &ldquo;and I will
+do all I can to make Prince Darling good. He
+will have to do most of it himself, though. I can
+only advise him, praise him when he is good, and
+scold him when he is bad. But I will do all I
+can.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Not long after this strange happening the King
+died, and Prince Darling became King in his
+father&#8217;s place. The Fairy Truth remembered her
+promise, and came to the palace with a present
+for Prince Darling.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This little gold ring,&rdquo; she said, as she slipped
+it on his finger, &ldquo;is my gift to you. I promised
+your father that I would be your friend. This
+ring will help you to keep my friendship. When
+it pricks you, you will know you have done something
+mean or unkind. It will warn you to stop
+doing such things. If you stop, I will be your
+friend; if you keep on doing wicked things, I
+will become your enemy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before Prince Darling could say a word the
+Fairy vanished.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince was curious to know whether the
+ring really would do as the Fairy said. But he
+never felt a single prick from the ring. Then
+one day he was badly pricked. He came home
+from hunting in a horrid temper, and kicked his
+unoffending little dog, that was trying to be
+friendly, until it howled with pain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Really, Prince Darling, that is too bad of
+you.&rdquo; The Fairy&#8217;s voice sounded quietly in his
+ear. &ldquo;You lost your temper because things did
+not go just to suit you. Even if you are a prince,
+the world cannot always run just to suit your
+whims. What&#8217;s worse, you hurt a poor creature
+who loves you. I don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s being the sort
+of a prince your father would be proud of, do
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince was greatly embarrassed, and thrust
+his hands deep into his pockets to make himself
+seem full-grown up&mdash;so he would not cry! He
+promised to be good forever after.</p>
+
+<p>But he wasn&#8217;t, and the ring pricked him often.
+After a time he paid hardly any attention to the
+ring at all. Finally he made up his mind that a
+prince ought to be able to decide for himself
+what was right or wrong. Besides, the ring
+pricked so hard and so often that it made his
+finger bleed. So he threw it away entirely.</p>
+
+<p>Just after this he met Celia, the loveliest girl
+he had ever seen. It seemed to him he could
+never be happy until he had made her his wife;
+and he lost no time in asking her to marry him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sire, I cannot,&rdquo; said the girl.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince was indignant, for he thought any
+girl should be proud to have him offer to marry
+her and make her Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; Celia went on, &ldquo;you are handsome and
+rich and powerful, I know; but the man I marry
+must be good.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This speech made the Prince so angry that he
+ordered his men to take Celia off to the palace
+as a prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img34.jpg" width="500" height="338" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;this little gold ring is my gift to you&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Now, the Prince had a foster-brother who was
+a very wicked man. When the Prince told him
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>
+about Celia, he said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What! a peasant girl refuse to marry the
+Prince! How ridiculous! The whole kingdom
+would laugh if they knew about it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This speech hurt the Prince&#8217;s pride, and he
+decided to make Celia consent to marry him at
+any cost. He rushed off to find her. His men
+had given him the key to the cell where they had
+imprisoned her. But the cell was quite empty.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince was terribly angry, and swore that
+he would put to death the person who had helped
+Celia to escape. It happened that this threat gave
+some of the Prince&#8217;s wicked friends the very
+chance they wanted to get rid of the Prince&#8217;s
+tutor, an old nobleman whom they all hated because
+he was good.</p>
+
+<p>Soon these wicked men had everyone in the
+court whispering: &ldquo;Yes, it was Suliman who
+helped Celia escape.&rdquo; Some men even were
+found who swore that Suliman himself had told
+them about it. When the Prince heard it he was
+still more angry. To think that his old tutor
+could treat him so! He ordered his men to arrest
+the supposed offender, put him in chains, as if
+he were a murderer, and bring him to court.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner was the order given than there
+was a tremendous roar of thunder. The ground
+was still shaking when the Fairy Truth appeared.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Until now, Prince Darling,&rdquo; the fairy said
+sternly, &ldquo;I have been very gentle with you. You
+have been very wicked, but I have done no more
+than warn you that you were doing wrong and
+becoming the very sort of man your father, the
+good King, wanted you NOT to be. Now I must
+take stronger measures, for you have paid no
+attention to my warnings.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Really you are more like the wild animals than
+a man and a prince. You roar with anger like
+a lion. You are greedy for fine food and clothes
+and a good time, as a wolf is greedy for its prey.
+You are untrue to your friends, like a treacherous
+snake. You even turn upon the kind tutor who
+was your father&#8217;s firmest friend, and who would
+like to help you, too, if you would let him. You
+are as disagreeable as an angry bull, that keeps
+everyone out of its neighborhood, because everyone
+knows it is not safe to go near.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Fairy&#8217;s voice now roared forth in terrible
+tones, which made Prince Darling shake from
+head to heel:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Therefore, I condemn you to have a hideous
+body like your ugly character&mdash;part lion, part
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>
+wolf, part snake, and part bull.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince put his hand to his head, because
+he felt as if he should weep at this awful sentence.
+He found his face covered with a lion&#8217;s
+shaggy beard; a bull&#8217;s horns had grown out of
+his skull. He looked at his feet: they were those
+of a wolf. His body was the long slimy body of
+a snake.</p>
+
+<p>The palace had disappeared, and he stood beside
+a clear lake in a deep forest. He shuddered with
+horror when he saw his reflection in the lake.
+His horror turned to rage when he heard the
+Fairy Truth say:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your punishment has just begun. Your pride
+will be hurt still more when you fall into the
+hands of your own subjects. And that is what
+is going to happen to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just as the Fairy said the Prince fell into the
+hands of his subjects, and in a most humiliating
+way, for he was caught in a trap which had
+been set to catch bears. Thus he was captured
+alive and led into the chief city of the kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>There was no mourning in the town because
+of the Prince&#8217;s death, by a thunderbolt, as they
+supposed. Instead, there was great rejoicing, for
+Suliman had been made King by the people, who
+were sick and tired of the way Prince Darling
+had misruled them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Long live King Suliman!&rdquo; they shouted. &ldquo;His
+rule will bring us peace and prosperity.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In the middle of the public park sat King Suliman.
+Just as the Prince, in his ugly disguise
+came up, Suliman was saying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Prince Darling is not dead, as you suppose.
+I have accepted the crown only until he comes
+back, for the Fairy Truth says he may still return,
+a good and just man like his father. For
+myself, I want nothing more than to see Prince
+Darling come back a worthy ruler for this mighty
+kingdom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This speech made the Prince feel very much
+ashamed of himself, for it showed plainly that the
+Fairy was right, and that he himself had misjudged
+Suliman.</p>
+
+<p>Meantime the Prince was put in the menagerie,
+and people pointed him out as a most strange
+beast, the only one of his sort ever found anywhere.
+The Prince was beginning to feel like
+his old, gentle self. He was even good to his
+keeper, although the keeper was anything but good
+to him.</p>
+
+<p>One day a tiger broke through his cage and
+attacked the keeper. At first the Prince was
+pleased to see the keeper in danger of his life,
+and mused: &ldquo;When he&#8217;s dead and out of the
+way I can easily escape.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Prince&#8217;s punishment had not been in
+vain, for suddenly he began to think, &ldquo;Well, the
+poor old keeper; after all I&#8217;m sorry for him!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then as if by magic the bars of the Prince&#8217;s
+cage seemed to melt away, and he rushed out to
+rescue the keeper who had treated him so badly.
+The man was more terrified than ever when he
+saw the huge monster loose. But imagine his
+amazement when the beast fell upon the tiger,
+instead of crushing his (the keeper&#8217;s) life out,
+as he had feared.</p>
+
+<p>Naturally the keeper was filled with gratitude.
+The strange beast&#8217;s kindness made him feel
+ashamed when he remembered how badly he had
+treated the animal.</p>
+
+<p>The keeper now tried to stroke the beast&#8217;s head,
+by way of gratitude, when to his amazement he
+found himself stroking, not a wild animal, but a
+gentle little dog.</p>
+
+<p>The keeper picked up the dog in his arms and
+took him to the King, to whom he told the strange
+story of his rescue. The Queen liked the dog,
+and decided to keep him for a pet. Unluckily for
+Prince Darling, however, she took him to the
+court doctor, who decided that too much food
+would be very bad for the dog, and ordered that
+he be fed nothing but bread, and very little at
+that! So Prince Darling prized the small amount
+of bread he got very highly indeed.</p>
+
+<p>Once Prince Darling trotted off with his little
+loaf of bread&mdash;all he would get to eat that day&mdash;to
+a brook some distance away. Strange to tell,
+the brook was gone, and in its place was a huge
+house. Prince Darling thought the persons who
+lived there must be fabulously rich, because the
+house was made of precious stones and gold, and
+the people were dressed in the most elegant and
+expensive clothes. He heard music, and saw people
+feasting and dancing.</p>
+
+<p>Yet the people who came out of the house
+presented the most forlorn appearance&mdash;ragged,
+and sick, and half starved. Prince Darling saw a
+poor young girl, and his heart was filled with
+pity. She was eating grass and leaves, she was
+so hungry. Prince Darling was hungry himself,
+but he thought:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t be as hungry as that poor girl, and
+to-morrow I&#8217;ll have another loaf.&rdquo; So he gave
+the bread to her, and she ate it eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly there was a great outcry, and the
+Prince, running in the direction whence the noise
+came, saw Celia being dragged against her will
+into this mysterious house. The poor little dog
+could do nothing to help her. Then he thought
+sadly: &ldquo;I am very angry now with these terrible
+people who treat Celia so badly; but not long ago
+I was myself threatening to have her killed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the little dog, feeling quite forlorn, put
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>
+its tail between its legs, as dogs often do, and
+went off to watch the house where Celia was
+imprisoned.</p>
+
+<p>An upper window was opened, and a girl threw
+out some food. The dog thought this was because
+the girl had a kind heart. But when it
+started to eat, the one to whom it had given the
+bread but a short time before cried out: &ldquo;Stop!
+If you touch that you will die! That food came
+from the house of pleasure, and is deadly poison.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So once again the Prince found that his good
+action had been rewarded. And the Fairy Truth,
+to show her approval, transformed the little dog
+into a lovely white dove.</p>
+
+<p>The dove flew straight into the house of pleasure,
+searching for Celia. No sign of her could
+it find there, as she had escaped. Therefore it
+decided to fly and fly all around the world until
+it did get her.</p>
+
+<p>One day it came to a desert island, where no
+living person could be seen, nor any green tree
+to light upon. It searched about, and after a
+time found a cavern, and in it was Celia, sharing
+a simple meal with an old hermit.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Darling flew right up to Celia, lighted
+on her shoulder, and tried in all the ways a dove
+knows to show its affection for her. Celia in return
+stroked it gently, although she, of course, had
+no idea who it was. Indeed, Celia seemed delighted
+to have found a new friend, and said softly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am glad you have come to me, and I will
+care for you and love you always.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Celia did not expect the dove to understand
+what she said. The hermit understood, however,
+and asked her whether she really meant it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! Celia,&rdquo; Prince Darling exclaimed, &ldquo;with
+my whole heart I hope you do mean it!&rdquo; And the
+astonished Celia turned and saw Prince Darling
+himself standing before her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Celia will not stop loving you now, Prince
+Darling,&rdquo; said Fairy Truth, who had been disguised
+as the hermit all this time. &ldquo;She has loved
+you from the beginning, and now that you have
+started on the road to goodness I know she will
+gladly join her fate with yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Celia and Prince Darling threw themselves
+at the Fairy&#8217;s feet, and thanked her a thousand
+times over for bringing them together again
+after all their trials.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come, my children,&rdquo; said the Fairy, &ldquo;if you
+had not helped me I could not have brought this
+to pass. And now, let&#8217;s go back to Prince Darling&#8217;s
+kingdom, for I know King Suliman is
+waiting eagerly for a chance to give back the
+throne.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Fairy had scarcely stopped speaking when
+they found themselves in the royal palace. King
+Suliman was overjoyed to see the Prince return,
+and gladly yielded the throne to him again.</p>
+
+<p>When the Prince was crowned King for the
+second time he also put on again the little gold
+ring which he had thrown away so long before.
+He and Celia gave their whole hearts to the
+effort to govern the kingdom justly and kindly.
+You will know that they succeeded very well,
+when I tell you that the magic ring never again
+pricked Prince Darling&#8217;s finger.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img36.jpg" width="500" height="242" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;prince darling flew right up to celia&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/img37.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="Once upon a time there lived" title="" />
+<span class="caption" style="font-weight: bold;">&ldquo;ONCE UPON A TIME THERE LIVED&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p>
+<h2>RUMPELSTILTSKIN</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED FROM THE GRIMM BROTHERS</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away
+from here, there lived a miller who was very
+proud, and a King who was exceedingly fond of
+money.</p>
+
+<p>The miller had a lovely daughter, and he could
+not say enough about her beauty and cleverness.
+He used to tell all the men who brought their
+wheat to his mill, to be ground into flour, of the
+wonderful things this daughter could do &ldquo;to perfection.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>One day, in a fit of boasting, the miller told
+the servant who had brought flour from the
+King&#8217;s household, that he had a daughter who
+could actually turn straw into pure gold by spinning
+it.</p>
+
+<p>The messenger was astonished, and could
+hardly wait to get back to the palace and see
+the King. He knew how mad the King was
+about money, and wanted to be the first to tell
+him of the miller&#8217;s extraordinary daughter, who
+could make him vastly rich so easily.</p>
+
+<p>The King was tremendously excited by the
+story, just as his servant had hoped. He sent at
+once for the miller.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My man,&rdquo; the King said, &ldquo;I hear you have a
+daughter who can spin straw into gold. That&#8217;s a
+fine story, but you can hardly expect me to
+believe it without seeing it. Have your daughter
+come here this evening.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the miller went home and told his daughter
+that the King wanted to see her. He dared not
+tell her why. Naturally, the girl was pleased and
+flattered. She put on her best dress and braided
+her hair very carefully. Then she went to the
+palace.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So you&#8217;re the miller&#8217;s daughter,&rdquo; said the
+King. &ldquo;Now we&#8217;ll see whether you can really
+spin straw into gold.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The girl thought the King must be crazy. She
+felt even surer of it when he took her into a
+great room full of straw with a spinning wheel
+in one corner.</p>
+
+<p>A spinning wheel, you know, is an old-fashioned
+machine for making flax and cotton into
+yarn and thread.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you don&#8217;t spin all this straw into gold before
+the night is over, you will die,&rdquo; the King
+said, and closed the door.</p>
+
+<p>The poor little miller&#8217;s daughter sat down in
+front of the spinning wheel and cried and cried.
+She didn&#8217;t know how to spin straw into gold any
+more than you or I do, and she didn&#8217;t want to
+die a bit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, well, what&#8217;s all this crying for?&rdquo; said
+a tiny voice at her ear.</p>
+
+<p>So many queer things had happened that night
+that it did not seem at all strange to have a man
+appear out of nowhere. He was not exactly a
+man, though. He was just a tiny little Dwarf.
+And the miller&#8217;s daughter told him all her troubles.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, that&#8217;s nothing,&rdquo; the little man said; &ldquo;I
+can spin that straw into gold myself. But I won&#8217;t
+do it for nothing. What will you give me for
+doing it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The girl had a necklace she was very proud of.
+She hated to part with it, but she gave it to the
+little man. He sat promptly down at the spinning
+wheel, and in a jiffy the golden straws were flying
+through his hands, and turning into threads of
+pure gold. Long before daybreak the room was
+full of gold instead of straw.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning the King came. He could
+hardly wait to learn whether the girl had done
+her difficult task. When he saw the room heaped
+with gold he fairly danced with joy, although that
+was not very dignified for a King. Having one
+room full of gold only made him want another. So
+he took the miller&#8217;s daughter to a larger room,
+where there was even more straw. Once more he
+told her that if she wanted to live she must turn
+the straw to gold.</p>
+
+<p>The little Dwarf helped her out again. This
+time she had to pay him with her ring.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning, when the King saw all the
+gold, he was still not satisfied. He was getting
+rich so easily that he hated to stop. So he had
+the miller&#8217;s daughter led to the largest room in the
+palace, and had it filled with straw for her to spin
+into gold.</p>
+
+<p>This time, however, he told the girl that if she
+succeeded for the third time in her task she should
+become his wife. &ldquo;She&#8217;s only the poor miller&#8217;s
+daughter,&rdquo; he said to himself, &ldquo;but look how rich
+she is.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The girl was not surprised to see the Dwarf
+come in. He was quite disagreeable, though,
+when she said she had nothing to give him this
+time for spinning the gold.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What!&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;have you no reward for me?
+Then you must promise me your first child after
+you become Queen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There seemed nothing to do but to promise the
+little fellow what he asked. &ldquo;Lots of things may
+happen before the promise is fulfilled,&rdquo; she
+thought.</p>
+
+<p>So the straw was spun into gold, and the King
+was greatly pleased. Soon after this the miller&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>
+daughter became Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img39.jpg" width="500" height="355" alt="image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;this time she had to pay him with her ring&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>A year passed, and the whole kingdom was celebrating
+the birth of a son to the King and Queen.
+The Queen was so happy about her child that she
+quite forgot the promise she had made to the
+manikin who had saved her life. But <em>he</em> had not
+forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Give me that child,&rdquo; said he one day, appearing,
+as was his habit, out of nowhere. The Queen
+was frightened, yet refused to give up her child.
+She offered him anything else he would name,
+but the child he could never have.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The child,&rdquo; he answered, &ldquo;is the only thing
+I want.&rdquo; Yet he was sorry for the Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he said finally, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll let you have the
+child for three days. If you can tell me my name
+before this time is up, you can keep your little
+one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Queen sent messengers to search the country
+and bring her all the unusual names they could
+discover.</p>
+
+<p>After one day the manikin came back to find
+out whether his name had been discovered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is your name Kasper, or Melchior, or Belshayzar?&rdquo;
+the Queen asked in a worried manner.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; the little fellow said to each name
+she suggested.</p>
+
+<p>The second day the Queen tried him with some
+names she had made up herself. &ldquo;Perhaps they
+call you Sheepshanks, or Cruickshanks, or Spindleshanks?&rdquo;
+she suggested eagerly. But each time
+the manikin shook his head haughtily and answered,
+&ldquo;No!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The poor Queen was nearly crazy with worry
+on the third day, and the messengers could find no
+more queer names. One of them, however, told
+this story:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I was drawing to the top of a high hill, and
+the road where I was riding went through a thick
+wood. Not a new name had I learned all day.
+But suddenly I came upon a hut, and before it
+was a big fire. A little man was hopping madly
+about the fire, and singing at the top of his voice:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;&lsquo;Now a feast I must prepare,</span><br />
+  Of the finest royal fare.<br />
+  Soon the Queen must give her son<br />
+  To me, for I&#8217;m the lucky one.<br />
+  That Rumpelstiltskin is my name,<br />
+  She will never guess&mdash;the silly dame.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Queen was so delighted she did not even
+mind being called silly. Soon the manikin came in.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he said defiantly, &ldquo;I guess you don&#8217;t
+know my name yet, do you? Remember, this is
+your last chance.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, dear,&rdquo; said the Queen, pretending to be
+very anxious. &ldquo;Is it John?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No!&rdquo; thundered the manikin. &ldquo;Give me the
+child.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is it,&rdquo; the Queen asked softly, &ldquo;by any chance
+Rumpelstiltskin?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Some witch has told you that! Some witch
+had told you that!&rdquo; cried the little man; and he
+dashed his left foot in a rage so deep into the
+floor that he was forced to lay hold of it with
+both hands to pull it out. Then he made the best
+of his way off, while everybody laughed at him
+for having had all his trouble for nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img40.jpg" width="500" height="295" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;some witch has told you that!&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="RAP" id="RAP"></a>RAPUNZEL,<br />
+OR THE FAIR MAID WITH GOLDEN HAIR</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>There were once a man and a woman who
+wished very much to have a little child. Now,
+these people had a small window in their cottage
+which looked out into a beautiful garden full of
+the most lovely flowers and vegetables. There
+was a high wall round it, but even had there
+not been no one would have ventured to enter the
+garden, because it belonged to a sorceress, whose
+power was so great that every one feared her.</p>
+
+<p>One day the woman stood at the window looking
+into the garden, and she saw a bed which was
+planted full of most beautiful lettuces. As she
+looked at them she began to wish she had some
+to eat, but she could not ask for them.</p>
+
+<p>Day after day her wish for these lettuces grew
+stronger, and the knowledge that she could not
+get them so worried her that at last she became
+so pale and thin that her husband was quite
+alarmed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is the matter with you, dear wife?&rdquo; he
+asked one day.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;if I do not have some of that
+nice lettuce which grows in the garden behind our
+house, I feel that I shall die.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The husband, who loved his wife dearly, said
+to himself: &ldquo;Rather than my wife should die,
+I will get some of this lettuce for her, cost what
+it may.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So in the evening twilight he climbed over the
+wall into the garden of the Witch, hastily gathered
+a handful of the lettuces, and brought them to his
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>
+wife. She made a salad, and ate it with great
+eagerness.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 431px;">
+<img src="images/img41.jpg" width="431" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the fair maiden with golden hair<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a drawing by edith w. yaffee</span></span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>It pleased her so much and tasted so good that,
+after two or three days had passed, she gave her
+husband no rest till he promised to get her some
+more. So again in the evening twilight he climbed
+the wall, but as he slid down into the garden on
+the other side he was terribly alarmed at seeing
+the Witch standing near him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How came you here?&rdquo; she said with a fierce
+look. &ldquo;You have climbed over the wall into my
+garden like a thief and stolen my lettuces; you
+shall pay dearly for this!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; replied the poor man, &ldquo;let me entreat
+for mercy; I have only taken it in a case of
+extreme need. My wife has seen your lettuces
+from her window, and she wished for them so
+much that she said she should die if she could
+not have some of them to eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Witch&#8217;s anger cooled a little, and she
+replied: &ldquo;If what you tell me is true, then I will
+give you full permission to take as many lettuces
+as you like, on one condition: you must give up
+to me the child which your wife may bring into
+the world. I will be very kind to it, and be as
+careful of it as a mother could be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The husband in his alarm promised everything
+the Witch asked, and took away with him as many
+lettuces as his wife wanted.</p>
+
+<p>Not many weeks after this the wife became the
+mother of a beautiful little girl, and in a short
+time the Witch appeared and claimed her according
+to the husband&#8217;s promise. Thus they were
+obliged to give up their child, which she took
+away with her directly, and gave her the name
+of Letitia, but she was always called Lettice, after
+the name of the vegetable which grew in the
+garden.</p>
+
+<p>Lettice was the most beautiful child under the
+sun, and as soon as she reached the age of twelve
+years the Witch locked her up in a tower that
+stood in a forest, and this tower had no steps,
+nor any entrance, excepting a little window.
+When the Witch, wished to visit Lettice, she
+would place herself under this window and sing:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Lettice, Lettice, let down your hair,</span><br />
+ That I may climb without a stair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Lettice had the most long and beautiful hair like
+spun-gold; and when she heard the voice of the
+Witch she would unbind her golden locks and let
+them fall loose over the window sill, from which
+they hung down to such a length that the Witch
+could draw herself up by them into the tower.</p>
+
+<p>Two years passed in this manner, when it happened
+one day that the King&#8217;s son rode through
+the forest. While passing near the tower he
+heard such a lovely song that he could not help
+stopping to listen. It was Lettice, who tried to
+lighten her solitude by the sound of her own
+sweet voice.</p>
+
+<p>The King&#8217;s son was very eager to obtain a
+glimpse of the singer, but he sought in vain for
+a door to the tower; there was not one to be
+found.</p>
+
+<p>So he rode home, but the song had made such
+an impression on his heart that he went daily
+into the forest to listen. Once, while he stood
+behind a tree, he saw the Witch approach the
+tower, and heard her say:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Lettice, Lettice, let down your hair,</span><br />
+ That I may climb without a stair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Presently he saw a quantity of long golden hair
+hanging down low over the window sill, and the
+Witch climbing up by it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the young Prince, &ldquo;if that is the
+ladder on which persons can mount and enter,
+I will take the first opportunity of trying my
+luck that way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So on the following day, as it began to grow
+dark, he placed himself under the window, and
+cried:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Lettice, Lettice, let down your hair,</span><br />
+ That I may climb without a stair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Immediately the hair fell over the window, and
+the young Prince quickly climbed up and entered
+the room where the young maiden lived.</p>
+
+<p>Lettice was dreadfully frightened at seeing a
+strange man come into the room through the
+window; but the King&#8217;s son looked at her with
+such friendly eyes, and began to converse with
+her so kindly, that she soon lost all fear.</p>
+
+<p>He told her that he had heard her singing,
+and that her song had excited such a deep emotion
+in his heart that he could not rest till he had seen
+her. On hearing this Lettice ceased to fear him,
+and they talked together for some time, till at
+length the Prince asked her if she would take
+him for a husband. For a time she hesitated,
+although she saw that he was young and handsome,
+and he had told her he was a prince.</p>
+
+<p>At last she said to herself: &ldquo;He will certainly
+love me better than old Mother Grethel does.&rdquo;
+So she placed her hand in his, and said: &ldquo;I would
+willingly go with you and be your wife, but I do
+not know in the least how to get away from
+this place. Unless,&rdquo; she added, after a pause,
+&ldquo;you will bring me every day some strong silk
+cord; then I will weave a ladder of it, and when
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>
+it is finished I will descend upon it, and you shall
+take me away on your horse.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince readily agreed to this, and promised
+to come and see her every evening till the ladder
+was finished, for the old Witch always came in
+the daytime.</p>
+
+<p>The Witch had never seen the Prince; she
+knew nothing of his visits till one day Lettice
+said innocently: &ldquo;I shall not have such a heavy
+weight as you to draw up much longer, Mother
+Grethel, for the King&#8217;s son is coming very soon
+to fetch me away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You wicked child!&rdquo; cried the Witch; &ldquo;what
+do I hear you say? I thought I had hidden you
+from all the world, and now you have betrayed
+me!&rdquo; In her wrath she caught hold of Lettice&#8217;s
+beautiful hair, and struck her several times with
+her left hand. Then she seized a pair of scissors
+and cut Lettice&#8217;s hair, while the beautiful locks,
+glistening like gold, fell to the ground. And she
+was so hard-hearted after this that she dragged
+poor Lettice out into the forest, to a wild and
+desert place, and left her there in sorrow and
+great distress.</p>
+
+<p>On the same day on which the poor maiden
+had been exiled the Witch tied the locks of hair
+which she had cut off poor Lettice&#8217;s golden head
+into a kind of tail, and hung it over the window
+sill.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the Prince came and cried:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Lettice, Lettice, let down your hair,</span><br />
+ That I may climb without a stair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Witch let the hair down, and the
+King&#8217;s son climbed up; but at the open window
+he found not his dear Lettice, but a wicked witch
+who looked at him with cruel and malicious eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; she cried with a sneer, &ldquo;you are come
+to fetch your loving bride, I suppose; but the
+beautiful bird has flown from the nest, and will
+never sing any more. The cat has fetched it
+away, and she intends also to scratch your eyes
+out. To thee is Lettice lost; thou wilt never
+behold her again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince felt almost out of his mind with
+grief as he heard this, and in his despair he
+sprang out of the tower window and fell among
+the thorns and brambles beneath. He certainly
+escaped with his life, but the thorns stuck into
+his eyes and blinded them. After this he wandered
+about the wood for days, eating only wild
+roots and berries, and did nothing but lament
+and weep for the loss of his beloved bride.</p>
+
+<p>So wandered he for a whole year in misery, till
+at last he came upon the desert place where
+Lettice had been banished and lived in her sorrow.</p>
+
+<p>As he drew near he heard a voice which
+he seemed to recognize, and advancing toward the
+sound came within sight of Lettice, who recognized
+him at once, with tears. Two of her tears
+fell on his eyes, and so healed and cleared them
+of the injury done by the thorns that he could
+soon see as well as ever. Then he traveled with
+her to his kingdom, and she became his wife,
+and the remainder of their days were spent in
+happiness and content.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SNOW" id="SNOW"></a>SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>There was once a poor Widow, who lived alone
+in her hut with her two children, who were called
+Snow-White and Rose-Red, because they were
+like the flowers which bloomed on two rose-bushes
+which grew before the cottage. But they
+were two as pious, good, industrious, and amiable
+children as any that were in the world, only
+Snow-White was more quiet and gentle than
+Rose-Red. For Rose-Red would run and jump
+about the meadows, seeking flowers, and catching
+butterflies, while Snow-White sat at home helping
+her Mother to keep house, or reading to her, if
+there were nothing else to do.</p>
+
+<p>The two children loved one another dearly,
+and always walked hand-in-hand when they went
+out together; and ever when they talked of it
+they agreed that they would never separate from
+each other, and that whatever one had the other
+should share. Often they ran deep into the forest
+and gathered wild berries; but no beast ever
+harmed them. For the hare would eat cauliflowers
+out of their hands, the fawn would graze
+at their side, the goats would frisk about them
+in play, and the birds remained perched on the
+boughs singing as if nobody were near.</p>
+
+<p>No accidents ever befell them; and if they
+stayed late in the forest, and night came upon
+them, they used to lie down on the moss and
+sleep till morning; and because their Mother knew
+they would do so, she felt no concern about them.
+One time when they had thus passed the night
+in the forest, and the dawn of morning awoke
+them, they saw a beautiful Child dressed in shining
+white sitting near their couch. She got up
+and looked at them kindly, but without saying
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>
+anything went into the forest; and when the
+children looked round they saw that where they
+had slept was close to the edge of a pit, into which
+they would have certainly fallen had they walked
+a couple of steps further in the dark.</p>
+
+<p>Their Mother told them the figure they had
+seen was, doubtless, the good angel who watches
+over children.</p>
+
+<p>Snow-White and Rose-Red kept their Mother&#8217;s
+cottage so clean that it was a pleasure to enter it.
+Every morning in the summertime Rose-Red
+would first put the house in order, and then
+gather a nosegay for her Mother, in which she
+always placed a bud from each rose-tree. Every
+winter&#8217;s morning Snow-White would light the
+fire and put the kettle on to boil, and, although
+the kettle was made of copper, it yet shone like
+gold, because it was scoured so well. In the
+evenings, when the flakes of snow were falling,
+the Mother would say, &ldquo;Go, Snow-White, and bolt
+the door;&rdquo; and then they used to sit down on
+the hearth, and the Mother would put on her
+spectacles and read out of a great book while
+her children sat spinning. By their side, too, lay
+a little lamb, and on a perch behind them a little
+white dove reposed with her head tucked under
+her wing.</p>
+
+<p>One evening when they were thus sitting comfortably
+together, there came a knock at the door,
+as if somebody wished to come in. &ldquo;Make haste,
+Rose-Red,&rdquo; cried her Mother; &ldquo;make haste and
+open the door; perhaps there is some traveler outside
+who needs shelter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Rose-Red went and drew the bolt and opened
+the door, expecting to see some poor man outside;
+but instead, a great fat bear poked his black
+head in. Rose-Red shrieked out and ran back,
+the little lamb bleated, the dove fluttered on her
+perch, and Snow-White hid herself behind her
+Mother&#8217;s bed. The Bear, however, began to
+speak, and said, &ldquo;Be not afraid, I will do you
+no harm; but I am half frozen, and wish to
+come in and warm myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Poor Bear!&rdquo; cried the Mother; &ldquo;come in and
+lie down before the fire; but take care you do
+not burn your skin;&rdquo; and then she continued,
+&ldquo;Come here, Rose-Red and Snow-White, the Bear
+will not harm you, he means honorably.&rdquo; So
+they both came back, and by degrees the lamb too
+and the dove overcame their fears and welcomed
+the rough visitor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You children!&rdquo; said the Bear, before he entered,
+&ldquo;come and knock the snow off my coat.&rdquo;
+And they fetched their brooms and swept him
+clean. Then he stretched himself before the fire
+and grumbled out his satisfaction, and in a little
+while the children became familiar enough to play
+tricks with the unwieldy animal. They pulled his
+long shaggy skin, set their feet upon his back
+and rolled him to and fro, and even ventured to
+beat him with a hazel-stick, laughing when he
+grumbled. The Bear bore all their tricks good-temperedly,
+and if they hit too hard he cried out,&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Leave me my life, you children,</span><br />
+ Snow-White and Rose-Red,<br />
+ Or you&#8217;ll never wed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When bedtime came and the others were gone,
+the Mother said to the Bear, &ldquo;You may sleep
+here on the hearth if you like, and then you
+will be safely protected from the cold and bad
+weather.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as day broke the two children let
+the Bear out again, and he trotted away over
+the snow, and ever afterward he came every
+evening at a certain hour. He would lie down
+on the hearth and allow the children to play with
+him as much as they liked, till by degrees they
+became so accustomed to him that the door was
+left unbolted till their black friend arrived.</p>
+
+<p>But as soon as spring returned, and everything
+out of doors was green again, the Bear one
+morning told Snow-White that he must leave her,
+and could not return during the whole summer.
+&ldquo;Where are you going, then, dear Bear?&rdquo; asked
+Snow-White. &ldquo;I am obliged to go into the forest
+and guard my treasures from the evil Dwarfs;
+for in winter, when the ground is hard, they are
+obliged to keep in their holes and cannot work
+through; but now, since the sun has thawed the
+earth and warmed it, the Dwarfs pierce through
+and steal all they can find; and what has once
+passed into their hands, and gets concealed by
+them in their caves, is not easily brought to light.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Snow-White, however, was very sad at the departure
+of the Bear, and opened the door so
+hesitatingly, that when he pressed through it he
+left behind on the latch a piece of his hairy coat;
+and through the hole which was made in his coat
+Snow-White fancied she saw the glittering of
+gold, but she was not quite certain of it. The
+Bear, however, ran hastily away, and was soon
+hidden behind the trees.</p>
+
+<p>Some time afterward the Mother sent the
+children into the woods to gather sticks, and while
+doing so they came to a tree which was lying
+across the path, on the trunk of which something
+kept bobbing up and down from the grass, and
+they could not imagine what it was. When they
+came nearer they saw a Dwarf, with an old
+wrinkled face and a snow-white beard a yard long.
+The end of this beard was fixed in a split of the
+tree, and the little man kept jumping about like
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>
+a dog tied by a chain, for he did not know how
+to free himself. He glared at the Maidens with
+his red, fiery eyes, and exclaimed, &ldquo;Why do you
+stand there? Are you going to pass without
+offering me any assistance?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What have you done, little man?&rdquo; asked Rose-Red.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You stupid, gazing goose!&rdquo; exclaimed he, &ldquo;I
+wanted to have split the tree in order to get a
+little wood for my kitchen, for the little food
+which we use is soon burnt up with great faggots,
+not like what you rough greedy people devour!
+I had driven the wedge in properly, and everything
+was going on well, when the smooth wood
+flew upward, and the tree closed so suddenly together,
+that I could not draw my beautiful beard
+out; and here it sticks, and I cannot get away.
+There, don&#8217;t laugh, you milk-faced things! Are
+you dumbfounded?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The children took all the pains they could to
+pull the Dwarf&#8217;s beard out, but without success.
+&ldquo;I will run and fetch some help,&rdquo; cried Rose-Red
+at length.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Crack-brained sheep&#8217;s-head that you are!&rdquo;
+snarled the Dwarf; &ldquo;what are you going to call
+other people for? You are two too many now
+for me; can you think of nothing else?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t be impatient,&rdquo; replied Snow-White: &ldquo;I
+have thought of something;&rdquo; and pulling her scissors
+out of her pocket, she cut off the end of the
+beard. As soon as the Dwarf found himself at
+liberty he snatched up his sack, which laid between
+the roots of the tree filled with gold, and,
+throwing it over his shoulder, marched off, grumbling,
+and groaning, and crying &ldquo;Stupid people! to
+cut off a piece of my beautiful beard. Plague
+take you!&rdquo; And away he went without once looking
+at the children.</p>
+
+<p>Some time afterward Snow-White and Rose-Red
+went a-fishing and as they neared the pond
+they saw something like a great locust hopping
+about on the bank, as if going to jump into the
+water. They ran up and recognized the Dwarf;
+&ldquo;What are you after?&rdquo; asked Rose-Red; &ldquo;you
+will fall into the water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am not quite such a simpleton as that,&rdquo; replied
+the Dwarf; &ldquo;but do you not see this fish
+will pull me in?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The little man had been sitting there angling,
+and, unfortunately, the wind had entangled his
+beard with the fishing-line; and so when a great
+fish bit at the bait, the strength of the weak little
+fellow was not able to draw it out, and the fish
+had the best of the struggle. The Dwarf held
+on by the reeds and rushes which grew near, but
+to no purpose, for the fish pulled him where it
+liked, and he must soon have been drawn into
+the pond. Luckily just then the two Maidens
+arrived, and tried to release the beard of the
+Dwarf from the fishing-line, but both were too
+closely entangled for it to be done. So the
+Maiden pulled out her scissors again and cut off
+another piece of the beard.</p>
+
+<p>When the Dwarf saw this done he was in a
+great rage, and exclaimed, &ldquo;You donkey! that is
+the way to disfigure my face. Was it not enough
+to cut it once, but you must now take away the
+best part of my fine beard? I dare not show
+myself again now to my own people. I wish you
+had run the soles off your boots before you had
+come here!&rdquo; So saying he took up a bag of
+pearls, which lay among the rushes, and, without
+speaking another word, slipped off and disappeared
+behind a stone.</p>
+
+<p>Not many days after this adventure, it chanced
+that the Mother sent the two Maidens to the next
+town to buy thread, needles and pins, laces, and
+ribbons. Their road passed over a common, on
+which, here and there, great pieces of rock were
+lying about. Just over their heads they saw a
+great bird flying round and round, and every now
+and then dropping lower and lower, till at last it
+flew down behind a rock. Immediately afterward
+they heard a piercing shriek, and, running up,
+they saw with affright that the eagle had caught
+their old acquaintance, the Dwarf, and was trying
+to carry him off. The compassionate children
+thereupon laid hold of the little man, and held
+him fast till the bird gave up the struggle and
+flew off.</p>
+
+<p>As soon, then, as the Dwarf had recovered
+from his fright, he exclaimed in his squeaking
+voice:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Could you not hold me more gently? You
+have seized my fine brown coat in such a manner
+that it is all torn and full of holes, meddling
+and interfering rubbish that you are!&rdquo; With these
+words he shouldered a bag filled with precious
+stones, and slipped away to his cave among the
+rocks.</p>
+
+<p>The Maidens were now accustomed to his ingratitude,
+and so they walked on to the town and
+transacted their business there. Coming home
+they returned over the same common, and unawares
+walked up to a certain clean spot, on which
+the Dwarf had shaken out his bag of precious
+stones, thinking nobody was near. The sun was
+shining and the bright stones glittered in its
+beams, and displayed such a variety of colors that
+the two Maidens stopped to admire them.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 375px;">
+<img src="images/img47.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the two maidens arrived and tried to release the beard of
+the dwarf</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you standing there gaping for?&rdquo;
+asked the Dwarf, while his face grew as red as
+copper with rage: he was continuing to abuse
+the poor Maidens, when a loud roaring noise was
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>
+heard, and presently a great black Bear came rolling
+out of the forest. The Dwarf jumped up
+terrified, but he could not gain his retreat before
+the Bear overtook him. Thereupon he cried out,
+&ldquo;Spare me, my dear Lord Bear! I will give you
+all my treasures. See these beautiful precious
+stones which lie here; only give me my life; for
+what have you to fear from a little fellow like
+me? You could not touch me with your big teeth.
+There are two wicked girls, take them; they would
+make nice morsels; as fat as young quails; eat
+them, for heaven&#8217;s sake!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Bear, however, without troubling himself
+to speak, gave the bad-hearted Dwarf a single
+blow with his paw, and he never stirred after.</p>
+
+<p>The Maidens were then going to run away, but
+the Bear called after them, &ldquo;Snow-White and
+Rose-Red, fear not! Wait a bit, and I will
+accompany you.&rdquo; They recognized his voice and
+stopped; and when the Bear came, his rough coat
+suddenly fell off, and he stood up a tall man,
+dressed entirely in gold. &ldquo;I am a King&#8217;s son,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;and was condemned by the wicked
+Dwarf, who stole all my treasures, to wander
+about in this forest in the form of a bear till
+his death released me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they went home, and Snow-White was
+married to the Prince, and Rose-Red to his brother,
+with whom they shared the immense treasure
+which the Dwarf had collected. The old Mother
+also lived for many years happily with her two
+children; and the rose-trees which had stood
+before the cottage were planted now before the
+palace, and produced every year beautiful red and
+white roses.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HANSEL" id="HANSEL"></a>HANSEL AND GRETHEL</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there dwelt near a large
+wood a poor wood-cutter, with his wife and two
+children by his former marriage, a little boy
+called Hansel, and a girl named Grethel. He had
+little enough to break or bite; and once, when
+there was a great famine in the land, he could
+not procure even his daily bread; and as he lay
+thinking in his bed one evening, rolling about for
+trouble, he sighed, and said to his wife, &ldquo;What
+will become of us? How can we feed our children,
+when we have no more than we can eat
+ourselves?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Know, then, my husband,&rdquo; answered she, &ldquo;we
+will lead them away, quite early in the morning,
+into the thickest part of the wood, and there
+make them a fire, and give them each a little
+piece of bread; then we will go to our work, and
+leave them alone, so they will not find the way
+home again, and we shall be freed from them.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;No, wife,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;that I can never do;,
+how can you bring your heart to leave my children
+all alone in the wood; for the wild beasts
+will soon come and tear them to pieces?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, you simpleton!&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;then we must
+all four die of hunger; you had better plane the
+coffins for us.&rdquo; But she left him no peace till
+he consented, saying, &ldquo;Ah, but I shall regret the
+poor children.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The two children, however, had not gone to
+sleep for very hunger, and so they overheard
+what the stepmother said to their father. Grethel
+wept bitterly, and said to Hansel, &ldquo;What will become
+of us?&rdquo; &ldquo;Be quiet, Grethel,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;do
+not cry&mdash;I will soon help you.&rdquo; And as soon as
+their parents had fallen asleep, he got up, put on
+his coat, and, unbarring the back door, slipped out.
+The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles
+which lay before the door seemed like silver
+pieces, they glittered so brightly. Hansel stooped
+down, and put as many into his pocket as it would
+hold; and then going back he said to Grethel,
+&ldquo;Be comforted, dear sister, and sleep in peace;
+God will not forsake us.&rdquo; And so saying, he
+went to bed again.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning, before the sun arose, the
+wife went and awoke the two children. &ldquo;Get up,
+you lazy things; we are going into the forest to
+chop wood.&rdquo; Then she gave them each a piece
+of bread, saying, &ldquo;There is something for your
+dinner; do not eat it before the time, for you will
+get nothing else.&rdquo; Grethel took the bread in her
+apron, for Hansel&#8217;s pocket was full of pebbles;
+and so they all set out upon their way. When
+they had gone a little distance, Hansel stood still,
+and peeped back at the house; and this he repeated
+several times, till his father said, &ldquo;Hansel, what
+are you peeping at, and why do you lag behind?
+Take care, and remember your legs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, father,&rdquo; said Hansel, &ldquo;I am looking at my
+white cat sitting upon the roof of the house, and
+trying to say good-by.&rdquo; &ldquo;You simpleton!&rdquo; said
+the wife, &ldquo;that is not a cat; it is only the sun
+shining on the white chimney.&rdquo; But in reality
+Hansel was not looking at a cat; but every time
+he stopped, he dropped a pebble out of his pocket
+upon the path.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px;">
+<img src="images/img49.jpg" width="325" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">grethel and the witch<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a drawing by malcolm patterson</span></span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>When they came to the middle of the wood,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>
+the father told the children to collect wood, and
+he would make them a fire, so that they should
+not be cold. So Hansel and Grethel gathered together
+quite a little mountain of twigs. Then
+they set fire to them; and as the flame burnt up
+high, the wife said, &ldquo;Now, you children, lie down
+near the fire, and rest yourselves, whilst we go
+into the forest and chop wood; when we are
+ready, I will come and call you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hansel and Grethel sat down by the fire, and
+when it was noon, each ate the piece of bread;
+and because they could hear the blows of an axe
+they thought their father was near; but it was not
+an axe, but a branch which he had bound to a
+withered tree, so as to be blown to and fro by
+the wind. They waited so long, that at last their
+eyes closed from weariness, and they fell fast
+asleep. When they awoke, it was quite dark, and
+Grethel began to cry, &ldquo;How shall we get out of
+the wood?&rdquo; But Hansel tried to comfort her by
+saying, &ldquo;Wait a little while till the moon rises,
+and then we will quickly find the way.&rdquo; The
+moon soon shone forth, and Hansel, taking his sister&#8217;s
+hand, followed the pebbles, which glittered
+like new-coined silver pieces, and showed them the
+path. All night long they walked on, and as
+day broke they came to their father&#8217;s house.
+They knocked at the door, and when the wife
+opened it, and saw Hansel and Grethel, she exclaimed,
+&ldquo;You wicked children! why did you sleep
+so long in the wood? We thought you were
+never coming home again.&rdquo; But their father
+was very glad, for it had grieved his heart to
+leave them all alone.</p>
+
+<p>Not long afterward there was again great
+scarcity in every corner of the land; and one
+night the children overheard their mother saying
+to their father, &ldquo;Everything is again consumed;
+we have only half a loaf left, and then the song
+is ended: the children must be sent away. We
+will take them deeper into the wood, so that
+they may not find the way out again: it is the
+only means of escape for us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But her husband felt heavy at heart, and
+thought, &ldquo;It were better to share the last crust
+with the children.&rdquo; His wife, however, would
+listen to nothing that he said, and scolded and
+reproached him without end.</p>
+
+<p>He who says A must say B too; and he who
+consents the first time must also the second.</p>
+
+<p>The children, however, had heard the conversation
+as they lay awake, and as soon as the old
+people went to sleep Hansel got up, intending to
+pick up some pebbles as before; but the wife had
+locked the door, so that he could not get out.
+Nevertheless he comforted Grethel, saying, &ldquo;Do
+not cry; sleep in quiet; the good God will not
+forsake us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning the stepmother came and
+pulled them out of bed, and gave them each a
+slice of bread, which was still smaller than the
+former piece. On the way, Hansel broke his in
+his pocket, and, stooping every now and then,
+dropped a crumb upon the path. &ldquo;Hansel, why
+do you stop and look about?&rdquo; said the father,
+&ldquo;keep in the path.&rdquo; &ldquo;I am looking at my little
+dove,&rdquo; answered Hansel, &ldquo;nodding a good-by to
+me.&rdquo; &ldquo;Simpleton!&rdquo; said the wife, &ldquo;that is no
+dove, but only the sun shining on the chimney.&rdquo;
+But Hansel still kept dropping crumbs as he went
+along.</p>
+
+<p>The mother led the children deep into the wood,
+where they had never been before, and there
+making an immense fire, she said to them, &ldquo;Sit
+down here and rest, and when you feel tired you
+can sleep for a little while. We are going into
+the forest to hew wood, and in the evening, when
+we are ready, we will come and fetch you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When noon came Grethel shared her bread with
+Hansel, who had strewn his on the path. Then
+they went to sleep; but the evening arrived and
+no one came to visit the poor children, and in
+the dark night they awoke, and Hansel comforted
+his sister by saying, &ldquo;Only wait, Grethel, till the
+moon comes out, then we shall see the crumbs of
+bread which I have dropped, and they will show
+us the way home.&rdquo; The moon shone and they got
+up, but they could not see any crumbs, for the
+thousands of birds which had been flying about
+in the woods and fields had picked them all up.
+Hansel kept saying to Grethel, &ldquo;We will soon find
+the way;&rdquo; but they did not, and they walked the
+whole night long and the next day, but still they
+did not come out of the wood; and they got so
+hungry, for they had nothing to eat but the berries
+which they found upon the bushes. Soon they got
+so tired that they could not drag themselves along,
+so they lay down under a tree and went to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>It was now the third morning since they had
+left their father&#8217;s house, and they still walked on;
+but they only got deeper and deeper into the wood,
+and Hansel saw that if help did not come very
+soon they would die of hunger. As soon as it
+was noon they saw a beautiful snow-white bird
+sitting upon a bough, which sang so sweetly that
+they stood still and listened to it. It soon left off,
+and spreading its wings flew off; and they followed
+it until it arrived at a cottage, upon the roof
+of which it perched; and when they went close
+up to it they saw that the cottage was made of
+bread and cakes, and the window-panes were of
+clear sugar.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will go in here,&rdquo; said Hansel, &ldquo;and have a
+glorious feast. I will eat a piece of the roof,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>
+and you can eat the window. Will they not be
+sweet?&rdquo; So Hansel reached up and broke a piece
+off the roof, in order to see how it tasted; while
+Grethel stepped up to the window and began to
+bite it. Then a sweet voice called out in the
+room, &ldquo;Tip-tap, tip-tap, who raps at my door?&rdquo;
+and the children answered, &ldquo;The wind, the wind,
+the child of heaven;&rdquo; and they went on eating
+without interruption. Hansel thought the roof
+tasted very nice, and so he tore off a great piece;
+while Grethel broke a large round pane out of the
+window, and sat down quite contentedly. Just
+then the door opened, and a very old woman,
+walking upon crutches, came out. Hansel and
+Grethel were so frightened that they let fall
+what they had in their hands; but the old woman,
+nodding her head, said &ldquo;Ah, you dear children,
+what has brought you here? Come in and stop
+with me, and no harm shall befall you;&rdquo; and so
+saying she led them into her cottage. A good
+meal of milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples,
+and nuts was spread on the table, and in the back
+room were two nice little beds, covered with
+white, where Hansel and Grethel laid themselves
+down, and thought themselves in heaven. The
+old woman behaved very kindly to them, but
+in reality she was a wicked witch who waylaid
+children and built the breadhouse in order to
+entice them in; but as soon as they were in her
+power she killed them, cooked and ate them, and
+made a great festival of the day. Witches have
+red eyes, and cannot see very far; but they have
+a fine sense of smelling, like wild beasts, so that
+they know when children approach them. When
+Hansel and Grethel came near the witch&#8217;s house
+she laughed wickedly, saying, &ldquo;Here come two
+who shall not escape me.&rdquo; And early in the
+morning, before they awoke, she went up to them,
+and saw how lovingly they lay sleeping, with
+their chubby red cheeks; and she mumbled to
+herself, &ldquo;That will be a good bite.&rdquo; Then she
+took up Hansel with her rough hand, and shut
+him up in a little cage with a lattice-door; and
+although he screamed loudly it was of no use.
+Grethel came next, and, shaking her till she
+awoke, she said, &ldquo;Get up, you lazy thing, and
+fetch some water to cook something good for
+your brother, who must remain in that stall and
+get fat; when he is fat enough I shall eat him.&rdquo;
+Grethel began to cry, but it was all useless, for
+the old witch made her do as she wished. So a
+nice meal was cooked for Hansel, but Grethel got
+nothing else but a crab&#8217;s claw.</p>
+
+<p>Every morning the old witch came to the cage
+and said, &ldquo;Hansel, stretch out your finger that
+I may feel whether you are getting fat.&rdquo; But
+Hansel used to stretch out a bone, and the old
+woman, having very bad sight, thought it was
+his finger, and wondered very much that he did
+not get more fat. When four weeks had passed,
+and Hansel still kept quite lean, she lost all
+her patience, and would not wait any longer.
+&ldquo;Grethel,&rdquo; she called out in a passion, &ldquo;get some
+water quickly; be Hansel fat or lean, this morning
+I will kill and cook him.&rdquo; Oh, how the poor
+little sister grieved, as she was forced to fetch
+the water, and fast the tears ran down her
+cheeks! &ldquo;Dear good God, help us now!&rdquo; she
+exclaimed. &ldquo;Had we only been eaten by the wild
+beasts in the wood, then we should have died
+together.&rdquo; But the old witch called out, &ldquo;Leave
+off that noise; it will not help you a bit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So early in the morning Grethel was forced
+to go out and fill the kettle, and make a fire.
+&ldquo;First, we will bake, however,&rdquo; said the old
+woman; &ldquo;I have already heated the oven and
+kneaded the dough;&rdquo; and so saying, she pushed
+poor Grethel up to the oven, out of which the
+flames were burning fiercely. &ldquo;Creep in,&rdquo; said
+the witch, &ldquo;and see if it is hot enough, and then
+we will put in the bread;&rdquo; but she intended when
+Grethel got in to shut up the oven and let her
+bake, so that she might eat her as well as Hansel.
+Grethel perceived what her thoughts were, and
+said, &ldquo;I do not know how to do it; how shall
+I get in?&rdquo; &ldquo;You stupid goose,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;the
+opening is big enough. See, I could even get in myself!&rdquo;
+and she got up, and put her head into the
+oven. Then Grethel gave her a push, so that she
+fell right in, and then shutting the iron door she
+bolted it. Oh! how horribly she howled; but
+Grethel ran away, and left the ungodly witch to
+burn to ashes.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 370px;">
+<img src="images/img53.jpg" width="370" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;she led them into her cottage&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Now she ran to Hansel, and, opening his door,
+called out, &ldquo;Hansel, we are saved; the old witch
+is dead.&rdquo; So he sprang out, like a bird out of
+his cage when the door is opened; and they were
+so glad that they fell upon each other&#8217;s neck,
+and kissed each other over and over again. And
+now, as there was nothing to fear, they went into
+the witch&#8217;s house, where in every corner were
+caskets full of pearls and precious stones. &ldquo;These
+are better than pebbles,&rdquo; said Hansel, putting as
+many into his pocket as it would hold; while
+Grethel thought, &ldquo;I will take some home too,&rdquo;
+and filled her apron full. &ldquo;We must be off now,&rdquo;
+said Hansel, &ldquo;and get out of this enchanted forest;&rdquo;
+but when they had walked for two hours
+they came to a large piece of water. &ldquo;We cannot
+get over,&rdquo; said Hansel; &ldquo;I can see no bridge at
+all.&rdquo; &ldquo;And there is no boat either,&rdquo; said Grethel,
+&ldquo;but there swims a white duck, I will ask her to
+help us over;&rdquo; and she sang:</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Little Duck, good little duck,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grethel and Hansel, here we stand;</span><br />
+There is neither stile nor bridge,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Take us on your back to land.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>So the Duck came to them, and Hansel sat
+himself on, and bade his sister sit behind him.
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; answered Grethel, &ldquo;that will be too much
+for the Duck, she shall take us over one at a
+time.&rdquo; This the good little bird did, and when
+both were happily arrived on the other side, and
+had gone a little way, they came to a well-known
+wood, which they knew the better every
+step they went, and at last they perceived their
+father&#8217;s house. Then they began to run, and,
+bursting into the house, they fell on their father&#8217;s
+neck. He had not had one happy hour since he
+had left the children in the forest: and his wife
+was dead. Grethel shook her apron, and the
+pearls and precious stones rolled out upon the
+floor, and Hansel threw down one handful after
+the other out of his pocket. Then all their sorrows
+were ended, and they lived in happiness.</p>
+
+<p>My tale is done. There runs a mouse; whoever
+catches her may make a great, great cap out
+of her fur.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img54.jpg" width="500" height="431" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="sub1">Reproduced by special permission of the Artist</span><br />
+<span class="caption">twins<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a painting by joseph t. pearson, jr.</span>
+</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img55.jpg" width="500" height="154" alt="Stories by favorite american writers" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE FLAG-BEARER</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY CAROLYN SHERWIN BAILEY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>The primary class had a very beautiful American
+flag, and some child was going to carry it
+from the schoolroom across the park and into
+the Town Hall on the holiday. All the primary
+children would march after the flag, and they
+were going to sing &ldquo;America&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Star
+Spangled Banner.&rdquo; It would be a wonderful day
+and each child wanted to carry the flag.</p>
+
+<p>No one was sure who would be chosen as flag-bearer,
+but their teacher had said the week before:
+&ldquo;It will be the child who loves his country
+the most who will carry the Stars and Stripes.
+Try and do something for your country during
+the week.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the children had been very busy ever since
+doing all sorts of things that would show how
+they loved their country.</p>
+
+<p>Marjory had been knitting for soldiers. Her
+grandmother had given her a pair of pretty yellow
+needles and a ball of soft gray yarn and had
+started a scarf. But the stitches would drop,
+and there was still enough snow for sliding on
+the hill back of Marjory&#8217;s house. Her knitting
+was not much further along on Saturday than on
+Monday.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will show how much I love my country,&rdquo;
+Hubert said, and he asked his mother to take the
+gilt buttons from his great-grandfather&#8217;s soldier
+coat that hung in the attic and sew them on his
+reefer. Then he showed the bright buttons to
+all the other children, and they thought that
+Hubert looked very fine indeed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I shall wear them when I carry the flag next
+week,&rdquo; Hubert told them.</p>
+
+<p>But the children thought that perhaps Roger
+would be chosen as flag-bearer because he bought
+such a large flag with the money in his bank,
+and put it up on the flagpole in his front yard.
+Roger&#8217;s father helped him raise the flag on a rope
+so that he could pull it down at night, but once
+the Stars and Stripes were flying Roger forgot
+all about them. His flag stayed out in the wind
+and sleet, and its bright colors faded and the
+stripes were torn.</p>
+
+<p>After all, the children decided, it would be
+Edward who would carry the flag. Edward had
+a dog named Trusty, and he decided to train him
+to be a Red Cross dog. He put a white band with
+a red cross on it around Trusty and harnessed
+him to a little express wagon to carry bundles.
+Trusty had never worn a harness in his life, or
+been fastened to anything. He tried to get away
+from the wagon, but Edward strapped the harness
+more tightly. The straps hurt Trusty, and it
+hurt his feelings to be made to drag the cart; but
+Edward drove him to and from the drug-store
+and the grocery and the butcher&#8217;s, carrying the
+parcels that Edward had always brought alone
+before.</p>
+
+<p>The other children, too, all tried to do unusual
+things to win themselves the place of flag-bearer.
+They played their drums in the street and made
+soldier caps and wooden swords and drilled. The
+little girls dressed up and played army nurse with
+their dolls. The boys bought toy soldiers and
+horns at the toy shop. There was a great deal
+of noise everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>Then it was the holiday, and everyone was
+greatly excited over what was going to happen.
+Whoever had a red ribbon, or a blue necktie, or
+a red-white-and-blue badge felt very proud indeed
+to wear it. Every child sat as still as a mouse as
+the teacher spoke to them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Marjory showed me five rows that she had
+knitted for a soldier when I went to her house
+a few days ago,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I wonder how many
+rows she has finished now?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Only five,&rdquo; Marjory said softly.</p>
+
+<p>Hubert touched the buttons on his reefer and
+sat up very straight in his place.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am wearing my great-grandfather&#8217;s soldier
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>
+buttons,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That ought to make you feel as brave as he
+was, when he earned the right to wear them in
+battle,&rdquo; the teacher said; and Hubert suddenly
+thought that gilt buttons had not made him into
+a soldier at all.</p>
+
+<p>The other children began to think, too, as they
+looked up at the Stars and Stripes at the end of
+the room. Edward remembered how the harness
+had hurt Trusty, and the boy with the drum remembered
+how he had awakened the baby from
+her nap. Roger thought of his torn flag, flapping
+in the wind on the top of the flagpole. No one
+said anything until the teacher looked at the end
+of the class and smiled, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Peter!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Peter smiled back, and tried to cover up the
+holes in his jacket sleeves, and tucked his old
+shoes under the seat. Peter&#8217;s father had gone to
+be a soldier, and there were his mother, and the
+two babies, and his grandfather who was blind,
+at home.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What have you been doing all the week,
+Peter?&rdquo; the teacher asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tending the babies so that mother could go
+to the factory and sew the soldiers&#8217; uniforms,&rdquo;
+Peter said. &ldquo;And leading grandfather out for
+a walk when it was a sunny day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Peter&#8217;s got a little flag hanging out of the
+window,&rdquo; one of the children said, &ldquo;and he&#8217;s so
+careful of it. He takes it in every night and puts
+it out again in the morning.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He saluted the flag and took off his hat to it
+when the parade went by the other day,&rdquo; said
+another child. Everyone loved merry, ragged
+Peter, who could play so gayly when he had time
+for a game.</p>
+
+<p>Just then they heard the band outside. It was
+playing, &ldquo;The Red, White and Blue,&rdquo; the music
+to which the children were to march with the
+flag.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who shall be our flag-bearer?&rdquo; the teacher
+asked.</p>
+
+<p>The children knew now. They were quite sure.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Peter!&rdquo; they said.</p>
+
+<p>So Peter carried the Stars and Stripes across
+the park and into the Town Hall, with all the
+primary children marching like soldiers behind.
+The wind blew it around him like a cloak to cover
+up the holes in his jacket sleeves and his old
+shoes. Wherever he looked he could see the
+colors; the sky was as blue as the field in the
+flag, a few snow stars lay on the ground and
+the first robin redbreast sang on a branch over
+his head. And the children following Peter knew
+what the colors told them to do for their country&mdash;to
+be brave, and good, and true at home.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHUCK" id="CHUCK"></a>JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS<br />
+THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD<a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THORNTON W. BURGESS</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Old Mother West Wind had stopped to talk
+with the Slender Fir Tree.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve just come across the Green Meadows,&rdquo;
+said Old Mother West Wind, &ldquo;and there I saw
+the Best Thing in the World.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Striped Chipmunk was sitting under the Slender
+Fir Tree, and he couldn&#8217;t help hearing what Old
+Mother West Wind said. &ldquo;The Best Thing in the
+World&mdash;now what can that be?&rdquo; thought Striped
+Chipmunk. &ldquo;Why, it must be heaps and heaps
+of nuts and acorns! I&#8217;ll go and find it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Striped Chipmunk started down the Lone
+Little Path through the wood as fast as he could
+run. Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going in such a hurry, Striped
+Chipmunk?&rdquo; asked Peter Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best
+Thing in the World,&rdquo; replied Striped Chipmunk,
+and ran faster.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Best Thing in the World,&rdquo; said Peter
+Rabbit, &ldquo;why, that must be a great pile of carrots
+and cabbage! I think I&#8217;ll go and find it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Peter Rabbit started down the Lone Little
+Path through the wood as fast as he could go
+after Striped Chipmunk.</p>
+
+<p>As they passed the great hollow tree Bobby
+Coon put his head out. &ldquo;Where are you going in
+such a hurry?&rdquo; asked Bobby Coon.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best
+Thing in the World!&rdquo; shouted Striped Chipmunk
+and Peter Rabbit, and both began to run
+faster.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Best Thing in the World,&rdquo; said Bobby
+Coon to himself; &ldquo;why, that must be a whole
+field of sweet milky corn. I think I&#8217;ll go and find
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Bobby Coon climbed down out of the great
+hollow tree and started down the Lone Little
+Path through the wood as fast as he could go
+after Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit, for
+there is nothing that Bobby Coon likes to eat so
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>
+well as sweet milky corn.</p>
+
+<p>At the edge of the wood they met Jimmy Skunk.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going in such a hurry?&rdquo; asked
+Jimmy Skunk.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best
+Thing in the World!&rdquo; shouted Striped Chipmunk,
+and Peter Rabbit, and Bobby Coon. Then they
+all tried to run faster.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Best Thing in the World,&rdquo; said Jimmy
+Skunk. &ldquo;Why, that must be packs and packs of
+beetles!&rdquo; And for once in his life Jimmy Skunk
+began to hurry down the Lone Little Path after
+Striped Chipmunk, and Peter Rabbit, and Bobby
+Coon.</p>
+
+<p>They were all running so fast that they didn&#8217;t
+see Reddy Fox until he jumped out of the long
+grass and asked:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going in such a hurry?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To find the Best Thing in the World!&rdquo; shouted
+Striped Chipmunk, and Peter Rabbit, and Bobby
+Coon, and Jimmy Skunk, and each did his best to
+run faster.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Best Thing in the World,&rdquo; said Reddy
+Fox to himself, &ldquo;why, that must be a whole pen
+full of tender young chickens, and I must have
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So away went Reddy Fox as fast as he could
+run down the Lone Little Path after Striped
+Chipmunk, Peter Rabbit, Bobby Coon, and Jimmy
+Skunk.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by they all came to the house of Johnny
+Chuck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going in such a hurry?&rdquo; asked
+Johnny Chuck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To find the Best Thing in the World,&rdquo; shouted
+Striped Chipmunk, and Peter Rabbit, and Bobby
+Coon, and Jimmy Skunk, and Reddy Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Best Thing in the World,&rdquo; said Johnny
+Chuck. &ldquo;Why, I don&#8217;t know of anything better
+than my own little home, and the warm sunshine,
+and the beautiful blue sky.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Johnny Chuck stayed at home and played all
+day among the flowers with the Merry Little
+Breezes of Old Mother West Wind, and was as
+happy as could be.</p>
+
+<p>But all day long Striped Chipmunk, and Peter
+Rabbit, and Reddy Fox, and Bobby Coon, and
+Jimmy Skunk, ran this way and ran that way over
+the Green Meadows trying to find the Best Thing
+in the World. The sun was very, very warm,
+and they ran so far and ran so fast that they were
+very, very hot and tired, and still they hadn&#8217;t
+found the Best Thing in the World.</p>
+
+<p>When the long day was over they started up
+the Lone Little Path past Johnny Chuck&#8217;s house
+to their own homes. They didn&#8217;t hurry now,
+for they were so very, very tired! And they were
+cross&mdash;oh, so cross!</p>
+
+<p>Striped Chipmunk hadn&#8217;t found so much as the
+leaf of a cabbage. Bobby Coon hadn&#8217;t found the
+tiniest bit of sweet milky corn. Jimmy Skunk
+hadn&#8217;t seen a single beetle. Reddy Fox hadn&#8217;t
+heard so much as the peep of a chicken. And all
+were hungry as hungry could be.</p>
+
+<p>Half way up the Lone Little Path they met Old
+Mother West Wind going to her home behind the
+hill. &ldquo;Did you find the Best Thing in the World?&rdquo;
+asked Old Mother West Wind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No!&rdquo; shouted Striped Chipmunk, and Peter
+Rabbit, and Bobby Coon, and Jimmy Skunk, and
+Reddy Fox, all together.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Johnny Chuck has it,&rdquo; said Old Mother West
+Wind. &ldquo;It is being happy with the things you
+have, and not wanting things which some one
+else has. And it is called Con-tent-ment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+</div>
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> From &ldquo;Old Mother West Wind,&rdquo; by Thornton W. Burgess;
+used by permission of the author and the publishers,
+Little, Brown &amp; Company.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="WEE" id="WEE"></a>LITTLE WEE PUMPKIN&#8217;S THANKSGIVING<a name="FNanchor_B_2" id="FNanchor_B_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_B_2" class="fnanchor">[B]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY MADGE A. BINGHAM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>It was the night before Thanksgiving in Peter
+Pumpkin-eater&#8217;s garden. Great Big Pumpkin,
+Middle-Sized Pumpkin, and Little Wee Pumpkin
+were speaking together.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All here?&rdquo; asked Great Big Pumpkin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m here,&rdquo; answered Middle-Sized Pumpkin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m here,&rdquo; answered Little Wee Pumpkin.
+&ldquo;But I heard Peter say that he would pull us
+to-morrow and send us away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That will be fine!&rdquo; said Great Big Pumpkin.
+&ldquo;I hope we shall make good pies for some one&#8217;s
+dinner. I wish we could go to the palace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So do I,&rdquo; said Middle-Sized Pumpkin. &ldquo;Maybe
+we could see the King.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I should like to see Cinderella,&rdquo; said Little
+Wee Pumpkin. &ldquo;But I am not large enough to
+go to the palace. Still, I wish I could make some
+one glad on Thanksgiving Day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little Wee Pumpkin was the first to wake in
+the morning. Peter had opened the garden gate,
+and Cinderella was walking into the garden.</p>
+
+<p>Little Wee Pumpkin opened her eyes and
+listened.</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella was beautiful, and Little Wee Pumpkin
+knew that she was good and kind. She was
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>
+carrying a basket full of yellow flowers.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They are for you, Peter,&rdquo; she said, laughing.
+&ldquo;I have brought them from the palace garden.
+They are for your Thanksgiving.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now you must help me find the right pumpkin
+for a jack-o&#8217;-lantern. It is to make a little girl
+glad. She has been ill a long time, and must
+have a jack-o&#8217;-lantern for Thanksgiving.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my lady,&rdquo; said Peter; and they went
+from vine to vine.</p>
+
+<p>First, they stopped at Great Big Pumpkin, but
+that was too large. Then they stopped at Middle-Sized
+Pumpkin, but that was too flat. Then
+they stopped at Little Wee Pumpkin, and that
+was just right.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This is the pumpkin for the jack-o&#8217;-lantern,
+Peter,&rdquo; she said, pointing to Little Wee Pumpkin.
+&ldquo;This will make the little girl glad.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my lady,&rdquo; said Peter, as he pulled Little
+Wee Pumpkin from the vine.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The two large pumpkins shall go to the palace,
+to the King,&rdquo; said Cinderella. &ldquo;They will make
+fine pies for his Thanksgiving dinner.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my lady,&rdquo; said Peter, as he pulled the two
+pumpkins from the vines.</p>
+
+<p>So Great Big, Middle-Sized, and Little Wee
+all had their wishes.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_B_2" id="Footnote_B_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_B_2"><span class="label">[B]</span></a> From &ldquo;Mother Goose Village,&rdquo; by Madge A. Bingham,
+published by Rand, McNally &amp; Company, and used by special
+arrangement.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="KING" id="KING"></a>THE COMING OF THE KING<a name="FNanchor_C_3" id="FNanchor_C_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_C_3" class="fnanchor">[C]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY LAURA E. RICHARDS</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Some children were at play in their playground
+one day when a herald rode through the town,
+blowing a trumpet, and crying aloud: &ldquo;The King!
+The King passes by this road to-day!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you hear that?&rdquo; they said. &ldquo;The King is
+coming. He may look over the wall and see our
+playground: who knows? We must put it in
+order.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The playground was sadly dirty, and in the
+corners were scraps of paper and broken toys&mdash;for
+these were careless children! But now, one
+brought a hoe, and another a rake, and a third
+ran to fetch the wheelbarrow from behind the
+garden gate. They labored hard, till at length all
+was clean and tidy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now it is clean!&rdquo; they said; &ldquo;but we must
+make it pretty, too, for kings are used to fine
+things; maybe he would not notice mere cleanness,
+for he may have it all the time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then one brought sweet rushes and strewed
+them on the ground; and others made garlands
+of oak leaves and pine tassels and hung them on
+the walls; and the littlest one pulled marigold
+buds and threw them all about the playground.</p>
+
+<p>When all was done the playground was so
+beautiful that the children stood and looked at it,
+and clapped their hands with pleasure.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let us keep it always like this!&rdquo; said the
+littlest one; and the others cried: &ldquo;Yes! yes!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They waited all day for the coming of the
+King, but he did not come; only, toward sunset,
+a man with travel-worn clothes, and a kind, tired
+face passed along the road, and stopped to look
+over the wall.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What a pleasant place!&rdquo; said the man. &ldquo;May
+I come in and rest, dear children?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The children brought him in gladly, and set him
+on the seat that they had made out of an old
+cask. They had covered it with an old red cloak,
+to make it look like a throne; and it made a very
+good one.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is our playground!&rdquo; they said. &ldquo;We made
+it pretty for the King, but he did not come, and
+now we mean to keep it so for ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is good!&rdquo; said the man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because we think pretty and clean is nicer
+than ugly and dirty!&rdquo; said another.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is better!&rdquo; said the man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And for tired people to rest in!&rdquo; said the
+littlest one.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is best of all!&rdquo; said the man.</p>
+
+<p>He sat and rested, and looked at the children
+with such kind eyes that they came about him, and
+told him all they knew; about the five puppies in
+the barn, and the thrush&#8217;s nest with four blue
+eggs, and the shore where the gold shells grew:
+and the man nodded, and understood all about it.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by he asked for a cup of water, and
+they brought it to him in the best cup, with the
+gold sprigs on it, then he thanked the children,
+and rose and went on his way; but before he went
+he laid his hand on their heads for a moment, and
+the touch went warm to their hearts.</p>
+
+<p>The children stood by the wall and watched the
+man as he went slowly along. The sun was setting,
+and the light fell in long slanting rays across
+the road.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He looks so tired!&rdquo; said one of the children.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But he was so kind!&rdquo; said another.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See!&rdquo; said the littlest one. &ldquo;How the sun
+shines on his hair! it looks like a crown of
+gold.&rdquo;</p>
+
+</div>
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_C_3" id="Footnote_C_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_C_3"><span class="label">[C]</span></a> From &ldquo;The Golden Windows,&rdquo; by Laura E. Richards; published
+by Little, Brown &amp; Company, Boston. Used by permission of the publishers.</p></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 366px;">
+<img src="images/img59.jpg" width="366" height="500" alt="The Coming of the King" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE LITTLE PIG<a name="FNanchor_D_4" id="FNanchor_D_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_D_4" class="fnanchor">[D]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY MAUD LINDSAY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time a little black-and-white pig
+with a curly tail went out to take a morning walk.
+He intended to go to the Mud Puddle, but before
+he got there he came to a garden gate that was
+stretched wide open.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Umph, umph,&rdquo; said the little pig, when he saw
+it; &ldquo;isn&#8217;t this fine? I have wanted to get into
+this garden ever since I can remember.&rdquo; And in
+he went as fast as his four short legs could carry
+him.</p>
+
+<p>The garden was full of flowers. There were
+pansies, and daisies, and violets, and honeysuckles,
+and all the bright flowers that you can name.
+Everything was in the proper place. There were
+tulips on either side of the garden walk, and
+hollyhocks stood in a straight row against the
+fence. The pansies had a garden bed all to themselves,
+and the young vines were just beginning
+to climb up on the frame that the gardener had
+made for their special benefit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Umph, umph, nice place,&rdquo; said the little pig;
+and he put his nose down in the pansy bed and
+began to root up the pansies, for he thought that
+was the way to behave in a garden.</p>
+
+<p>While he was enjoying himself there the brown
+hen came down the road with her family. She
+had thirteen children, and she was looking for a
+nice rich spot where they might scratch for their
+breakfast. When she saw the open gate she was
+delighted.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Cluck, cluck, come on,&rdquo; she said to her chicks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Peep, peep, peep,&rdquo; said the little chickens, &ldquo;is
+it a worm?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is a beautiful garden, and there is nothing
+that I like better than to scratch in a garden,&rdquo;
+answered the hen, as she bustled through the
+gate. The chickens followed her, and soon they
+were all busy scratching among the violets.</p>
+
+<p>They had not been there very long when the
+red cow walked by the garden. She was on her
+way to the Pond, but when she saw the open garden
+gate she decided at once to go in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Moo, moo,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;this is delightful. Tender
+flowers are such a treat.&rdquo; And she swished
+her tail over her back as she nipped the daisies
+from their stems.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Cluck,&rdquo; said the hen, &ldquo;Peep,&rdquo; said the chicks,
+&ldquo;Umph,&rdquo; said the little pig, for they were pleased
+to have company. While they were talking a
+rabbit with very bright eyes peeped in at the gate.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, is it a party?&rdquo; he said when he saw the
+red cow, and the pig with a curly tail, and the
+hen and chickens.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come in,&rdquo; said the pig, &ldquo;and help yourself.
+There is plenty of room.&rdquo; So the rabbit hopped
+into the garden and nibbled the green leaves and
+the young vines.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How many of us are here?&rdquo; asked the red
+cow, but before any of them could count, the
+gardener came home.</p>
+
+<p>When <em>he</em> looked into the garden he began to
+cry: &ldquo;Oh, my pretty pansies! my dear daisies!
+my sweet violets! my tender young vines!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is he talking about?&rdquo; said the chickens.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose he wants us to go out,&rdquo; answered
+the hen; and she ruffled her feathers and quarreled
+as the gardener came hurrying toward
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Then the cow ran one way and the pig ran
+another. The little chickens got lost in the
+bushes, and the rabbit hid in the vines. The hen
+cackled, and the pig squealed, and the gardener
+scolded. By the time he had driven them all out
+of the garden the sun was high in the sky.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Umph, umph,&rdquo; cried the little pig, as he scampered
+down the road, &ldquo;we will all come back
+to-morrow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But when they went back the next day the
+garden gate was fastened close, and not even the
+smallest chicken could get inside.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_D_4" id="Footnote_D_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_D_4"><span class="label">[D]</span></a> From &ldquo;More Winter Stories,&rdquo; by Maud Lindsay; used by
+permission of the publishers, Milton Bradley Company,
+Springfield, Mass.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="TRAVELS" id="TRAVELS"></a>THE TRAVELS OF THE LITTLE TOY SOLDIER</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY CAROLYN SHERWIN BAILEY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>He was the largest and the best dressed and
+the bravest looking of all the toy soldiers in the
+toy shop. Some of the toy soldiers were made of
+paper, and these tore easily if they even tried
+to drill. Some of the toy soldiers were made
+of tin, and these bent if they had an encounter.</p>
+
+<p>But this toy soldier, who stood head and shoulders
+above the others, was made of wood. He had
+once been part of a great pine tree that stood
+in the forest, and his heart was as brave and true
+as the heart of the tree.</p>
+
+<p>His trousers were painted green, with yellow
+stripes; and his jacket was painted red, with gold
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>
+buttons. He wore a painted blue cap upon the
+side of his head, with a band that went under his
+chin, and he carried a wooden gun in one arm.
+He could stand alone, for his wooden legs were
+glued to a block of wood, and his eyes were black
+and shining, and his mouth was painted in a
+smile.</p>
+
+<p>When the Toy Soldier went from the toy shop
+to live in Gregory&#8217;s house the little boy thought
+that he had never seen such a fine soldier in his
+life. He made him captain of all the soldier
+ninepins and guard of the toy train, and he took
+him to bed with him at night. Then, one day,
+James, who lived next door and was Gregory&#8217;s
+neighbor, came over to play with Gregory.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What a nice Toy Soldier!&rdquo; James said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, he&#8217;s mine,&rdquo; Gregory said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;May I play with him?&rdquo; James asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, I said he was my Toy Soldier,&rdquo; Gregory
+answered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then I&#8217;ll take him,&rdquo; James said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I won&#8217;t let you,&rdquo; Gregory said.</p>
+
+<p>Then the two little boys began pulling the Toy
+Soldier to see which could get him away from
+the other, and the Toy Soldier did not like it
+at all. He was fond of a good battle, but not
+of a quarrel. He decided that he would not stay
+in a house where there was a quarrelsome boy,
+and so he tumbled out of a window that was
+close by and fell, down, down, to the street
+below.</p>
+
+<p>The Toy Soldier had not lain long on the sidewalk
+when Harold passed by and picked him up.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wanted a toy soldier and here is the finest
+one I ever saw,&rdquo; Harold said; and he slipped
+the soldier inside his coat and started on, for he
+was going to school. The Toy Soldier lay close
+to Harold&#8217;s watch that was tick, tick, ticking the
+time away, but Harold loitered, and at last he
+stopped to play a game of marbles with another
+little boy whom he met. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t care if I am
+late for school,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oho!&rdquo; thought the Toy Soldier, and as the
+two little boys played he dropped out from under
+Harold&#8217;s coat and into the gutter. When Harold
+reached school, late, the Toy Soldier was gone.</p>
+
+<p>Joe found the Toy Soldier in the gutter and
+ran home with him to his mother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have a Toy Soldier!&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How brave he looks,&rdquo; said Joe&#8217;s mother.</p>
+
+<p>All the rest of the day the Toy Soldier went
+about with Joe and listened to what he said and
+watched what he did.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t go to the grocer&#8217;s; I&#8217;m afraid of his
+dog.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t put in that nail. I am afraid that the
+hammer will slip and hit my finger.&rdquo; This was
+what the Toy Soldier heard.</p>
+
+<p>Then it was Joe&#8217;s bedtime, and the Toy Soldier
+went upstairs with him to bed, but Joe cried all
+the way.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m afraid of the dark!&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>When Joe was asleep the Toy Soldier slipped
+out of his hand and fell into a scrap basket. He
+knew very well that he couldn&#8217;t stay with a child
+who was a coward.</p>
+
+<p>No one saw the Toy Soldier when the basket
+was emptied in the morning. He went with the
+scraps into a huge bag, and then into a wagon,
+and then into a factory where men sorted the
+cloth to make it into paper. One of these men
+found the Toy Soldier and took him home to
+his little boy, who was lame and had to stay alone
+all day.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Has it been a good day, John?&rdquo; his father
+asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes!&rdquo; laughed John as he hugged the
+Toy Soldier.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have my supper ready just in time,&rdquo; his
+father said, watching the soup bubbling in a shining
+pot on the stove.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I cleaned a little and set the table,&rdquo; John
+said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Has your back hurt you very much to-day?&rdquo;
+asked his father.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A little, but I don&#8217;t mind that,&rdquo; John said.
+&ldquo;See how fine the Toy Soldier looks standing on
+the table!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oho!&rdquo; thought the Toy Soldier, &ldquo;now I have
+found a place where I can stay. Here is another
+soldier, cheerful and willing to work, and brave!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="DUMPS" id="DUMPS"></a>WHAT HAPPENED TO DUMPS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY CAROLYN SHERWIN BAILEY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a queer little elf
+named Dumps, who lived all by himself in a dark
+little house down in a valley. Ever since he
+could remember, things had gone wrong with him.</p>
+
+<p>He shivered in the cold and kicked the coal
+bucket when the fire wouldn&#8217;t burn. He howled
+when he stumbled over his own dinner pots that
+he had left in the middle of the floor; and he
+stood in his front door and scowled when other
+happy elves went by without speaking to him.</p>
+
+<p>He and his family had lived like that for years.
+When any elf wanted to describe something very
+sad he would say it was &ldquo;Down in the Dumps.&rdquo;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>
+And so Dumps went on without a single happy
+day.</p>
+
+<p>But suddenly the elves decided to give a party.
+Oh, it was going to be a very jolly party indeed,
+and Dumps heard about it. Almost every elf
+who passed was whistling, or singing something
+cheerful. And some of them carried their best
+green suits to the Wood Fairy&#8217;s house to be
+pressed. And when Dumps heard about the party,
+he cried so loud because he knew he wouldn&#8217;t be
+invited that the Wood Fairy heard him. The
+noise disturbed her, and she went down to Dumps&#8217;
+house to see what was the matter with him <em>now</em>.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tell me all about it, from the beginning, my
+dear,&rdquo; she said to poor little Dumps.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t see the sunshine!&rdquo; Dumps howled.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course, you can&#8217;t,&rdquo; said the Wood Fairy.
+&ldquo;Your windows are dirty. Get some nice spring
+water in your little pail and wash them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dumps had never thought of doing that. When
+he washed the windows the sunbeams streamed
+in like a golden ladder.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is there something else the matter?&rdquo; the Wood
+Fairy asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My fire won&#8217;t burn, even though I kick the
+coal bucket every day,&rdquo; Dumps sobbed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, try blowing the fire,&rdquo; the Wood Fairy
+suggested.</p>
+
+<p>Dumps had never thought of doing that. His
+bellows were stiff, but he blew them very hard,
+and&mdash;crackle&mdash;there was a nice bright fire, and
+his kettle began to sing!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is that all?&rdquo; asked the Wood Fairy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; Dumps sighed, &ldquo;The other elves are
+giving a party, and I&#8217;m not invited.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is for all the elves, and you don&#8217;t have to be
+invited,&rdquo; the Wood Fairy said. &ldquo;Stand up straight
+and let me brush your suit. Now run along, my
+dear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Dumps started up the hill to the party,
+laughing all the way, for he just couldn&#8217;t help it.
+You see, he had so many years of being one of
+the Dumps to make up for! He laughed until
+all his wrinkles were gone, and he was puffed
+out with happiness. He started bees buzzing, and
+grasshoppers fiddling, and crickets chirping.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who can this new, fat, cheerful elf be?&rdquo;
+asked all the other elves, as Dumps arrived at
+the party, turning a double-somersault into their
+midst. &ldquo;We are all here except Dumps, and of
+course this isn&#8217;t he?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Dumps showed them how he could turn
+back-somersaults, and make a see-saw out of a
+rush leaf. He taught them how to play baseball
+with white clover heads, and how to make a swing
+of braided grasses. He surprised himself with
+all the good times he was able to think up.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course, this isn&#8217;t Dumps,&rdquo; the other elves
+decided. &ldquo;His name must be Delight.&rdquo; And
+Dumps never told them their mistake, for it
+wasn&#8217;t really a mistake at all. Now, was it?</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;">
+<img src="images/img062.jpg" width="345" height="229" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+It was the schooner Hesperus,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That sailed the wintry sea;</span><br />
+And the skipper had taken his little daughter,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">To bear him company.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Her cheeks like the dawn of day,</span><br />
+And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That ope in the month of May.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+The skipper he stood beside the helm,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">His pipe was in his mouth;</span><br />
+And he watched how the veering flaw did blow<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The smoke now west, now south.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Then up and spake an old Sailor,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Had sailed to the Spanish Main:</span><br />
+"I pray thee, put into yonder port,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For I fear a hurricane.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+&ldquo;Last night, the moon had a golden ring,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And to-night no moon we see!&rdquo;</span><br />
+The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And a scornful laugh laughed he.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Colder and louder blew the wind,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A gale from the northeast,</span><br />
+The snow fell hissing in the brine,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And the billows frothed like yeast.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Down came the storm, and smote amain,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The vessel in its strength;</span><br />
+She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Then leaped her cable&#8217;s length.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+&ldquo;Come hither! come hither! my little daughter,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And do not tremble so;</span><br />
+For I can weather the roughest gale,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That ever wind did blow.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+He wrapped her warm in his seaman&#8217;s coat<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Against the stinging blast;</span><br />
+He cut a rope from a broken spar,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And bound her to the mast.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+&ldquo;O father! I hear the church-bells ring,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh say, what may it be?&rdquo;</span><br />
+&ldquo;&#8217;Tis a fog-bell on a rock-bound coast!&rdquo;&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And he steered for the open sea.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+&ldquo;O father! I hear the sound of guns.<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh say, what may it be?&rdquo;</span><br />
+&ldquo;Some ship in distress, that cannot live<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In such an angry sea!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+&ldquo;O father! I see a gleaming light.<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh say, what may it be?&rdquo;</span><br />
+But the father answered never a word,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A frozen corpse was he.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With his face turned to the skies,</span><br />
+The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snow<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On his fixed and glassy eyes.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayed<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That saved she might be;</span><br />
+And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On the Lake of Galilee.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+And fast through the midnight dark and drear,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Through the whistling sleet and snow,</span><br />
+Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Toward the reef of Norman&#8217;s Woe.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+And ever the fitful gusts between<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A sound came from the land;</span><br />
+It was the sound of the trampling surf,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On the rocks and the hard sea-sand.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+The breakers were right beneath her bows,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">She drifted a dreary wreck,</span><br />
+And a whooping billow swept the crew<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Like icicles from her deck.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+She struck where the white and fleecy waves<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Looked soft as carded wool,</span><br />
+But the cruel rocks, they gored her side<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Like the horns of an angry bull.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With the masts went by the board;</span><br />
+Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ho! ho! the breakers roared!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A fisherman stood aghast,</span><br />
+To see the form of a maiden fair,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lashed close to a drifting mast.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+The salt sea was frozen on her breast,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The salt tears in her eyes;</span><br />
+And he saw her hair, like the brown seaweed,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On the billows fall and rise.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Such was the wreck of the Hesperus,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In the midnight and the snow!</span><br />
+Christ save us all from a death like this,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On the reef of Norman&#8217;s Woe.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img64.jpg" width="500" height="450" alt="Ballad of the Little Page" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+It was a little, little page,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Was brought from far away,</span><br />
+To bear the great queen&#8217;s velvet train<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Upon her bridal day.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+His yellow curls were long and bright,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">His page&#8217;s suit was blue,</span><br />
+With golden clasps at neck and knee,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And ruffles fair and new.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And faith, he was the smallest page<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The court had ever known:</span><br />
+His head scarce reached the topmost step<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That led up to the throne.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And oh, &#8217;t was but a little lad<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Had never been before</span><br />
+So many leagues from kin and friends,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And from his father&#8217;s door!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And oh!&mdash;&#8217;t was but a little child<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Who never yet, I wis,</span><br />
+Had stolen lonely to his bed<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Without his mother&#8217;s kiss.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+He had not seen the noble queen,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of whom his heart had fear;</span><br />
+He knew no friend at court to give<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A welcome and good cheer.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+It was the busy night before<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The great queen&#8217;s wedding-day,</span><br />
+And all was bustle, haste, and noise,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And every one was gay;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And each one had his task to do,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And none had time to spare</span><br />
+To tend a weeping little page<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Whose mother was not there.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Far in a big and gloomy room<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Within the castle keep,</span><br />
+The little page lay all alone,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And wept, and could not sleep.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+The little page lay all alone,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And hid his head and cried,</span><br />
+Until it seemed his aching heart<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Would burst his little side.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+The chamber door was set ajar,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And one was passing by</span><br />
+Who heard the little page&#8217;s sobs<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And then his piteous cry.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Then some one lifted up the latch<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And pushed the heavy door,</span><br />
+And then a lady entered in<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And crossed the chamber floor&mdash;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+A lady tall and sweet and fair,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In bridal white who stepped;</span><br />
+She stood beside the page&#8217;s bed,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And asked him why he wept.</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;">
+<img src="images/img65.jpg" width="342" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&mdash;and none had time to spare
+to tend a little weeping page&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 351px;">
+<img src="images/img66.jpg" width="351" height="426" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;he trembled and looked down&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And then he sobbed about a &ldquo;kiss,&rdquo;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">His &ldquo;mother,&rdquo; and his &ldquo;home,&rdquo;</span><br />
+And wished the queen had called no page,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And wished he had not come;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+For she was &ldquo;such a proud, great queen&rdquo;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He was afraid, he said;</span><br />
+And he was &ldquo;lost and lonely&rdquo; there<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In that huge, gloomy bed.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And then the lady bent her down<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And kissed him on the lips,</span><br />
+And smoothed his yellow, silken curls<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With tender finger-tips.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+The tears stood in her gentle eyes;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">&ldquo;Poor little lad!&rdquo; she said,</span><br />
+And cuddled him up in her arms<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And knelt down by the bed.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And so she held him, close and warm,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And sang him off to sleep,</span><br />
+While at her nod her waiting-maids<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A silent watch did keep.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And when the morning smiled again<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The little page awoke.</span><br />
+They clad him in a suit of white,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With velvet cap and cloak,</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And crystal buckles on his shoes,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And led him to the queen,</span><br />
+All lovely in her bridal gear,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The fairest ever seen.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And he was such a tiny page,<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He trembled and looked down,</span><br />
+For he was sore afraid to see<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The great queen sternly frown.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+But lo! he heard a soft voice say,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">&ldquo;O little page, look here!</span><br />
+Am I, who sing to sleep so well,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A queen for child to fear?&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+He raised his eyes, and lo! the bride<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Looked on the page and smiled,</span><br />
+And then he knew the queen had played<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">At nurse-maid for a child.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And well he graced the wedding-feast<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And bore her velvet train,</span><br />
+And at his dear queen&#8217;s side thenceforth<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Was never sad again.</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img67.jpg" width="500" height="417" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="IMAGE" id="IMAGE"></a>THE SNOW-IMAGE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>One afternoon of a cold winter&#8217;s day, when
+the sun shone forth with chilly brightness, after
+a long storm, two children asked leave of their
+mother to run out and play in the new-fallen
+snow.</p>
+
+<p>The elder child was a little girl, whom, because
+she was of a tender and modest disposition,
+and was thought to be very beautiful, her
+parents and other people who were familiar with
+her used to call Violet.</p>
+
+<p>But her brother was known by the title of
+Peony, on account of the ruddiness of his broad
+and round little phiz, which made everybody
+think of sunshine and great scarlet flowers.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Violet&mdash;yes, my little Peony,&rdquo; said their
+kind mother; &ldquo;you may go and play in the snow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Forth sallied the two children, with a hop-skip-and-jump
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>
+that carried them at once into
+the very heart of a huge snowdrift, whence Violet
+emerged like a snow bunting, while little
+Peony floundered out with his round face in
+full bloom.</p>
+
+<p>Then what a merry time had they! To look
+at them frolicking in the wintry garden, you
+would have thought that the dark and pitiless
+storm had been sent for no other purpose but
+to provide a new plaything for Violet and
+Peony; and that they themselves had been created,
+as the snowbirds were, to take delight only
+in the tempest and in the white mantle which it
+spread over the earth.</p>
+
+<p>At last, when they had frosted one another
+all over with handfuls of snow, Violet, after
+laughing heartily at little Peony&#8217;s figure, was
+struck with a new idea.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You look exactly like a snow-image, Peony,&rdquo;
+said she, &ldquo;if your cheeks were not so red. And
+that puts me in mind! Let us make an image
+out of snow&mdash;an image of a little girl&mdash;and it
+shall be our sister, and shall run about and
+play with us all winter long. Won&#8217;t it be nice?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes!&rdquo; cried Peony, as plainly as he could
+speak, for he was but a little boy. &ldquo;That will be
+nice! And mamma shall see it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; answered Violet; &ldquo;mamma shall see the
+new little girl. But she must not make her come
+into the warm parlor, for, you know, our little
+snow-sister will not love the warmth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And forthwith the children began this great
+business of making a snow-image that should
+run about; while their mother, who was sitting at
+the window and overheard some of their talk,
+could not help smiling at the gravity with which
+they set about it. They really seemed to imagine
+that there would be no difficulty whatever in
+creating a live little girl out of the snow.</p>
+
+<p>Indeed, it was an exceedingly pleasant sight&mdash;those
+bright little souls at their tasks. Moreover,
+it was really wonderful to observe how
+knowingly and skillfully they managed the matter.
+Violet assumed the chief direction and told
+Peony what to do, while, with her own delicate
+fingers, she shaped out all the nicer parts of the
+snow-figure.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed, in fact, not so much to be made by
+the children, as to grow up under their hands,
+while they were playing and prattling about it.
+Their mother was quite surprised at this; and
+the longer she looked, the more and more surprised
+she grew.</p>
+
+<p>Now, for a few moments there was a busy
+and earnest but indistinct hum of the two children&#8217;s
+voices, as Violet and Peony wrought together
+with one happy consent. Violet still
+seemed to be the guiding spirit; while Peony
+acted rather as a laborer and brought her the
+snow from far and near. And yet the little
+urchin evidently had a proper understanding of
+the matter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Peony, Peony!&rdquo; cried Violet; for her brother
+was at the other side of the garden. &ldquo;Bring me
+those light wreaths of snow that have rested
+on the lower branches of the pear tree. You
+can clamber on the snowdrift, Peony, and reach
+them easily. I must have them to make some
+ringlets for our snow-sister&#8217;s head!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here they are, Violet!&rdquo; answered the little
+boy. &ldquo;Take care you do not break them. Well
+done! Well done! How pretty!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Does she not look sweet?&rdquo; said Violet, with a
+very satisfied tone; &ldquo;and now we must have
+some little shining bits of ice to make the brightness
+of her eyes. She is not finished yet. Mamma
+will see how very beautiful she is; but papa
+will say, &lsquo;Tush! nonsense! come in out of the
+cold!&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let us call mamma to look out,&rdquo; said Peony;
+and then he shouted, &ldquo;Mamma! mamma!! mamma!!!
+Look out and see what a nice &#8217;ittle girl
+we are making!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What a nice playmate she will be for us all
+winter long!&rdquo; said Violet. &ldquo;I hope papa will
+not be afraid of her giving us a cold! Shan&#8217;t
+you love her dearly, Peony?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes!&rdquo; cried Peony. &ldquo;And I will hug her
+and she shall sit down close by me and drink
+some of my warm milk.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no, Peony!&rdquo; answered Violet, with grave
+wisdom. &ldquo;That will not do at all. Warm milk
+will not be wholesome for our little snow-sister.
+Little snow-people, like her, eat nothing but
+icicles. No, no, Peony; we must not give her
+anything warm to drink!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was a minute or two of silence; for
+Peony, whose short legs were never weary, had
+gone again to the other side of the garden. All
+of a sudden, Violet cried out, loudly and joyfully:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look here, Peony! Come quickly! A light
+has been shining on her cheek out of that rose-colored
+cloud! And the color does not go away!
+Is not that beautiful?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, it is beau-ti-ful,&rdquo; answered Peony, pronouncing
+the three syllables with deliberate accuracy.
+&ldquo;O Violet, only look at her hair! It is
+all like gold!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, certainly,&rdquo; said Violet, as if it were very
+much a matter of course. &ldquo;That color, you
+know, comes from the golden clouds that we see
+up there in the sky. She is almost finished now.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>
+But her lips must be made very red&mdash;redder than
+her cheeks. Perhaps, Peony, it will make them
+red if we both kiss them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, the mother heard two smart little
+smacks, as if both her children were kissing the
+snow-image on its frozen mouth. But as this did
+not seem to make the lips quite red enough, Violet
+next proposed that the snow-child should be
+invited to kiss Peony&#8217;s scarlet cheek.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come, &#8217;ittle snow-sister, kiss me!&rdquo; cried
+Peony.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There! she has kissed you,&rdquo; added Violet,
+&ldquo;and now her lips are very red. And she blushed
+a little, too!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, what a cold kiss!&rdquo; cried Peony.</p>
+
+<p>Just then there came a breeze of the pure west
+wind sweeping through the garden, and rattling
+the parlor windows. It sounded so wintry cold
+that the mother was about to tap on the window-pane
+with her thimbled finger to summon the
+two children in when they both cried out to her
+with one voice:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mamma! mamma! We have finished our
+little snow-sister, and she is running about the
+garden with us!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What imaginative little beings my children
+are!&rdquo; thought the mother, putting the last few
+stitches into Peony&#8217;s frock. &ldquo;And it is strange,
+too, that they make me almost as much a child
+as they themselves are! I can hardly help believing
+now that the snow-image has really come
+to life!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear mamma!&rdquo; cried Violet, &ldquo;pray look out
+and see what a sweet playmate we have!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The mother, being thus entreated, could no
+longer delay to look forth from the window. The
+sun was now gone out of the sky, leaving, however,
+a rich inheritance of his brightness among
+those purple and golden clouds which make the
+sunsets of winter so magnificent.</p>
+
+<p>But there was not the slightest gleam or dazzle,
+either on the window or on the snow; so that
+the good lady could look all over the garden and
+see everything and everybody in it. And what do
+you think she saw there? Violet and Peony, of
+course, her own two darling children.</p>
+
+<p>Ah, but whom or what did she see besides?
+Why, if you will believe me, there was a small
+figure of a girl, dressed all in white, with rose-tinged
+cheeks and ringlets of golden hue, playing
+about the garden with the two children!</p>
+
+<p>A stranger though she was, the child seemed
+to be on as familiar terms with Violet and Peony,
+and they with her, as if all the three had been
+playmates during the whole of their little lives.</p>
+
+<p>The mother thought to herself that it must
+certainly be the daughter of one of the neighbors,
+and that, seeing Violet and Peony in the garden,
+the child had run across the street to play with
+them.</p>
+
+<p>So this kind lady went to the door, intending
+to invite the little runaway into her comfortable
+parlor; for, now that the sunshine was withdrawn,
+the atmosphere out of doors was already
+growing very cold.</p>
+
+<p>But, after opening the house door, she stood
+an instant on the threshold, hesitating whether
+she ought to ask the child to come in, or whether
+she should even speak to her. Indeed, she almost
+doubted whether it were a real child after
+all, or only a light wreath of the new-fallen snow,
+blown hither and thither about the garden by the
+intensely cold west wind.</p>
+
+<p>There was certainly something very singular
+in the aspect of the little stranger. Among all
+the children of the neighborhood the lady could
+remember no such face, with its pure white and
+delicate rose-color, and the golden ringlets tossing
+about the forehead and cheeks.</p>
+
+<p>And as for her dress, which was entirely of
+white, and fluttering in the breeze, it was such
+as no reasonable woman would put upon a little
+girl when sending her out to play in the depth of
+winter. It made this kind and careful mother
+shiver only to look at those small feet, with
+nothing in the world on them except a very thin
+pair of white slippers.</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless, airily as she was clad, the child
+seemed to feel not the slightest inconvenience
+from the cold, but danced so lightly over the snow
+that the tips of her toes left hardly a print in its
+surface; while Violet could but just keep pace
+with her, and Peony&#8217;s short legs compelled him
+to lag behind.</p>
+
+<p>All this while, the mother stood on the threshold,
+wondering how a little girl could look so
+much like a flying snowdrift, or how a snowdrift
+could look so very like a little girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Violet, my darling, what is this child&#8217;s name?&rdquo;
+asked she. &ldquo;Does she live near us?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, dearest mamma,&rdquo; answered Violet, laughing
+to think that her mother did not comprehend
+so very plain an affair, &ldquo;this is our little snow-sister
+whom we have just been making!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, dear mamma,&rdquo; cried Peony, running to
+his mother and looking up simply into her face.
+&ldquo;This is our snow-image! Is it not a nice &#8217;ittle
+child?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Violet,&rdquo; said her mother, greatly perplexed,
+&ldquo;tell me the truth without any jest. Who is this
+little girl?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My darling mamma,&rdquo; answered Violet, looking
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>
+seriously into her mother&#8217;s face, surprised
+that she should need any further explanation,
+&ldquo;I have told you truly who she is. It is our
+little snow-image which Peony and I have been
+making. Peony will tell you so, as well as I.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, mamma,&rdquo; asseverated Peony, with much
+gravity in his crimson little phiz; &ldquo;this is &#8217;ittle
+snow-child. Is not she a nice one? But, mamma,
+her hand is, oh, so very cold!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>While mamma still hesitated what to think
+and what to do, the street gate was thrown open
+and the father of Violet and Peony appeared,
+wrapped in a pilot-cloth sack, with a fur cap
+drawn down over his ears, and the thickest of
+gloves upon his hands.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lindsey was a middle-aged man, with a
+weary and yet a happy look in his wind-flushed
+and frost-pinched face, as if he had been busy all
+the day long and was glad to get back to his quiet
+home. His eyes brightened at the sight of his
+wife and children, although he could not help
+uttering a word or two of surprise at finding the
+whole family in the open air on so bleak a day,
+and after sunset, too.</p>
+
+<p>He soon perceived the little white stranger,
+sporting to and fro in the garden like a dancing
+snow-wreath, and the flock of snowbirds fluttering
+about her head.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pray, what little girl may that be?&rdquo; inquired
+this very sensible man. &ldquo;Surely her mother
+must be crazy to let her go out in such bitter
+weather as it has been to-day, with only that
+flimsy white gown and those thin slippers!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear husband,&rdquo; said his wife, &ldquo;I know
+no more about the little thing than you do.
+Some neighbor&#8217;s child, I suppose. Our Violet
+and Peony,&rdquo; she added, laughing at herself for
+repeating so absurd a story, &ldquo;insist that she is
+nothing but a snow-image which they have been
+busy about in the garden almost all the afternoon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As she said this, the mother glanced her eyes
+toward the spot where the children&#8217;s snow-image
+had been made. What was her surprise on perceiving
+that there was not the slightest trace of
+so much labor!&mdash;no image at all!&mdash;no piled-up
+heap of snow!&mdash;nothing whatever save the
+prints of little footsteps around a vacant space!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This is very strange!&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is strange, dear mother?&rdquo; asked Violet.
+&ldquo;Dear father, do not you see how it is?
+This is our snow-image, which Peony and I
+have made because we wanted another playmate.
+Did not we, Peony?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, papa,&rdquo; said crimson Peony. &ldquo;This be
+our &#8217;ittle snow-sister. Is she not beau-ti-ful?
+But she gave me such a cold kiss!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Poh, nonsense, children!&rdquo; cried their good,
+honest father, who had a plain matter-of-fact
+way of looking at matters. &ldquo;Do not tell me of
+making live figures out of snow. Come, wife;
+this little stranger must not stay out in the bleak
+air a moment longer. We will bring her into
+the parlor; and you shall give her a supper of
+warm bread and milk, and make her as comfortable
+as you can.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So saying, this honest and very kind-hearted
+man was going toward the little white damsel,
+with the best intentions in the world. But Violet
+and Peony, each seizing their father by the
+hand, earnestly besought him not to make her
+come in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense, children, nonsense, nonsense!&rdquo;
+cried the father, half-vexed, half-laughing. &ldquo;Run
+into the house, this moment! It is too late to
+play any longer now. I must take care of this
+little girl, or she will catch her death-a-cold!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so, with a most benevolent smile, this
+very well-meaning gentleman took the snow-child
+by the hand and led her toward the house.</p>
+
+<p>She followed them, droopingly and reluctant,
+for all the glow and sparkle were gone out of
+her figure; and whereas just before she had resembled
+a bright, frosty, star-gemmed evening,
+with a crimson gleam on the cold horizon, she
+now looked as dull and languid as a thaw.</p>
+
+<p>As kind Mr. Lindsey led her up the steps of
+the door, Violet and Peony looked into his face,
+their eyes full of tears, which froze before they
+could run down their cheeks, and entreated him
+not to bring their snow-image into the house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not bring her in!&rdquo; exclaimed the kind-hearted
+man. &ldquo;Why, you are crazy, my little
+Violet&mdash;quite crazy, my small Peony! She is so
+cold already that her hand has almost frozen
+mine, in spite of my thick gloves. Would you
+have her freeze to death?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His wife, as he came up the steps, had been
+taking another long, earnest gaze at the little
+white stranger. She hardly knew whether it
+was a dream or no; but she could not help fancying
+that she saw the delicate print of Violet&#8217;s
+fingers on the child&#8217;s neck. It looked just as if,
+while Violet was shaping out the image, she had
+given it a gentle pat with her hand, and had
+neglected to smooth the impression quite away.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;After all, husband,&rdquo; said the mother, &ldquo;after
+all, she does look strangely like a snow-image!
+I do believe she is made of snow!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A puff of the west wind blew against the snow-child,
+and again she sparkled like a star.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Snow!&rdquo; repeated good Mr. Lindsey, drawing
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>
+the reluctant guest over his hospitable threshold.
+&ldquo;No wonder she looks like snow. She is half
+frozen, poor little thing! But a good fire will
+put everything to rights.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The common-sensible man placed the snow-child
+on the hearthrug, right in front of the hissing
+and fuming stove.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now she will be comfortable!&rdquo; cried Mr.
+Lindsey, rubbing his hands and looking about
+him, with the pleasantest smile you ever saw.
+&ldquo;Make yourself at home, my child.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sad, sad and drooping, looked the little white
+maiden as she stood on the hearthrug, with the
+hot blast of the stove striking through her like a
+pestilence. Once she threw a glance toward the
+window, and caught a glimpse, through its red
+curtains, of the snow-covered roofs and the
+stars glimmering frostily and all the delicious
+intensity of the cold night. The bleak wind
+rattled the window panes as if it were summoning
+her to come forth. But there stood the
+snow-child, drooping, before the hot stove!</p>
+
+<p>But the common-sensible man saw nothing
+amiss.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come, wife,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;let her have a pair of
+thick stockings and a woolen shawl or blanket
+directly; and tell Dora to give her some warm
+supper as soon as the milk boils. You, Violet
+and Peony, amuse your little friend. She is out
+of spirits, you see, at finding herself in a strange
+place. For my part, I will go around among
+the neighbors and find out where she belongs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The mother, meanwhile, had gone in search
+of the shawl and stockings. Without heeding the
+remonstrances of his two children, who still kept
+murmuring that their little snow-sister did not
+love the warmth, good Mr. Lindsey took his departure,
+shutting the parlor door carefully behind
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Turning up the collar of his sack over his
+ears, he emerged from the house, and had barely
+reached the street-gate when he was recalled by
+the screams of Violet and Peony and the rapping
+of a thimbled finger against the parlor window.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Husband! husband!&rdquo; cried his wife, showing
+her horror-stricken face through the window
+panes. &ldquo;There is no need of going for the
+child&#8217;s parents!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We told you so, father!&rdquo; screamed Violet and
+Peony, as he re-entered the parlor. &ldquo;You would
+bring her in; and now our poor&mdash;dear&mdash;beau-ti-ful
+little snow-sister is thawed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And their own sweet little faces were already
+dissolved in tears; so that their father, seeing
+what strange things occasionally happen in this
+everyday world, felt not a little anxious lest his
+children might be going to thaw, too. In the
+utmost perplexity, he demanded an explanation
+of his wife.</p>
+
+<p>She could only reply that, being summoned to
+the parlor by the cries of Violet and Peony, she
+found no trace of the little white maiden, unless
+it were the remains of a heap of snow which,
+while she was gazing at it, melted quite away
+upon the hearthrug.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And there you see all that is left of it!&rdquo; added
+she, pointing to a pool of water in front of the
+stove.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, father,&rdquo; said Violet, looking reproachfully
+at him through her tears, &ldquo;there is all that
+is left of our dear little snow-sister!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Father!&rdquo; cried Peony, stamping his foot, and&mdash;I
+shudder to say&mdash;shaking his little fist at the
+common-sensible man. &ldquo;We told you how it
+would be. What for did you bring her in?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the stove, through the isinglass of its
+door, seemed to glare at good Mr. Lindsey, like
+a red-eyed demon triumphing in the mischief
+which it had done!</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GEMS" id="GEMS"></a>THE CASTLE OF GEMS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY SOPHIE MAY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time, though I cannot tell when,
+and in what country I do not now remember,
+there lived a maiden as fair as a lily, as gentle
+as a dewdrop, and as modest as a violet. A
+pure, sweet name she had: It was Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>She stood one evening, with her friend Victor,
+by the shore of a lake. Never had the youth or
+maiden seen the moonlight so enchanting; but
+they did not know&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;It was midsummer day,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">When all the fairy people</span><br />
+From elf-land came away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Presently, while they gazed at the lake, which
+shone like liquid emerald and sapphire and topaz,
+a boat, laden with strangely beautiful beings,
+glided toward them across the waters. The
+fair voyagers were clad in robes of misty blue,
+with white mantles about their waists, and on
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>
+their heads wreaths of valley-lilies.</p>
+
+<p>They were all as fair as need be; but fairest
+of all was the helms-woman, the Queen of the
+Fairies. Her face was soft and clear like moonlight;
+and she wore a crown of nine large diamonds,
+which refracted the evening rays, and
+formed nine lunar rainbows.</p>
+
+<p>The fairies were singing a roundelay; and,
+as the melody floated over the water, Victor and
+Blanche listened with throbbing hearts. Fairy
+music has almost passed away from the earth;
+but those who hear it are strangely moved, and
+have dreams of beautiful things which have been,
+and may be again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It makes me think of the days of long ago
+when there was no sin,&rdquo; whispered Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It makes me long to be a hero,&rdquo; answered
+Victor with a sparkling eye.</p>
+
+<p>All the while the pearly boat was drifting
+toward the youth and maiden; and, when it had
+touched the shore the Queen stepped out upon
+the land as lightly as if she had been made entirely
+of dewdrops.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am Fontana,&rdquo; said she: &ldquo;and is this
+Blanche?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She laid her soft hand upon the maiden&#8217;s
+shoulder; and Blanche thought she would like to
+die then and there, so full was she of joy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have heard of thy good heart, my maiden:
+now what would please thee most?&rdquo; inquired the
+Queen.</p>
+
+<p>Blanche bowed her head, and dared not speak.</p>
+
+<p>Queen Fontana smiled. When she smiled it
+was as if a soft cloud had slid away from the
+moon, revealing a beautiful light.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Say pearls and diamonds,&rdquo; said Victor in her
+ear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t know,&rdquo; whispered Blanche; &ldquo;they
+are not the best things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the Queen kindly; &ldquo;pearls and diamonds
+are <em>not</em> the best things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Blanche knew that her whisper had been
+overheard, and she hid her face in her hands for
+shame. But the Queen only smiled down on her,
+and without speaking dropped into the ground a
+little seed. Right at the feet of Blanche it fell;
+and in a moment two green leaves shot upward,
+and between them a spotless lily, which hung its
+head with modest grace.</p>
+
+<p>Victor gazed at the perfect flower in wonder,
+and before he knew it said aloud: &ldquo;Ah, how like
+Blanche!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Queen herself broke it from the stem,
+and gave it to the maiden, saying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Take it! It is my choicest gift. Till it fades
+(which will never be), love will be thine; and
+in time to come it will have power to open the
+strongest locks, and swing back the heaviest
+doors.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;&lsquo;Gates of brass cannot withstand<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: .5em;">One touch of this magic wand.&rsquo;&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Blanche looked up to thank the Queen; but
+no words came&mdash;only tears.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I see a wish in thine eyes,&rdquo; said Fontana.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is for Victor,&rdquo; faltered Blanche, at last;
+&ldquo;he wishes to be rich and great.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Queen looked grave.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Shall I make him one of the great men of
+the earth, little Blanche? Then he may one day
+go to the ends of the world, and forget thee.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Blanche only smiled, and Victor&#8217;s cheek flushed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I shall be a great man,&rdquo; said he&mdash;&ldquo;perhaps a
+prince; but where I go Blanche shall go: she will
+be my wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is well,&rdquo; said the Queen. &ldquo;Never forget
+Blanche, for her love will be your dearest
+blessing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, removing from her girdle a pair of
+spectacles, she placed them in the youth&#8217;s hand.
+He drew back in surprise. &ldquo;Does she take me
+for an old man?&rdquo; thought he. He had expected
+a casket of gems at least; perhaps a crown.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; said Fontana; &ldquo;they are the eyes of
+Wisdom. When you have learned their use, you
+will not despise my gift. Keep a pure heart, and
+always remember Blanche. And now farewell!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So saying, she moved on to the boat, floating
+over the ground as softly as a creeping mist.</p>
+
+<p>When Blanche awoke next morning, her first
+thought was, &ldquo;Happy are the maidens who have
+sweet dreams!&rdquo; for she believed she had only
+been wandering in a midsummer&#8217;s night&#8217;s dream;
+so, when she saw her lily in the broken pitcher
+where she had placed it, great was her delight.
+But a change had come over it during the night.
+It was no longer a common lily; its petals were
+now large pearls, and the green leaves were green
+emeralds. This strange thing had happened to
+the flower, that it might never fade.</p>
+
+<p>After this, people looked at Blanche and said:
+&ldquo;How is it? She grows fairer every day!&rdquo; And
+every one loved her; for the human heart has
+no choice but to love what is good and gentle.</p>
+
+<p>As for Victor, he at first put on his spectacles
+with a scornful smile; but, when he had worn
+them a moment, he found them very wonderful
+things. When he looked through them, he could
+see people&#8217;s thoughts written out on their faces;
+he could easily decipher the fine writing which
+you see traced on green leaves; and found there
+were long stories written on pebbles in little
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span>
+black and gray dots.</p>
+
+<p>When he wore the spectacles, he looked so wise
+that Blanche hardly dared speak to him. She
+saw that one day he was to become great.</p>
+
+<p>At last Victor said he must leave his home,
+and sail across the seas. Tears filled the eyes
+of Blanche; but the youth whispered:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am going away to find a home for you and
+me. So adieu, dearest Blanche!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now Victor thought the ship in which he
+sailed moved very slowly; for he longed to reach
+the land which he could see through his magic
+spectacles. It was a beautiful kingdom, rich
+with mines of gold and silver.</p>
+
+<p>When the ship touched shore, the streets were
+lined with people who walked to and fro with
+sad faces. The King&#8217;s daughter, a beautiful
+young maiden, was very ill, and it was feared
+she must die.</p>
+
+<p>Victor asked one of the people if there was no
+hope.</p>
+
+<p>It so happened that this man was the greatest
+physician in the kingdom and he answered:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, there is no hope!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Victor went to a distant forest where
+he knew a healing spring was to be found. Very
+few remembered it was there; and those who
+had seen it did not know of its power to heal
+disease.</p>
+
+<p>Victor filled a crystal goblet with the precious
+water and carried it to the palace. The old
+King shook his head sadly, but consented to let
+the attendants moisten the parched lips of the
+Princess with the water, as it could do no harm.
+Far from doing harm, it wrought a great good;
+and in time the royal maiden was restored to
+health.</p>
+
+<p>Then, for gratitude, the King would have given
+his daughter to Victor for a wife; but Victor
+remembered Blanche, and knew that no other
+maiden must be bride of his.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after this the King was lost overboard
+at sea during a storm. Now the people
+must have a new ruler. They determined to
+choose a wise and brave man; and, young as he
+was, no man could be found braver and wiser
+than Victor; so the people elected him for their
+King. Thus Fontana&#8217;s gift of the eyes of Wisdom
+had made him truly &ldquo;one of the great men
+of earth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In her humble home Blanche dreamed every
+night of Victor, and hoped he would grow good,
+if he did not become great; and Victor remembered
+Blanche, and knew that her love was his
+dearest blessing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This old palace,&rdquo; thought he, &ldquo;will never do
+for my beautiful bride.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he called together his people, and told
+them he must have a castle of gems. Some of
+the walls were to be of rubies, some of emeralds,
+some of pearls. There was to be any amount
+of beaten gold for doors and pillars; and the
+ceilings were to be of milk-white opals, with a
+rosy light which comes and goes.</p>
+
+<p>All was done as he desired; and when the
+castle of gems was finished it would need a pen
+of jasponyx dipped in rainbows to describe it.</p>
+
+<p>Victor thought he would not have a guard of
+soldiers for his castle, but would lock the four
+golden gates with a magic key, so that no one
+could enter unless the gates should swing back
+of their own accord.</p>
+
+<p>When the castle of gems was just completed,
+and not a soul was in it, Victor locked the gates
+with a magic key, and then dropped the key into
+the ocean.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; thought he, &ldquo;I have done a wise thing.
+None but the good and true can enter my castle
+of gems. The gates will not swing open for
+men with base thoughts or proud hearts!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he hid himself under the shadow of a
+tree, and watched the people trying to enter.
+But they were proud men, and so the gates would
+not open.</p>
+
+<p>King Victor laughed, and said to himself:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have done a wise thing with my magic key.
+How safe I shall be in my castle of gems!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he stepped out of his hiding place, and
+said to the people:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;None but the good and true can get in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he tried to go in himself; but the gates
+would not move.</p>
+
+<p>The King bowed his head in shame, and walked
+back to his old palace.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said he to himself, &ldquo;wise and great
+as I am, I thought I could go in. I see it must
+be because I am filled with pride. Let me hide
+my face; for what would Blanche say if she
+knew, that, because my heart is proud, I am shut
+out of my own castle? I am not worthy that
+she should love me; but I hope I shall learn of
+her to be humble and good.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next day he sailed for the home of his
+childhood. When Blanche saw him she blushed
+and cast down her eyes; but Victor knew they
+were full of tears of joy. He held her hand,
+and whispered:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you go with me and be my bride, beautiful
+Blanche?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will go with you,&rdquo; she answered softly; and
+Victor&#8217;s heart rejoiced.</p>
+
+<p>All the while Blanche never dreamed that he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>
+was a great Prince, and that the men who came
+with him were his courtiers.</p>
+
+<p>When they reached Victor&#8217;s kingdom, and
+the people shouted &ldquo;Long live the Queen!&rdquo;
+Blanche veiled her face and trembled; for Victor
+whispered in her ear that the shouts were for
+her. And as the people saw her beautiful face
+through her gossamer veil, they cried all the
+more loudly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Long live Queen Blanche! Thrice welcome,
+fair lady!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The sun was sinking in the west, and his rays
+fell with dazzling splendor upon the castle of
+gems. When Blanche saw the silent, closed
+castle and its golden gates she remembered the
+words of Queen Fontana, who had said that
+her lily should have power to &ldquo;open the strongest
+locks, and swing back the heaviest doors.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Like one walking in a dream, she led Victor
+toward the resplendent castle. She touched
+with her lily the lock which fastened one of the
+gates.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Gates of gold could not withstand<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .5em;">One touch of that magic wand.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>In an instant, the hinges trembled; and the
+massive door swung open so far that forty
+people could walk in side by side. Then it
+slowly closed, and locked itself without noise.</p>
+
+<p>One of the people who passed in was the
+King, whose heart was no longer proud. The
+others, who had entered unwittingly, could not
+speak for wonder. Some of them were poor,
+and some were lame or blind; but all were good
+and true.</p>
+
+<p>At the rising of the moon a wonderful thing
+came to pass. The people entered the castle of
+gems and became beautiful. This was through
+the power of the magic lily.</p>
+
+<p>Now there were no more crooked backs, and
+lame feet, and sightless eyes; and the King
+looked at these people, who were beautiful as
+well as good, and declared he would have them
+live in the castle; and the gentlemen should be
+knights; and the ladies maids of honor.</p>
+
+<p>To this day Victor and Blanche rule the kingdom;
+and such is the charm of the lily&mdash;so like
+the pure heart of the Queen&mdash;that the people are
+becoming gentle and good.</p>
+
+<p>Until Queen Fontana shall call for the magic
+spectacles and the lily of pearl, it is believed that
+Victor and Blanche will live in the castle of
+gems, though the time should be a hundred years.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HEN" id="HEN"></a>THE HEN THAT HATCHED DUCKS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once there was a nice young hen that we will
+call Mrs. Feathertop. She was a hen of most
+excellent family, being a direct descendant of the
+Bolton Grays, and as pretty a young fowl as you
+wish to see of a summer&#8217;s day. She was, moreover,
+as fortunately situated in life as it was
+possible for a hen to be. She was bought by
+young Master Fred Little John, with four or
+five family connections of hers, and a lively
+young cock, who was held to be as brisk a
+scratcher and as capable a head of a family as
+any half-dozen sensible hens could desire.</p>
+
+<p>I can&#8217;t say that at first Mrs. Feathertop was a
+very sensible hen. She was very pretty and
+lively, to be sure, and a great favorite with
+Master Bolton Gray Cock, on account of her
+bright eyes, her finely shaded feathers, and certain
+saucy dashing ways that she had, which
+seemed greatly to take his fancy. But old Mrs.
+Scratchard, living in the neighboring yard, assured
+all the neighborhood that Gray Cock was a
+fool for thinking so much of that flighty young
+thing&mdash;that she had not the smallest notion how
+to get on in life, and thought of nothing in the
+world but her own pretty feathers. &ldquo;Wait till
+she comes to have chickens,&rdquo; said Mrs. Scratchard.
+&ldquo;Then you will see. I have brought up
+ten broods myself&mdash;as likely and respectable
+chickens as ever were a blessing to society&mdash;and
+I think I ought to know a good hatcher and
+brooder when I see her; and I know <em>that</em> fine
+piece of trumpery, with her white feathers tipped
+with gray, never will come down to family life.
+<em>She</em> scratch for chickens! Bless me, she never
+did anything in all her days but run round and
+eat the worms which somebody else scratched up
+for her!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Master Bolton Gray heard this he
+crowed very loudly, like a cock of spirit, and
+declared that old Mrs. Scratchard was envious
+because she had lost all her own tail-feathers,
+and looked more like a worn-out old feather duster
+than a respectable hen, and that therefore she
+was filled with sheer envy of anybody that was
+young and pretty. So young Mrs. Feathertop
+cackled gay defiance at her busy rubbishy neighbor,
+as she sunned herself under the bushes on
+fine June afternoons.</p>
+
+<p>Now Master Fred Little John had been allowed
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>
+to have these hens by his mamma on the condition
+that he would build their house himself,
+and take all the care of it; and, to do Master
+Fred justice, he executed the job in a small way
+quite creditably. He chose a sunny sloping bank
+covered with a thick growth of bushes, and
+erected there a nice little hen-house, with two
+glass windows, a little door, and a good pole for
+his family to roost on. He made, moreover, a
+row of nice little boxes with hay in them for
+nests, and he bought three or four little smooth
+white china eggs to put in them, so that, when
+his hens <em>did</em> lay, he might carry off their eggs
+without their being missed. The hen-house stood
+in a little grove that sloped down to a wide
+river, just where there was a little cove which
+reached almost to the hen-house.</p>
+
+<p>The situation inspired one of Master Fred&#8217;s
+boy advisers with a new scheme in relation to his
+poultry enterprise. &ldquo;Hullo! I say, Fred,&rdquo; said
+Tom Seymour, &ldquo;you ought to raise ducks&mdash;you&#8217;ve
+got a capital place for ducks there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, but I&#8217;ve bought <em>hens</em>, you see,&rdquo; said
+Freddy; &ldquo;so it&#8217;s no use trying.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No use! Of course there is! Just as if
+your hens couldn&#8217;t hatch ducks&#8217; eggs. Now, you
+just wait till one of your hens wants to set, and
+you put ducks&#8217; eggs under her, and you&#8217;ll have
+a family of ducks in a twinkling. You can buy
+ducks&#8217; eggs, a plenty, of old Sam under the hill;
+he always has hens hatch his ducks.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Freddy thought it would be a good experiment,
+and informed his mother the next morning
+that he intended to furnish the ducks for the
+next Christmas dinner; and when she wondered
+how he was to come by them, he said, mysteriously,
+&ldquo;O, I will show you how!&rdquo; but did not
+further explain himself. The next day he went
+with Tom Seymour, and made a trade with old
+Sam, and gave him a middle-aged jack-knife for
+eight of his ducks&#8217; eggs. Sam, by the bye, was
+a woolly-headed old negro man, who lived by the
+pond hard by, and who had long cast envying
+eyes on Fred&#8217;s jack-knife, because it was of
+extra-fine steel, having been a Christmas present
+the year before. But Fred knew very well there
+were any number more of jack-knives where that
+came from, and that, in order to get a new one,
+he must dispose of the old; so he made the trade
+and came home rejoicing.</p>
+
+<p>Now, about this time Mrs. Feathertop, having
+laid her eggs daily with great credit to herself,
+notwithstanding Mrs. Scratchard&#8217;s predictions,
+began to find herself suddenly attacked with nervous
+symptoms. She lost her gay spirits, grew
+dumpish and morose, stuck up her feathers in a
+bristling way, and pecked at her neighbors if
+they did so much as look at her. Master Gray
+Cock was greatly concerned, and went to old
+Doctor Peppercorn, who looked solemn and
+recommended an infusion of angle-worms, and
+said he would look in on the patient twice a
+day till she was better.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gracious me, Gray Cock!&rdquo; said old Goody
+Kertarkut, who had been lolling at the corner as
+he passed, &ldquo;a&#8217;n&#8217;t you a fool?&mdash;cocks always are
+fools. Don&#8217;t you know what&#8217;s the matter with
+your wife? She wants to set&mdash;that&#8217;s all; and
+you just let her set! A fiddlestick for Doctor
+Peppercorn! Why, any good old hen that has
+brought up a family knows more than a doctor
+about such things. You just go home and tell
+her to set, if she wants to, and behave herself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Gray Cock came home, he found that
+Master Freddy had been before him, and established
+Mrs. Feathertop upon eight nice eggs,
+where she was sitting in gloomy grandeur. He
+tried to make a little affable conversation with
+her, and to relate his interview with the Doctor
+and Goody Kertarkut, but she was morose and
+sullen, and only pecked at him now and then in
+a very sharp, unpleasant way; so, after a few
+more efforts to make himself agreeable, he left
+her, and went out promenading with the captivating
+Mrs. Red Comb, a charming young
+Spanish widow, who had just been imported into
+the neighboring yard.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Bless my soul!&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you&#8217;ve no idea how
+cross my wife is.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;O you horrid creature!&rdquo; said Mrs. Red Comb;
+&ldquo;how little you feel for the weaknesses of us
+poor hens!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;On my word, ma&#8217;am,&rdquo; said Gray Cock, &ldquo;you
+do me injustice. But when a hen gives way to
+temper, ma&#8217;am and no longer meets her husband
+with a smile&mdash;when she even pecks at him whom
+she is bound to honor and obey&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Horrid monster! talking of obedience! I
+should say, sir, you came straight from Turkey!&rdquo;
+And Mrs. Red Comb tossed her head with a most
+bewitching air, and pretended to run away, and
+old Mrs. Scratchard looked out of her coop and
+called to Goody Kertarkut:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look how Mr. Gray Cock is flirting with that
+widow. I always knew she was a baggage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And his poor wife left at home alone,&rdquo; said
+Goody Kertarkut. &ldquo;It&#8217;s the way with &#8217;em all!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard, &ldquo;she&#8217;ll know
+what real life is now, and she won&#8217;t go about
+holding her head so high, and looking down on
+her practical neighbors that have raised families.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Poor thing, what&#8217;ll she do with a family?&rdquo;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span>
+said Goody Kertarkut.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, what business have such young flirts to
+get married,&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t
+expect she&#8217;ll raise a single chick; and there&#8217;s
+Gray Cock flirting about fine as ever. Folks
+didn&#8217;t do so when I was young. I&#8217;m sure my husband
+knew what treatment a setting hen ought to
+have&mdash;poor old Long Spur&mdash;he never minded a
+peck or so now and then. I must say these
+modern fowls a&#8217;n&#8217;t what fowls used to be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the sun rose and set, and Master
+Fred was almost the only friend and associate of
+poor little Mrs. Feathertop, whom he fed daily
+with meal and water, and only interrupted her
+sad reflections by pulling her up occasionally to
+see how the eggs were coming on.</p>
+
+<p>At last &ldquo;Peep, peep, peep!&rdquo; began to be heard
+in the nest, and one little downy head after another
+poked forth from under the feathers, surveying
+the world with round, bright, winking
+eyes; and gradually the brood was hatched, and
+Mrs. Feathertop arose, a proud and happy mother,
+with all the bustling, scratching, caretaking instincts
+of family life warm within her breast.
+She clucked and scratched, and cuddled the little
+downy bits of things as handily and discreetly
+as a seven-year-old hen could have done, exciting
+thereby the wonder of the community.</p>
+
+<p>Master Gray Cock came home in high spirits
+and complimented her; told her she was looking
+charmingly once more, and said, &ldquo;Very well,
+very nice!&rdquo; as he surveyed the young brood. So
+that Mrs. Feathertop began to feel the world
+going well with her, when suddenly in came
+Dame Scratchard and Goody Kertarkut to make
+a morning call.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let&#8217;s see the chicks,&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Goodness me,&rdquo; said Goody Kertarkut, &ldquo;what
+a likeness to their dear papa!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, but bless me, what&#8217;s the matter with
+their bills?&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard. &ldquo;Why, my
+dear, these chicks are deformed! I&#8217;m sorry for
+you, my dear, but it&#8217;s all the result of your inexperience;
+you ought to have eaten pebble-stones
+with your meal when you were setting. Don&#8217;t
+you see, Dame Kertarkut, what bills they have?
+That&#8217;ll increase, and they&#8217;ll be frightful!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What shall I do?&rdquo; said Mrs. Feathertop, now
+greatly alarmed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nothing as I know of,&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard,
+&ldquo;since you didn&#8217;t come to me before you set. I
+could have told you all about it. Maybe it won&#8217;t
+kill &#8217;em, but they&#8217;ll always be deformed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so the gossips departed, leaving a sting
+under the pin-feathers of the poor little hen
+mamma, who began to see that her darlings had
+curious little spoon-bills different from her own,
+and to worry and fret about it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear,&rdquo; she said to her spouse, &ldquo;do get Doctor
+Peppercorn to come in and look at their bills,
+and see if anything can be done.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Doctor Peppercorn came in, and put on a
+monstrous pair of spectacles and said: &ldquo;Hum!
+Ha! Extraordinary case&mdash;very singular!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you ever see anything like it, Doctor?&rdquo;
+said both parents, in a breath.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve read of such cases. It&#8217;s a calcareous enlargement
+of the vascular bony tissue, threatening
+ossification,&ldquo; said the Doctor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, dreadful!&mdash;can it be possible?&rdquo; shrieked
+both parents. &ldquo;Can anything be done?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I should recommend a daily lotion made
+of mosquitoes&#8217; horns and bicarbonate of frogs&#8217;
+toes together with a powder, to be taken morning
+and night, of muriate of fleas. One thing you
+must be careful about: they must never wet their
+feet, nor drink any water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear me, Doctor, I don&#8217;t know what I <em>shall</em>
+do, for they seem to have a particular fancy for
+getting into water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, a morbid tendency often found in these
+cases of bony tumification of the vascular tissue
+of the mouth; but you must resist it, ma&#8217;am, as
+their life depends upon it.&rdquo; And with that Doctor
+Peppercorn glared gloomily on the young
+ducks, who were stealthily poking the objectionable
+little spoon-bills out from under their
+mothers&#8217; feathers.</p>
+
+<p>After this poor Mrs. Feathertop led a weary
+life of it; for the young fry were as healthy
+and enterprising a brood of young ducks as
+ever carried saucepans on the end of their noses,
+and they most utterly set themselves against the
+doctor&#8217;s prescriptions, murmured at the muriate
+of fleas and the bicarbonate of frogs&#8217; toes and
+took every opportunity to waddle their little ways
+down to the mud and water which was in their
+near vicinity. So their bills grew larger and
+larger, as did the rest of their bodies, and family
+government grew weaker and weaker.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ll wear me out children, you certainly
+will,&rdquo; said poor Mrs. Feathertop.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ll go to destruction, do ye hear?&rdquo; said
+Master Gray Cock.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you ever see such frights as poor Mrs.
+Feathertop has got?&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard. &ldquo;I
+knew what would come of <em>her</em> family&mdash;all deformed,
+and with a dreadful sort of madness,
+which makes them love to shovel mud with those
+shocking spoon-bills of theirs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 372px;">
+<img src="images/img77.jpg" width="372" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;they must never wet their feet, nor drink any water,&rdquo; said the doctor</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a kind of idiocy,&rdquo; said Goody Kertarkut.
+&ldquo;Poor things! they can&#8217;t be kept from the water,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>
+nor made to take powders, and so they got worse
+and worse.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I understand it&#8217;s affecting their feet so that
+they can&#8217;t walk, and a dreadful sort of net is
+growing between their toes; what a shocking
+visitation!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She brought it on herself,&rdquo; said Dame Scratchard.
+&ldquo;Why didn&#8217;t she come to me before she
+set? She was always an upstart, self-conceited
+thing, but I&#8217;m sure I pity her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the young ducks throve apace.
+Their necks grew glossy like changeable green
+and gold satin, and though they would not take
+the doctor&#8217;s medicine, and would waddle in the
+mud and water&mdash;for which they always felt themselves
+to be very naughty ducks&mdash;yet they grew
+quite vigorous and hearty. At last one day the
+whole little tribe waddled off down to the bank
+of the river. It was a beautiful day, and the
+river was dancing and dimpling and winking as
+the little breezes shook the trees that hung over
+it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the biggest of the little ducks,
+&ldquo;in spite of Doctor Peppercorn I can&#8217;t help longing
+for the water. I don&#8217;t believe it is going to
+hurt me; at any rate, here goes.&rdquo; And in he
+plumped, and in went every duck after him, and
+they threw out their great brown feet as cleverly
+as if they had taken rowing-lessons all their lives,
+and sailed off on the river, away, away, among
+the ferns, under the pink azalias, through reeds
+and rushes and arrow-heads and pickerel-weed,
+the happiest ducks that ever were born; and soon
+they were quite out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Mrs. Feathertop, this is a dispensation,&rdquo;
+said Mrs. Scratchard. &ldquo;Your children are all
+drowned at last, just as I knew they&#8217;d be. The
+old music-teacher Master Bullfrog, that lives
+down in Water-Dock Lane, saw &#8217;em all plump
+madly into the water together this morning;
+that&#8217;s what comes of not knowing how to bring
+up a family.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Feathertop gave only one shriek and
+fainted dead away, and was carried home on a
+cabbage leaf, and Mr. Gray Cock was sent for,
+where he was waiting on Mrs. Red Comb through
+the squash vines.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a serious time in your family, sir,&rdquo; said
+Goody Kertarkut, &ldquo;and you ought to be at home
+supporting your wife. Send for Doctor Peppercorn
+without delay.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now as the case was a very dreadful one,
+Doctor Peppercorn called a council from the
+barnyard of the Squire two miles off, and a brisk
+young Doctor Partlett appeared in a fine suit
+of brown and gold, with tail-feathers like meteors.
+A fine young fellow he was, lately from Paris,
+with all the modern scientific improvements fresh
+in his head.</p>
+
+<p>When he had listened to the whole story, he
+clapped his spur into the ground, and, leaning
+back laughed so loud that all the cocks in the
+neighborhood crowed.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Feathertop rose up out of her swoon, and
+Mr. Gray Cock was greatly enraged.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you mean, sir, by such behavior in
+the house of mourning?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear sir, pardon me, but there is no
+occasion for mourning. My dear madam, let
+me congratulate you. There is no harm done.
+The simple matter is, dear madam, you have
+been under a hallucination all along. The neighborhood
+and my learned friend the doctor have
+all made a mistake in thinking that these children
+of yours were hens at all. They are ducks,
+ma&#8217;am, evidently ducks, and very finely formed
+ducks, I dare say.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this moment a quack was heard, and at a
+distance the whole tribe were seen coming waddling
+home, their feathers gleaming in green and
+gold, and they themselves in high good spirits.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Such a splendid day as we have had!&rdquo; they
+all cried in a breath. &ldquo;And we know now how
+to get our own living; we can take care of ourselves
+in future, so you need have no further
+trouble with us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Madam,&rdquo; said the Doctor, making a bow with
+an air which displayed his tail-feathers to advantage,
+&ldquo;let me congratulate you on the charming
+family you have raised. A finer brood of
+young healthy ducks I never saw. Give claw,
+my dear friend,&rdquo; he said, addressing the elder
+son. &ldquo;In our barnyard no family is more respected
+than that of the ducks.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so Madam Feathertop came off glorious
+at last; and when after this the ducks used to go
+swimming up and down the river, like so many
+nabobs, among the admiring hens, Doctor Peppercorn
+used to look after them and say: &ldquo;Ah! I
+had the care of their infancy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Mr. Gray Cock and his wife used to say
+to each other: &ldquo;It was our system of education
+did that!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img79.jpg" width="500" height="87" alt="The ballad of piping will" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ There was a lad named Piping Will<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With tattered coat and poor;</span><br />
+ He had no home to bide him in,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But roamed from door to door.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ This lad had naught except a pipe<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On which he used to play;</span><br />
+ Yet never lad did laugh so free,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nor had a look so gay.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Nay, bide, thou merry piper-boy!&rdquo;</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The kindly house-dames said.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;The roads are rough, the skies are wild,</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And thou dost lack for bread.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;The hills are steep, the stones unkind&mdash;</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Why wilt thou always roam?</span><br />
+ And winter turns a barren heart<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">To them that have no home.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ Then would he smile and pipe awhile,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But would not ever stay.</span><br />
+ How strange that he could be so poor,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Yet have a heart so gay!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ And so the good folk shook their heads,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And they would turn and stare</span><br />
+ To see him piping through the fields.<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">What was he doing there?</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ It fell about the blithe Yule-tide,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">When winter winds were keen,</span><br />
+ The Burgomaster&#8217;s little maid<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Slipped from the house unseen;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ For she had heard that in the wood<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The dear snow-children run,</span><br />
+ And play where shadows are most cold<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And where there is no sun.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ But lo, the evening hurried on,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And bitter sleet blew cold;</span><br />
+ It whitened all her scarlet cloak<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And flying locks of gold.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ The road was hid, and she was lost,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And knew not where to go;</span><br />
+ And still the sharp blast swept her on,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Whether she would or no.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ Now who is this amid the sleet?<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">His face she cannot see!</span><br />
+ He tunes his pipe against the wind,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">As merry as can be.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ He tunes his pipe against the wind<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With music sweet and wild,</span><br />
+ When lo, a fluttering scarlet cape,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The sobbing of a child!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ He took her up and held her close;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: .5em;">&ldquo;I&#8217;ll take you home,&rdquo; he said.</span><br />
+ But still the little maid sobbed on,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nor was she comforted.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;What! Cold and hungry, little maid,</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And frightened of the storm?</span><br />
+ I&#8217;ll play upon my pipe,&rdquo; said he,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: .5em;">&ldquo;And that will keep you warm!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ And lo, when first he blew his pipe,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">It was a wondrous thing&mdash;</span><br />
+ The sleet and snow turned all to flowers,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The birds began to sing!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ When next he blew upon his pipe,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">She marveled more and more;</span><br />
+ For, built of gold with strange device,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A palace rose before!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ A lovely lady led them in,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And there they sat them down;</span><br />
+ The piper wore a purple cloak,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And she a snow-white gown.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ And there was song and light and cheer,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Feasting and everything!</span><br />
+ Who would have thought that Piping Will<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Could be so great a king?</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ The third time that he blew his pipe<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">They took her to the queen;</span><br />
+ Her hair was yellow as the sun,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And she was clothed in green.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;">
+<img src="images/img80.jpg" width="390" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;they took her to the queen&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ Yet did she kiss that little maid,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Who should no longer roam&mdash;</span><br />
+ When lo, the dear dream flashed away,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And there she was at home!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Make this thy home, thou Piping Will,&rdquo;</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The Burgomaster cried.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Thou hast restored our little maid!</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">I tell thee, thou must bide.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img81.jpg" width="500" height="390" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;nay, bide, thou merry piper boy!&rsquo;
+the kindly house-dames said&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 299px;">
+<img src="images/img82.jpg" width="299" height="424" alt="image" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Make this thy home, thou Piping Will,&rdquo;</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The bustling mother said.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;Come, warm thyself before the hearth</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And eat the good white bread.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ But Piping Will would only smile:<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: .5em;">&ldquo;Good friends, I cannot wait!&rdquo;</span><br />
+ (Who could have thought that tattered coat<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Had been a robe of state!)</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ So forth he fared into the night,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And, piping, went his way.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;How strange,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;a lad so poor</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Can have a heart so gay!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ Only the little maid that sat<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Upon her father&#8217;s knee</span><br />
+ Remembered how they two had fared<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That night right pleasantly.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ And as she ate her bread and milk,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">So close and safe and warm,</span><br />
+ She wondered what strange, lovely lands<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He wrought of wind and storm.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+ For he that plays a fairy pipe<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Is lord of everything!</span><br />
+ She laughed to think that Piping Will<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Should be so great a king.</span></p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img83.jpg" width="500" height="346" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;a lovely lady led them in&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p>
+<h2>LITTLE ANNIE&#8217;S DREAM, OR THE FAIRY FLOWER</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>In a large and pleasant garden sat little Annie,
+all alone, and she seemed very sad, for drops
+that were not dew fell fast upon the flowers beside
+her, which looked wonderingly up, and bent
+still nearer, as if they longed to cheer and comfort
+her. The warm wind lifted up her shining
+hair, and softly kissed her cheek, while the sunbeams,
+looking most kindly in her face, made
+little rainbows in her tears, and lingered lovingly
+about her. But Annie paid no heed to sun, or
+wind, or flower; still the bright tears fell, and
+she forgot all but her sorrow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Little Annie, tell me why you weep,&rdquo; said a
+low voice in her ear; and, looking up, the child
+beheld a little figure standing on a vine leaf at
+her side; a lovely face smiled on her from amid
+bright locks of hair, and shining wings were
+folded on a white and glittering robe that fluttered
+in the wind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you, lovely little thing?&rdquo; cried
+Annie, smiling through her tears.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am a Fairy, little child, and am come to
+help and comfort you; now tell me why you
+weep, and let me be your friend,&rdquo; replied the
+spirit, as she smiled more kindly still on Annie&#8217;s
+wondering face.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And are you really, then, a little Elf, such
+as I read of in my fairy books? Do you ride
+on butterflies, sleep in flower-cups, and live
+among the clouds?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, all these things I do, and many stranger
+still that all your fairy books can never tell;
+but now, dear Annie,&rdquo; said the Fairy, bending
+nearer, &ldquo;tell me why I found no sunshine on
+your face; why are these great drops shining on
+the flower and why do you sit alone when bird
+and bee are calling you to play?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, you will not love me any more if I should
+tell you all,&rdquo; said Annie, while the tears began
+to fall again; &ldquo;I am not happy, for I am not
+good; how shall I learn to be a patient, gentle
+child? Good little Fairy, will you teach me how?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gladly will I aid you Annie. The task is hard,
+but I will give this fairy flower to help and
+counsel you. Bend hither, that I may place it on
+your breast; no hand can take it hence, till I
+unsay the spell that holds it there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As thus she spoke, the Elf took from her bosom
+a graceful flower, whose snow-white leaves shone
+with a strange, soft light. &ldquo;This is a fairy
+flower,&rdquo; said the Elf, &ldquo;invisible to every eye
+save yours; now listen while I tell its power,
+Annie. When your heart is filled with loving
+thoughts, when some kindly deed has been done,
+some duty well performed, then from the flower
+there will arise the sweetest, softest fragrance, to
+reward and gladden you. But when an unkind
+word is on your lips, when a selfish, angry feeling
+rises in your heart, or an unkind, cruel deed
+is to be done, then will you hear the soft, low
+chime of the flower bell; listen to its warning, let
+the word remain unspoken, the deed undone, and
+in the quiet joy of your own heart, and the magic
+perfume of your bosom flower, you will find a
+sweet reward.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;O kind and generous Fairy, how can I ever
+thank you for this lovely gift!&rdquo; cried Annie.
+&ldquo;I will be true, and listen to my little bell whenever
+it may ring. But shall I never see you
+more? Ah! if you would only stay with me, I
+should indeed be good.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I cannot stay now, little Annie,&rdquo; said the
+Elf, &ldquo;but when another Spring comes round, I
+shall be here again, to see how well the fairy gift
+has done its work. And now farewell, dear child;
+be faithful to yourself, and the magic flower will
+never fade.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the gentle Fairy folded her little arms
+around Annie&#8217;s neck, laid a soft kiss on her
+cheek, and, spreading wide her shining wings,
+flew singing up among the white clouds floating
+in the sky.</p>
+
+<p>And little Annie sat among her flowers, and
+watched with wondering joy the fairy blossom
+shining on her breast.</p>
+
+<p>The pleasant days of Spring and Summer passed
+away, and in little Annie&#8217;s garden Autumn flowers
+were blooming everywhere, with each day&#8217;s sun
+and dew growing still more beautiful and bright;
+but the fairy flower, that should have been the
+loveliest of all, hung pale and drooping on little
+Annie&#8217;s bosom; its fragrance seemed quite gone,
+and the clear, low music of its warning chime
+rang often in her ear.</p>
+
+<p>When first the Fairy placed it there, she had
+been pleased with her new gift, and for a while
+obeyed the fairy bell, and often tried to win some
+fragrance from the flower by kind and pleasant
+words and actions; then, as the Fairy said, she
+found a sweet reward in the strange, soft perfume
+of the magic blossom as it shone upon her breast;
+but selfish thoughts would come to tempt her,
+she would yield, and unkind words fell from her
+lips; and then the flower drooped pale and scentless,
+the fairy bell rang mournfully, Annie would
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span>
+forget her better resolutions, and be again a selfish,
+willful little child.</p>
+
+<p>At last she tried no longer, but grew angry
+with the faithful flower, and would have torn it
+from her breast; but the fairy spell still held it
+fast, and all her angry words but made it ring a
+louder, sadder peal. Then she paid no heed to
+the silvery music sounding in her ear, and each
+day grew still more unhappy, discontented, and
+unkind; so, when the Autumn days came round,
+she was no better for the gentle Fairy&#8217;s gift, and
+longed for Spring, that it might be returned; for
+now the constant echo of the mournful music
+made her very sad.</p>
+
+<p>One sunny morning, when the fresh, cool
+winds were blowing, and not a cloud was in the
+sky, little Annie walked among her flowers, looking
+carefully into each, hoping thus to find the
+Fairy, who alone could take the magic blossom
+from her breast. But she lifted up their drooping
+leaves, peeped into their dewy cups in vain;
+no little Elf lay hidden there, and she turned
+sadly from them all, saying: &ldquo;I will go out into
+the fields and woods, and seek her there. I will
+not listen to this tiresome music more, nor wear
+this withered flower longer.&rdquo; So out into the
+fields she went, where the long grass rustled as
+she passed, and timid birds looked at her from
+their nests; where lovely wild flowers nodded in
+the wind, and opened wide their fragrant leaves
+to welcome in the murmuring bees, while butterflies,
+like winged flowers, danced and glittered in
+the sun.</p>
+
+<p>Little Annie looked, searched, and asked them
+all if any one could tell her of the Fairy whom
+she sought; but the birds looked wonderingly at
+her with their soft, bright eyes, and still sang on;
+the flowers nodded wisely on their stems, but did
+not speak, while butterfly and bee buzzed and
+fluttered away, one far too busy, the other too
+idle, to stay and tell her what she asked.</p>
+
+<p>Then she went through broad fields of yellow
+grain that waved around her like a golden forest;
+here crickets chirped, grasshoppers leaped, and
+busy ants worked, but they could not tell her
+what she longed to know.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now will I go among the hills,&rdquo; said Annie,
+&ldquo;she may be there.&rdquo; So up and down the green
+hillsides went her little feet; long she searched
+and vainly she called; but still no Fairy came.
+Then by the riverside she went, and asked the
+gay dragon flies and the cool white lilies if the
+Fairy had been there; but the blue waves rippled
+on the white sand at her feet, and no voice
+answered her.</p>
+
+<p>Then into the forest little Annie went; and as
+she passed along the dim, cool paths, the wood-flowers
+smiled up in her face, gay squirrels
+peeped at her, as they swung amid the vines, and
+doves cooed softly as she wandered by; but none
+could answer her. So, weary with her long
+and useless search, she sat amid the ferns, and
+feasted on the rosy strawberries that grew beside
+her, watching meanwhile the crimson evening
+clouds that glowed around the setting sun.</p>
+
+<p>The night-wind rustled through the boughs,
+and when the autumn moon rose up, her silver
+light shone on the child, where, pillowed on green
+moss, she lay asleep amid the wood-flowers in the
+dim old forest.</p>
+
+<p>And all night long beside her stood the Fairy
+she had sought, and by elfin spell and charm sent
+to the sleeping child this dream.</p>
+
+<p>Little Annie dreamed she sat in her own garden,
+as she had often sat before, with angry feelings
+in her heart, and unkind words upon her
+lips. The magic flower was ringing its soft
+warning, but she paid no heed to anything, save
+her own troubled thoughts; thus she sat, when
+suddenly a low voice whispered in her ear:
+&ldquo;Little Annie, look and see the evil things that
+you are cherishing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Annie saw, with fear and wonder, that
+the angry words she uttered changed to dark,
+unlovely forms, each showing plainly from what
+fault or passion it had sprung. Some of the
+shapes had scowling faces and bright, fiery eyes;
+these were the spirits of Anger. Others, with
+sullen, anxious, looks seemed gathering up all
+they could reach, and Annie saw that the more
+they gained, the less they seemed to have; and
+these she knew were shapes of Selfishness.
+Spirits of Pride were there, who folded their
+shadowy garments round them, and turned scornfully
+away from all the rest. These and many
+others little Annie saw, which had come from
+her own heart, and taken form before her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>When first she saw them, they were small and
+weak; but as she looked they seemed to grow and
+gather strength, and each gained a strange power
+over her. She could not drive them from her
+sight, and they grew ever stronger, darker, and
+more unlovely to her eyes. They seemed to cast
+black shadows over all around, to dim the sunshine,
+blight the flowers, and drive away all
+bright and lovely things; while rising slowly
+round her Annie saw a high, dark wall, that
+seemed to shut out everything she loved; she
+dared not move, or speak, but, with a strange fear
+at her heart, sat watching the dim shapes that
+hovered round her.</p>
+
+<p>Higher and higher rose the shadowy wall.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>
+Slowly the flowers near her died, lingeringly the
+sunlight faded; but at last they both were gone,
+and left her all alone behind the gloomy wall.
+Then she could hear no more, but, sinking down
+among the withered flowers, wept sad and bitter
+tears, for her lost liberty and joy; then through
+the gloom there shone a faint, soft light, and on
+her breast she saw her fairy flower, upon whose
+snow-white leaves her tears lay shining.</p>
+
+<p>Clearer and brighter grew the radiant light, till
+the evil spirits turned away to the dark shadow
+of the wall, and left the child alone.</p>
+
+<p>The light and perfume of the flower seemed to
+bring new strength to Annie, and she rose up,
+saying, as she bent to kiss the blossom on her
+breast: &ldquo;Dear flower, help and guide me now,
+and I will listen to your voice, and cheerfully
+obey my faithful fairy bell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then in her dreams she felt how hard the
+spirits tried to tempt and trouble her, and how,
+but for her flower, they would have led her back,
+and made all dark and dreary as before. Long
+and hard she struggled, and tears often fell; but
+after each new trial, brighter shone her magic
+flower, and sweeter grew its breath, while the
+spirits lost still more their power to tempt her.
+Meanwhile, green, flowering vines crept up the
+high, dark wall, and hid its roughness from her
+sight; and over these she watched most tenderly,
+for soon, wherever green leaves and flowers
+bloomed, the wall beneath grew weak, and fell
+apart. Thus little Annie worked and hoped, till
+one by one the evil spirits fled away, and in their
+place came shining forms, with gentle eyes and
+smiling lips, who gathered round her with such
+loving words, and brought such strength and joy
+to Annie&#8217;s heart, that nothing evil dared to enter
+in; while slowly sank the gloomy wall, and, over
+wreaths of fragrant flowers, she passed out into
+the pleasant world again, the fairy gift no longer
+pale and drooping, but now shining like a star
+upon her breast.</p>
+
+<p>Then the low voice spoke again in Annie&#8217;s
+sleeping ear, saying: &ldquo;Remember well the lesson
+of the dream, dear child, and let the shining
+spirits make your heart their home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with that voice sounding in her ear, little
+Annie woke to find it was a dream; but like other
+dreams it did not pass away; and as she sat
+alone, bathed in the rosy morning light, and
+watched the forest waken into life, she silently
+resolved to strive, as she had striven in her
+dream, to bring back light and beauty to its faded
+leaves, by being what the Fairy hoped to render
+her, a patient, gentle little child. And as the
+thought came to her mind, the flower raised its
+drooping head, and, looking up into the earnest
+little face bent over it, seemed by its fragrant
+breath to answer Annie&#8217;s silent thought, and
+strengthen her for what might come.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the forest was astir, birds sang
+their gay good-morrows from tree to tree, while
+leaf and flower turned to greet the sun, who rose
+up smiling on the world; and so beneath the
+forest boughs and through the dewy fields went
+little Annie home, better and wiser for her
+dream.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>Autumn flowers were dead and gone, white
+winter snow fell softly down; yet now, when all
+without looked dark and dreary, on little Annie&#8217;s
+breast the fairy flower bloomed more beautiful
+than ever. The memory of her forest dream had
+never passed away, and through trial and temptation
+she had been true, and kept her resolution
+still unbroken; seldom now did the warning bell
+sound in her ear, and seldom did the flower&#8217;s
+fragrance cease to float about her, or the fairy
+light to brighten all whereon it fell.</p>
+
+<p>So, through the long, cold winter, little Annie
+dwelt like a sunbeam in her home, each day
+growing richer in the love of others, and happier
+in herself; often was she tempted, but, remembering
+her dream, she listened only to the music
+of the fairy bell, and the unkind thought or feeling
+fled away, the smiling spirits of gentleness
+and love nestled in her heart, and all was bright
+again.</p>
+
+<p>At length, one day, as she sat singing in the
+sunny nook where all her fairest flowers bloomed,
+weary with gazing at the far-off sky for the little
+forms she hoped would come, she bent to look
+with joyful love upon her bosom flower; and as
+she looked, its folded leaves spread wide apart,
+and, rising slowly from the deep white cup,
+appeared the smiling face of the lovely Elf whose
+coming she had waited for so long.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear Annie, look for me no longer; I am
+here on your breast, for you have learned
+to love my gift, and it has done its work most
+faithfully and well,&rdquo; the Fairy said, as she looked
+into the happy child&#8217;s bright face, and laid her
+little arms most tenderly about her neck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And now have I brought another gift from
+Fairy-land, as a fit reward for you, dear child,&rdquo;
+she said, when Annie had told all her gratitude
+and love; then, touching the child with her shining
+wand, the Fairy bid her look and listen
+silently.</p>
+
+<p>And suddenly the world, to Annie, seemed
+changed for the air was filled with strange, sweet
+sounds, and all around her floated lovely forms.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span>
+In every flower sat little smiling Elves, singing
+gayly as they rocked amid the leaves. On every
+breeze, bright, airy spirits came floating by;
+some fanned her cheek with their cool breath,
+and waved her long hair to and fro, while others
+rang the flower-bells, and made a pleasant rustling
+among the leaves. In the fountain, where
+the water danced and sparkled in the sun, astride
+of every drop she saw merry little spirits, who
+plashed and floated in the clear, cool waves, and
+sang as gayly as the flowers, on whom they
+scattered glittering dew. The tall trees, as their
+branches rustled in the wind, sang a low, dreamy
+song, while the waving grass was filled with little
+voices she had never heard before. Butterflies
+whispered lovely tales in her ear, and birds sang
+cheerful songs in a sweet language she had never
+understood before. Earth and air seemed filled
+with beauty and with music she had never
+dreamed of until now.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, tell me what it means, dear Fairy! is it
+another and a lovelier dream, or is the earth in
+truth so beautiful as this?&rdquo; she cried, looking
+with wondering joy upon the Elf, who lay upon
+the flower on her breast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, it is true, dear child,&rdquo; replied the Fairy,
+&ldquo;and few are the mortals to whom we give this
+lovely gift; what to you is now so full of music
+and of light, to others is but a pleasant summer
+world; they never know the language of butterfly
+or bird or flower, and they are blind to all that
+I have given you the power to see. These fair
+things are your friends and playmates now, and
+they will teach you many pleasant lessons, and
+give you many happy hours; while the garden
+where you once sat, weeping sad and bitter tears,
+is now brightened by your own happiness, filled
+with loving friends by your own kindly thoughts
+and feelings; and thus rendered a pleasant summer
+home for the gentle, happy child, whose
+bosom flower will never fade. And now, dear
+Annie, I must go; but every springtime, with
+the earliest flowers, will I come again to visit you,
+and bring some fairy gift. Guard well the magic
+flower, that I may find all fair and bright when
+next I come.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, with a kind farewell, the gentle Fairy
+floated upward through the sunny air, smiling
+down upon the child, until she vanished in the
+soft, white clouds; and little Annie stood alone
+in her enchanted garden, where all was brightened
+with the radiant light, and fragrant with the perfume
+of her fairy flower.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="COMPANIONS" id="COMPANIONS"></a>COMPANIONS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY HELEN HUNT JACKSON</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>During the whole of one of a summer&#8217;s hottest
+days I had the good fortune to be seated in a
+railway car near a mother and four children,
+whose relations with each other were so beautiful
+that the pleasure of watching them was quite
+enough to make one forget the discomforts of the
+journey.</p>
+
+<p>It was plain that they were poor; their clothes
+were coarse and old, and had been made by inexperienced
+hands. The mother&#8217;s bonnet alone
+would have been enough to have condemned the
+whole party on any of the world&#8217;s thoroughfares.
+I remembered afterward, with shame, that I myself
+had smiled at the first sight of its antiquated
+ugliness; but her face was one which it gave you
+a sense of rest to look upon&mdash;it was so earnest,
+tender, true, and strong. It had little comeliness
+of shape or color in it, it was thin, and pale; she
+was not young; she had worked hard; she had
+evidently been much ill; but I have seen few faces
+which gave me such pleasure. I think that she
+was the wife of a poor clergyman; and I think
+that clergyman must be one of the Lord&#8217;s best
+watchmen of souls. The children&mdash;two boys and
+two girls&mdash;were all under the age of 12, and the
+youngest could not speak plainly. They had had
+a rare treat; they had been visiting the mountains,
+and they were talking over all the wonders they
+had seen with a glow of enthusiastic delight which
+was to be envied. Only a word-for-word record
+would do justice to their conversation; no description
+could give any idea of it&mdash;so free, so pleasant,
+so genial, no interruptions, no contradictions; and
+the mother&#8217;s part borne all the while with such
+equal interest and eagerness that no one not seeing
+her face would dream that she was any other than
+an elder sister.</p>
+
+<p>In the course of the day there were many occasions
+when it was necessary for her to deny
+requests, and to ask services, especially from the
+eldest boy; but no young girl, anxious to please a
+lover, could have done either with a more tender
+courtesy. She had her reward; for no lover
+could have been more tender and manly than was
+this boy of 12. Their lunch was simple and
+scanty; but it had the grace of a royal banquet.
+At the last, the mother produced with much glee
+three apples and an orange, of which the children
+had not known. All eyes fastened on the
+orange. It was evidently a great rarity. I
+watched to see if this test would bring out selfishness.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>
+There was a little silence; just the shade of
+a cloud. The mother said: &ldquo;How shall I divide
+this? There is one for each of you; and I shall
+be best off of all, for I expect big tastes from
+each of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, give Annie the orange. Annie loves
+oranges,&rdquo; spoke out the oldest boy, with a sudden
+air of a conqueror, and at the same time taking
+the smallest and worst apple himself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes, let Annie have the orange,&rdquo; echoed
+the second boy, nine years old.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Annie may have the orange, because that
+is nicer than the apple, and she is a lady, and her
+brothers are gentlemen,&rdquo; said the mother, quietly.
+Then there was a merry contest as to who should
+feed the mother with largest and most frequent
+mouthfuls; and so the feast went on. Then Annie
+pretended to want an apple, and exchanged thin
+golden strips of orange for bites out of the cheeks
+of Baldwins; and, as I sat watching her intently,
+she suddenly fancied she saw longing in my face,
+and sprang over to me, holding out a quarter of
+her orange, and saying, &ldquo;Don&#8217;t you want a taste,
+too?&rdquo; The mother smiled, understandingly, when
+I said, &ldquo;No, I thank you, you dear, generous little
+girl; I don&#8217;t care about oranges.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At noon we had a tedious interval of waiting at
+a dreary station. We sat for two hours on a narrow
+platform, which the sun had scorched till it
+smelled of heat. The oldest boy&mdash;the little lover&mdash;held
+the youngest child, and talked to her, while
+the tired mother closed her eyes and rested. Now
+and then he looked over at her, and then back at
+the baby; and at last he said confidentially to me
+(for we had become fast friends by this time):
+&ldquo;Isn&#8217;t it funny, to think that I was ever so small
+as this baby? And papa says that then mamma
+was almost a little girl herself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The two other children were toiling up and
+down the banks of the railroad track, picking ox-eye
+daisies, buttercups, and sorrel. They worked
+like beavers, and soon the bunches were almost too
+big for their little hands. Then they came running
+to give them to their mother. &ldquo;Oh, dear,&rdquo;
+thought I, &ldquo;how that poor, tired woman will hate to
+open her eyes! and she never can take those great
+bunches of common, fading flowers, in addition
+to all her bundles and bags.&rdquo; I was mistaken.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, thank you, my darlings! How kind you
+were! Poor, hot, tired little flowers, how thirsty
+they look! If they will only try and keep alive
+till we get home, we will make them very happy
+in some water; won&#8217;t we? And you shall put one
+bunch by papa&#8217;s plate, and one by mine.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sweet and happy, the weary and flushed little
+children stood looking up in her face while she
+talked, their hearts thrilling with compassion for
+the drooping flowers and with delight in the giving
+of their gift. Then she took great trouble to
+get a string and tie up the flowers, and then the
+train came, and we were whirling along again.
+Soon it grew dark, and little Annie&#8217;s head nodded.
+Then I heard the mother say to the oldest boy,
+&ldquo;Dear, are you too tired to let little Annie put her
+head on your shoulder and take a nap? We shall
+get her home in much better ease to see papa if
+we can manage to give her a little sleep.&rdquo; How
+many boys of twelve hear such words as these
+from tired, overburdened mothers?</p>
+
+<p>Soon came the city, the final station, with its
+bustle and noise. I lingered to watch my happy
+family, hoping to see the father. &ldquo;Why, papa
+isn&#8217;t here!&rdquo; exclaimed one disappointed little voice
+after another. &ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; said the mother,
+with a still deeper disappointment in her own tone;
+&ldquo;perhaps he had to go to see some poor body who
+is sick.&rdquo; In the hurry of picking up all the
+parcels, and the sleepy babies, the poor daisies
+and buttercups were left forgotten in a corner of
+the rack. I wondered if the mother had not intended
+this. May I be forgiven for the injustice!
+A few minutes after I passed the little group,
+standing still just outside the station, and heard
+the mother say, &ldquo;Oh, my darlings, I have forgotten
+your pretty bouquets. I am so sorry! I
+wonder if I could find them if I went back. Will
+you all stand still if I go?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, mamma, don&#8217;t go, don&#8217;t go. We will get
+you some more. Don&#8217;t go,&rdquo; cried all the children.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here are your flowers, madam,&rdquo; said I. &ldquo;I
+saw that you had forgotten them, and I took them
+as mementos of you and your sweet children.&rdquo;
+She blushed and looked disconcerted. She was
+evidently unused to people, and shy with all but
+her children. However, she thanked me sweetly,
+and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I was very sorry about them. The children
+took such trouble to get them, and I think they
+will revive in water. They cannot be quite dead.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They will never die!&rdquo; said I, with an emphasis
+which went from my heart to hers. Then all her
+shyness fled. She knew me; and we shook hands,
+and smiled into each other&#8217;s eyes with the smile of
+kindred as we parted.</p>
+
+<p>As I followed on, I heard the two children, who
+were walking behind, saying to each other:
+&ldquo;Wouldn&#8217;t that have been too bad? Mamma liked
+them so much, and we never could have got so
+many all at once again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, we could, too, next Summer,&rdquo; said the boy,
+sturdily.</p>
+
+<p>They are sure of their &ldquo;next summers,&rdquo; I think,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>
+all six of those souls&mdash;children, and mother, and
+father. They may never again gather so many
+ox-eye daisies and buttercups &ldquo;all at once.&rdquo; Perhaps
+some of the little hands have already picked
+their last flowers. Nevertheless, their summers
+are certain. To such souls as these, all trees,
+either here or in God&#8217;s larger country, are Trees of
+Life, with twelve manner of fruits and leaves for
+healing; and it is but little change from the summers
+here, whose suns burn and make weary, to the
+summers there, of which &ldquo;the Lamb is the light.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="LITTLE" id="LITTLE"></a>PRINCE LITTLE BOY</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY S. WEIR MITCHELL</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>A great many children live on the borders of
+Fairy-land and never visit it at all, and really
+there are people who grow up and are not very
+unhappy who will not believe they have lived
+near to it all their lives. But if once you have
+been in that pleasant country you never quite
+forget it, and when some stupid man says, &ldquo;It is
+all stuff and nonsense,&rdquo; you do not say much, even
+if you yourself have come to be an old fellow
+with hair of two colors, but you feel proud to
+know how much more you have seen of the world
+than he has. Children are the best travelers in
+Fairy-land, and there also is another kingdom
+which is easy for them to reach and hard for
+some older folks.</p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a small boy who
+lived so near to Fairy-land that he sometimes got
+over the fence and inside of that lovely country,
+but, being a little afraid, never went very far,
+and was quick to run home if he saw Blue Beard
+or an Ogre or even Goody Two-Shoes. Once or
+twice he went a little farther, and saw things
+which may be seen but can never be written.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes he told his father that he had been
+into Fairy-land; but his father, who was a brick-maker
+and lived in the wood, only laughed, and
+cried aloud; &ldquo;Next time you go, be sure to fetch
+back some fairy money.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>One day the small boy, whose real name was
+Little Boy, told his father that he had gone a
+mile into Fairy-land, and that there the people
+were born old and grew younger all the time, and
+that on this account the hands of their clocks went
+backward. When his father heard this, he said
+that boy was only fit to sing songs and be in the
+sun, and would never make bricks worth a penny.
+Then he added, sharply, that his son must get to
+work at once and stop going over the fence to
+Fairy-land. So, after that, Little Boy was set
+to dig clay and make bricks for a palace which
+the King was building. He made a great many
+bricks of all colors, and did seem to work so very
+hard that his father began to think he might in
+time come to make the best of bricks. But if you
+are making bricks you must not even be thinking
+of fairies, because something is sure to get into
+the bricks and spoil them for building anything
+except a Spanish castle or a palace of Aladdin.</p>
+
+<p>I am sorry to say that while Little Boy made
+bricks and patted them well and helped to bake
+them hard he was forever thinking of a Fairy
+who had kissed him one day in the wood. This
+was a very strange Fairy, large, with white
+limbs, and eyes which were full of joy for a
+child, but to such as being old looked upon them,
+were, as the poet says, &ldquo;lakes of sadness.&rdquo; Perhaps,
+being little, you who read can understand
+this. I cannot; but whoever has once seen this
+Fairy loves the sun and the woods and all living
+creatures, and knows things without being taught,
+and what men will say before they say it. Yet,
+while he knows all these strange things, and what
+birds talk about, and what songs the winds sing
+to the trees, he can never make good bricks.</p>
+
+<p>And this was why Little Boy&#8217;s bricks were
+badly made; on account of which the King&#8217;s
+palace, having many poor bricks in it, fell down
+one fine day and cracked the crowns of twenty-three
+courtiers and had like to have killed the
+King himself. This made the King very angry,
+so he put on his crown and said wicked words,
+and told everybody he would give one hundred
+pieces of gold to whoever would find the person
+who had made the bad bricks. When Little Boy&#8217;s
+father heard this, he knew it must have been his
+son who was to blame. So he told his son that
+he had been very careless, and that surely the
+King would kill him, and that the best thing he
+could do would be to run away and hide in Fairy-land.</p>
+
+<p>Little Boy was very badly scared, and was well
+pleased when his mother had put some cakes and
+apples in a bag and slung it over his shoulder and
+told him to run quickly away; and this he was
+glad to do, because he saw the King&#8217;s soldiers
+coming over the hill to take him. When they
+came to his father&#8217;s house his father told them
+that it was his son who had made the bad bricks.
+After hearing this, they let the man go, and went
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>
+after Little Boy. As their legs were long and his
+were short, they soon got very near to him, and
+he had just time to scramble over the fence into
+Fairy-land. Then the soldiers began to get over
+the fence, too; but at this moment the giant Fee-Faw-Fum
+came out of the wood, and said, in a
+voice that was as loud as the roar of the winds
+of a winter night: &ldquo;What do you want here?&rdquo;
+This gave them such a fright that they all sat
+there in a row on top of the fence like sparrows,
+and could not move for a week. You may be
+sure Little Boy did not stop to look at them, but
+ran away, far away into Fairy-land. Of course,
+he soon got lost, because in the geographies there
+is not a word about Fairy-land, and nobody
+knows even what bounds it on the north.</p>
+
+<p>It is sad to be lost, but not in Fairy-land. The
+sooner you lose yourself, the happier you are. And
+then such queer things chance to you&mdash;things no
+one could dream would happen. Mostly it is the
+children for whom they occur, and the grown-up
+person who is quite happy in this joyous land
+is not often to be met with. Perhaps you think I
+will tell you all about the fairy country. Not I,
+indeed. I have been there in my time; but my
+travels there I cannot write, or else I might never
+be allowed to return again.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by Little Boy grew tired and went into
+a deep wood and there sat down and ate a cake,
+and saw very soon that the squirrels were throwing
+him nuts from the trees. Of course, as he
+was in Fairy-land, this was just what one might
+have expected. He tried to crack the nuts with
+his teeth, but could not, and this troubled the
+squirrels so much that presently nine of them came
+down and sat around him and began to crack nuts
+for him and to laugh.</p>
+
+<p>When Little Boy had finished his meal, he lay
+down and tried to go to sleep, for it was pleasant
+and warm, and the moss was soft to lie upon, and
+strange birds came and went and sang love-songs.
+But just as he was almost asleep he was shaken
+quite roughly, and when he looked up saw a
+beautiful Prince.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho! ho!&rdquo; said the Prince, &ldquo;I heard you getting
+ready to snore. A moment more and I should
+have been too late.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How is that?&rdquo; said Little Boy, &ldquo;and who are
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sir, I am Fine Ear, and before things happen
+I hear them. Do not you know, Fair Sir&rdquo; (this
+is the way fairies speak), &ldquo;that if you fall asleep
+the first day that you are in Fairy-land, it is
+years before you wake? Some people don&#8217;t
+wake.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little Boy felt that he was in high society, so
+he said, politely:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gracious Prince, a million thanks; but how
+can I keep awake?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is only for one night, young sir. Come with
+me. My sister, Goody Two-Shoes, lives close by,
+and she may help us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they went along through the twilight and
+walked far, until Little Boy was ready to drop.
+At last Fine Ear said that as he heard his sister
+breathing, she could not be more than three miles
+away. As they climbed a great hill, it became
+dark, and Little Boy grew more and more sleepy,
+and could not see his way, and tumbled about so
+much that at last the Prince stood still and said:
+&ldquo;My dear fellow, this won&#8217;t do; you will be in
+Dream-land before I can pinch you.&rdquo; Then he
+whistled, and a little silver star&mdash;a shining white
+light&mdash;fell out of the fairy sky and rolled beside
+them, making all the road as bright as day, and
+quite waking up Little Boy.</p>
+
+<p>After this they walked on, and the Prince said
+he would ask Jack the Giant-killer to supper.
+Little Boy replied that he would be proud to meet
+him. Just as they came near to the house, which
+was built of pearls and rubies, the Prince said:
+&ldquo;Alas! here comes that tiresome fool, Humpty
+Dumpty.&rdquo; When Little Boy looked, he saw a
+short man very crooked in the back, and with a
+head all to one side, not having been well mended
+by the doctors, as you may recall. Also his
+mouth was very large, which was a pity, because
+when he stopped before them and bowed in a
+polite way, all of a sudden he opened this great
+mouth and gaped; and when poor, sleepy Little
+Boy saw this, what could he do but gape for company,
+and at once fall down sound asleep before
+the kind Prince could move?</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! fool,&rdquo; said Fine Ear, &ldquo;why must you
+gape at a mortal? You knew what would happen.
+It was lucky you did not sneeze.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, there lay Little Boy sound asleep,
+and what was to be done? At last he was carried
+into the house of Goody Two-Shoes and put on a
+bed. Every one knew that he could not be waked
+up, and so they put fairy food in his mouth twice
+a day, and just let him alone, so that for several
+years he slept soundly, and by reason of being
+fed with fairy food grew tall and beautiful; what
+was more strange, his clothes grew also.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of seven years a great Sayer of
+Sooth came by on his way to visit his fairy godmother,
+and when he heard about Little Boy&#8217;s
+sleep he stood still and uttered a loud Sooth.
+When Goody Two-Shoes heard it she was sorry,
+because it was told her that Little Boy would
+never wake until he was carried back to the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>
+country of mortals, when he would wake up at
+once. Now by this time she had come to love
+him very much, and was sorry to part with him,
+because in seven years he had never spoken one
+cross word!</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 371px;">
+<img src="images/img91.jpg" width="371" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;she put around little boy&#8217;s neck a fairy kiss&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>But Sooths must be obeyed; so she sent for a
+gentle Giant, and told him to carry Little Boy to
+the Queen&#8217;s tailor and to dress him like a fairy
+Prince, and to set him down on the roadside
+near his father&#8217;s house. Then when the Giant
+took him up in his great arms, all sound asleep,
+she put around Little Boy&#8217;s neck a fairy kiss tied
+fast to a gold chain, and this was for good luck.
+After this the Giant walked away, and Goody
+Two-Shoes went into the house and cried for two
+days and a night.</p>
+
+<p>When the Giant came to Common-Folks&#8217;-land,
+he laid Little Boy beside the high-road and went
+home. Toward evening, the King&#8217;s daughter
+went by, and seeing Little Boy, who, as I have
+said, was now grown tall and dressed all in velvet
+and jewels, she came and stood by him, and when
+she saw the fairy kiss hanging around his neck
+she knelt down and kissed him. Then all the old
+ladies cried, &ldquo;Fy! for shame!&rdquo; but you know she
+could not help it. As for Little Boy, he kept ever
+so still, being now wide awake, but having hopes
+that she would kiss him again, which she did,
+twice. As he still seemed to sleep, he was put in
+the Princess&#8217;s chariot and taken to the King&#8217;s
+palace.</p>
+
+<p>At last, when every one had looked at him,
+they put him on a bed, and when morning came
+he opened his eyes, and began to walk around to
+stretch his legs. But as he went downstairs he
+met the King, who said to him: &ldquo;Fair Sir, what
+is the name of thy beautiful self?&rdquo; To which he
+answered: &ldquo;I am called Prince Little Boy.&rdquo; &ldquo;Ha!
+ha!&rdquo; said the King. &ldquo;That was the name of the
+bad brick-maker. Perchance thou art he.&rdquo; Then
+he called his guards, and Little Boy was at once
+shut up in a huge tower, for the King was not
+quite sure, or else he would have put him to
+death at once. But after Little Boy had been
+there three days he put his head out of a window
+and saw the Princess in the garden. Then he
+said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sweet lady, look up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;they have sent for thy
+mother, and if she says thou art Little Boy they
+will kill thee, and, alas! I love thee.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;come to this tower at midnight,
+and cast me kisses a many through the
+night; blow a kiss to the north, blow a kiss to the
+south, to the east, to the west, from the flower
+of thy mouth and it may be that one will float
+to Fairy-land and fetch us help, for if not, I be but
+a dead man.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All this she did because she was brave and
+loved him. She stood in the dark and blew kisses
+to the four winds, and then listened, and by and
+by came a noise like great wings, and all the air
+was filled with strange, sweet odors, the like of
+which that Princess never smelled again.</p>
+
+<p>As for Little Boy, he was aware of a Giant
+who was as tall as the tower. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said the
+Giant, &ldquo;it is told me that you must keep your
+eyes shut until I bid them to open. I have brought
+the Kiss Queen to pay you a visit. No man has
+ever seen her; for if he did he could never,
+never kiss or be kissed of any mortal lips.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said Little Boy, &ldquo;the Princess is more
+sweet than any that kiss in Fairy-land.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Prince,&rdquo; said the Giant, &ldquo;your education has
+been but slight, or else you would know that all
+kisses are made in Fairy-land. But shut your
+eyes and stir not.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Little Boy did close his two eyes. At
+once he felt a tiny kiss from lips that might have
+been as long as one&#8217;s fingernail, and once he was
+kissed on each cheek and once on his chin, and
+then he felt faint for a moment. All was still
+for a while, until the Giant said: &ldquo;You are lucky.
+Open your eyes, Fair Sir,&rdquo; and went away.</p>
+
+<p>Next day all the people came to see the King
+try Little Boy. When Little Boy saw his mother
+he was almost ready to cry, but he kept still and
+waited. Then the King said to her: &ldquo;Tell me, is
+this your son? and do not deceive me, or dreadful
+things will happen to you and to him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this the good woman looked at him with
+care. &ldquo;This looks like my son,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;but it
+is not my son, because this young man has a
+dimple on each cheek and one on his chin. Who
+ever saw any one with three dimples?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the King heard this and Little Boy&#8217;s
+father declared also that his lost son had no
+dimples, the King bade them all go free, and
+said he had been now nine years angry about those
+bricks, and that whoever would find the bad
+brick-maker should marry the Princess. When
+Prince Little Boy heard this he said that he was
+the bad boy who had made those bricks. But the
+King was as good as his word, and ordered that
+the Prince should marry the Princess, and not
+have his head cut off, because the Princess did
+wisely say that a husband with no head wasn&#8217;t
+much good as a husband. Therefore they were
+married that minute, and I have heard that they
+spent their honeymoon in Fairy-land. And this
+is the end of the Story of Prince Little Boy.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE BEE-MAN OF ORN<a name="FNanchor_E_5" id="FNanchor_E_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_E_5" class="fnanchor">[E]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY FRANK R. STOCKTON</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>In the ancient country of Orn there lived an
+old man who was called the Bee-man, because his
+whole time was spent in the company of bees. He
+lived in a small hut, which was nothing more than
+an immense bee-hive, for these little creatures had
+built their honeycombs in every corner of the one
+room it contained&mdash;on the shelves, under the little
+table, all about the rough bench on which the old
+man sat, and even about the head-board and along
+the sides of his low bed.</p>
+
+<p>All day the air of the room was thick with buzzing
+insects, but this did not interfere in any way
+with the old Bee-man, who walked in among
+them, ate his meals, and went to sleep, without
+the slightest fear of being stung.</p>
+
+<p>He had lived with the bees so long, they had
+become so accustomed to him, and his skin was
+so tough and hard, that the bees no more thought
+of stinging him than they would of stinging a
+tree or a stone. A swarm of bees had made their
+hive in a pocket of his old leathern doublet; and
+when he put on this coat to take one of his long
+walks in the forest in search of wild bees&#8217; nests,
+he was very glad to have this hive with him, for,
+if he did not find any wild honey, he would put
+his hand in his pocket and take out a piece of a
+comb for a luncheon. The bees in his pocket
+worked very industriously, and he was always
+certain of having something to eat with him
+wherever he went. He lived principally upon
+honey; and when he needed bread or meat, he
+carried some fine combs to a village not far away
+and bartered them for other food. He was ugly,
+untidy, shrivelled, and brown. He was poor, and
+the bees seemed to be his only friends. But, for
+all that, he was happy and contented; he had all
+the honey he wanted, and his bees, whom he considered
+the best company in the world, were as
+friendly and sociable as they could be, and seemed
+to increase in number every day.</p>
+
+<p>One day there stopped at the hut of the Bee-man
+a Junior Sorcerer. This young person, who was
+a student of magic, was much interested in the
+Bee-man, whom he had often noticed in his wanderings,
+and he considered him an admirable subject
+for study. He had got a great deal of useful
+practice by trying to find out, by the various rules
+and laws of sorcery, exactly why the old Bee-man
+did not happen to be something that he was
+not, and why he was what he happened to be.
+He had studied a long time at this matter, and
+had found out something.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know,&rdquo; he said, when the Bee-man
+came out of his hut, &ldquo;that you have been transformed?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you mean by that?&rdquo; said the other,
+much surprised.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have surely heard of animals and human
+beings who have been magically transformed
+into different kinds of creatures?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I have heard of these things,&rdquo; said the
+Bee-man; &ldquo;but what have I been transformed
+from?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is more than I know,&rdquo; said the Junior
+Sorcerer. &ldquo;But one thing is certain; you ought
+to be changed back. If you will find out what you
+have been transformed from, I will see that you
+are made all right again. Nothing would please
+me better than to attend to such a case.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, having a great many things to study and
+investigate, the Junior Sorcerer went his way.</p>
+
+<p>This information greatly disturbed the mind of
+the Bee-man. If he had been changed from something
+else, he ought to be that other thing, whatever
+it was. He ran after the young man, and
+overtook him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you know, kind sir,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that I have
+been transformed, you surely are able to tell me
+what it is that I was.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the Junior Sorcerer, &ldquo;my studies
+have not proceeded far enough for that. When
+I become a Senior I can tell you all about it.
+But, in the meantime, it will be well for you to
+try to find out for yourself your original form;
+and when you have done that, I will get some of
+the learned masters of my art to restore you to
+it. It will be easy enough to do that, but you
+could not expect them to take the time and trouble
+to find out what it was.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, with these words, he hurried away, and
+was soon lost to view.</p>
+
+<p>Greatly disturbed, the Bee-man retraced his
+steps, and went to his hut. Never before had he
+heard anything which had so troubled him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wonder what I was transformed from?&rdquo; he
+thought, seating himself on his rough bench.
+&ldquo;Could it have been a giant, or a powerful prince,
+or some gorgeous being whom the magicians or
+the fairies wished to punish? It may be that I
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>
+was a dog or a horse, or perhaps a fiery dragon
+or a horrid snake. I hope it was not one of
+these. But whatever it was, everyone has certainly
+a right to his original form, and I am resolved
+to find out mine. I will start early to-morrow
+morning; and I am sorry now that I have not
+more pockets to my old doublet, so that I might
+carry more bees and more honey for my journey.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He spent the rest of the day in making a hive
+of twigs and straw; and, having transferred to
+this a number of honeycombs and a colony of
+bees which had just swarmed, he rose before sunrise
+the next day, and having put on his leathern
+doublet and having bound his new hive to his
+back, he set forth on his quest, the bees who were
+to accompany him buzzing around him like a cloud.</p>
+
+<p>As the Bee-man pressed through the little village
+the people greatly wondered at his queer
+appearance, with the hive upon his back. &ldquo;The
+Bee-man is going on a long journey this time,&rdquo;
+they said; but no one imagined the strange business
+on which he was bent.</p>
+
+<p>About noon he sat down under a tree, near a
+beautiful meadow covered with blossoms, and ate
+a little honey. Then he untied his hive and
+stretched himself out on the grass to rest. As
+he gazed upon his bees hovering about him, some
+going out to the blossoms in the sunshine, and
+some returning laden with the sweet pollen, he
+said to himself: &ldquo;They know just what they
+have to do, and they do it; but alas for me! I
+know not what I may have to do. And yet, whatever
+it may be, I am determined to do it. In
+some way or other I will find out what was my
+original form, and then I will have myself changed
+back to it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And now the thought came to him that perhaps
+his original form might have been something
+very disagreeable, or even horrid.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But it does not matter,&rdquo; he said sturdily.
+&ldquo;Whatever I was that shall I be again. It is not
+right for anyone to keep a form which does not
+properly belong to him. I have no doubt I shall
+discover my original form in the same way that
+I find the trees in which the wild bees hive.
+When I first catch sight of a bee tree I am drawn
+toward it, I know not how. Something says to
+me: &lsquo;That is what you are looking for.&rsquo; In the
+same way I believe that I shall find my original
+form. When I see it, I shall be drawn toward
+it. Something will say to me: &lsquo;That is it.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the Bee-man was rested he started off
+again, and in about an hour he entered a fair
+domain. Around him were beautiful lawns, grand
+trees, and lovely gardens; while at a little distance
+stood the stately palace of the Lord of the Domain.
+Richly dressed people were walking about or
+sitting in the shade of the trees and arbors;
+splendidly equipped horses were waiting for their
+riders; and everywhere were seen signs of wealth
+and gayety.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think,&rdquo; said the Bee-man to himself, &ldquo;that
+I should like to stop here for a time. If it should
+happen that I was originally like any of these
+happy creatures it would please me much.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He untied his hive, and hid it behind some
+bushes, and, taking off his old doublet, laid that
+beside it. It would not do to have his bees flying
+about him if he wished to go among the inhabitants
+of this fair domain.</p>
+
+<p>For two days the Bee-man wandered about the
+palace and its grounds, avoiding notice as much as
+possible, but looking at everything. He saw handsome
+men and lovely ladies; the finest horses,
+dogs, and cattle that were ever known; beautiful
+birds in cages, and fishes in crystal globes; and
+it seemed to him that the best of all living-things
+were here collected.</p>
+
+<p>At the close of the second day the Bee-man
+said to himself: &ldquo;There is one being here toward
+whom I feel very much drawn, and that is the
+Lord of the Domain. I cannot feel certain that
+I was once like him, but it would be a very fine
+thing if it were so; and it seems impossible for
+me to be drawn toward any other being in the
+domain when I look upon him, so handsome, rich,
+and powerful. But I must observe him more
+closely, and feel more sure of the matter, before
+applying to the sorcerers to change me back into a
+lord of a fair domain.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the Bee-man saw the Lord of
+the Domain walking in his gardens. He slipped
+along the shady paths, and followed him so as to
+observe him closely, and find out if he were really
+drawn toward this noble and handsome being.
+The Lord of the Domain walked on for some
+time, not noticing that the Bee-man was behind
+him. But suddenly turning, he saw the little old
+man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing here, you vile beggar?&rdquo;
+he cried; and he gave him a kick that sent him
+into some bushes which grew by the side of the
+path.</p>
+
+<p>The Bee-man scrambled to his feet, and ran as
+fast as he could to the place where he had hidden
+his hive and his old doublet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If I am certain of anything,&rdquo; he thought, &ldquo;it
+is that I was never a person who would kick a
+poor old man. I will leave this place. I was
+transformed from nothing that I see here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He now traveled for a day or two longer, and
+then he came to a great black mountain, near the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>
+bottom of which was an opening like the mouth
+of a cave.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 353px;">
+<img src="images/img95.jpg" width="353" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;he was extremely lively and active, and came bounding
+toward them&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>This mountain he had heard was filled with
+caverns and underground passages, which were
+the abodes of dragons, evil spirits, and horrid
+creatures of all kinds.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah me!&rdquo; said the Bee-man with a sigh, &ldquo;I
+suppose I ought to visit this place. If I am going
+to do this thing properly, I should look on all
+sides of the subject, and I may have been one of
+those horrid creatures myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon he went to the mountain, and as
+he approached the opening of the passage which
+led into its inmost recesses, he saw, sitting upon
+the ground, and leaning his back against a tree,
+a Languid Youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good-day,&rdquo; said this individual when he saw
+the Bee-man. &ldquo;Are you going inside?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Bee-man, &ldquo;that is what I intend
+to do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the Languid Youth, slowly rising
+to his feet, &ldquo;I think I will go with you. I was
+told that if I went in there I should get my
+energies toned up, and they need it very much;
+but I did not feel equal to entering by myself,
+and I thought I would wait until some one came
+along. I am very glad to see you, and we will
+go in together.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the two went into the cave, and they had
+proceeded but a short distance when they met
+a very little creature, whom it was easy to recognize
+as a Very Imp. He was about two feet
+high, and resembled in color a freshly polished
+pair of boots. He was extremely lively and active,
+and came bounding toward them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What did you two people come here for?&rdquo; he
+asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I came,&rdquo; said the Languid Youth, &ldquo;to have my
+energies toned up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have come to the right place,&rdquo; said the
+Very Imp. &ldquo;We will tone you up. And what
+does that old Bee-man want?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He has been transformed from something, and
+wants to find out what it is. He thinks he may
+have been one of the things in here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I should not wonder if that were so,&rdquo; said the
+Very Imp, rolling his head on one side, and eying
+the Bee-man with a critical gaze.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said the Very Imp; &ldquo;he can go
+around, and pick out his previous existence. We
+have here all sorts of vile creepers, crawlers,
+hissers, and snorters. I suppose he thinks anything
+will be better than a Bee-man.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is not because I want to be better than I
+am,&rdquo; said the Bee-man, &ldquo;that I started out on
+this search. I have simply an honest desire to
+become what I originally was.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh; that is it, is it?&rdquo; said the other. &ldquo;There
+is an idiotic moon-calf here with a clam head,
+which must be just what you used to be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; said the Bee-man. &ldquo;You have not
+the least idea what an honest purpose is. I shall
+go about and see for myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go ahead,&rdquo; said the Very Imp, &ldquo;and I will attend
+to this fellow who wants to be toned up.&rdquo;
+So saying he joined the Languid Youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look here,&rdquo; said the Youth, &ldquo;do you black
+and shine yourself every morning?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the other, &ldquo;it is water-proof varnish.
+You want to be invigorated, don&#8217;t you? Well, I
+will tell you a splendid way to begin. You see
+that Bee-man has put down his hive and his coat
+with the bees in it. Just wait till he gets out
+of sight, and then catch a lot of those bees, and
+squeeze them flat. If you spread them on a
+sticky rag, and make a plaster, and put it on the
+small of your back, it will invigorate you like
+everything, especially if some of the bees are not
+quite dead.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Languid Youth, looking at him
+with his mild eyes, &ldquo;but if I had energy enough
+to catch a bee I would be satisfied. Suppose you
+catch a lot for me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The subject is changed,&rdquo; said the Very Imp.
+&ldquo;We are now about to visit the spacious chamber
+of the King of the Snap-dragons.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is a flower,&rdquo; said the Languid Youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You will find him a gay old blossom,&rdquo; said the
+other. &ldquo;When he has chased you round his room,
+and has blown sparks at you, and has snorted and
+howled, and cracked his tail, and snapped his
+jaws like a pair of anvils, your energies will be
+toned up higher than ever before in your life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No doubt of it,&rdquo; said the Languid Youth;
+&ldquo;but I think I will begin with something a little
+milder.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then,&rdquo; said the other, &ldquo;there is a flat-tailed
+Demon of the Gorge in here. He is
+generally asleep, and, if you say so, you can slip
+into the farthest corner of his cave, and I&#8217;ll solder
+his tail to the opposite wall. Then he will rage
+and roar, but he can&#8217;t get at you, for he doesn&#8217;t
+reach all the way across his cave; I have measured
+him. It will tone you up wonderfully to sit there
+and watch him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very likely,&rdquo; said the Languid Youth; &ldquo;but I
+would rather stay outside and let you go up in
+the corner. The performance in that way will be
+more interesting to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are dreadfully hard to please,&rdquo; said the
+Very Imp. &ldquo;I have offered them to you loose,
+and I offered them fastened to a wall, and now the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>
+best thing I can do is to give you a chance at one
+of them that can&#8217;t move at all. It is the Ghastly
+Griffin, and is enchanted. He can&#8217;t stir so much
+as the tip of his whiskers for a thousand years.
+You can go to his cave and examine him just as
+if he were stuffed, and then you can sit on his
+back and think how it would be if you should live
+to be a thousand years old, and he should wake up
+while you are sitting there. It would be easy to
+imagine a lot of horrible things he would do to
+you when you look at his open mouth with its
+awful fangs, his dreadful claws, and his horrible
+wings all covered with spikes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think that might suit me,&rdquo; said the Languid
+Youth. &ldquo;I would much rather imagine the exercises
+of these monsters than to see them really
+going on.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come on, then,&rdquo; said the Very Imp; and he
+led the way to the cave of the Ghastly Griffin.</p>
+
+<p>The Bee-man went by himself through a great
+part of the mountain, and looked into many of its
+gloomy caves and recesses, recoiling in horror
+from most of the dreadful monsters who met his
+eyes. While he was wandering about, an awful
+roar was heard resounding through the passages
+of the mountain, and soon there came flapping
+along an enormous dragon, with body black as
+night, and wings and tail of fiery red. In his
+great fore-claws he bore a little baby.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Horrible!&rdquo; exclaimed the Bee-man. &ldquo;He is
+taking that little creature to his cave to devour it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He saw the dragon enter a cave not far away,
+and, following, looked in. The dragon was
+crouched upon the ground with the little baby
+lying before him. It did not seem to be hurt, but
+was frightened and crying. The monster was
+looking upon it with delight, as if he intended to
+make a dainty meal of it as soon as his appetite
+should be a little stronger.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is too bad!&rdquo; thought the Bee-man. &ldquo;Somebody
+ought to do something.&rdquo; And turning
+around, he ran away as fast as he could.</p>
+
+<p>He ran through various passages until he came
+to the spot where he had left his bee-hive. Picking
+it up, he hurried back, carrying the hive in
+his two hands before him. When he reached
+the cave of the dragon, he looked in and saw the
+monster still crouched over the weeping child.
+Without a moment&#8217;s hesitation, the Bee-man
+rushed into the cave and threw his hive straight
+into the face of the dragon. The bees, enraged
+by the shock, rushed upon the head, mouth, eyes,
+and nose of the dragon.</p>
+
+<p>The great monster, astounded by this sudden
+attack, and driven almost wild by the numberless
+stings of the bees, sprang back to the farthest
+corner of his cave, still followed by the bees, at
+whom he flapped wildly with his great wings and
+struck with his paws. While the dragon was
+thus engaged with the bees, the Bee-man rushed
+forward, and seizing the child, he hurried away.
+He did not stop to pick up his doublet, but kept on
+until he saw the Very Imp hopping along on one
+leg, and rubbing his back and shoulders with his
+hands, and stopped to inquire what was the matter,
+and what had become of the Languid Youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He is no kind of a fellow,&rdquo; said the Very
+Imp. &ldquo;He disappointed me dreadfully. I took
+him up to the Ghastly Griffin, and told him the
+thing was enchanted, and that he might sit on its
+back and think about what it could do if it was
+awake; and when he came near it the wretched
+creature opened its eyes, and raised its head, and
+then you ought to have seen how mad that simpleton
+was. He made a dash at me and seized me
+by the ears; he kicked and beat me till I can
+scarcely move.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;His energies must have been toned up a good
+deal,&rdquo; said the Bee-man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Toned up! I should say so!&rdquo; cried the other.
+&ldquo;I raised a howl, and a Scissor-jawed Clipper
+came out of his hole, and got after him; but that
+lazy fool ran so fast that he could not be caught.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Bee-man now ran on and soon overtook the
+Languid Youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You need not be in a hurry now,&rdquo; said the
+latter, &ldquo;for the rules of this institution don&#8217;t
+allow the creatures inside to come out of this
+opening, or to hang around it. If they did, they
+would frighten away visitors. They go in and
+out of holes in the upper part of the mountain.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The two proceeded on their way.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you going to do with that baby?&rdquo;
+said the Languid Youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I shall carry it along with me,&rdquo; said the Bee-man,
+&ldquo;as I go on with my search, and perhaps I
+may find its mother. If I do not, I shall give it
+to somebody in that little village yonder. Anything
+would be better than leaving it to be devoured
+by that horrid dragon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me carry it, I feel quite strong enough
+now to carry a baby.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said the Bee-man; &ldquo;but I can take
+it myself. I like to carry something, and I have
+now neither my hive nor my doublet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is very well that you had to leave them behind,&rdquo;
+said the Youth, &ldquo;for the bees would have
+stung the baby.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My bees never sting babies,&rdquo; said the other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They probably never had a chance,&rdquo; remarked
+his companion.</p>
+
+<p>They soon entered the village, and after walking
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>
+a short distance the Youth exclaimed: &ldquo;Do you
+see that woman over there sitting at the door of
+her house? She has beautiful hair, and she is
+tearing it all to pieces. She should not be allowed
+to do that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the Bee-man. &ldquo;Her friends should
+tie her hands.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps she is the mother of this child,&rdquo; said
+the Youth, &ldquo;and if you give it to her she will
+no longer think of tearing her hair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the Bee-man, &ldquo;you don&#8217;t really
+think this is her child?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Suppose you go over and see,&rdquo; said the other.</p>
+
+<p>The Bee-man hesitated a moment, and then he
+walked toward the woman. Hearing him coming,
+she raised her head, and when she saw the
+child she rushed toward it, snatched it into her
+arms, and screaming with joy she covered it with
+kisses. Then with happy tears she begged to
+know the story of the rescue of her child, whom
+she never expected to see again; and she loaded
+the Bee-man with thanks and blessings. The
+friends and neighbors gathered around, and there
+was great rejoicing. The mother urged the Bee-man
+and the Youth to stay with her, and rest and
+refresh themselves, which they were glad to do,
+as they were tired and hungry.</p>
+
+<p>They remained at the cottage all night, and in
+the afternoon of the next day the Bee-man said
+to the Youth: &ldquo;It may seem an odd thing to you,
+but never in all my life have I felt myself drawn
+toward any living being as I am drawn toward
+this baby. Therefore I believe that I have been
+transformed from a baby.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; cried the Youth. &ldquo;It is my opinion
+that you have hit the truth. And now would you
+like to be changed back to your original form?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed I would!&rdquo; said the Bee-man. &ldquo;I have
+the strongest yearning to be what I originally
+was.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Youth, who had now lost every trace of
+languid feeling, took a great interest in the matter,
+and early the next morning started off to tell
+the Junior Sorcerer that the Bee-man had discovered
+what he had been transformed from, and
+desired to be changed back to it.</p>
+
+<p>The Junior Sorcerer and his learned Masters
+were filled with delight when they heard this report,
+and they at once set out for the mother&#8217;s
+cottage. And there by magic arts the Bee-man
+was changed back into a baby. The mother was
+so grateful for what the Bee-man had done for
+her that she agreed to take charge of this baby,
+and to bring it up as her own.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It will be a grand thing for him,&rdquo; said the
+Junior Sorcerer, &ldquo;and I am glad that I studied
+his case. He will now have a fresh start in life,
+and will have a chance to become something
+better than a miserable old man living in a
+wretched hut with no friends or companions but
+buzzing bees.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Junior Sorcerer and his Masters then returned
+to their homes, happy in the success of
+their great performance; and the Youth went back
+to his home anxious to begin a life of activity
+and energy.</p>
+
+<p>Years and years afterward, when the Junior
+Sorcerer had become a Senior and was very old
+indeed, he passed through the country of Orn, and
+noticed a small hut about which swarms of bees
+were flying. He approached it, and looking in at
+the door he saw an old man in a leathern doublet,
+sitting at a table, eating honey. By his magic art
+he knew this was the baby which had been transformed
+from the Bee-man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Upon my word!&rdquo; exclaimed the Sorcerer, &ldquo;he
+has grown into the same thing again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+</div>
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_E_5" id="Footnote_E_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_E_5"><span class="label">[E]</span></a> From &ldquo;The Bee-Man of Orn, and Other Fanciful Tales&rdquo;;
+copyright, 1887, by Charles Scribner&#8217;s Sons. Used by
+permission of the publishers.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GOLD" id="GOLD"></a>THE POT OF GOLD<a name="FNanchor_F_6" id="FNanchor_F_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_F_6" class="fnanchor">[F]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>The Flower family lived in a little house in a
+broad grassy meadow, which sloped a few rods
+from their front door down to a gentle, silvery
+river. Right across the river rose a lovely dark
+green mountain, and when there was a rainbow,
+as there frequently was, nothing could have looked
+more enchanting than it did rising from the opposite
+bank of the stream with the wet, shadowy
+mountain for a background. All the Flower
+family would invariably run to their front windows
+and their door to see it.</p>
+
+<p>The Flower family numbered nine: Father and
+Mother Flower and seven children. Father
+Flower was an unappreciated poet, Mother Flower
+was very much like all mothers, and the seven
+children were very sweet and interesting. Their
+first names all matched beautifully with their last
+name, and with their personal appearance. For
+instance, the oldest girl, who had soft blue eyes
+and flaxen curls, was called Flax Flower: the
+little boy, who came next, and had very red cheeks
+and loved to sleep late in the morning, was called
+Poppy Flower, and so on. This charming suitableness
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>
+of their names was owing to Father
+Flower. He had a theory that a great deal of
+the misery and discord in the world comes from
+things not matching properly as they should; and
+he thought there ought to be a certain correspondence
+between all things that were in juxtaposition
+to each other, just as there ought to be between
+the last two words of a couplet of poetry. But
+he found, very often, there was no correspondence
+at all, just as words in poetry do not always rhyme
+when they should. However, he did his best to
+remedy it. He saw that every one of his children&#8217;s
+names was suitable and accorded with
+their personal characteristics; and in his flower-garden&mdash;for
+he raised flowers for the market&mdash;only
+those of complementary colors were allowed
+to grow in adjoining beds, and, as often as
+possible, they rhymed in their names. But that
+was a more difficult matter to manage, and very
+few flowers were rhymed, or, if they were, none
+rhymed correctly. He had a bed of box next to
+one of phlox, and a trellis of woodbine grew next
+to one of eglantine, and a thicket of elderblows
+was next to one of rose; but he was forced to
+let his violets and honeysuckles and many others
+go entirely unrhymed&mdash;this disturbed him considerably,
+but he reflected that it was not his fault,
+but that of the man who made the language and
+named the different flowers&mdash;he should have
+looked to it that those of complementary colors
+had names to rhyme with each other, then all
+would have been harmonious and as it should have
+been.</p>
+
+<p>Father Flower had chosen this way of earning
+his livelihood when he realized that he was doomed
+to be an unappreciated poet, because it suited so
+well with his name; and if the flowers had only
+rhymed a little better he would have been very
+well contented. As it was, he never grumbled.
+He also saw to it that the furniture in his little
+house and the cooking utensils rhymed as nearly
+as possible, though that too was oftentimes a difficult
+matter to bring about, and required a vast
+deal of thought and hard study. The table always
+stood under the gable end of the roof, the foot-stool
+always stood where it was cool, and the big
+rocking-chair in a glare of sunlight; the lamp,
+too, he kept down cellar where it was damp. But
+all these were rather far-fetched, and sometimes
+quite inconvenient. Occasionally there would be
+an article that he could not rhyme until he had
+spent years of thought over it, and when he did
+it would disturb the comfort of the family greatly.
+There was the spider. He puzzled over that exceedingly,
+and when he rhymed it at last, Mother
+Flower or one of the little girls had always to
+take the spider beside her, when she sat down,
+which was of course quite troublesome. The
+kettle he rhymed first with nettle, and hung a
+bunch of nettle over it, till all the children got
+dreadfully stung. Then he tried settle, and hung
+the kettle over the settle. But that was no place
+for it; they had to go without their tea, and everybody
+who sat on the settle bumped his head
+against the kettle. At last it occurred to Father
+Flower that if he should make a slight change in
+the language the kettle could rhyme with the skillet,
+and sit beside it on the stove, as it ought,
+leaving harmony out of the question, to do. Accordingly
+all the children were instructed to call
+the skillet a skettle, and the kettle stood by its
+side on the stove ever afterward.</p>
+
+<p>The house was a very pretty one, although it
+was quite rude and very simple. It was built of
+logs and had a thatched roof, which projected
+far out over the walls. But it was all overrun
+with the loveliest flowering vines imaginable, and,
+inside, nothing could have been more exquisitely
+neat and homelike; although there was only one
+room and a little garret over it. All around the
+house were the flower-beds and the vine-trellises
+and the blooming shrubs, and they were always
+in the most beautiful order. Now, although all
+this was very pretty to see, and seemingly very
+simple to bring to pass, yet there was a vast deal
+of labor in it for some one; for flowers do not
+look so trim and thriving without tending, and
+houses do not look so spotlessly clean without constant
+care. All the Flower family worked hard;
+even the littlest children had their daily tasks set
+them. The oldest girl, especially, little Flax
+Flower, was kept busy from morning till night
+taking care of her younger brothers and sisters,
+and weeding flowers. But for all that she was a
+very happy little girl, as indeed were the whole
+family, as they did not mind working, and loved
+each other dearly.</p>
+
+<p>Father Flower, to be sure, felt a little sad sometimes;
+for, although his lot in life was a pleasant
+one, it was not exactly what he would have
+chosen. Once in a while he had a great longing
+for something different. He confided a great
+many of his feelings to Flax Flower; she was
+more like him than any of the other children, and
+could understand him even better than his wife, he
+thought.</p>
+
+<p>One day, when there had been a heavy shower
+and a beautiful rainbow, he and Flax were out
+in the garden tying up some rose-bushes, which
+the rain had beaten down, and he said to her how
+he wished he could find the Pot of Gold at the
+end of the rainbow. Flax, if you will believe
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>
+me, had never heard of it; so he had to tell
+her all about it, and also say a little poem he had
+made about it to her.</p>
+
+<p>The poem ran something in this way:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+O what is it shineth so golden-clear<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">At the rainbow&#8217;s foot on the dark green hill?</span><br />
+&#8217;Tis the Pot of Gold, that for many a year<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Has shone, and is shining and dazzling still.</span><br />
+And whom is it for, O Pilgrim, pray?<br />
+For thee, Sweetheart, shouldst thou go that way.</p>
+
+<p>Flax listened with her soft blue eyes very wide
+open. &ldquo;I suppose if we should find that pot of
+gold it would make us very rich, wouldn&#8217;t it,
+father?&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied her father; &ldquo;we could then have
+a grand house, and keep a gardener, and a maid
+to take care of the children, and we should no
+longer have to work so hard.&rdquo; He sighed as he
+spoke, and tears stood in his gentle blue eyes,
+which were very much like Flax&#8217;s. &ldquo;However,
+we shall never find it,&rdquo; he added.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why couldn&#8217;t we run ever so fast when we
+saw the rainbow,&rdquo; inquired Flax, &ldquo;and get the
+Pot of Gold?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t be foolish, child!&rdquo; said her father; &ldquo;you
+could not possibly reach it before the rainbow
+was quite faded away!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;True,&rdquo; said Flax, but she fell to thinking as
+she tied up the dripping roses.</p>
+
+<p>The next rainbow they had she eyed very
+closely, standing out on the front doorstep in the
+rain, and she saw that one end of it seemed to
+touch the ground at the foot of a pine-tree on the
+side of the mountain, which was quite conspicuous
+amongst its fellows, it was so tall. The other
+end had nothing especial to mark it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will try the end where the tall pine-tree is
+first,&rdquo; said Flax to herself, &ldquo;because that will be
+the easiest to find&mdash;if the Pot of Gold isn&#8217;t there
+I will try to find the other end.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A few days after that it was very hot and
+sultry, and at noon the thunder heads were piled
+high all around the horizon.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t doubt but we shall have showers this
+afternoon,&rdquo; said Father Flower, when he came in
+from the garden for his dinner.</p>
+
+<p>After the dinner-dishes were washed up, and
+the baby rocked to sleep, Flax came to her mother
+with a petition.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mother,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;won&#8217;t you give me a holiday
+this afternoon?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, where do you want to go, Flax?&rdquo; said
+her mother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I want to go over on the mountain and hunt
+for wild flowers,&rdquo; replied Flax.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I think it is going to rain, child, and you
+will get wet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That won&#8217;t hurt me any, mother,&rdquo; said Flax,
+laughing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I don&#8217;t know as I care,&rdquo; said her mother,
+hesitatingly. &ldquo;You have been a very good industrious
+girl, and deserve a little holiday. Only
+don&#8217;t go so far that you cannot soon run home if
+a shower should come up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Flax curled her flaxen hair and tied it up
+with a blue ribbon, and put on her blue and white
+checked dress. By the time she was ready to go
+the clouds over in the northwest were piled up
+very high and black, and it was quite late in the
+afternoon. Very likely her mother would not
+have let her go if she had been at home, but
+she had taken the baby, who had waked from his
+nap, and gone to call on her nearest neighbor, half
+a mile away. As for her father, he was busy in
+the garden, and all the other children were with
+him, and they did not notice Flax when she stole
+out of the front door. She crossed the river on a
+pretty arched stone bridge nearly opposite the
+house, and went directly into the woods on the
+side of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>Everything was very still and dark and solemn
+in the woods. They knew about the storm that
+was coming. Now and then Flax heard the leaves
+talking in queer little rustling voices. She inherited
+the ability to understand what they said
+from her father. They were talking to each
+other now in the words of her father&#8217;s song.
+Very likely he had heard them saying it sometime,
+and that was how he happened to know it.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;O what is it shineth so golden-clear</span><br />
+ At the rainbow&#8217;s foot on the dark green hill?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Flax heard the maple-leaves inquire. And the
+pine-leaves answered back:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;&#8217;Tis the Pot of Gold, that for many a year</span><br />
+ Has shone, and is shining and dazzling still.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the maple-leaves asked:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 4.5em;">
+&ldquo;And whom is it for, O Pilgrim, pray?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the pine-leaves answered:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 4.5em;">
+&ldquo;For thee, Sweetheart, shouldst thou go that way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Flax did not exactly understand the sense of
+the last question and answer between maple and
+pine-leaves. But they kept on saying it over and
+over as she ran along. She was going straight
+to the tall pine-tree. She knew just where it
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>
+was, for she had often been there. Now the
+rain-drops began to splash through the green
+boughs, and the thunder rolled along the sky. The
+leaves all tossed about in a strong wind and their
+soft rustles grew into a roar, and the branches and
+the whole tree caught it up and called out so loud,
+as they writhed and twisted about that Flax was
+almost deafened, the words of the song:</p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 4.5em;">
+&ldquo;O what is it shineth so golden-clear?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Flax sped along through the wind and the rain
+and the thunder. She was very much afraid that
+she should not reach the tall pine which was
+quite a way distant before the sun shone out, and
+the rainbow came.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was already breaking through the
+clouds when she came in sight of it, way up above
+her on a rock. The rain-drops on the trees began
+to shine like diamonds, and the words of the
+song rushed out from their midst, louder and
+sweeter:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 4.5em;">
+&ldquo;O what is it shineth so golden-clear?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Flax climbed for dear life. Red and green and
+golden rays were already falling thick around
+her, and at the foot of the pine-tree something
+was shining wonderfully clear and bright.</p>
+
+<p>At last she reached it, and just at that instant
+the rainbow became a perfect one, and there at
+the foot of the wonderful arch of glory was the
+Pot of Gold. Flax could see it brighter than all
+the brightness of the rainbow. She sank down
+beside it and put her hand on it, then she closed
+her eyes and sat still, bathed in red and green and
+violet light&mdash;that, and the golden light from the
+Pot, made her blind and dizzy. As she sat there
+with her hand on the Pot of Gold at the foot of
+the rainbow, she could hear the leaves over her
+singing louder and louder, till the tones fairly
+rushed like a wind through her ears. But this
+time they only sang the last words of the song:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;And whom is it for, O Pilgrim, pray?</span><br />
+ For thee, Sweetheart, shouldst thou go that way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At last she ventured to open her eyes. The
+rainbow had faded almost entirely away, only a
+few tender rose and green shades were arching
+over her; but the Pot of Gold under her hand
+was still there, and shining brighter than ever.
+All the pine needles with which the ground
+around it was thickly spread, were turned to
+needles of gold, and some stray couplets of leaves
+which were springing up through them were all
+gilded.</p>
+
+<p>Flax bent over it trembling and lifted the lid off
+the pot. She expected, of course, to find it full
+of gold pieces that would buy the grand house and
+the gardener and the maid that her father had
+spoken about. But to her astonishment, when
+she had lifted the lid off and bent over the Pot
+to look into it, the first thing she saw was the
+face of her mother looking out of it at her. It
+was smaller of course, but just the same loving,
+kindly face she had left at home. Then, as she
+looked longer, she saw her father smiling gently
+up at her, then came Poppy and the baby and all
+the rest of her dear little brothers and sisters
+smiling up at her out of the golden gloom inside
+the Pot. At last she actually saw the garden and
+her father in it tying up the roses, and the pretty
+little vine-covered house, and, finally, she could
+see right into the dear little room where her
+mother sat with the baby in her lap, and all the
+others around her.</p>
+
+<p>Flax jumped up. &ldquo;I will run home,&rdquo; said she,
+&ldquo;it is late, and I do want to see them all dreadfully.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she left the Golden Pot shining all alone
+under the pine-tree, and ran home as fast as she
+could.</p>
+
+<p>When she reached the house it was almost twilight,
+but her father was still in the garden.
+Every rose and lily had to be tied up after the
+shower, and he was but just finishing. He had
+the tin milk pan hung on him like a shield, because
+it rhymed with man. It certainly was a
+beautiful rhyme, but it was very inconvenient.
+Poor Mother Flower was at her wits&#8217; end to know
+what to do without it, and it was very awkward
+for Father Flower to work with it fastened to
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Flax ran breathlessly into the garden, and threw
+her arms around her father&#8217;s neck and kissed
+him. She bumped her nose against the milk pan,
+but she did not mind that; she was so glad to see
+him again. Somehow, she never remembered being
+so glad to see him as she was now since she
+had seen his face in the Pot of Gold.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear father,&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;how glad I am to see
+you! I found the Pot of Gold at the end of the
+rainbow!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Her father stared at her in amazement.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I did, truly, father,&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;But it
+was not full of gold, after all. You were in it,
+and mother and the children and the house and
+garden and&mdash;everything.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You were mistaken, dear,&rdquo; said her father,
+looking at her with his gentle, sorrowful eyes.
+&ldquo;You could not have found the true end of the
+rainbow, nor the true Pot of Gold&mdash;that is surely
+full of the most beautiful gold pieces, with an
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>
+angel stamped on every one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I did, father,&rdquo; persisted Flax.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You had better go into your mother, Flax,&rdquo;
+said her father; &ldquo;she will be anxious to see you.
+I know better than you about the Pot of Gold at
+the end of the rainbow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Flax went sorrowfully into the house. There
+was the tea-kettle singing beside the &ldquo;skettle,&rdquo;
+which had some nice smelling soup in it, the table
+was laid for supper, and there sat her mother with
+the baby in her lap and the others all around her&mdash;just
+as they had looked in the Pot of Gold.</p>
+
+<p>Flax had never been so glad to see them before&mdash;and
+if she didn&#8217;t hug and kiss them all!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I found the Pot of Gold at the end of the
+rainbow, mother,&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;and it was not full
+of gold, at all; but you and father and the children
+looked out of it at me, and I saw the house
+and garden and everything in it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Her mother looked at her lovingly. &ldquo;Yes, Flax
+dear,&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But father said I was mistaken,&rdquo; said Flax,
+&ldquo;and did not find it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well dear,&rdquo; said her mother, &ldquo;your father is a
+poet, and very wise; we will say no more about
+it. You can sit down here and hold the baby
+now, while I make the tea.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Flax was perfectly ready to do that; and, as she
+sat there with her darling little baby brother crowing
+in her lap, and watched her pretty little
+brothers and sisters and her dear mother, she
+felt so happy that she did not care any longer
+whether she found the true Pot of Gold or not.</p>
+
+<p>But, after all, do you know, I think her father
+was mistaken, and that she had.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_F_6" id="Footnote_F_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_F_6"><span class="label">[F]</span></a> From &ldquo;The Pot of Gold and Other Stories,&rdquo;
+by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, published by Lothrop, Lee &amp; Shepard Company;
+used by special arrangement.</p></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 330px;">
+<img src="images/img102.jpg" width="330" height="156" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img103.jpg" width="500" height="132" alt="Verses about fairies" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE FAIRY THORN</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>An Ulster Ballad</em></p>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY SAMUEL FERGUSON</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+&ldquo;Get up, our Anna dear, from the weary spinning wheel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For your father&#8217;s on the hill, and your mother is asleep:</span><br />
+Come up above the crags, and we&#8217;ll dance a Highland reel<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Around the fairy thorn on the steep.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+At Anna Grace&#8217;s door, &#8217;t was thus the maidens cried&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Three merry maidens fair, in kirtles of the green;</span><br />
+And Anna laid the sock and the weary wheel aside&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The fairest of the four, I ween.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+They&#8217;re glancing through the glimmer of the quiet eve,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Away in milky wavings of the neck and ankle bare;</span><br />
+The heavy-sliding stream in its sleepy song they leave,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And the crags in the ghostly air;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+And linking hand in hand, and singing as they go,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The maids along the hillside have ta&#8217;en their fearless way,</span><br />
+Till they come to where the rowan trees in lonely beauty grow<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Beside the Fairy Hawthorn gray.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+The Hawthorn stands between the ashes tall and slim,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Like matron with her twin grand-daughters at her knee;</span><br />
+The rowan berries cluster o&#8217;er her low head, gray and dim,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In ruddy kisses sweet to see.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+The merry maidens four have ranged them in a row,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Between each lovely couple a stately rowan stem;</span><br />
+And away in mazes wavy, like skimming birds, they go&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh, never carroled bird like them!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+But solemn is the silence of the silvery haze,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That drinks away their voices in echoless repose;</span><br />
+And dreamily the evening has stilled the haunted braes,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And dreamier the gloaming grows.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+And sinking, one by one, like lark-notes from the sky,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">When the falcon&#8217;s shadow saileth across the open shaw,</span><br />
+Are hushed the maidens&#8217; voices, as cowering down they lie<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In the flutter of their sudden awe.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+For, from the air above, and the grassy ground beneath,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And from the mountain-ashes and the old white thorn between,</span><br />
+A power of faint enchantment doth through their beings breathe,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And they sink down together on the green.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+They sink together silent, and stealing side by side,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">They fling their lovely arms o&#8217;er their drooping necks so fair;</span><br />
+Then vainly strive again their naked arms to hide,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For their shrinking necks again are bare.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+Thus clasped and prostrate all, with their heads together bowed,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Soft o&#8217;er their bosoms beating&mdash;the only human sound&mdash;</span><br />
+They hear the silky footsteps of the silent fairy crowd,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Like a river in the air, gliding round.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+Nor scream can raise, nor prayer can any say,<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But wild, wild the terror of the speechless three;</span><br />
+For they feel fair Anna Grace drawn silently away,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">By whom, they dare not look to see.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+They feel their tresses twine with her parting locks of gold,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And the curls elastic falling, as her head withdraws;</span><br />
+They feel her sliding arms from their tranc&egrave;d arms unfold,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But they dare not look to see the cause.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+For heavy on their senses the faint enchantment lies,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Through all that night of anguish and perilous amaze;</span><br />
+And neither fear nor wonder can open their quivering eyes,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or their limbs from the cold ground raise.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+Till out of night the earth has rolled her dewy side,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With every haunted mountain and streamy vale below;</span><br />
+When, as the mist dissolves in the yellow morning tide,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The maidens&#8217; trance dissolveth so.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+They fly, the ghastly three, as swiftly as they may,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And told their tale of sorrow to anxious friends in vain&mdash;</span><br />
+They pined away and died within the year and day,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And ne&#8217;er was Anna Grace seen again.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="DAYS" id="DAYS"></a>FAIRY DAYS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY</strong></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8.5em;">
+Beside the old hall fire, upon my nurse&#8217;s knee,<br />
+Of happy fairy days, what tales were told to me!<br />
+I thought the world was once all peopled with princesses,<br />
+And my heart would beat to hear their loves and their distresses.<br />
+And many a quiet night, in slumber sweet and deep,<br />
+The pretty fairy people would visit me in sleep.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8.5em;">
+I saw them in my dreams come flying east and west;<br />
+With wondrous fairy gifts the newborn babe they blessed.<br />
+One has brought a jewel, and one a crown of gold,<br />
+And one has brought a curse, but she is wrinkled and old.<br />
+The gentle queen turns pale to hear those words of sin,<br />
+But the king, he only laughs, and bids the dance begin.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8.5em;">
+The babe has grown to be the fairest of the land,<br />
+And rides the forest green, a hawk upon her hand,<br />
+An ambling palfrey white, a golden robe and crown;<br />
+I&#8217;ve seen her in my dreams riding up and down:<br />
+And heard the ogre laugh, as she fell into his snare,<br />
+At the tender little creature, who wept and tore her hair.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8.5em;">
+But ever when it seemed her need was at the sorest,<br />
+A prince in shining mail comes prancing through the forest,<br />
+A waving ostrich-plume, a buckler burnished bright;<br />
+I&#8217;ve seen him in my dreams, good sooth! a gallant knight.<br />
+His lips are coral red beneath a dark mustache;<br />
+See how he waves his hand and how his blue eyes flash!</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8.5em;">
+&ldquo;Come forth, thou Paynim knight!&rdquo; he shouts in accents clear.<br />
+The giant and the maid, both tremble his voice to hear.<br />
+Saint Mary guard him well! he draws his falchion keen,<br />
+The giant and the knight are fighting on the green.<br />
+I see them in my dreams, his blade gives stroke on stroke,<br />
+The giant pants and reels, and tumbles like an oak!</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8.5em;">
+With what a blushing grace he falls upon his knee<br />
+And takes the lady&#8217;s hand and whispers, &ldquo;You are free.&rdquo;<br />
+Ah! happy childish tales of knight and fa&euml;rie!<br />
+I waken from my dreams, but there&#8217;s ne&#8217;er a knight for me;<br />
+I waken from my dreams, and wish that I could be<br />
+A child by the old hall-fire upon my nurse&#8217;s knee!</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 431px;">
+<img src="images/img105.jpg" width="431" height="450" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">a visit to elfland</span><br />
+<span class="sub1">From the painting by F. Y. Cory</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE FAIRY QUEEN</h2>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  Come, follow, follow me&mdash;<br />
+  You, fairy elves that be,<br />
+  Which circle on the green&mdash;<br />
+  Come, follow Mab, your queen!<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Hand in hand let&#8217;s dance around,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">For this place is fairy ground.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  When mortals are at rest,<br />
+  And snoring in their nest,<br />
+  Unheard and unespied,<br />
+  Through keyholes we do glide;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Over tables, stools, and shelves,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">We trip it with our fairy elves.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  And if the house be foul<br />
+  With platter, dish, or bowl,<br />
+  Up stairs we nimbly creep,<br />
+  And find the sluts asleep;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">There we pinch their arms and thighs&mdash;</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">None escapes, nor none espies.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  But if the house be swept,<br />
+  And from uncleanness kept,<br />
+  We praise the household maid,<br />
+  And duly she is paid;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">For we use, before we go,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">To drop a tester in her shoe.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  Upon a mushroom&#8217;s head,<br />
+  Our table cloth we spread;<br />
+  A grain of rye or wheat<br />
+  Is manchet, which we eat;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Pearly drops of dew we drink,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">In acorn cups, filled to the brink.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  The brains of nightingales,<br />
+  With unctuous fat of snails,<br />
+  Between two cockles stewed,<br />
+  Is meat that&#8217;s easily chewed;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Tails of worms, and marrow of mice,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Do make a dish that&#8217;s wondrous nice.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  The grasshopper, gnat, and fly,<br />
+  Serve us for our minstrelsy;<br />
+  Grace said, we dance a while,<br />
+  And so the time beguile;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">And if the moon doth hide her head,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">The glow-worm lights us home to bed.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+  On tops of dewy grass<br />
+  So nimbly do we pass,<br />
+  The young and tender stalk<br />
+  Ne&#8217;er bends when we do walk;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Yet in the morning may be seen</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">Where we the night before have been.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SEA" id="SEA"></a>THE SEA PRINCESS</h2>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+In a palace of pearl and sea-weed,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Set round with shining shells,</span><br />
+Under the deeps of the ocean,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The little Sea Princess dwells.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Sometimes she sees the shadows<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of great whales passing by,</span><br />
+Or white-winged vessels sailing<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Between the sea and sky.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And when through the waves she rises,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Beyond the breakers&#8217; roar,</span><br />
+She hears the shouts of the children<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">At play on the sandy shore.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Or sees the ships&#8217; sides tower<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Above like a wet, black wall;</span><br />
+Or shouts to the roaring breakers,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And answers the sea-gull&#8217;s call.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+But, down in the quiet waters,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Better she loves to play,</span><br />
+Making a sea-weed garden&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Purple and green and gray;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Stringing with pearls a necklace,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or learning curious spells</span><br />
+From the water-witch, gray and ancient,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And hearing the tales she tells.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Out in the stable her sea-horse<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Champs in his crystal stall;</span><br />
+And fishes with scales that glisten<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Come leaping forth at her call.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+So the little Sea Princess<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Is busy and happy all day,</span><br />
+Just as the human children<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Are busy and happy at play.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+And when the darkness gathers<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Over the lonely deep,</span><br />
+On a bed of velvet sea-weed<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The Princess is rocked to sleep.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="AGO" id="AGO"></a>LONG AGO</h2>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+When the fairies used to live here,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Long ago,</span><br />
+There was never any dark,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or any snow;</span><br />
+But the great big sun kept shining<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">All the night,</span><br />
+And the roses just kept blooming,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh, so bright!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Then the little children never<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Teased their mothers;</span><br />
+And little sisters always<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Loved their brothers.</span><br />
+And they played so very gently&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But, you know,</span><br />
+That was when the fairies lived here,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Long ago.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THISTLE" id="THISTLE"></a>THISTLE-TASSEL<a name="FNanchor_G_7" id="FNanchor_G_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_G_7" class="fnanchor">[G]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY FLORENCE HARRISON</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dancing in the sunlight;</span><br />
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With your silver wings,</span><br />
+Will you come and live with me<br />
+In my little nursery,<br />
+Down beside a royal city,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where the river sings?</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stepping in the sunlight;</span><br />
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where the rivers run,</span><br />
+What have you to give to me,<br />
+In your pretty nursery,<br />
+Fairer than a shady valley,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brighter than the sun?</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dancing in the twilight;</span><br />
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With your yellow hair,</span><br />
+You shall have a couch of down,<br />
+You shall have a golden crown,<br />
+And a little gown of silver<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sewn for you to wear.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stooping in the twilight;</span><br />
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">All so bonnie brown,</span><br />
+Roses are a softer bed,<br />
+Golden flowers crown my head,<br />
+Finer than a robe o&#8217; silver<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Is a fairy gown.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dancing in the starlight;</span><br />
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With a bright penny</span><br />
+You shall buy the sugar plums,<br />
+And the honey when it comes,<br />
+Very sweet, and golden-glowing<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">As the honey bee.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sighing in the starlight;</span><br />
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In the heather curled,</span><br />
+Fairy fruit is full and clear,<br />
+And the honey bee is here:<br />
+Never need have we of money<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In a fairy world.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dancing in the moonlight;</span><br />
+Thistle-Tassel, Thistle-Tassel,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Queen of fairy ones,</span><br />
+I will give you street and spire,<br />
+Boat, and bridge, and beacon fire,<br />
+And a sound of merry music<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where the river runs.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Kneeling in the moonlight;</span><br />
+Little Lady, Little Lady,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In your yellow shoon:</span><br />
+Where the boats and bridges be,<br />
+Naught have you to give to me<br />
+Fairer than a twilit valley,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brighter than the moon.</span></p>
+
+</div>
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_G_7" id="Footnote_G_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_G_7"><span class="label">[G]</span></a> From &ldquo;Elfin Songs,&rdquo; by Florence Harrison; used by permission
+of the publishers, Blackie &amp; Sons, Glasgow.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SONG" id="SONG"></a>SONG OF THE FAIRY</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+  Over hill, over dale,<br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Through bush, through brier,</span><br />
+  Over park, over pale,<br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Through flood, through fire,</span><br />
+  I do wander everywhere,<br />
+  Swifter than the moon&#8217;s sphere;<br />
+  And I serve the fairy queen,<br />
+  To dew her orbs upon the green;<br />
+  The cowslips tall her pensioners be;<br />
+  In their gold coats spots you see:<br />
+  These be rubies, fairy favors&mdash;<br />
+  In those freckles live their savors.<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">I must go seek some dewdrops here,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">And hang a pearl in every cowslip&#8217;s ear.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img109.jpg" width="500" height="370" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="sub1"><em>From a Thistle Print, copyright by Detroit Publishing Company</em></span><br />
+<span class="caption">little old man of the woods<br />
+from a painting by irving r. bacon</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE FAIRIES</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY WILLIAM ALLINGHAM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+Up the airy mountain,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Down the rushy glen,</span><br />
+We daren&#8217;t go a-hunting<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For fear of little men;</span><br />
+Wee folk, good folk,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Trooping all together:</span><br />
+Green jacket, red cap,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And white owl&#8217;s feather!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+Down along the rocky shore<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Some make their home,</span><br />
+They live on crispy pancakes<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of yellow tide-foam;</span><br />
+Some in the reeds<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of the black mountain-lake,</span><br />
+With frogs for their watch-dogs,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">All night awake.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+High on the hill-top<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">The old King sits;</span><br />
+He is now so old and gray<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He&#8217;s nigh lost his wits.</span><br />
+With a bridge of white mist<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Columbkill he crosses,</span><br />
+On his stately journeys<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">From Slieveleague to Rosses;</span><br />
+Or going up with music<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">On cold starry nights,</span><br />
+To sup with the Queen<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of the gay Northern Lights.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+They stole little Bridget<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For seven years long;</span><br />
+When she came down again<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Her friends were all gone.</span><br />
+They took her lightly back,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Between the night and morrow,</span><br />
+They thought that she was fast asleep,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But she was dead with sorrow.</span><br />
+They have kept her ever since<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Deep within the lake,</span><br />
+On a bed of flag-leaves,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Watching till she wake.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+By the craggy hill-side,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Through the mosses bare,</span><br />
+They have planted thorn-trees<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For pleasure here and there.</span><br />
+Is any man so daring<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">As dig them up in spite,</span><br />
+He shall find their sharpest thorns<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In his bed at night.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 14em;">
+Up the airy mountain,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Down the rushy glen,</span><br />
+We daren&#8217;t go a-hunting<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For fear of little men;</span><br />
+Wee folk, good folk,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Trooping all together;</span><br />
+Green jacket, red cap,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And white owl&#8217;s feather!</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="WHERE" id="WHERE"></a>OH, WHERE DO FAIRIES HIDE
+THEIR HEADS?</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Oh, where do fairies hide their heads<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">When snow lies on the hills,</span><br />
+When frost has spoiled their mossy beds,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And crystallized their rills?</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Beneath the moon they cannot trip<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In circles o&#8217;er the plain,</span><br />
+And draughts of dew they cannot sip<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Till green leaves come again.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Perhaps, in small blue diving-bells<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">They plunge beneath the waves&mdash;</span><br />
+Inhabiting the wreath&egrave;d shells<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That lie in coral caves.</span><br />
+Perhaps in red Vesuvius<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Carousal they maintain;</span><br />
+And cheer their little spirits thus<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Till green leaves come again.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Or, maybe, in soft garments rolled,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In hollow trees they lie,</span><br />
+And sing, when nestled from the cold,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">To while the season by.</span><br />
+There, while they sleep in pleasant trance,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">&#8217;Neath mossy counterpane,</span><br />
+In dreams they weave some fairy dance,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Till green leaves come again.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+When they return there will be mirth<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And music in the air,</span><br />
+And fairy rings upon the earth,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And mischief everywhere.</span><br />
+The maids, to keep the elves aloof,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Will bar the doors in vain;</span><br />
+No key-hole will be fairy-proof,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">When green leaves come again.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img111.jpg" width="500" height="135" alt="Modern fairy tales" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE ELF OF THE WOODLANDS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD FROM RICHARD HENGIST HORNE BY WILLIAM BYRON FORBUSH</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>One morning when the summer sun was still
+sleeping an Elf came up from below, tickling an
+oak-tree&#8217;s foot, skipping like a flea, and whispering
+mischievously to himself.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+&ldquo;With little legs straddling,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He dances about&mdash;</span><br />
+Pretends to be waddling&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Then leaps with a flout.</span><br />
+Now he stops&mdash;<br />
+Now he hops&mdash;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Now cautiously trips</span><br />
+On tiptoe<br />
+And sliptoe<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He scuttles and skips;</span><br />
+Along the grass gliding,<br />
+Half dancing, half sliding.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was a pretty white cottage on the edge
+of the wood, and, with everybody quiet within,
+it also seemed asleep. Toward this cottage skipped
+the Elf.</p>
+
+<p>He was a little fellow, scarce five inches tall.
+His body was as brown as the bark of a tree, all
+mixed with green streaks and tarnished gold.
+You could hardly see him as he went stooping
+along against the green leaves and the brown
+branches.</p>
+
+<p>When he got to the sleeping cottage he climbed
+up the lattice, and poked his sharp little nose into
+every crevice. He pulled open a loose shutter,
+tapped once or twice on the windows, and when
+he found a broken pane&mdash;in he went!</p>
+
+<p>In this cottage lived a girl named Toody. She
+was not very big, as you can believe when I tell
+you that all the shrubs in the garden were taller
+than she, and all the flowers nodded over her head.
+In this same house lived Toody&#8217;s cousins, Kitty,
+and Crocus, and Twig, and Tiny&mdash;only Tiny was
+a little dog, not a little boy. And here, too, lived
+Grandmother Grey.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 9em;">
+&ldquo;In spectacles, tucker and flower&#8217;d-chintz gown,<br />
+Who always half smiled when trying to frown.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Grandmother Grey took care of them all. At
+five o&#8217;clock that morning she woke up. &ldquo;What
+noise do I hear below?&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;It is daylight,
+but nobody is up I know.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Grandmother Grey threw off her skullcap
+and bandage, and nightcap with all its ribbons,
+bows and strings, and called out loudly: &ldquo;Come,
+children, jump up quickly! There&#8217;s a rat in the
+dairy! Come down with me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Toody, and Crocus, and Kitty, and Twig,
+in their nightgowns and nightcaps, ran scrambling
+and laughing down stairs, with Tiny barking and
+tumbling about between their legs. They crept
+through the parlor, where all the shutters were
+closed but one. Like cautious Indians they went
+silently on, Dame Grey and the children in single
+file, each holding on to the one before by the tail
+of her nightgown.</p>
+
+<p>Into the dairy they went, and stared about. Then
+they huddled together in fear, for behind a milk-jug,
+under the spout, they saw a quaint little
+figure.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;">
+&ldquo;It was golden, and greenish, and earthy brown,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With a perking nose and a pointed chin;</span><br />
+It had very bright eyes and a funny frown,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With a russet-apple&#8217;s network skin.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>They all started to run in terror, but brave
+Tiny sprang up and began to chase the Elf
+round a milkpan.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, what a race was there! They ran so fast
+that the two small bodies were as one. They
+looked like the dark band on the humming-top
+when you spin it. And just as Tiny was about to
+catch him, the Elf leaped into a pan, swam across
+three pails of milk, climbed the wall and hid on a
+shelf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&#8217;ve lost him; we&#8217;ve lost him!&rdquo; cried all
+the children. But, just in time, Grandmother
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>
+Grey seized her jelly-bag, swung it across the
+shelf, and into it was swept our little elfin friend.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, children,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;Go up and dress.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The children did not know what the old dame
+was going to do next. She led the way into the
+parlor. &ldquo;Tiny,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I depend on you
+to keep watch for us.&rdquo; So Tiny stood like a
+soldier, with both ears cocked and his nose down
+bent, and watched every motion that was going on
+in the bag, which stood up now like a tent on the
+floor.</p>
+
+<p>&#8217;Twas but a minute before the children were
+down again, all dressed. The tea-kettle was singing,
+and the hot rolls were on the table, and everybody
+was ringing the bell all at once for more
+eggs. But Tiny stood guard over the jelly-bag
+tent.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think the Elf is hungry and thirsty,&rdquo; said
+Toody. So she slipped a saucer of milk under the
+edge of the tent, and then, laughing, she rolled
+in an egg. They all listened for ten minutes, and
+then they plainly heard the crackling of the shell.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Away with the tea things!&rdquo; said Dame Grey to
+Martha, the maid. &ldquo;And bring me my white
+wicker bird-cage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the bird-cage was brought, and Grandmother
+Grey took up the jelly-bag carefully, clapped its
+mouth to the open cage-door, shook it, and&mdash;pop!
+in went the Elf, and the cage door was made fast!
+Did he moan? Did he complain? Not he. With
+one spring and ten kicks he climbed to the pole and
+seated himself there, with his hands on the pole.</p>
+
+<p>Toody ran close to the cage, and so did Crocus
+and Twig; and Kitty, a little farther off, stood
+staring and smiling. But the Elf was not a bit
+frightened. He sat swinging his little legs, with
+his tongue in his left cheek and his left eye looking
+down with a half-winking, impertinent air.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; cried Dame Grey, &ldquo;tell us who you are,
+little Sir, and what you are. Do you know that
+you have spoilt all my cream, and broken my best
+china-cup? Speak up now! What have you to
+say for yourself?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Elf was very angry, but it would never do
+to show it. So he tried to look as gentle as a
+good child reading a book. He rubbed some of
+the yellow of the egg off his chin, and stuck it on
+his leg like a buttercup. He shrugged his shoulders
+up in a bunch, and then, with a sneeze as
+if he had caught cold in the forest, he began:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+&ldquo;Nine white witches sat in a circle close,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">With their backs against a greenwood tree,</span><br />
+As around the dead-nettle&#8217;s summer stem<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Its woolly white blossoms you see.</span><br />
+Then from hedges and ditches, these old lady-witches,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Took bird-weed and rag-weed and spear-grass for me,</span><br />
+And they wove me a bower, &#8217;gainst the snow-storm or shower,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In a dry old hollow beech tree.</span><br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 6em;"><em>Twangle tee!</em></span><br />
+<em>Ri-rigdum, dingle shade-laugh, tingle dee!</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense!&rdquo; said Grandmother Grey. &ldquo;You
+can&#8217;t fool me with your nettles, and nonsense, and
+hedges, and ditches. What do I care about all
+that? You know as well as I do that you came
+here to <em>steal cake</em> and <em>drink cream</em>. Besides, you
+have broken my best china-cup!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Elf gave a sigh, and looked up in the air;
+then took a glance at Martha&#8217;s broom, and as he
+looked down he thought he saw Toody winking
+at him. So he just smiled and said: &ldquo;I declare,
+by the tom-tit&#8217;s folly, and the mole&#8217;s pin-hole eye,
+and the woodpecker&#8217;s thorny tongue, that I have
+told you the truth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Noticing that Toody was still winking at him
+he kept on, and told the following story:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;One day when I was loafing about in the wood
+I heard a strange noise in the bushes. I peeped
+over the edge, and there was a robin bathing in
+the brook. It ruffled its feathers with a spattering
+sound, made itself into a fussy ball, and threw up
+a shower of water; but what I most noticed was
+its eye&mdash;its eye!&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Its eye&mdash;its eye?&rdquo; broke in all the children.
+&ldquo;What about its eye?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Elf glanced again at Toody, and he saw
+that this time she gave him a quiet nod, as much
+as to say, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll find you a chance.&rdquo; So the Elf
+gave a downward squint at the closed cage-door,
+just for a hint. Then he scratched his cheek,
+jumped down on the floor of the cage, and began
+to act out a &ldquo;robin,&rdquo; just as if he were on the
+stage.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Its eye&mdash;its eye? Well, just as soon as it
+caught a glimpse of me it bobbed&mdash;took wing&mdash;and
+was out of sight. Then back it came again,
+as if angry. It looked like an alderman lecturing
+the poor, but meaning really to&mdash;<em>unlock the cage!</em>
+I mean&mdash;to try to fool me. See! How high it
+flies. Clear up to the tip-top of the tree. Look
+at its large bright eye! There! There! See how
+it bobs&mdash;makes a quick bow, just as I am doing&mdash;points
+down its tail and up its nose&mdash;and off it
+goes!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And out and off went the Elf!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Run, Tiny, run! Oh, Kitty! Twig! The little
+rascal is gone! Run, Toody, run! Ah, I caught
+you; you are the one who loosened the cage-door.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>
+Run, Tiny! Oh, Kitty, Twig, and Crocus, that
+robin redbreast story was only meant to fool us!&rdquo;
+Thus cried Grandmother Grey, till she was breathless.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+  &ldquo;Off they all ran trooping,<br />
+  And hallooing and whooping,<br />
+  Beneath the low boughs stooping,<br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Right through the wood,</span><br />
+  For Grandmama Grey,<br />
+  Like an old duck, led the way,<br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1em;">When a string of ducks trudge to a flood.</span><br />
+  Then came Kitty, side by side<br />
+  With Toody, who oft cried;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: -1em;">&lsquo;Oh, Kitty dear, was ever such rare fun, fun, fun!&rsquo;</span><br />
+            <span style="margin-left: 3em;">And Crocus close to Twig,</span><br />
+            <span style="margin-left: 3em;">Both scampered in a jig,</span><br />
+  For they knew the Elf his freedom-race had won, won, won!<br />
+        <span style="margin-left: 2em;">As for him, the roguish Elf,</span><br />
+        <span style="margin-left: 2em;">He took good care of himself;</span><br />
+  His mites of legs they twinkled as he fled, fled, fled.<br />
+        <span style="margin-left: 2em;">He was scarcely seen, indeed,</span><br />
+        <span style="margin-left: 2em;">He so glistened with his speed,</span><br />
+  And his hair streamed out like silver grass behind his head.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Dame Grey and the children chased the Elf
+till they were hot and tired, and till the sun went
+down; and by and by they gave up, and all went
+home to let Martha wash their soiled hands and
+faces.</p>
+
+<p>It was a warm and pleasant night, and before
+very long all the children were fast asleep.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+&ldquo;Within a very little nook,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Toody always slept alone,</span><br />
+Its strip of window stole a look<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Over the lawn and hayrick-cone.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+Within the open lattice crept<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Some jasmine from the cottage wall,</span><br />
+And to the breathing of her sleep,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Softly swayed, with rise and fall.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+But something else comes creeping in,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">As softly, from the starry night&mdash;</span><br />
+The Elf!&mdash;&#8217;tis he!&mdash;first peeping in,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Now like a moth doth he alight.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+He trips up to the little bed,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And near it hangs a full-blown rose;</span><br />
+Then in the middle of the flower<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Places a light that gleams and glows.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+It is a glowworm from the lea,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And lighting up the rose&#8217;s heart,</span><br />
+A fairy grot it seems to be,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where dream-thoughts live and ne&#8217;er depart.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 11em;">
+And now the Elf once more is gone<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Into the woodlands wild,</span><br />
+Leaving his blessing thus to shine<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Upon the sleeping child.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FINOLA" id="FINOLA"></a>PRINCESS FINOLA AND THE DWARF<a name="FNanchor_H_8" id="FNanchor_H_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_H_8" class="fnanchor">[H]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY EDMUND LEAMY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>A long, long time ago there lived in a little
+hut in the midst of a bare, brown, lonely moor
+an old woman and a young girl. The old woman
+was withered, sour-tempered, and dumb. The
+young girl was as sweet and as fresh as an opening
+rosebud, and her voice was as musical as the
+whisper of a stream in the woods in the hot
+days of summer. The little hut, made of branches
+woven closely together, was shaped like a bee-hive.
+In the center of the hut a fire burned night
+and day from year&#8217;s end to year&#8217;s end, though
+it was never touched or tended by human hand.
+In the cold days and nights of winter it gave out
+light and heat that made the hut cozy and warm,
+but in the summer nights and days it gave out
+light only. With their heads to the wall of the
+hut and their feet toward the fire were two
+sleeping-couches&mdash;one of plain woodwork, in
+which slept the old woman; the other was Finola&#8217;s.
+It was of bog-oak, polished as a looking-glass,
+and on it were carved flowers and birds of all
+kinds that gleamed and shone in the light of the
+fire. This couch was fit for a Princess, and a
+Princess Finola was, though she did not know
+it herself.</p>
+
+<p>Outside the hut the bare, brown, lonely moor
+stretched for miles on every side, but toward the
+east it was bounded by a range of mountains
+that looked to Finola blue in the daytime, but
+which put on a hundred changing colors as the
+sun went down. Nowhere was a house to be
+seen, nor a tree, nor a flower, nor sign of any
+living thing. From morning till night, nor hum
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>
+of bee, nor song of bird, nor voice of man, nor
+any sound fell on Finola&#8217;s ear. When the storm
+was in the air the great waves thundered on the
+shore beyond the mountains, and the wind
+shouted in the glens; but when it sped across the
+moor it lost its voice, and passed as silently as
+the dead. At first the silence frightened Finola,
+but she got used to it after a time, and often
+broke it by talking to herself and singing.</p>
+
+<p>The only other person beside the old woman
+Finola ever saw was a dumb Dwarf who, mounted
+on a broken-down horse, came once a month to
+the hut, bringing with him a sack of corn for the
+old woman and Finola. Although he couldn&#8217;t
+speak to her, Finola was always glad to see the
+Dwarf and his old horse, and she used to give
+them cake made with her own white hands. As
+for the Dwarf he would have died for the little
+Princess, he was so much in love with her, and
+often and often his heart was heavy and sad as
+he thought of her pining away in the lonely
+moor.</p>
+
+<p>It chanced that he came one day, and she did
+not, as usual, come out to greet him. He made
+signs to the old woman, but she took up a stick
+and struck him, and beat his horse and drove him
+away; but as he was leaving he caught a glimpse
+of Finola at the door of the hut, and saw that
+she was crying. This sight made him so very
+miserable that he could think of nothing else but
+her sad face, that he had always seen so bright;
+and he allowed the old horse to go on without
+minding where he was going. Suddenly he heard
+a voice saying: &ldquo;It is time for you to come.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf looked, and right before him, at the
+foot of a green hill, was a little man not half as
+big as himself, dressed in a green jacket with
+brass buttons, and a red cap and tassel.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is time for you to come,&rdquo; he said the second
+time; &ldquo;but you are welcome, anyhow. Get off
+your horse and come in with me, that I may
+touch your lips with the wand of speech, that
+we may have a talk together.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf got off his horse and followed the
+little man through a hole in the side of a green
+hill. The hole was so small that he had to go on
+his hands and knees to pass through it, and when
+he was able to stand he was only the same height
+as the little Fairyman. After walking three or
+four steps they were in a splendid room, as bright
+as day. Diamonds sparkled in the roof as stars
+sparkle in the sky when the night is without a
+cloud. The roof rested on golden pillars, and
+between the pillars were silver lamps, but their
+light was dimmed by that of the diamonds. In the
+middle of the room was a table, on which were
+two golden plates and two silver knives and
+forks, and a brass bell as big as a hazelnut, and
+beside the table were two little chairs.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Take a chair,&rdquo; said the Fairy, &ldquo;and I will
+ring for the wand of speech.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf sat down, and the Fairyman rang
+the little brass bell, and in came a little weeny
+Dwarf no bigger than your hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Bring me the wand of speech,&rdquo; said the
+Fairy, and the weeny Dwarf bowed three times
+and walked out backward, and in a minute he
+returned, carrying a little black wand with a red
+berry at the top of it, and, giving it to the Fairy,
+he bowed three times and walked out backward
+as he had done before.</p>
+
+<p>The little man waved the rod three times over
+the Dwarf, and struck him once on the right
+shoulder and once on the left shoulder, and then
+touched his lips with the red berry, and said:
+&ldquo;Speak!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf spoke, and he was so rejoiced at
+hearing the sound of his own voice that he
+danced about the room.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you at all, at all?&rdquo; said he to the
+Fairy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who is yourself?&rdquo; said the Fairy. &ldquo;But
+come, before we have any talk let us have something
+to eat, for I am sure you are hungry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they sat down to table, and the Fairy
+rang the little brass bell twice, and the weeny
+Dwarf brought in two boiled snails in their
+shells, and when they had eaten the snails he
+brought in a dormouse, and when they had eaten
+the dormouse he brought in two wrens, and when
+they had eaten the wrens he brought in two nuts
+full of wine, and they became very merry, and
+the Fairyman sang &ldquo;Cooleen Dhas,&rdquo; and the
+Dwarf sang &ldquo;The Little Blackbird of the Glen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you ever hear the &lsquo;Foggy Dew&rsquo;?&rdquo; said the
+Fairy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, I&#8217;ll give it to you; but we must
+have some more wine.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the wine was brought, and he sang the
+&ldquo;Foggy Dew,&rdquo; and the Dwarf said it was the
+sweetest song he had ever heard, and that the
+Fairyman&#8217;s voice would coax the birds off the
+bushes!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You asked me who I am?&rdquo; said the Fairy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I did,&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I asked you who is yourself?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You did,&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And who are you, then?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, to tell the truth, I don&#8217;t know,&rdquo; said
+the Dwarf, and he blushed like a rose.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, tell me what you know about yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span>&ldquo;I remember nothing at all,&rdquo; said the Dwarf,
+&ldquo;before the day I found myself going along with
+a crowd of all sorts of people to the great fair of
+the Liffey. We had to pass by the King&#8217;s palace
+on our way, and as we were passing the King sent
+for a band of jugglers to come and show their
+tricks before him. I followed the jugglers to
+look on, and when the play was over the King
+called me to him, and asked me who I was and
+where I came from. I was dumb then, and
+couldn&#8217;t answer; but even if I could speak I
+could not tell him what he wanted to know, for
+I remembered nothing of myself before that day.
+Then the King asked the jugglers, but they
+knew nothing about me, and no one knew anything,
+and then the King said he would take me
+into his service; and the only work I have to
+do is to go once a month with a bag of corn
+to the hut in the lonely moor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And there you fell in love with the little
+Princess,&rdquo; said the Fairy, winking at the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>The poor Dwarf blushed twice as much as he
+had done before.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You need not blush,&rdquo; said the Fairy; &ldquo;it is a
+good man&#8217;s case. And now tell me, truly, do you
+love the Princess, and what would you give to
+free her from the spell of enchantment that is
+over her?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would give my life,&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, listen to me,&rdquo; said the Fairy.
+&ldquo;The Princess Finola was banished to the lonely
+moor by the King, your master. He killed her
+father, who was the rightful King, and would
+have killed Finola, only he was told by an old
+sorceress that if he killed her he would die himself
+on the same day, and she advised him to
+banish her to the lonely moor, and she said she
+would fling a spell of enchantment over it, and
+that until the spell was broken Finola could not
+leave the moor. And the sorceress also promised
+that she would send an old woman to watch
+over the Princess by night and by day, so that no
+harm should come to her; but she told the King
+that he himself should select a messenger to take
+food to the hut, and that he should look out for
+someone who had never seen or heard of the
+Princess, and whom he could trust never to tell
+anyone anything about her; and that is the reason
+he selected you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since you know so much,&rdquo; said the Dwarf,
+&ldquo;can you tell me who I am, and where I came
+from?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You will know that time enough,&rdquo; said the
+Fairy. &ldquo;I have given you back your speech. It
+will depend solely on yourself whether you will
+get back your memory of who and what you were
+before the day you entered the King&#8217;s service.
+But are you really willing to try and break the
+spell of enchantment and free the Princess?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am,&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Whatever it will cost you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, if it cost me my life,&rdquo; said the Dwarf;
+&ldquo;but tell me, how can the spell be broken?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, it is easy enough to break the spell if
+you have the weapons,&rdquo; said the Fairy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what are they, and where are they?&rdquo;
+said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The spear of the shining haft and the dark
+blue blade and the silver shield,&rdquo; said the Fairy.
+&ldquo;They are on the farther bank of the Mystic
+Lake in the Island of the Western Seas. They
+are there for the man who is bold enough to seek
+them. If you are the man who will bring them
+back to the lonely moor you will only have to
+strike the shield three times with the haft, and
+three times with the blade of the spear, and the
+silence of the moor will be broken forever, the
+spell of enchantment will be removed, and the
+Princess will be free.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will set out at once,&rdquo; said the Dwarf,
+jumping from his chair.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And whatever it cost you,&rdquo; said the Fairy,
+&ldquo;will you pay the price?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will,&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, mount your horse, give him his
+head, and he will take you to the shore opposite
+the Island of the Mystic Lake. You must cross
+to the island on his back, and make your way
+through the water-steeds that swim around the
+island night and day to guard it; but woe betide
+you if you attempt to cross without paying the
+price, for if you do the angry water-steeds will
+rend you and your horse to pieces. And when
+you come to the Mystic Lake you must wait until
+the waters are as red as wine, and then swim
+your horse across it, and on the farther side you
+will find the spear and shield; but woe betide
+you if you attempt to cross the lake before you
+pay the price, for if you do, the black Cormorants
+of the Western Seas will pick the flesh from your
+bones.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is the price?&rdquo; said the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You will know that time enough,&rdquo; said the
+Fairy; &ldquo;but now go, and good luck go with you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf thanked the Fairy, and said good-by.
+He then threw the reins on his horse&#8217;s
+neck, and started up the hill, that seemed to grow
+bigger and bigger as he ascended, and the Dwarf
+soon found that what he took for a hill was a
+great mountain. After traveling all the day, toiling
+up by steep crags and heathery passes, he
+reached the top as the sun was setting in the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span>
+ocean, and he saw far below him out in the
+waters the island of the Mystic Lake.</p>
+
+<p>He began his descent to the shore, but long
+before he reached it the sun had set, and darkness,
+unpierced by a single star, dropped upon
+the sea. The old horse, worn out by his long and
+painful journey, sank beneath him, and the
+Dwarf was so tired that he rolled off his back
+and fell asleep by his side.</p>
+
+<p>He awoke at the breaking of the morning, and
+saw that he was almost at the water&#8217;s edge. He
+looked out to sea, and saw the island, but nowhere
+could he see the water-steeds, and he began
+to fear he must have taken a wrong course
+in the night, and that the island before him was
+not the one he was in search of. But even while
+he was so thinking he heard fierce and angry
+snortings, and, coming swiftly from the island
+to the shore, he saw the swimming and prancing
+steeds. Sometimes their heads and manes only
+were visible, and sometimes, rearing, they rose
+half out of the water, and, striking it with their
+hoofs, churned it into foam, and tossed the white
+spray to the skies. As they approached nearer
+and nearer their snortings became more terrible,
+and their nostrils shot forth clouds of vapor.
+The Dwarf trembled at the sight and sound, and
+his old horse, quivering in every limb, moaned
+piteously, as if in pain. On came the steeds,
+until they almost touched the shore, then rearing,
+they seemed about to spring on to it.</p>
+
+<p>The frightened Dwarf turned his head to fly,
+and as he did so he heard the twang of a golden
+harp, and right before him whom should he see
+but the little man of the hills, holding a harp in
+one hand and striking the strings with the
+other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are you ready to pay the price?&rdquo; said he,
+nodding gayly to the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>As he asked the question, the listening water-steeds
+snorted more furiously than ever.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are you ready to pay the price?&rdquo; said the
+little man a second time.</p>
+
+<p>A shower of spray, tossed on shore by the
+angry steeds, drenched the Dwarf to the skin,
+and sent a cold shiver to his bones, and he was
+so terrified that he could not answer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;For the third and last time, are you ready to
+pay the price?&rdquo; asked the Fairy, as he flung the
+harp behind him and turned to depart.</p>
+
+<p>When the Dwarf saw him going he thought of
+the little Princess in the lonely moor, and his
+courage came back, and he answered bravely:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I am ready.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The water-steeds, hearing his answer, and
+snorting with rage, struck the shore with their
+pounding hoofs.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Back to your waves!&rdquo; cried the little harper;
+and as he ran his fingers across his lyre, the
+frightened steeds drew back into the waters.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is the price?&rdquo; asked the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your right eye,&rdquo; said the Fairy; and before
+the Dwarf could say a word, the Fairy scooped
+out the eye with his finger, and put it into his
+pocket.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf suffered most terrible agony; but
+he resolved to bear it for the sake of the little
+Princess. Then the Fairy sat down on a rock at
+the edge of the sea, and, after striking a few
+notes, he began to play the &ldquo;Strains of Slumber.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The sound crept along the waters, and the
+steeds, so ferocious a moment before, became perfectly
+still. They had no longer any motion of
+their own, and they floated on the top of the tide
+like foam before a breeze.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the Fairy, as he led the Dwarf&#8217;s
+horse to the edge of the tide.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf urged the horse into the water, and
+once out of his depth, the old horse struck out
+boldly for the island. The sleeping water-steeds
+drifted helplessly against him, and in a short
+time he reached the island safely, and he neighed
+joyously as his hoofs touched solid ground.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf rode on and on, until he came to a
+bridle-path, and following this, it led him up
+through winding lanes, bordered with golden
+furze that filled the air with fragrance, and
+brought him to the summit of the green hills that
+girdled and looked down on the Mystic Lake.
+Here the horse stopped of his own accord, and
+the Dwarf&#8217;s heart beat quickly as his eye rested
+on the lake, that, clipped round by the ring of
+hills, seemed in the breezeless and sunlit air&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+    <span style="margin-left: 2em;">&ldquo;As still as death.</span><br />
+And as bright as life can be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After gazing at it for a long time, he dismounted,
+and lay at his ease in the pleasant grass.
+Hour after hour passed, but no change came
+over the face of the waters; and when the night
+fell, sleep closed the eyelids of the Dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>The song of the lark awoke him in the early
+morning, and, starting up, he looked at the lake,
+but its waters were as bright as they had been
+the day before.</p>
+
+<p>Toward midday he beheld what he thought was
+a black cloud sailing across the sky from east
+to west. It seemed to grow larger as it came
+nearer and nearer, and when it was high above
+the lake he saw it was a huge bird, the shadow
+of whose outstretched wings darkened the waters
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>
+of the lake; and the Dwarf knew it was one
+of the Cormorants of the Western Seas. As it
+descended slowly, he saw that it held in one of
+its claws a branch of a tree larger than a full-grown
+oak, and laden with clusters of ripe red
+berries. It alighted at some distance from the
+Dwarf, and, after resting for a time, it began
+to eat the berries and to throw the stones into
+the lake, and wherever a stone fell a bright red
+stain appeared in the water. As he looked more
+closely at the bird the Dwarf saw that it had all
+the signs of old age, and he could not help wondering
+how it was able to carry such a heavy
+tree.</p>
+
+<p>Later in the day, two other birds, as large as
+the first, but younger, came up from the west and
+settled down beside him. They also ate the berries,
+and throwing the stones into the lake it was
+soon as red as wine.</p>
+
+<p>When they had eaten all the berries, the young
+birds began to pick the decayed feathers off the
+old bird and to smooth his plumage. As soon as
+they had completed their task, he rose slowly
+from the hill and sailed out over the lake, and
+dropping down on the waters dived beneath them.
+In a moment he came to the surface, and shot
+up into the air with a joyous cry, and flew off to
+the west in all the vigor of renewed youth, followed
+by the other birds.</p>
+
+<p>When they had gone so far that they were like
+specks in the sky, the Dwarf mounted his horse
+and descended toward the lake.</p>
+
+<p>He was almost at the margin, and in another
+minute would have plunged in, when he heard a
+fierce screaming in the air, and before he had
+time to look up, the three birds were hovering
+over the lake.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf drew back frightened.</p>
+
+<p>The birds wheeled over his head, and then,
+swooping down, they flew close to the water,
+covering it with their wings, and uttering harsh
+cries.</p>
+
+<p>Then, rising to a great height, they folded their
+wings and dropped headlong, like three rocks, on
+the lake, crashing its surface, and scattering a
+wine-red shower upon the hills.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Dwarf remembered what the Fairy
+told him, that if he attempted to swim the lake,
+without paying the price, the three Cormorants
+of the Western Seas would pick the flesh off his
+bones. He knew not what to do, and was about
+to turn away, when he heard once more the twang
+of the golden harp, and the little fairy of the hills
+stood before him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Faint heart never won fair lady,&rdquo; said the
+little harper. &ldquo;Are you ready to pay the price?
+The spear and shield are on the opposite bank,
+and the Princess Finola is crying this moment
+in the lonely moor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At the mention of Finola&#8217;s name the Dwarf&#8217;s
+heart grew strong.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;I am ready&mdash;win or die. What
+is the price?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your left eye,&rdquo; said the Fairy. And as soon
+as said he scooped out the eye, and put it in his
+pocket.</p>
+
+<p>The poor blind Dwarf almost fainted with
+pain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s your last trial,&rdquo; said the Fairy, &ldquo;and now
+do what I tell you. Twist your horse&#8217;s mane
+round your right hand, and I will lead him to
+the water. Plunge in, and fear not. I gave you
+back your speech. When you reach the opposite
+bank you will get back your memory, and you
+will know who and what you are.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Fairy led the horse to the margin
+of the lake.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In with you now, and good luck go with
+you,&rdquo; said the Fairy.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf urged the horse. He plunged into
+the lake, and went down and down until his feet
+struck the bottom. Then he began to ascend,
+and as he came near the surface of the water the
+Dwarf thought he saw a glimmering light, and
+when he rose above the water he saw the bright
+sun shining and the green hills before him, and
+he shouted with joy at finding his sight restored.</p>
+
+<p>But he saw more. Instead of the old horse he
+had ridden into the lake he was bestride a noble
+steed, and as the steed swam to the bank the
+Dwarf felt a change coming over himself, and an
+unknown vigor in his limbs.</p>
+
+<p>When the steed touched the shore he galloped
+up the hillside, and on the top of the hill was a
+silver shield, bright as the sun, resting against
+a spear standing upright in the ground.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf jumped off, and, running toward
+the shield, he saw himself as in a looking-glass.</p>
+
+<p>He was no longer a dwarf, but a gallant knight.
+At that moment his memory came back to him,
+and he knew he was Conal, one of the Knights
+of the Red Branch, and he remembered now that
+the spell of dumbness and deformity had been
+cast upon him by the Witch of the Palace of the
+Quicken Trees.</p>
+
+<p>Slinging his shield upon his left arm, he
+plucked the spear from the ground and leaped on
+to his horse. With a light heart he swam back
+over the lake, and nowhere could he see the black
+Cormorants of the Western Seas, but three white
+swans floating abreast followed him to the bank.
+When he reached the bank he galloped down to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>
+the sea, and crossed to the shore.</p>
+
+<p>Then he flung the reins upon his horse&#8217;s neck,
+and swifter than the wind the gallant horse
+swept on and on, and it was not long until he was
+bounding over the enchanted moor. Wherever
+his hoofs struck the ground, grass and flowers
+sprang up, and great trees with leafy branches
+rose on every side.</p>
+
+<p>At last the knight reached the little hut. Three
+times he struck the shield with the haft and three
+times with the blade of his spear. At the last
+blow the hut disappeared, and standing before
+him was the little Princess.</p>
+
+<p>The knight took her in his arms and kissed
+her; then he lifted her on to the horse, and, leaping
+up before her, he turned toward the north,
+to the palace of the Red Branch Knights; and
+as they rode on beneath the leafy trees, from
+every tree the birds sang out, for the spell of
+deathly silence over the lonely moor was broken
+forever.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_H_8" id="Footnote_H_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_H_8"><span class="label">[H]</span></a> From &ldquo;The Golden Spear,&rdquo; by Edmund Leamy; used by permission
+of the publisher, Desmond Fitzgerald, New York.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="OX" id="OX"></a>THE STRAW OX</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Russian Tale</em></p>
+
+
+<p>An old man and an old woman lived in an old
+house on the edge of the forest. The old man
+worked in the field all day and the woman spun
+flax. But for all of their hard work they were
+very poor&mdash;never one penny could they save. One
+day the old man said to the old woman:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would like to give you something to please
+you, but I have nothing to give.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind that,&rdquo; said the old woman, &ldquo;make
+me a straw ox.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A straw ox!&rdquo; cried the old man. &ldquo;What will
+you do with that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind that,&rdquo; said the old woman.</p>
+
+<p>So the old man made a straw ox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Smear it all over with tar,&rdquo; said the old
+woman.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why should I smear it with tar?&rdquo; asked the
+old man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind that,&rdquo; said the old woman.</p>
+
+<p>So the old man smeared the straw ox all over
+with tar.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning when the old woman went
+out into the field to gather flax she took the straw
+ox with her and left it standing alone near the
+edge of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>A bear came out of the woods, and said to the
+ox: &ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;I am an ox all smeared with tar,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .2em;">And filled with straw, as oxen are,&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>replied the ox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the bear. &ldquo;I need some straw to
+mend my coat, and the tar will keep it in place.
+Give me some straw and some tar.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Help yourself,&rdquo; said the ox.</p>
+
+<p>So the bear began to tear at the ox, and his
+great paws stuck fast, and he pulled and he
+tugged, and he tugged and he pulled, and the
+more he pulled and tugged, the faster he stuck,
+and he could not get away.</p>
+
+<p>Then the ox dragged the bear to the old house
+on the edge of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>When the old woman came back with her apron
+full of flax and saw that the straw ox had gone
+she ran home as fast as she could. There stood
+the ox with the bear stuck fast to him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Husband, husband! Come here at once,&rdquo; she
+cried. &ldquo;The ox has brought home a bear; what
+shall we do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old man came as fast as he could, pulled
+the bear off the ox, tied him up, and threw him
+into the cellar.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning when the old woman went
+into the field to gather flax she again took the
+straw ox with her, and again she left him standing
+alone near the edge of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>A wolf came out of the woods, and said to the
+ox: &ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;I am an ox all smeared with tar,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .2em;">And filled with straw, as oxen are,&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>replied the ox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the wolf, &ldquo;I need some tar to smear
+my coat so that the dogs cannot catch me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Help yourself,&rdquo; said the ox.</p>
+
+<p>The wolf put up his paws to take the tar and
+his paws stuck fast. He pulled and he tugged,
+and he tugged and he pulled, and the more he
+pulled and tugged, the faster he stuck and he
+could not get away.</p>
+
+<p>Then the ox dragged the wolf to the old house
+on the edge of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>When the old woman came back with her apron
+full of flax and saw that the straw ox had gone
+she ran home as fast as she could. There stood the
+ox in the yard with the wolf stuck fast to him.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
+<img src="images/img119.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;then came the fox, with many<br />
+geese running before him&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Husband, husband! Come here at once!&rdquo; she
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>
+cried. &ldquo;The ox has brought home a wolf; what
+shall we do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old man came as fast as he could, pulled
+the wolf off the ox, tied him up, and threw him
+into the cellar.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning when the old woman went
+out into the field to gather flax she again took the
+straw ox with her, and again she left it standing
+alone near the edge of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>A fox came out of the woods, and said to the ox:
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;I am an ox all smeared with tar,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .2em;">And filled with straw, as oxen are,&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>replied the ox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the fox, &ldquo;I need some tar to smear
+my coat so that the dogs cannot catch me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Help yourself,&rdquo; said the ox.</p>
+
+<p>The fox put up his paws to take the tar, and
+his paws stuck fast. He pulled and he tugged,
+and he tugged and he pulled, and the more he
+pulled and tugged, the faster he stuck, and he
+could not get away.</p>
+
+<p>Then the ox dragged the fox to the old house
+on the edge of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>When the old woman came back with her apron
+full of flax and saw that the straw ox had gone
+she ran home as fast as she could. There stood the
+ox with the fox stuck fast to him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Husband, husband! Come here at once!&rdquo; she
+cried. &ldquo;The ox has brought home a fox; what
+shall we do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old man came as fast as he could, pulled
+the fox off the ox, tied him up, and threw him
+into the cellar.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning when the woman came back
+with her apron full of flax and saw that the ox
+had gone and she had run home as fast as she
+could, there stood the ox with a rabbit stuck fast
+to him.</p>
+
+<p>And the old man threw the rabbit into the
+cellar.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the old man said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now we will see what will come of all of
+this.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he took his knife and sat down by the cellar
+door and began to make the knife sharp and
+bright.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, old man?&rdquo; asked the
+bear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am making my knife sharp and bright so as
+to cut up your coat and make a nice warm jacket
+for the old woman to keep her warm this winter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the bear. &ldquo;Do not cut up my coat.
+Let me go, and I will bring you some nice, sweet
+honey to eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;see to it that
+you do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old man let the bear go.</p>
+
+<p>Then he sat down again and began to make
+his knife sharp and bright.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, old man?&rdquo; asked the
+wolf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am making my knife sharp and bright so as
+to cut up your coat to make me a fine fur cap,&rdquo;
+said the old man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the wolf. &ldquo;Do not cut up my coat.
+Let me go and I will bring you some sheep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;see to it that
+you do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old man let the wolf go.</p>
+
+<p>Then he sat down again with his knife in his
+hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, old man?&rdquo; asked the
+fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am making my knife sharp and bright so as
+to cut up your coat to make me a nice fur collar.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the fox, &ldquo;do not cut up my coat.
+Let me go and I will bring you some geese.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;see to it that
+you do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And in the same way he let the rabbit loose,
+who said that he would bring some cabbage and
+some turnips and some carrots.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning early the old woman woke
+up and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Some one is knocking at the door.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old man got up and went to the door
+and opened it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See,&rdquo; said the bear, &ldquo;I have brought you a
+jar full of honey.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the old man, and he gave
+the jar to the old woman who put it on the
+shelf.</p>
+
+<p>Then came the wolf driving a flock of sheep
+into the yard.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See,&rdquo; said the wolf, &ldquo;I have brought you a
+flock of sheep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the old man, and he drove
+the sheep into the pasture.</p>
+
+<p>Then came the fox, with many geese running
+before him, and the old man drove them into
+the pen; and then came the rabbit with cabbages
+and turnips and carrots and other good things,
+and the old woman took them and put them into
+the pot and cooked them.</p>
+
+<p>And the old man said to the old woman, &ldquo;Now
+we have sheep in the pasture and many geese
+in the pen, and we are rich, and I can give you
+something to please you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img121.jpg" width="500" height="304" alt="The little princess of thefearless heart" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY B. J. DASKAM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time the
+great, yellow stork
+carried a baby Princess
+to the Queen of
+that country which
+lies next to fairy-land.</p>
+
+<p>All throughout the kingdom the bells rang,
+the people shouted, and the King declared a holiday
+for a whole year. But the Queen was very
+anxious, for she knew that the fairies are a
+queer lot, and their borders were very close indeed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We must be very careful to slight none of
+them at the christening,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;for goodness
+knows what they might do, if we did!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the wise-men drew up the lists, and when
+the day for the christening arrived, the fairies
+were all there, and everything went as smoothly
+as a frosted cake.</p>
+
+<p>But the Queen said to the Lady-in-waiting:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The first fairy godmother gave her nothing
+but a kiss! I don&#8217;t call that much of a gift!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&#8217;Sh!&rdquo; whispered the Lady-in-waiting. &ldquo;The
+fairies hear everything!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And indeed, the fairy heard her well enough,
+and very angry she was about it, too. For she
+was so old that she knew all about it, from beginning
+to end, and she was sure that the Wizard
+with Three Dragons was sitting in the Black
+Forest, watching the whole matter in his crystal
+globe. So she had whispered her gift&mdash;which
+was nothing more nor less than a Fearless Heart&mdash;into
+the ear of the Little Princess. But the
+Queen thought she had only kissed her.</p>
+
+<p>So, when the clock was on the hour of four
+(which, as every one knows, is the end of
+christenings and fairy gifts) the first godmother
+went up to the golden cradle.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since my first gift was not satisfactory to
+every one,&rdquo; she said, angrily, &ldquo;I will give the
+Little Princess another. And that is, that when
+the time comes she shall marry the Prince of the
+Black Heart!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the clock struck four, while the Queen
+wept on the bosom of the Lady-in-waiting.</p>
+
+<p>And that was the end of the christening.</p>
+
+<p>Then the King called the wise-men together,
+and for forty days and nights they read the
+books and studied the stars.</p>
+
+<p>In the end, they laid out a Garden, with a wall
+so high that the sun could not shine over it until
+noon, and so broad that it was a day&#8217;s journey
+for a swift horse to cross it. One tiny door there
+was: but the first gate was of iron, and five-and-twenty
+men-at-arms stood before it, day and
+night, with drawn swords; the second gate was
+of beaten copper, and before that were fifty archers,
+with arrows on the string; the third gate
+was of triple brass, and before it a hundred
+knights, in full armor, rode without ceasing.</p>
+
+<p>Into the Garden went the Little Princess, and
+the Queen, and all her ladies; but no man might
+pass the gates, save the King himself. And there
+the Princess dwelt until her seventeenth birthday,
+without seeing any more of the world than
+the inside of the wall.</p>
+
+<p>Now it happened that, some time before, a
+young Prince had ridden out of the west and set
+about his travels. For the wise-man on the hill
+had come to him and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In the kingdom which lies next to fairyland
+dwells a Little Princess who has a Fearless
+Heart. There is a wall which will not be easy
+to climb, but the Princess is more beautiful than
+anything else in the world!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And that was enough for the Prince, so he
+girded on his sword, and set out, singing as he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>
+went for pure lightness of heart.</p>
+
+<p>But it is not so easy to find fairyland as it is
+to eat a ripe apple, and the Prince could have
+told you that, before he was through. For in
+some places it is so broad that it takes in the
+whole world, and in others so narrow that a flea
+could cross it in two jumps. So that some people
+never leave it all their lives long, but others cross
+at a single step, and never see it at all.</p>
+
+<p>Finally, the Prince came to the place where all
+roads meet, and they were as much alike as the
+hairs on a dog&#8217;s back. But it was all one to him,
+so he rode straight ahead and lost himself in
+fairyland.</p>
+
+<p>When the first fairy godmother saw him, she
+laughed to herself and flew away, straight over
+his head, to the wall around the Garden. But
+you may be sure that she did not trouble the
+guards at the triple gates: for, if one has wings,
+what is the use of stairs? So over the wall she
+flew to the room where the Little Princess lay
+sleeping.</p>
+
+<p>You may readily believe that the Princess was
+astonished when she awoke to find the fairy
+beside her bed, but she was not in the least
+alarmed, for, you see, she did not know that there
+was anything in the world to be afraid of.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear,&rdquo; said the old lady, &ldquo;I am your first
+fairy godmother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How do you do, Godmother?&rdquo; said the
+Princess, and she sat up in bed and courtesied.
+Which is a very difficult trick, indeed, and it is
+not every Princess who can do it.</p>
+
+<p>Her godmother was so delighted that she
+leaned over and kissed her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is the second time I have kissed you,&rdquo;
+she said. &ldquo;When I go, I will kiss you again, and
+you had better save the three of them, for they
+will be useful when you go out into the world.
+And, my dear, it is high time that you were
+going out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Little Princess was overjoyed, but
+she only nodded her head wisely and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know, the world is as big as the whole Garden,
+and wider than the wall. But I can never
+go out, for the gates are always locked.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you do not go now,&rdquo; said the fairy, &ldquo;you
+will have to go later, and that might not be so
+well. And you should not argue with me, for I
+am older than you will ever be, and your godmother,
+besides. Now kiss me, for I must be going.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she flew away, about her other affairs, for
+she was a very busy old lady indeed.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning the Princess went to breakfast
+with the King and the Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mother,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;it is high time that I
+went out into the world!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Queen was so startled that she dropped
+her egg on the floor and the King was red as a
+beet with anger.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tut! Tut!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;What nonsense is
+this?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My fairy godmother was here last night,&rdquo;
+said the Princess, &ldquo;and she told me all about it.
+I will go this morning, please, if I may.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense!&rdquo; roared the King.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You will do no such thing!&rdquo; wailed the
+Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There could have been no one here,&rdquo; said the
+King, &ldquo;for the gates were all locked.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who told you that you had a fairy godmother?&rdquo;
+asked the Queen.</p>
+
+<p>And there was an end of that.</p>
+
+<p>But that night, after the Princess had said her
+prayers and crept into bed, she heard her godmother
+calling to her from the Garden, so she
+slipped on her cloak and stole out into the moonlight.
+There was no one to be seen, so she pattered
+along in her little bare feet until she came
+to the gate in the wall.</p>
+
+<p>While she was hesitating whether or not to
+run back to her little white bed, the gates of
+triple brass opened as easily as if her godmother
+had oiled them, and the Little Princess passed
+through the copper gates, and the iron gate, and
+out into fairyland.</p>
+
+<p>But if you ask me why she saw the guards at
+the gates no more than they saw her, I can only
+tell you that I do not know, and you will have
+to be satisfied with that.</p>
+
+<p>As for the Princess, she was as happy as a
+duck in a puddle. As she danced along through
+the forests, the flowers broke from their stems
+to join her, the trees dropped golden fruit into
+her very hands, and the little brook which runs
+through fairyland left its course, and followed
+her, singing.</p>
+
+<p>And all the while, her godmother was coming
+down behind her, close at hand, to see that she
+came to no harm; but the Princess did not
+know that.</p>
+
+<p>At last she came to the place where the Prince
+from the west lay sleeping. He was dreaming
+that he had climbed the wall and had found the
+Princess, so that he smiled in his sleep and she
+knelt above him, wondering, for she had never
+seen a man before, save her father, the King,
+and the Prince was very fair. So she bent closer
+and closer, until her breath was on his cheek,
+and as he opened his eyes, she kissed him.</p>
+
+<p>As for the Prince, he thought that he was
+still asleep, till he saw that she was many times
+more beautiful than in his dreams, and he knew
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>
+that he had found her at last.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 351px;">
+<img src="images/img123.jpg" width="351" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the princess and the fairy</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are more beautiful than anything else in
+the world,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and I love you better than
+my life!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I love you with all my heart!&rdquo; said the
+Little Princess.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you marry me,&rdquo; asked the Prince, &ldquo;and
+live with me forever and ever?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That I will,&rdquo; said the Princess, &ldquo;and gladly,
+if my father, the King, and my mother, the
+Queen, will let me leave the Garden.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And she told the Prince all about the wall with
+the triple gates.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince saw that it would be no easy task
+to win the consent of the King and the Queen,
+so nothing would do but that he must travel back
+to the west and return with a proper retinue behind
+him.</p>
+
+<p>So he bade the Princess good-by and rode
+bravely off toward the west.</p>
+
+<p>The Princess went slowly back through fairyland,
+till she came to the wall, just as the sun
+was breaking in the east. As every one knows,
+White Magic is not of very much use in the daytime,
+outside of fairyland, and if you ask why
+this is not so at christenings, I will send you to
+Peter Knowall, who keeps the Big Red Book.</p>
+
+<p>So the guards at the triple gates saw the Princess,
+and they raised such a hub-bub, that the
+King and the Queen rushed out to see what all
+the noise was about. You can easily believe that
+they were in a great way when they saw the Little
+Princess, who they thought was safe asleep
+in her bed.</p>
+
+<p>They lost no time in bundling her through the
+gates, and then they fell to kissing her, and scolding
+her, and shaking her, and hugging her, all in
+the same breath.</p>
+
+<p>But the Princess said, &ldquo;I have been out into
+the world, and I am going to marry the Prince!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then perhaps there was not a great to-do
+about the Garden!</p>
+
+<p>They bullied and coaxed and scolded and wept,
+but the Princess only said,</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I love him with all my heart and when the
+time comes I will go to him, if I have to beg my
+way from door to door!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At that the King flew into a towering rage.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well, Miss!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;But when you
+go, you may stay forever! I will cut your name
+off the records, and any one who speaks it will
+be beheaded, if it is the High Lord Chancellor,
+himself!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then it was the turn of the Princess to weep,
+for she loved her parents dearly, but she could
+not promise to forget the Prince.</p>
+
+<p>So matters went from pence to ha&#8217;pennies, as
+the saying goes, till finally the Princess could
+bear it no longer, so she found her cloak and
+stole down to the triple gates.</p>
+
+<p>Everything went very much as it had before,
+save that there was no Prince asleep under the
+tree where she had first found him. Then the
+Princess would have turned back, but the little
+brook which followed at her heel had swollen
+out into a broad, deep river, and there was nothing
+to do but go ahead, till she came to a cottage
+among the trees, and before the door sat an old,
+old woman, spinning gold thread out of moonlight.
+And by that any one could have told that
+she was a fairy, but the Princess thought it was
+always done that way in the world.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Mother,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;how shall I find my
+way out of the forest?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the old woman went on spinning, and the
+Princess thought that she had never seen anything
+fly so fast as the shuttle.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where were you wanting to go?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am searching for the Prince from the west,&rdquo;
+said the Princess sadly. &ldquo;Can you tell me where
+to find him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The fairy shook her head and went on with
+her spinning, so fast that you could not see the
+shuttle at all.</p>
+
+<p>But the Princess begged so prettily that finally
+she said,</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If I were looking for a Prince, I would follow
+my nose until I came to the Black Forest,
+and then I would ask the Wizard with Three
+Dragons, who knows all about it, and more, too!
+That is, unless I thought that I would be afraid
+in the Black Forest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is afraid?&rdquo; asked the Little Princess.
+&ldquo;I do not know that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And no more she did, so the fairy laughed, for
+she saw trouble coming for the Wizard. She
+stopped her wheel with a click, but for all her
+fast spinning, there was only enough gold thread
+to go around the second finger of the Princess&#8217;s
+left hand.</p>
+
+<p>As for the Princess, she thanked the old lady
+very kindly, and set bravely off toward the Black
+Forest.</p>
+
+<p>But the Wizard with Three Dragons only
+laughed as he gazed into his crystal globe, for in
+it he could see everything that was happening in
+any place in the world, and I do not need Jacob
+Wise-man to tell me that a globe like that is
+worth having!</p>
+
+<p>Now, when the Prince had left the Princess in
+fairyland, he lost no time in riding back to the
+west. The old King, his father, was overjoyed
+when he heard of the Little Princess, and he
+gave the Prince a retinue that stretched for a
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span>
+mile behind him.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;">
+<img src="images/img125.jpg" width="348" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the wizard with the three dragons,<br />
+and his crystal globe</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>But when they came to the place where all
+roads meet, the Prince was greatly perplexed,
+for this time, you see, he knew where he wanted
+to go. In the end, he trusted to chance and rode
+ahead, but they had not gone far before they
+came to the castle of the Wizard with Three
+Dragons, in the middle of the Black Forest.</p>
+
+<p>In the great hall sat the Wizard, himself, waiting
+for them, and he was as soft as butter.</p>
+
+<p>Yes, yes, he knew the Princess well enough,
+but it was too late to go further that night. So
+the Prince and all his train had best come into
+the castle and wait till morning.</p>
+
+<p>That was what the Wizard said, and the
+Prince was glad enough to listen to him, for he
+was beginning to fear that he would never find
+the Princess again. But hardly had the last
+bowman come within the doors than the Wizard
+blew upon his crystal globe, and muttered a spell.</p>
+
+<p>At that, the Prince and his entire train were
+changed to solid stone, in the twinkling of an
+eye, and there they remained till, at the proper
+time, the Little Princess of the Fearless Heart
+came up the great stone steps of the castle.</p>
+
+<p>The Wizard was sitting on his throne with his
+Dragons behind his shoulder, staring into his
+crystal globe as it spun in the air, hanging on
+nothing at all.</p>
+
+<p>He never took his eyes away when the Princess
+came up to the throne, and she was far too
+polite to interrupt him when he was so busy. So
+for a long, long time she stood there waiting, and
+the Wizard chuckled to himself, for he thought
+that she was too frightened to speak. So he
+breathed upon his crystal globe and muttered a
+spell.</p>
+
+<p>But of course, nothing happened, for the Little
+Princess had a Fearless Heart!</p>
+
+<p>Then the Wizard grew black as night, for he
+saw that the matter was not so easy as plucking
+wild flowers, so he turned away from the crystal
+globe and stared at the Princess. His eyes
+burned like two hot coals, so that she drew her
+cloak closer about her, but you cannot hide your
+heart from a Wizard with Three Dragons, unless
+your cloak is woven of sunlight, and the
+Little Black Dwarf has the only one of those in
+the whole world, stowed away in an old chest
+in the garret.</p>
+
+<p>So the Wizard saw at once that the Little
+Princess had a Fearless Heart, and his voice was
+soft as rain-water.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Little Princess,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;What is it
+that you want of me in the Black Forest?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am looking for the Prince from the west,&rdquo;
+said the Princess, eagerly. &ldquo;Can you tell me
+where to find him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Wizard. &ldquo;I can tell you that,
+and perhaps some other things, besides. But
+what will you give me for my trouble?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Little Princess hung her head, for
+she had nothing about her that was worth so
+much as a bone button, and the Wizard knew
+that as well as you and I. So he said, very
+softly, &ldquo;Will you give me your Fearless Heart?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And there was the whole matter in a nutshell!</p>
+
+<p>But the Princess stamped her foot on the stone
+floor. &ldquo;Of course I will not give you my heart,&rdquo;
+she said. &ldquo;And if you will not tell me for kindness,
+I will be going on, for I have nothing with
+which to pay you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not so fast!&rdquo; cried the Wizard&mdash;for he was
+as wise as a rat in a library&mdash;&ldquo;If you will not
+give me your heart, just let me have a kiss and I
+will call it a bargain!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Princess remembered her godmother&#8217;s
+three kisses, and she thought that this
+was the place for them, if they were ever to be
+used at all, although she liked the thought of kissing
+the Wizard about as much as she liked sour
+wine. She crept up to the throne, and, with her
+eyes tight closed, gave the Wizard the first of
+the three kisses.</p>
+
+<p>At that the whole Black Forest shook with the
+force of the Magic, hissing through the trees,
+and the Wizard, with his Three Dragons turned
+into solid stone!</p>
+
+<p>The crystal globe spun around in the air, humming
+like a hive full of bees and sank slowly to
+the foot of the throne.</p>
+
+<p>Hardly had it touched the ground than the
+whole castle rent and split into a thousand
+pieces, and I would not like to have been there,
+unless I had a bit of gold thread spun out of
+moonlight around my finger, for the huge rocks
+were falling as thick as peas in a pan!</p>
+
+<p>But the Princess hardly noticed the rocks at
+all, for, as the sun rose over the Black Forest,
+she recognized the marble figure of the Prince,
+standing among the ruins. You may be sure
+that she was heartbroken as she went up to him,
+weeping very bitterly and calling and calling on
+his name. Then in her sorrow she reached up
+and kissed the cold stone face with the second
+magic kiss.</p>
+
+<p>Then suddenly she felt the marble grow soft
+and warm beneath her touch, and the Prince
+came back to life and took her in his arms.</p>
+
+<p>When he recognized the silent figures of his
+gay train, he was sad as death, and the Princess
+wept with him. But suddenly they saw an old, old
+woman picking her way among the fallen stones.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Little Princess, &ldquo;that is the old
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>
+woman whom I met in the forest, spinning!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At that the fairy laughed so hard that her hair
+tumbled down about her feet, and it turned from
+gray to silver, and silver to gold. The years fell
+from her like a cloak, until she was more beautiful
+than the thought of man could conceive!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! I know you now!&rdquo; cried the Little Princess.
+&ldquo;You are my first fairy godmother!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And that was the way of it, so she kissed them
+both for pure joy. But when they asked her as
+to which of the stone figures should have the
+third magic kiss, she shook her head,</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;None of them at all!&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But give me
+back that bit of gold thread, for you will have no
+further use for it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she stretched the thread between her two
+hands until it was so fine that you could not see
+it at all, and laid it on the ground around the
+Wizard and his Dragons, and tied a magic knot,
+just behind the crystal globe.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now give the third kiss to the crystal globe,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;and see what will happen!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Little Princess kissed the globe, and
+from the place where her lips touched it, a
+stream of water trickled down. As it touched
+the feet of each statue, the marble softened to
+flesh and blood, and the breath came back to it
+until all of the Prince&#8217;s train were alive again;
+but as for the Wizard, the water could not pass
+the gold thread, so there he sits until this day&mdash;unless
+some busybody has untied the magic knot.
+Then the fairy flew away, singing a low, happy
+song.</p>
+
+<p>When the Prince and the Princess came to the
+Garden, there was a wedding which lasted a
+month, and then they rode off toward the west.</p>
+
+<p>After they had gone, the Queen whispered to
+the Lady-in-waiting,</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You see what careful parents can do! The
+first fairy godmother was quite wrong about the
+Prince of the Black Heart!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But at that very moment, the Prince had bared
+his arm to pluck a water-flower, as they rested
+beside the way.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is that black mark on your arm?&rdquo; asked
+the Princess.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Prince, laughing, &ldquo;that is just a
+scar I have borne from birth. It is in the shape
+of a heart, and so, for a jest, my people call me
+the Prince of the Black Heart.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Black Heart, indeed!&rdquo; cried the Little Princess,
+angrily.</p>
+
+<p>And that is the end of the story, for if you
+have no fear in your heart, black magic is no
+such great thing after all.</p>
+
+<p>But if any old fogy should wag his gray
+beard and say there is not a word of truth in it,
+you may be very sure that he came to fairyland
+at the narrow place, and never saw it at all. So
+you may just smile at him, for there is one thing,
+at least, that you know more about than he does!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;">
+<img src="images/img127.jpg" width="348" height="303" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p>
+<h2>MOPSA THE FAIRY</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD FROM JEAN INGELOW</strong></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+&ldquo;<em>For he that hath his own world</em><br />
+  <span style="margin-left: .2em;"><em>Hath many worlds more.</em>&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+
+<p>A boy, whom I knew very well, was once going
+through a meadow which was full of buttercups.
+He sat down by an old hawthorn hedge
+which was covered with blossoms, and took out
+a slice of plum-cake for his lunch. While the
+boy was eating, he observed that this hedge was
+very high and thick, and that there was a great
+hollow in the trunk of the old thorn-tree, and he
+heard a twittering as if there was a nest somewhere
+inside. So he thrust his head in, twisted
+himself around, and looked up. After getting
+used to the dim light in the hollow of the tree,
+he saw, a good way above his head, a curious
+nest. It was about three times as large as a
+goldfinch&#8217;s. Just then he thought he heard some
+little voices cry, &ldquo;Jack, Jack!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I must get near,&rdquo; said the boy. So he began
+to wriggle and twist himself up, and just as he
+reached the top three heads which had been
+peeking over the edge of the nest suddenly
+popped down again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Those heads had no beaks, and the things have
+no feathers,&rdquo; said Jack, as he stood on tip-toe
+and poked in one of his fingers.</p>
+
+<p>When he snatched one of them out of the nest,
+it gave a loud squeak, and Jack was so frightened
+that he lost his footing, dropped it, and
+slipped down himself. Luckily, he was not hurt,
+nor the &ldquo;thing&rdquo; either. It was creeping about
+like an old baby, and had on a little frock and
+pinafore.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE FAIRY BABY&#8217;S LUNCH</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a fairy!&rdquo; exclaimed Jack, &ldquo;and this must
+be a fairies&#8217; nest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The young Fairy climbed up the side of the
+hollow and scrambled again into her nest, and
+Jack followed. Upon which all the nestlings
+popped up their heads, and showing their pretty
+white teeth pointed at the slice of cake.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a small piece, and I may not have anything
+more to eat for a long time,&rdquo; said Jack;
+&ldquo;but your mouths are very small, so you shall
+each have a piece.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The young fairies were a long time munching
+the cake, and before they had finished it began
+to be rather dark, because a thunder-storm was
+coming up. The wind rose and made the old tree
+rock, and creak, and tremble. The little Fairies
+were so frightened that they got out of the nest
+and crept into Jack&#8217;s pockets.</p>
+
+<p>After the storm was over, Jack pulled one of
+the Fairies out of his waistcoat pocket and said
+to her: &ldquo;It is time for supper. Where are we
+going to get it?&rdquo; Then in the light of the moon
+he looked at her very attentively. &ldquo;When I first
+saw you in the nest,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you had a pinafore
+on, and now you have a smart little apron
+with lace around it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is because I am much older now,&rdquo; said
+the Fairy. &ldquo;We never take such a long time to
+grow up as you do. Put me into your pocket
+again, and whistle as loudly as you can.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE GREAT WHITE BIRD</strong></p>
+
+<p>So Jack whistled loudly; and suddenly without
+hearing anything, he felt something take hold
+of his legs and give him a jerk which hoisted
+him on to its back, where he sat astride. It was a
+large white bird, and presently he found that they
+were rising up through the trees and out into
+the moonlight, with Jack on the bird&#8217;s back and
+all the fairies in his pockets.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And so we are going to Fairy-land,&rdquo; exclaimed
+Jack; &ldquo;how delightful!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As the evening grew dark the great white
+bird began to light up. She did it in this way.
+First, one of her eyes began to beam with a
+beautiful green light, and then when it was as
+bright as a lamp, the other eye began to shine,
+and the light of that eye was red. So they sailed
+through the darkness, Jack reminding the bird
+once in a while that he was very hungry.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>TO THE FAIR CITY</strong></p>
+
+<p>They were sailing over the ocean by this time,
+and there were boats and vessels. The great
+white bird hovered among them, making choice
+of one to take Jack and the Fairies up the wonderful
+river which leads to Fairy-land. Finally
+she set him down in a beautiful little open boat,
+with a great carved figure-head to it. The bird
+said: &ldquo;Lie down in the bottom of the boat and
+go to sleep. You will dream that you have some
+roast fowl, some new potatoes, and an apple
+pie. Mind you, don&#8217;t eat too much in your dream,
+or you will be sorry for it when you wake.&rdquo; Jack
+put his arms around the neck of the bird and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span>
+hugged her; then she spread her wings and
+sailed slowly away. Then Jack fell asleep in the
+rocking boat, and dreamed as the bird promised,
+and when he woke up he was not hungry any
+more!</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 365px;">
+<img src="images/img129.jpg" width="365" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">it was a large white bird<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a drawing by harry rountree</span></span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Morning came, and the Fairies were still asleep
+in his pocket. The boat moved on through the
+night, and now he found himself in the outlet
+of the wonderful river, the shores of which
+were guarded, not by real soldiers, but by rose-colored
+flamingoes.</p>
+
+<p>Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he
+could understand bird talk, and so he heard many
+wise words from the birds of that country which
+guided him on his way.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long before he came to the city that
+was the capital. It was a fair day, and the city
+square was full of white canopies, lined with
+splendid flutings of pink. It was impossible to
+be sure whether they were real tents, or gigantic
+mushrooms. Each one of the people who sold
+in these tents had a little high cap on his head
+shaped just like a bee-hive made of straw. In
+fact, Jack soon saw bees flying in and out, and it
+was evident that these folks had their honey made
+on the premises.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE LITTLE OLD FAIRY WOMAN</strong></p>
+
+<p>After Jack had visited the fairy city, he went
+back to the river. The water was so delightfully
+clear that he thought he would have a
+swim, so he took off his clothes and folded them
+very carefully so as not to hurt the Fairies, and
+laid them beside a hay-cock. When he came out
+he saw a little old woman with spectacles on,
+knitting beside his clothes. She smiled upon him
+pleasantly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will give you some breakfast out of my basket,&rdquo;
+said she. So she took out a saucerful of
+honey, a roll of bread, and a cup of milk.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;but I am not a beggar
+boy, so I can buy this breakfast. You look
+very poor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It seems that the old woman was very poor;
+in fact, she was a slave, and on that very day
+they were about to sell her in the slave market
+in the city square. So Jack went along into
+the city again with her, and when she was put
+up for sale, he bought her from her cruel master,
+although it took a half-crown, the biggest piece
+of money that he had. His next largest piece he
+gave to the little woman, and told her to buy some
+clothes with it. She came back to the boat where
+Jack was, with her hands empty, but her face
+full of satisfaction.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE WONDERFUL PURPLE ROBE</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, you have not bought any new clothes,&rdquo;
+said Jack.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have bought what I wanted,&rdquo; said the Fairy
+Woman; and she took out of her pocket a little
+tiny piece of purple ribbon, with a gold-colored
+satin edge, and a very small tortoise-shell comb.</p>
+
+<p>She took the piece of ribbon and pulled and
+pulled it until it was as large as a handkerchief.
+Then she pulled and pulled it again, and the silk
+stretched until it nearly filled the boat. Next,
+the little old woman pulled off her ragged gown
+and put on the silk. It was now a most beautiful
+robe of purple, with a gold border, and
+it just fitted her. Then she took out the little
+tortoise-shell comb, pulled off her cap and threw
+it into the river. As she combed her hair, it
+grew much longer and thicker, until it fell in
+waves all about her body. It all turned gold
+color, and she was so covered with it that you
+could not see one bit of her except her eyes,
+which peeped out and were very bright.</p>
+
+<p>Then she began to gather up her lovely locks
+and said: &ldquo;Master, look at me now!&rdquo; So she
+threw back the hair from her face, and it was
+a beautiful young face, and she looked so happy
+that Jack was glad he had bought her with his
+half-crown.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE MAGIC KISS</strong></p>
+
+<p>Then instantly the little Fairies awoke and
+sprang out of Jack&#8217;s pockets. One of them had
+a green velvet cap and sword; the second had
+a white spangled robe, and lovely rubies and
+emeralds around her neck; but the third one,
+who sat down on Jack&#8217;s knee, had a white frock
+and a blue sash, was very little, and she had a
+face just like that of a sweet little child.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How comes it that you are not like the
+others?&rdquo; asked Jack. She answered: &ldquo;It is because
+you kissed me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Somehow,&rdquo; Jack explained to the former Fairy
+Slave, &ldquo;she was my favorite.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then you will have to let her sit on your
+knee, master, sometimes,&rdquo; she explained; &ldquo;and
+you must take special care of her, for she cannot
+now take the same care of herself that others
+can. The love of a mortal works changes indeed
+to the life of a fairy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t want to have a slave,&rdquo; said Jack to the
+little lady. &ldquo;Can&#8217;t you find some way to be wholly
+free again?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, master, I can be free if you can think
+of anything that you really like better than the
+half-crown that you paid for me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would like going up this river to Fairy-land
+much better,&rdquo; said Jack. So suddenly the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>
+river became full of thousands of little people
+coming down the stream in rafts. They had
+come to take the Fairy Woman away with them.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE FAIRY WOMAN&#8217;S PARTING GIFT</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What gift may I give you before I go?&rdquo; she
+asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I should like,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;to have a little tiny
+bit of that purple gown of yours with the gold
+border.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she told Jack to lend her his knife, and
+with it she cut off a very small piece of the skirt
+of her robe and gave it to him. &ldquo;Now I advise
+you,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;never to stretch this unless you
+want to make something particular out of it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will ye step aboard, my dearest?&rdquo; sang the
+Fairy Woman as she sailed away.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.2em;">&ldquo;Will ye step aboard, my dearest? for the high seas lie before us.</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">So I sailed adown the river in those days without alloy.</span><br />
+ We are launched! But when, I wonder, shall a sweeter sound float o&#8217;er us<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Than yon &lsquo;pull&#8217;e haul&#8217;e, pull&#8217;e haul&#8217;e, yoy! heave, hoy!&rsquo;&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>All Jack had to do to make his magic boat go
+wherever he wished was to give it a command, so
+he ordered it to float up the river to Fairy-land.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long before the towers of the castle
+of the Queen of Fairy-land could be seen in the
+distance; and soon the castle, with its beautiful
+gardens, was close beside them along the river
+bank. But Jack did not dare to enter the castle
+until he was sure of a shelter of his own. So
+he pulled and pulled at the piece of purple silk,
+until it became large enough to make a splendid
+canopy like a tent. It roofed in all the after-part
+of the boat, so now he had a delightful little home
+of his own, and there was no fear of its being
+blown away, for no wind ever blows in Fairy-land.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>TO THE PALACE</strong></p>
+
+<p>When the Fairy Woman went back to her people
+she took all of the fairy children with her,
+and left only Mopsa with Jack. Now, Jack carefully
+washed her face, and put a beautiful clean
+white frock on her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will go into the Queen&#8217;s palace together,&rdquo;
+said he.</p>
+
+<p>The Queen greeted Mopsa and Jack very
+kindly; and every day they went up to the palace,
+and every night back again to the tent on the
+little boat.</p>
+
+<p>One song which they liked to sing made Jack
+rather uncomfortable:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.2em;">&ldquo;And all the knights shall woo again,</span><br />
+ And all the doves shall coo again,<br />
+ And all the dreams come true again,<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And Jack shall go home.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Every evening Jack noticed that Mopsa was a
+little taller, and had grown-up to a higher button
+on his coat. She looked much wiser, too. &ldquo;You
+must learn to read,&rdquo; said he; and as she made no
+objection, he arranged daisies and buttercups into
+the forms of the letters, and she learned nearly all
+of them in one evening, while crowds of the
+fairies from the castle looked on, hanging from
+the boughs and shouting out the names of the
+letters as Mopsa said them. They were very
+polite to Jack, for they gathered up all the flowers
+for him, and emptied them from their little caps at
+his feet as fast as he wanted them.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>MOPSA IS TO BE A QUEEN</strong></p>
+
+<p>Now it seems that as soon as Mopsa was full
+grown she was destined to be Queen herself. One
+day, just before dusk, she said to Jack: &ldquo;Jack,
+will you give me your little purse that has the
+silver fourpence in it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now this purse was lined with a nice piece of
+pale green silk; and when Jack gave it to her,
+she pulled the silk out and stretched it, just as the
+fairy woman had done, and it became a most
+lovely cloak. Then she twisted up her long hair
+into a coil, fastened it around her head, and
+called to the fireflies, which were beginning to
+glitter on the trees; and they came and alighted
+in a row upon the coil, and turned into diamonds
+directly! So now Mopsa had a crown and a
+robe. She was so beautiful that Jack thought he
+would never be tired of looking at her.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning Jack found that his fairy
+boat had floated away. He called to it, but it
+would not return. &ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; said Mopsa,
+&ldquo;my country is still waiting for me beyond the
+purple mountains. I shall never be happy unless
+we go there, and we can go together on foot.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they walked toward the purple mountains
+hand-in-hand. When night came, and they were
+too tired to walk any further, the shooting stars
+began to appear in all directions; and at Mopsa&#8217;s
+command they brought a little cushion, and Jack
+and Mopsa sat upon it, and the stars carried the
+two over the paths of the mountains and half-way
+down the other side. When they awoke the next
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>
+morning, there spread before them the loveliest
+garden one ever saw, and among the trees and
+woods was a most beautiful castle.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;">
+<img src="images/img133.jpg" width="348" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">queen mopsa flies to her kingdom<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a drawing by florence mary anderson</span></span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Jack!&rdquo; said Mopsa, &ldquo;I am sure that castle
+is the place I am to live in. I shall soon be Queen
+and there I shall reign.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I shall be King there,&rdquo; said Jack. &ldquo;Shall
+I?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, if you can,&rdquo; answered Mopsa; &ldquo;and in
+Fairy-land, of course, whatever you can do, you
+may do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was a long way to the castle; and at last Jack
+and Mopsa were so tired that they sat down, and
+Mopsa began to cry.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Remember,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;that you are nearly
+a Queen, and you can never reach your castle by
+sitting still.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All of a sudden they heard the sweetest sound
+in the world; it was the castle clock, and it was
+striking twelve at noon. As it finished striking,
+they came out at the farther edge of a great bed
+of reeds, and there was the castle straight before
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Inside the castle lived a lovely lady, and when
+she saw Mopsa she took her to her arms. &ldquo;Who
+are you?&rdquo; asked the lovely lady.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am a Queen,&rdquo; said Mopsa.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my sweet Queen,&rdquo; answered the lady, &ldquo;I
+know you are.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you promise that you will be kind to me
+until I grow up?&rdquo; inquired Mopsa. &ldquo;Will you
+love me and teach me how to reign? I am only
+ten years old, and the throne is too big for me to
+sit upon, but I am Queen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; answered the lady, &ldquo;and I will love you
+just as if I were your mother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>QUEEN MOPSA</strong></p>
+
+<p>When Mopsa ran through the castle door it shut
+suddenly behind her, and Jack was left behind.
+After great difficulty he succeeded in climbing the
+walls, and crept through a window; and when he
+got inside he saw a very wonderful sight. There
+was Mopsa in the great audience-room, dressed
+superbly in a white satin gown, with a long train
+of crimson velvet, which was glittering with
+diamonds. It reached almost from one end of the
+gallery to the other, and had hundreds of fairies
+to hold it to keep it in its place; but in her hair
+were no jewels, only a little crown made of
+daisies, and on her shoulders her robe was
+fastened with a little golden image of a boat.
+These things were to show the land she had
+come from and the vessel she had come in. At
+one side of Mopsa stood the lovely lady; and on
+the other, to Jack&#8217;s amazement, a little boy of
+his own size, who looked exactly like himself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will go in,&rdquo; said Jack. &ldquo;There is nothing
+to prevent me.&rdquo; He set his foot on the step, and
+while he hesitated Mopsa came out to meet him.
+He looked at her earnestly, because her lovely
+eyes were not looking at him, but far away
+toward the west.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jack lives there,&rdquo; she said, as if speaking to
+herself. &ldquo;He will play there again, in his father&#8217;s
+garden.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she brought her eyes down slowly from
+the rose-flush in the cloud and looked at him and
+said, &ldquo;Jack.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;here I am. What is it that
+you wish to say?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She answered, &ldquo;I am come to give you back
+your kiss.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>GOOD-BY TO MOPSA</strong></p>
+
+<p>So she stooped forward as she stood on her step
+and kissed him, and her tears fell on his cheek.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Farewell,&rdquo; she said; and she turned and went
+up the steps into the great hall. Jack gazed at
+her as she entered, and would fain have followed,
+but could not stir, the great doors closed together
+again, and he was left outside. Then he knew,
+without having been told, that he should never
+enter them any more.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he perceived that reeds were growing
+up between him and the great doors, and he
+walked on among them toward the west. Then,
+as the rosy sky turned gold color, all on a sudden
+he came to the edge of the reed-bed and walked
+out upon a rising ground. Jack ran up it, looking
+for the castle. At last he saw it, lying so
+far, so very far off that all its clear outlines
+were lost; and very soon, as it grew dark, they
+seemed to mingle with the shapes of the hill and
+the forest.</p>
+
+<p>He looked up into the rosy sky, and held out
+his arms, and called: &ldquo;Come! Oh, come!&rdquo; In
+a minute or two he saw a little black mark overhead,
+a small speck, that grew larger and larger.
+In another instant he saw a red light and a green
+light; then he heard the winnowing noise of a
+bird&#8217;s great wings, and suddenly the great white
+bird alighted at his feet and said: &ldquo;Here I am.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wish to go home,&rdquo; said Jack.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is well,&rdquo; answered the bird.</p>
+
+<p>As Jack flew through the darkness he thought
+once again of the little boy who looked just like
+himself, who lived in the far castle; and he did
+not feel sure whether he himself was upon the
+back of the bird or within the castle with Queen
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>
+Mopsa. Then he fell asleep, and did not dream
+at all, nor know anything more until the great
+bird woke him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wake up, now, Jack,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;we are at
+home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As they flew toward the earth Jack saw the
+church, and the wood, and his father&#8217;s house,
+which seemed to be starting up to meet him. In
+two seconds he stepped down into the deep grass
+of his father&#8217;s meadow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good-by,&rdquo; said the great bird. &ldquo;Make haste
+and run in, for the dews are falling.&rdquo; And before
+he could ask her one question, or even thank
+her, she made a wide sweep over the grass, beat
+her magnificent wings and soared away.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>JACK COMES HOME</strong></p>
+
+<p>Jack opened the little gate that led into the
+garden, stole through the shrubbery and came up
+to the drawing-room window and peeped in. His
+father and mother were sitting there, his mother
+sat with her back to the open window, but a
+candle was burning, and she was reading aloud
+about a Shepherd Lady and a Lord.</p>
+
+<p>At last his father noticed him, and beckoned
+him to come in. So Jack did, and got upon his
+father&#8217;s knee, and laid his head on his father&#8217;s
+waistcoat, and wondered what he would think if
+he should tell him about the fairies that had
+been in somebody else&#8217;s waistcoat pocket. He
+thought, besides, what a great thing a man is. He
+had never seen anything so large in Fairy-land, nor
+so important; so, on the whole, he was glad that
+he had come back and felt very happy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think,&rdquo; said his father, &ldquo;it must be time this
+man of ours was in bed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So his mother kissed him good-night, and he
+went up into his own room and said his prayers.
+He got into his little white bed and comfortably
+fell asleep.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BLIND" id="BLIND"></a>THE LINE OF GOLDEN LIGHT,<br /> OR THE LITTLE
+BLIND SISTER<a name="FNanchor_I_9" id="FNanchor_I_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_I_9" class="fnanchor">[I]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY ELIZABETH HARRISON</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived a child whose
+name was Avilla; she was sweet and loving, and
+fair to look upon, with everything in the world to
+make her happy&mdash;but she had a little blind sister,
+and Avilla could not be perfectly happy as long
+as her sister&#8217;s eyes were closed so that she could
+not see God&#8217;s beautiful world, nor enjoy His
+bright sunshine. Little Avilla kept wondering
+if there was not something that she could do
+which would open this blind sister&#8217;s eyes.</p>
+
+<p>At last, one day, she heard of an old, old woman,
+nobody knew how old, who had lived for hundreds
+of years in a dark cave, not many miles
+away. This queer, old woman knew a secret
+enchantment, by means of which the blind could
+receive their sight. The child Avilla asked her
+parents&#8217; permission to make a journey to the cave,
+in order that she might try to persuade the old
+woman to tell her this secret. &ldquo;Then,&rdquo; exclaimed
+she, joyfully, &ldquo;my dear sister need sit no longer
+in darkness.&rdquo; Her parents gave a somewhat unwilling
+consent, as they heard many strange and
+wicked stories about the old woman. At last,
+however, one fine spring morning, Avilla started
+on her journey. She had a long distance to
+walk, but the happy thoughts in her heart made
+the time pass quickly, and the soft, cool breeze
+seemed to be whispering a song to her all the
+way.</p>
+
+<p>When she came to the mouth of the cave, it
+looked so dark and forbidding that she almost
+feared to enter it, but the thought of her little
+blind sister gave her courage, and she walked in.
+At first she could see nothing, for all the sunshine
+was shut out by the frowning rocks that guarded
+the entrance. Soon, however, she discerned the
+old woman sitting on a stone chair, spinning a pile
+of flax into a fine, fine thread. She seemed bent
+nearly double with age, and her face wore a look
+of worry and care, which made her appear older.</p>
+
+<p>The child Avilla came close to her side, and
+thought, she is so aged that she must be hard of
+hearing. The old woman did not turn her head,
+nor stop her spinning. Avilla waited a moment,
+and then took fresh courage, and said, &ldquo;I have
+come to ask you if you will tell me how I can
+cure my blind sister?&rdquo; The strange creature
+turned and stared at her as if she were very much
+surprised; she then spoke in a deep, hollow voice,
+so hollow that it sounded as if she had not
+spoken for a very long time. &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said she with
+a sneer, &ldquo;I can tell you well enough, but you&#8217;ll not
+do it. People who can see, trouble themselves
+very little about those who are blind!&rdquo; This last
+was said with a sigh, and then she scowled at
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span>
+Avilla until the child&#8217;s heart began to beat very
+fast. But the thought of her little blind sister
+made her brave again, and she cried out, &ldquo;Oh
+please tell me. I will do anything to help my
+dear sister!&rdquo; The old woman looked long and
+earnestly at her this time. She then stooped
+down and searched in the heap of the fine-spun
+thread which lay at her side until she found the
+end of it. This she held out to the child, saying,
+&ldquo;Take this and carry it all around the world, and
+when you have done that, come to me and I will
+show you how your blind sister may be cured.&rdquo;
+Little Avilla thanked her and eagerly seized the
+tiny thread, and wrapping it carefully around her
+hand that she might not lose it, turned and
+hastened out of the close, damp cave.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 362px;">
+<img src="images/img137.jpg" width="362" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;avilla ran forward and cried:<br />
+&lsquo;now give sight to my sister&rsquo;&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>She had not traveled far before she looked back
+to be sure the thread had not broken, it was so
+thin. Imagine her surprise to see that instead
+of its being a gray thread of spun flax, it was a
+thread of golden light, that glittered and shone
+in the sunlight, as if it were made of the most
+precious stuff on earth. She felt sure now that
+it must be a magic thread, and that it somehow
+would help her to cure her blind sister. So she
+hastened on, glad and happy.</p>
+
+<p>Soon, however, she approached a dark, dense
+forest. No ray of sunlight seemed ever to have
+fallen on the trunks of its trees. In the distance
+she thought she could hear the growl of bears and
+the roar of lions. Her heart almost stopped beating.
+&ldquo;Oh, I can never go through that gloomy
+forest,&rdquo; said she to herself, and her eyes filled
+with tears. She turned to retrace her steps, when
+the soft breeze which still accompanied her whispered:
+&ldquo;Look at the thread you have been carrying!
+Look at the golden thread!&rdquo; She looked
+back, and the bright, tiny line of light seemed to
+be actually smiling at her, as it stretched across
+the soft greensward, far into the distance, and,
+strange to say, each tiny blade of grass which it
+had touched, had blossomed into a flower. So, as
+the little girl looked back, she saw a flowery path
+with a glittering line of golden light running
+through it. &ldquo;How beautiful!&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;I
+did not notice the flowers as I came along, but
+the enchanted thread will make the next traveler
+see them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This thought filled her with such joy that she
+pushed forward into the dark woods. Sometimes
+she knocked her head against a tree which stood
+in her way; sometimes she almost feared she was
+lost, but every now and then she would look back
+and the sight of the tiny thread of golden light
+always renewed her courage. Once in a while
+she felt quite sure that she could see the nose of
+some wild beast poking out in front of her, but
+when she came nearer it proved to be the joint in
+a tree trunk, or some strange fungus which had
+grown on a low branch. Then she would laugh
+at her own fear and go on. One of the wonderful
+things about the mysterious little thread which
+she carried in her hand was, that it seemed to
+open a path behind it, so that one could easily
+follow in her footsteps without stumbling over
+fallen trees, or bumping against living ones. Every
+now and then a gray squirrel would frisk by her
+in a friendly fashion, as if to assure her that she
+was not alone, even in the twilight of the dark
+woods. By and by she came to the part of the
+forest where the trees were less dense, and soon
+she was out in the glad sunshine again.</p>
+
+<p>But now a new difficulty faced her. As far as
+she could see stretched a low, swampy marsh of
+wet land. The mud and slime did not look very
+inviting, but the thought of her little blind sister
+came to her again, and she bravely plunged into
+the mire. The dirty, dripping mud clung to her
+dress and made her feet so heavy that she grew
+weary lifting them out of it. Sometimes she
+seemed to be stuck fast, and it was only with a
+great effort that she could pull out, first one foot,
+and then the other. A lively green frog hopped
+along beside her, and seemed to say, in his funny,
+croaking voice, &ldquo;Never mind the mud, you&#8217;ll
+soon be through it.&rdquo; When she had at last
+reached the end of the slippery, sticky marsh, and
+stood once more on firm ground, she looked back
+at the tiny thread of golden light which trailed
+along after her. What do you think had happened?
+Wherever the mysterious and beautiful
+thread had touched the mud, the water had dried
+up, and the earth had become firm and hard, so
+that any other person who might wish to cross
+the swampy place could walk on firm ground.
+This made the child Avilla so happy that she
+began to sing softly to herself.</p>
+
+<p>Soon, however, her singing ceased. As the
+day advanced, the air grew hotter and hotter. The
+trees had long ago disappeared, and now the
+grass became parched and dry, until at last she
+found herself in the midst of a dreary desert. For
+miles and miles the scorching sand stretched on
+every side. She could not even find a friendly
+rock in whose shadow she might rest for a time.
+The blazing sun hurt her eyes and made her head
+ache, and the hot sand burned her feet. Still
+she toiled on, cheered by a swarm of yellow
+butterflies that fluttered just ahead of her. At
+last the end of the desert was reached, just as the
+sun disappeared behind a crimson cloud. Dusty
+and weary, the child Avilla was about to throw
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>
+herself down on the ground to rest. As she did
+so, her eyes turned to look once more at the
+golden thread which had trailed behind her all
+day on the hot sand. Lo, and behold! What did
+she see? Tall shade trees had sprung up along
+the path she had traveled, and each tiny grain
+of sand that the wonderful thread had touched
+was now changed into a diamond, or ruby, or
+emerald, or some other precious stone. On one
+side the pathway across the desert shone and
+glittered, while on the other the graceful trees
+cast a cool and refreshing shade.</p>
+
+<p>Little Avilla stood amazed as she looked at the
+beautiful trees and the sparkling gems. All feeling
+of weariness was gone. The air now seemed
+mild and refreshing, and she thought that she
+could hear in the distance some birds singing their
+evening songs. One by one the bright stars
+came out in the quiet sky above her head, as if
+to keep guard while she slept through the night.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning she started forward on her
+long journey round the world. She traveled
+quite pleasantly for a while, thinking of how
+cool and shady the desert path would now be for
+any one who might have to travel it, and of the
+precious jewels she had left for some one else
+to gather up. She could not stop for them herself,
+she was too anxious to press forward and
+finish her task, in order that her little blind sister
+might the sooner see.</p>
+
+<p>After a time she came to some rough rocks
+tumbled about in great confusion, as if angry
+giants had hurled them at each other. Soon the
+path grew steeper and steeper, and the rocks
+sharper and sharper, until they cut her feet. Before
+her she could see nothing but more rocks until
+they piled themselves into a great mountain,
+which frowned down upon her, as much as to
+say, &ldquo;How dare you attempt to climb to my summit?&rdquo;
+The brave child hesitated. Just then two
+strong eagles with outspread wings rose from
+their nest of sticks on the side of a steep cliff
+near by, and soared majestically and slowly aloft.
+As they passed far above her head they uttered a
+loud cry which seemed to say, &ldquo;Be brave and
+strong and you shall meet us at the mountain-top.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes the ragged edges of the rocks tore
+her dress, and sometimes they caught the tiny
+golden thread, and tangled it so that she had to
+turn back and loosen it from their hold. The
+road was very steep and she was compelled to sit
+down every few minutes and get her breath.
+Still she climbed on, keeping the soaring eagles
+always in sight. As she neared the top, she
+turned and looked back at the enchanted thread of
+golden light which she had carried through all the
+long, strange journey. Another marvelous thing
+had happened! The rugged path of sharp, broken
+rocks had changed into broad and beautiful white
+marble steps, over which trailed the shining
+thread of light. She knew that she had made a
+pathway up this difficult mountain and her heart
+rejoiced.</p>
+
+<p>She turned again to proceed on her journey,
+when, only a short distance in front of her, she
+saw the dark cave in which lived the strange old
+woman who had bidden her carry the line of
+light around the world. She hastened forward,
+and on entering the cave, she saw the old creature,
+almost bent double, still spinning the mysterious
+thread. Avilla ran forward and cried out, &ldquo;I
+have done all you told me to do, now give sight
+to my sister.&rdquo; The old woman sprang to her
+feet, seized the thread of golden light and exclaimed,
+&ldquo;At last! at last! I am freed! The spell
+has now been broken.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then came so strange and wonderful a change
+that Avilla could hardly believe her own eyes.
+Instead of the ugly, cross-looking old crone, there
+stood a beautiful princess, with long golden hair,
+and tender blue eyes, her face radiant with joy.
+Her story was soon told. Hundreds of years ago
+she had been changed into the bent old woman,
+and shut up in the dark cave on the mountain-side,
+because she, a daughter of the King, had
+been selfish and idle, thinking only of herself,
+and her punishment had been that she must remain
+thus disguised and separated from all companions
+and friends until she could find someone
+who would be generous and brave enough to
+take the long, dangerous journey around the world
+for the sake of others. Her mother had been a
+fairy princess and had taught her many things
+which we mortals have yet to learn. She showed
+the child Avilla how, by dipping the golden thread
+into a spring of ordinary water, she could change
+the water into golden water, which glittered and
+sparkled like liquid sunshine. Filling a pitcher
+with this they hastened together to where the
+little blind sister sat in darkness waiting for some
+one to come and lead her home. The beautiful
+princess told Avilla to dip her hands into the
+bowl of enchanted water, and then press them
+upon the closed eyes of her sister. They opened!
+And the little blind girl could see!</p>
+
+<p>After that the fairy princess came and lived
+with little Avilla and her sister, and taught them
+how to do many wonderful things, of which I
+have not time to tell you to-day.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_I_9" id="Footnote_I_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_I_9"><span class="label">[I]</span></a> From &ldquo;In Story-Land,&rdquo; by Elizabeth Harrison; used by
+permission of the publishers, the National Kindergarten and
+Elementary College, 2944 Michigan Boulevard, Chicago, Ill.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img140.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="A fairy story about a philosopher&#8217;s stone which was lost" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p>The Mermaids and the Sea-gulls were collected
+in crowds upon the shore. There was hardly a
+sound except the monotonous splash of little
+waves breaking, and the rippling rattle of the
+shingle as it followed the water returning. Thousands
+of eyes were fixed upon the piece of rocky
+land that jutted out into the sea, where the Philosopher&#8217;s
+magnificent castle stood, or <em>had</em> stood,
+for there was now very little of it left. No wonder
+the Mermaids and the Mer-babies and the
+Sea-gulls were astonished. Even the sea was
+speckled with fish who were putting their heads
+out of the water to watch. For the Philosopher&#8217;s
+castle was fading away, melting like mist before
+the sun!</p>
+
+<p>The Philosopher himself could be seen rushing
+about, tearing his scanty white hair. That
+was another equally astonishing thing, for only
+yesterday the Philosopher had been young and
+handsome, as well as the richest and greatest
+man in all the land&mdash;so rich and great that he
+was to have married the Princess very soon.</p>
+
+<p>Now he was old and wild and gaunt. A tattered
+brown cloak with rents and holes in it
+hung from his thin shoulders, flapping as he ran
+about, and all his dingy dress was dirty and
+ragged. He looked like a wandering peddler.
+What had become of his many servants? Where
+were his horses and chariots, and the strange
+beasts from foreign lands which had wandered
+in the beautiful gardens&mdash;the gardens with the
+pavilions, where all the flowers had been in
+bloom for the Princess?</p>
+
+<p>There was only one tower standing now, and
+the top of that was growing more and more
+flimsy. Presently, through the walls, rooms could
+be seen. In one of them there stood a golden
+cage, and in it was a Parrot.</p>
+
+<p>Very soon the bars of the cage were like cobwebs,
+and the Parrot began to tear them apart.
+Then he spread his wings with a joyful scream,
+and flew on to the rocks, above the heads of the
+crowds upon the shore.</p>
+
+<p>Immediately every one called a different question
+to the Parrot, who smoothed his feathers
+and took no notice until, when the noise and excitement
+were rather less, an old Sea-gull spoke
+for them all. Then the new-comer consented to
+tell what he knew of the events of the day.</p>
+
+<p>It was due, he said, to the Philosopher&#8217;s having
+lost the Magic Stone. Upon this stone his youthful
+appearance, and everything that he owned,
+had depended.</p>
+
+<p>Early that morning a great tumult had suddenly
+arisen. The Philosopher went out walking.
+Soon an old man had rushed in, crying
+that he had lost the Magic Stone. He commanded
+every slave in the castle instantly to
+leave whatever work he was doing, and help to
+find it. At first no one heeded him, for they
+could not any of them be persuaded that he was
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>
+their master. Then the confusion had grown
+rapidly worse, for each one found he was fading
+away, growing every moment more pale and
+thin. As the hours passed all the servants became
+white ghosts, and they floated away in companies
+together.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 163px;">
+<img src="images/img141.jpg" width="163" height="500" alt="Everyone called a different question to the parrot" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The furniture was melting now in the same
+manner. The tables were sinking down, and all
+the vessels used for cooking, and what not, were
+falling softly and noiselessly upon the floors&mdash;where
+there were any floors to hold them. Everything
+was blowing gently about, so that the air
+seemed filled with bits of cloud. Presently the
+remnants would be swept into the sea by the
+passing breezes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And how have you escaped?&rdquo; asked the Sea-gull.</p>
+
+<p>The Parrot raised his crest and looked very
+much offended.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because <em>I</em> am real,&rdquo; he said with dignity.
+&ldquo;I was the only real thing in the castle. The
+Philosopher stole me at the same time that he
+stole the Magic Stone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stole it?&rdquo; cried the Mermaids and the Mer-babies
+and the Sea-gulls.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Parrot; &ldquo;he stole it in a far-off
+land, and he stole me. I was to be a present to
+the Princess; for he thought of marrying the
+Princess even at that time, and the Philosopher
+knew there was not in all the world another parrot
+like me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He opened his wings and puffed up every feather.
+He certainly was a magnificent creature.
+The grown-up Sea-gulls felt quite ashamed of
+their homely dresses of black and white; but the
+young ones only gaped, and crowded open-mouthed
+to the front to look.</p>
+
+<p>The Parrot&#8217;s snowy coat shaded different colors
+like opals when he moved, and each feather
+was edged with gold. The crest upon his head
+sparkled as if there were diamonds in it, and
+under his wings he was rose-red.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I am free!&rdquo; he cried, as the diamonds
+glittered and flashed,&mdash;&ldquo;free to go home where
+the palm-trees grow, and the sun shines as it
+never shines in this chilly land! Look well at
+me while you can, for you will never see me
+again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that he poised a moment above them,
+then sailed away to the South, like a gorgeous
+monster butterfly. And they never did see him
+again.</p>
+
+<p>When they had watched him out of sight, and
+turned again, there was nothing remaining of
+the castle, and the Philosopher, too, had disappeared.
+The sun was setting, and the Mermaids
+and the Mer-babies went to their homes in the
+sea, while the Sea-gulls put their little gulls to
+bed in the nests among the rocks high above the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>
+restless waves.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>Now all the talk was of the Philosopher&#8217;s
+Magic Stone, and who should find it. And at
+court every one was discussing how this unexpected
+turn of events would affect the Princess&#8217;s
+marriage. It was to have taken place in a very
+short time. The King was very angry. He considered
+that a slight had been cast upon the
+Princess and upon himself by the carelessness of
+the Philosopher. He was not well pleased, either,
+to know that the great wealth of the man who
+was to have been his son-in-law was all due to
+magic influences. Neither did he like what he
+heard of the Philosopher&#8217;s appearance when last
+he was seen. He announced that the Princess&#8217;s
+wedding would take place at the time fixed, and
+that she should be married to the first Prince, or
+other suitable candidate, who arrived on that
+day. And even the Philosopher might take his
+chance of being the first, if he were then in a
+position to support the Princess in the luxury
+to which she had been accustomed.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img142.jpg" width="500" height="353" alt="Do you think the Philosopher will find the stone? She asked of the eldest lady-in-waiting" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>As for the Princess herself, what did she think
+of it all? No one knew, for she did not say.
+She sat at her palace window, and looked out
+over the distant mountains, and dreamed of her
+wedding day.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you think the Philosopher will find the
+Stone?&rdquo; she asked of the Eldest Lady-in-Waiting,
+who was in attendance.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We may well hope so, your Royal Highness,&rdquo;
+said the Eldest Lady. &ldquo;He is a great man and
+wise. I hear, too, that he had been walking only
+a short distance from the castle when he lost the
+Stone. It can hardly fail to be found very soon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Princess sat still and looked over toward
+the mountains.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you think the Philosopher will find the
+Stone?&rdquo; she asked presently of the Youngest
+and Favorite Lady-in-Waiting.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! your Royal Highness, I fear it is not
+likely,&rdquo; said the Favorite Lady. &ldquo;All the Sea-people
+have been searching day and night, I
+hear, and nothing has been heard of it yet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Princess smiled. She still sat and smiled
+when the Favorite Lady wrapped a cloak about
+herself, and took a letter that lay by the Princess&#8217;s
+hand. Then, without permission or instruction,
+she set out toward the mountains. The
+Princess rested her elbows on the window-ledge,
+and watched her out of sight, and perhaps wondered
+who would be the earliest to arrive, and
+so fill the place of bridegroom, on her wedding-day.</p>
+
+<p>And all this time, as the Lady-in-Waiting had
+said, the Sea-people had been searching day and
+night.</p>
+
+<p>The Mer-babies and the little Sea-gulls were
+quite neglected, and did no lessons; for every
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span>
+one was too busy to attend to them. They played
+about and romped on the shore when they grew
+tired of hunting for the Philosopher&#8217;s Stone.
+The Sea-gulls had told the land-birds, who were
+searching the woods and the fields, while the
+fresh-water fish knew of it from their relatives
+in the sea, and they were searching the lakes
+and the rivers. Then the Sea-gulls determined
+to consult the Great Albatross of the Southern
+Seas, the King among all sea-fowl. They arrived
+one sunny morning, and found him expecting
+them, for he had heard what had happened&mdash;in
+the first place from the Parrot, who had passed
+that way. So he was prepared with his answer.
+It did not satisfy the Sea-gulls at all. They went
+away very much disappointed, for the Albatross
+was in a bad temper, and said only:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go home and attend to the children.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They waited about until late, but he would say
+nothing more. So they were obliged to return
+and confess their want of success to the Mermaids,
+who sympathized with them, and agreed
+that it was very ill-natured of the Albatross.
+They proposed to go to the Sea-serpent and ask
+his advice, which the Sea-gulls thought a good
+plan. They set off at once for the deep seas,
+where he lived, inquiring of the fish they met
+whether any news had been heard. But the fish
+had nothing to tell, and the Mermaids came to
+the Sea-serpent&#8217;s home.</p>
+
+<p>He was curled on his great rock throne, with
+giant seaweeds of all colors waving round him,
+and the stars of the anemones gleaming out from
+dark corners.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img143.jpg" width="500" height="310" alt="Consulting the wise white bear" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>The Sea-serpent listened to the request of the
+Mermaids; but they met with no better luck than
+the Sea-gulls, for he said exactly the same: &ldquo;Go
+home and attend to the children.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he retired into the great caves, and would
+not come out again.</p>
+
+<p>So the Mermaids went home disconsolate.
+They began to think they might have to give up
+the hope of finding the Magic Stone.</p>
+
+<p>Of course the Mer-babies heard all that was
+going on. They discussed the situation, as usual.
+They did not mean to be left behind in this business,
+though they were not considered to be of
+any consequence. It was evidently correct to
+consult somebody who lived at a distance, and
+they thought of the Wise White Bear. He was
+farther off, too, than either the Albatross or the
+Sea-serpent, for he lived at the north pole; but
+when he was mentioned the very young Mer-babies
+for once suggested that it was nearly bedtime,
+and they found that they were sleepy. Some
+one whispered that the White Bear ate the poor
+seals, and the youngest Mer-babies crept into
+holes in the rocks to rest, they said, while the
+little Sea-gulls went walking home, one behind
+the other, right across the sands, without having
+been called. But the older Mer-babies set off for
+the north pole.</p>
+
+<p>They arrived home next morning, very tired
+and very cross. When the sleepy ones who had
+stayed behind asked what the Wise Bear had
+said, they would not tell, and for the first time
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span>
+the Mer-babies quarreled. They declared in the
+end that they would none of them look for the
+&ldquo;Philosopher&#8217;s ugly Stone ever any more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So if the Princess really wanted to marry the
+Philosopher, that day she lost some of her helpers.
+But no one knew what she wished, for she
+never mentioned him. She sat at her window
+that looked out over the mountains, and she
+gazed ever outward.</p>
+
+<p>It was the night before her wedding. She had
+been there all day, and for many days. It was
+very quiet, and the lamps were lighted. The
+Eldest Lady-in-Waiting spread out the lovely
+robes, ready for the morrow, where the Princess
+might see them; but she never moved nor spoke.
+As midnight approached she leaned out and let
+the soft wind blow upon her face.</p>
+
+<p>The hour of midnight was striking from all
+the belfries, when a great clatter sounded down
+below in the courtyard. Horses neighed, and
+men ran about. The Princess leaned more forward,
+and listened. Then a horseman, whose
+jewels sparkled in the moonlight, looked up and
+kissed a hand to her, and she kissed hers to him.
+It was one minute past midnight, and the morning
+of her wedding-day! She dropped the curtains
+and turned to greet the Favorite Lady-in-Waiting,
+who had come in. The Princess threw
+her arms round her Lady&#8217;s neck to welcome her
+back, she was so glad and happy.</p>
+
+<p>So it came about that the Prince of the City
+Over the Mountains was the first to arrive on
+that eventful morning; for, though through all
+the rest of the night, and up to the very hour of
+the wedding, noble Princes and their retinues
+were received in state by the King, all of them
+had to be told that they were too late, and most
+of them rode off again at once. Some who had
+never seen the Princess, but who had been attracted
+by reports of her beauty and her stateliness,
+waited to attend her marriage feast, and
+to regret that they had not hurried themselves a
+little more.</p>
+
+<p>As for the Philosopher, who should have been
+one of the chief persons of interest on that important
+occasion, no one even thought of him,
+unless the Princess did. But she looked too well
+pleased for any one to suppose she missed him&mdash;which
+was fortunate, for he was never heard of
+any more.</p>
+
+<p>When the eventful day was past, the Mermaids
+and the Sea-gulls covered the shore once again,
+talking it over, and the Mer-babies and the little
+Sea-gulls stood around listening.</p>
+
+<p>Presently the Mer-mothers said: &ldquo;No more
+holidays. Lessons to-morrow!&rdquo; and the Mer-babies
+sighed, and the little Sea-gulls looked
+gloomy.</p>
+
+<p>One of the Mer-babies stepped forward, holding
+something.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Please take care of our pretty ball for us,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;until holidays come again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As she was speaking the Mermaids sprang up,
+and they and all the grown-up Sea-gulls cried
+with one accord:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Philosopher&#8217;s Stone!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, sure enough, it was. It lay in the Mermaid&#8217;s
+hand, all glowing with its magic blue, pale
+and dark by turns, its wonderful veins panting
+as if it were a living thing, its threads of gold
+moving and twining underneath, round the red
+heart burning deep in the midst of it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That!&rdquo; cried every one of the Mer-babies and
+every one of the little Sea-gulls. &ldquo;Why, we have
+had <em>that</em> all the time! We found it on the sand,
+and we have played with it every day since!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Sea-gulls remembered what the Albatross
+had said, and the Mermaids remembered
+what the Sea-serpent had said, and the Mer-babies
+remembered what the Wise White Bear
+had said, and they all looked at one another.</p>
+
+<p>Now arose the question, What should be done
+with the Stone?</p>
+
+<p>It needed no long discussion to settle. Every
+one agreed that it should be given to the Youngest
+Lady-in-Waiting; for she had done for the
+Princess what no one else had thought of doing,
+in carrying her letter to her true love so that he
+might be in time to win her. The happy day just
+past was entirely owing to her devotion.</p>
+
+<p>The Stone was duly presented to her, and, accordingly,
+she became the richest and most beautiful
+woman in the land, as she was already the
+kindest, while the Sea-folks generally, and the
+Mer-babies in particular, gained great fame and
+distinction; for had they not found the Magic
+Stone when it was lost, and given it to the nation&#8217;s
+favorite? And they do say that the Favorite
+Lady-in-Waiting married a charming Prince almost
+(but not quite!) as captivating as the husband
+of the Princess.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 100px;">
+<img src="images/img144.jpg" width="100" height="40" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 372px;">
+<img src="images/img145.jpg" width="372" height="500" alt="It was one minute past midnight and the morning of her wedding day" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img146.jpg" width="500" height="232" alt="The bad temper of the princess" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>1</strong></p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time, in a dainty little kingdom all
+parks and rivers and cottages and flowers, there
+lived a jolly, red-faced king named Rudolpho.
+Every one of his subjects loved him, the surrounding
+kings were his loyal friends, and the
+neighboring kingdoms were on the best of terms
+with him. Indeed, they had a happy way, these
+old kings, of exchanging thrones for a week now
+and then, just as some preachers nowadays exchange
+pulpits&mdash;to prove, I suppose, how very
+good their own is, after all. This king about
+whom I am telling you was fat, of course, and
+looked very like our good friend Santa Claus.</p>
+
+<p>Yet, strange as it may seem, with all these
+blessings&mdash;a rich kingdom, faithful subjects, and
+a loving wife&mdash;this good king was not happy.
+There was one cloud, a very pretty silver-edged
+cloud, but yet a cloud, which hung just in front
+of the sun of his happiness and cast a great big
+shadow.</p>
+
+<p>The king had a daughter, the Princess Madge,
+his only child; and though she was obedient in
+everything else, she just wouldn&#8217;t, <em>wouldn&#8217;t</em>,
+marry. Now the king was very anxious for her
+to marry and settle down on the throne, because
+he was growing old. Every morning for three
+weeks, just before breakfast, he had had three
+separate twinges of pain. The queen said it was
+because of his rheumatism, but he knew better;
+he was sure that it was old age, and it made him
+very eager to have the kingdom in the hands of
+the new son-in-law king before he died.</p>
+
+<p>Of course there were plenty of princes and
+dukes and barons and lords who would gladly
+have wedded the pretty princess for her own
+sweet sake alone, to say nothing of the prospect
+of being king some day, but she wouldn&#8217;t have
+one of them. There was not a man in the kingdom
+nor in any of the surrounding kingdoms who
+suited her capricious fancy. Princes of haughty
+mien, princes of gentle manner, handsome princes,
+ugly princes, tall princes, short princes, fat
+princes, lean princes, had been introduced at the
+court, had been encouraged by the king and
+queen, and had sought to gain her favor. She
+had been showered with gifts of rare flowers and
+precious stones, and had received thousands of
+little letters smelling of perfume; but from prince,
+from jewels, and from written vows of love she
+turned away with the same cheerful determination.</p>
+
+<p>A princess is a lonely little body, you know,
+and custom was so rigid in the time of the
+Princess Madge that she had no one to talk to
+excepting Pussy Willow, the royal kitten. She
+had no brother, no sister, no cousin, and no
+dearest friend. She didn&#8217;t even have a chance
+to speak freely to her own father and mother.
+It is true, she took breakfast with them every
+morning at eleven in the great breakfast-room,
+but the butlers and waiters and pages and flunkies
+were always standing about, with their ears
+pricked up and their eyes bulging out, so that
+no one dared whisper a secret or have even the
+jolliest little family quarrel. It is true her royal
+mama came at precisely ten o&#8217;clock to kiss her
+good night every evening, but there were always
+a dozen maids and ladies in waiting, and it was
+impossible to have a real good talk. But Pussy
+Willow was her constant companion, and to
+Pussy she told everything. That friendly cat was
+the only living thing in the whole kingdom that
+really knew that the princess intended to marry
+sometime. That was what worried the king and
+queen so much; Madge made them believe that
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span>
+she would never marry any one, never, <em>never</em>,
+<span class="smcap">never</span>, but would live alone to the end of her
+days and leave the kingdom to any one who
+wished for it.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img147.jpg" width="500" height="309" alt="Came at precisely ten o&#8217;clock to kiss her goodnight" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pussy, I wouldn&#8217;t tell a story to the king and
+queen for the world, but isn&#8217;t it fun to see them
+take on so? If I really thought that papa was
+ill and likely to die, I would be as good as gold;
+but those little pains of his are only rheumatism,
+I am sure, so I don&#8217;t mind teasing him just a
+little. You know, Pussy, that when my ideal
+comes&mdash;oh, you needn&#8217;t look up and blink in such
+surprise, for I really have an ideal, and I will
+tell you all about him!&rdquo; Whereupon Pussy shook
+her head till her gold-bell necklace tinkled loudly,
+then she yawned a little and began to wash her
+face. She looked very wise as she sat there
+stroking her whiskers and thumping thoughtfully
+on the floor with her bunchy tail. After thinking
+thus seriously for a few minutes, she suddenly
+began a sympathetic little purr-song which
+seemed to say:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go on, little mistress; I am all ready to listen,
+and I&#8217;ll not tell a soul.&rdquo; Then Princess Madge
+continued:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t care whether he is prince or pauper,
+high or low, handsome or plain; but he must in
+any case be contented. You know what contented
+means, Pussy&mdash;satisfied with what he has until
+he deserves and can get something better. If he
+is like that he will always be unselfish and happy.
+Oh, yes, and I shall be happy, too. Now I am
+going to write a letter to papa and tell him that
+I will marry if he will find me a contented man.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Quick as thought, the princess opened her rose-wood
+and gold desk, drew out some paper with
+her crest on it and a jeweled pen, and wrote
+daintily and carefully. It took her a very long
+time, Pussy Willow thought.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, kitty, listen; I will read it to you:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>&ldquo;To his Majesty the King, from her Royal Highness,
+the Princess Madge.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Dear Old Papa</span>: I have at last decided to be married
+if you can find a man to suit me. Now read, my dear
+papa, and remember that this decision is final. I will
+marry the first contented man you can find, no matter who
+he is. Read this little poem; it is my guiding star at this
+very serious time:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.5em;">&ldquo;&lsquo;There is a jewel which no Indian mine can buy,</span><br />
+  No chemic art can counterfeit.<br />
+  It makes men rich in greatest poverty,<br />
+  Makes water wine, turns wooden cups to gold.<br />
+  Seldom it comes, to few from heaven sent,<br />
+  That much in little, all in naught&mdash;<em>content</em>.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What I have written, I have written.<br />
+               <span style="margin-left: 10em; margin-right: 6em;">&ldquo;Your own</span> <span class="smcap">Madge</span>.</p></div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That sounds very well, doesn&#8217;t it, Pussy?
+I am going to fold it so, and so, then cut off
+a strand of my hair&mdash;see, Pussy, it is nearly a
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span>
+yard long, and it will go around and around this
+letter and tie in a great golden knot. When the
+king sees that he will know it is very important.
+Now I will go to the door and tell the page to
+run with this to papa, and then&mdash;oh, I wonder
+what he will say!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She ran to the door, spoke a few words to the
+page who stood just outside, then returned to the
+great cushioned chair by the window. Pussy
+climbed into her lap. They both winked a few
+times and blinked a few times and then fell fast
+asleep.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>II</strong></p>
+
+<p>Half an hour later the king, with his crown comfortably
+pushed back on his head, and a smile
+very much all over his ruddy face, burst into the
+queen&#8217;s sitting-room. He held a tangle of golden
+hair in one hand and a sheet of blue note-paper
+in the other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear, my dear, what do you think has
+happened? Here, written by her own hand, the
+hand of the Princess Madge, are the happy words
+which drive away all our fears. She will marry,
+my dear, she will marry; and listen: she cares
+not what may be his rank or age or condition&mdash;he
+must be a <em>contented</em> man, that is all. Oh, what
+a child, what a child!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Rudolpho, my love, is it true? Why, why,
+I am so happy! Is it really true? Do give me
+my fan. Yes, thank you. Fan me, dear; a little
+faster. It quite took my breath away. Just to
+think of that! Now go at once and issue a royal
+edict summoning every contented man in this
+kingdom and in all the surrounding kingdoms to
+a grand feast here in the palace. After the
+feast we will hold a trial, and the Princess Madge
+shall be the judge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Away rushed the king, the pages in waiting
+outside the door vainly trying to catch the end of
+his fluttering robe.</p>
+
+<p>The next day a cavalcade of heralds set out
+from the palace gates, bearing posters which
+were hung in the market-place of every village
+for leagues about. In blue letters on a gold
+ground were these words:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p class="center">Ho, ye! Hear, ye! Ho, ye!</p>
+
+<p>On the twenty-third day of the month now present,
+every <em>contented</em> man throughout the universe is summoned
+to the court of King Rudolpho for a feast and a trial for
+the hand of the Princess Madge. He among you all who
+is absolutely contented shall have the princess&#8217;s hand in
+marriage, together with half the kingdom. Every man
+will be tried by the princess herself. Every man who
+falls short and stands not the test shall never again enter
+King Rudolpho&#8217;s court.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 16em;">
+  My hand <span style="font-size: 1.5em;">+</span>&nbsp;&nbsp; My seal <span style="font-size: 1.5em;">+</span>.<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 3em;" class="smcap">Rudolpho</span>, <em>Rex</em>.</p></div>
+
+<p>The day dawned, brilliant and glorious. How
+the contented men jostled each other, and frowned
+at each other, and scolded each other as they
+thronged through the palace gates! They all
+gathered in the banquet-hall, where a wonderful
+feast was spread&mdash;a roasted ox, with wild boar
+and lamb and turkey and peacock, and a hundred
+kinds of fruit, and fifty kinds of ice-water; but
+as a dinner-party it was not a success. Conversation
+was dull, each man glowered at his
+neighbor, and all seemed eager to finish the feast
+and begin the trial.</p>
+
+<p>Finally it was over, and five hundred and fifty
+contented men assembled in the royal court-room.
+The king and queen were seated on their thrones,
+but the princess was nowhere to be seen. There
+was a moment of breathless waiting&mdash;then suddenly
+a door at the side of the court-room opened
+and the Princess Madge, carrying Pussy Willow,
+entered and was followed by her train-bearers
+and maids of honor. She wore a wonderful
+gown all white and gold down the front, with
+the foamiest of sea-foam green trains hanging
+from her shoulders away out behind her. Slowly,
+majestically, she walked across the room, and
+stopped before a table on which lay a golden
+gavel. A quick tap of the gavel silenced the
+little murmur that had arisen at her entrance.
+The king glanced at the queen, and they both
+smiled with pride in their stately daughter. The
+princess tapped again and began:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Princes, baronets, honorables, commons of
+this kingdom and our neighboring kingdoms, I
+bid you welcome. You have come to sue for my
+hand and my fortune. I know full well, my
+noble men, that if I asked it you would gladly
+give me some great proof of your bravery and
+goodness&mdash;but I ask you to take no risk and make
+no sacrifice. I merely wish to know whether I
+can find in any of you that secret of all true
+courage and happiness&mdash;contentment. Now let
+every man of you who is contented, <em>thoroughly
+contented</em>, rise. Remember, there are no degrees
+in contentment; it is absolute.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The black-robed throng arose&mdash;some eagerly,
+some impatiently, some disdainfully, some few
+slowly and thoughtfully, but they all stood and
+waited in utter silence.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;">
+<img src="images/img149.jpg" width="338" height="500" alt="The Princess Madge Enters" title="" />
+</div>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;As I put the test question, if there is any one
+who cannot answer it, let him go quietly out
+through yonder door and never again show his
+discontented face in this court. You say you
+are contented&mdash;happy, unselfish, and satisfied with
+what the gods have given you. Answer me this!
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>
+Why, then, do you scowl and jostle one another?
+Why do you want to marry any one&mdash;least of all,
+a princess with half the riches of a great kingdom
+as a dowry, to spoil your happiness? Greedy
+fortune-hunters! Do you call that contentment?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The contented men stood a moment in baffled
+silence, then turned, one and all, and slowly
+marched out of the room. As the door closed
+upon the last one of the disappointed suitors, the
+princess picked up her pretty kitten and, turning
+to her father and mother, said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Would you have me marry one of <em>those</em>?
+Why, they aren&#8217;t half so contented as a common,
+everyday pussy-cat. Good-by!&rdquo; And she
+laughed a merry laugh, threw a kiss at the
+astonished king and queen, and ran from the
+room.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>III</strong></p>
+
+<p>At luncheon one day many months after the
+dismissal of the discontented suitors, the prime
+minister entered the dining-room and announced
+to the king that a man had been found within the
+palace gates without a royal permit, and had been
+immediately put in the dungeon. He was a handsome
+fellow, the prime minister said, but very
+poorly clad. He made no resistance when he was
+taken prisoner, but earnestly requested that his
+trial might come off as soon as possible, as he
+rather wanted to make a sketch of the palace and
+gardens, and he couldn&#8217;t see very well from the
+slit in the top of the dungeon; but he begged
+them not to put themselves nor the king to any
+inconvenience, as he could just as well remain
+where he was and write poems.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In sooth, your Majesty,&rdquo; said the prime minister,
+in conclusion, &ldquo;from all we have heard and
+seen, it seemeth that at last we have found a
+contented man.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the king finished his royal repast
+he disguised himself in the long cloak and hat
+of a soldier and went with the prime minister and
+the turnkey to catch a glimpse of the prisoner.
+As they approached the dungeon they heard a
+rich bass voice singing:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.2em;">&ldquo;Let the world slide, let the world go!</span><br />
+ A fig for care, and a fig for woe.<br />
+ If I must stay, why, I can&#8217;t go,<br />
+ And love makes equal the high and low.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The king drew nearer, stooped, and peeped
+through the keyhole. Just opposite the door, on
+a three-legged stool, sat the prisoner. His head
+was thrown back and he was looking at the sky
+through the bars in the top of his cell. The song
+had ceased and he was talking softly to himself.
+The king, in a whisper, told the prime minister
+to bring the princess and have her remain hidden
+just outside the door. Then he motioned to the
+turnkey to throw back the bolts, and he entered
+the dungeon alone.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why are you talking to yourself, man?&rdquo; he
+asked. The man answered:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because, soldier, I like to talk to a sensible
+man, and I like to hear a sensible man talk.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ha, ha!&rdquo; laughed the king. &ldquo;Pretty good,
+pret-ty good! They tell me that all things please
+you. Is it true?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think I can safely say yes, soldier.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But why are you so poorly clad?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The care of fine clothes is too much of a
+burden&mdash;I have long ago refused to be fashion&#8217;s
+slave.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where are your friends?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of those that I have had, the good are dead,
+and happier so than here; the evil ones have
+left me and are befriending some one else, for
+which I say, &lsquo;Joy go with them.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And is there nothing that you want?&rdquo; As the
+king asked this question he looked at the man in
+a peculiarly eager way, nor did the answer disappoint
+him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have all of the necessities of life and many
+of the luxuries. I am perfectly content. I know
+I have neither land nor money, but is not the
+whole world mine? Can even the king himself
+take from me my delight in the green trees and
+the greener fields, in that dainty little cloud flecking
+heaven&#8217;s blue up yonder like a bit of foam on
+a sunlit sea? Oh, no! I am rich enough, for all
+nature is mine&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And <em>I</em> am yours,&rdquo; said a sweet young voice.
+The man looked up in surprise, and there before
+him, holding out her pretty hands toward him,
+stood the Princess Madge, who had slipped into
+the cell unnoticed.</p>
+
+<p>The man sprang to his feet, clasped the little
+hands in his, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know not what you mean, sweet lady, when
+you say that you are mine; but oh, you are passing
+beautiful!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Papa,&rdquo; called the princess, &ldquo;this is quite dreadful.
+Quick, take off that ugly soldier&#8217;s coat and
+tell him who we are and all about it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The king, starting as if from a dream, threw
+off the rough coat and hat and stepped forth
+into the beam of sunlight, resplendent in gold
+and ermine.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thou dost not know me, my man? I am the
+king. Hast thou not read our last proclamation?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, your Majesty; I never do read proclamations.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 371px;">
+<img src="images/img151.jpg" width="371" height="500" alt="I am Perfectly Content" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then thou didst not know that the hand of
+the princess is offered to the first contented man
+who enters the palace?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, your Majesty; I knew it not.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then know it now, and know, too, that thou
+art the man. To thee I give my daughter, together
+with half my kingdom. No, no&mdash;not a
+word. Thou deservest her. May you be happy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The prisoner, almost dumb with astonishment, almost
+dazed with joy, knelt and kissed the princess&#8217;s
+white hands, then looked into her eyes and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, well it is for me that I saw you not until
+now, for I should have been miserably discontented
+until you were mine!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE FLYING SHIP</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Russian Tale</em></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a Princess who
+was always wanting something new and strange.
+She would not look at the princes who came to
+woo her from the kingdoms round about, because,
+she said, they all came in the same way, in carriages
+which had four wheels and were drawn
+by four horses. &ldquo;Why could not one come in a
+carriage with five wheels?&rdquo; she exclaimed petulantly,
+one day, &ldquo;or why come in a carriage at
+all?&rdquo; She added: &ldquo;If one came in a flying ship I
+would wed him!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the King made proclamation that whoever
+came to the palace in a flying ship should wed
+the Princess, and succeed to the kingdom. As
+the Princess was very beautiful and the kingdom
+very rich, men everywhere began to try to build
+ships that would fly. But that was not so easy.
+They could build ships that would sail&mdash;but flying
+was quite another thing!</p>
+
+<p>On the far edge of the kingdom dwelt a widow
+with three sons. The two elder, hearing the proclamation,
+said that they wanted to go to the city
+and build each a flying ship. So the mother,
+who was very proud of these sons, and quite
+convinced that should the Princess see one of
+them it would not be necessary for him to have
+a flying ship, laid out their best clothes and gave
+each a satchel containing a lunch of white bread
+and jam and fruit, and wished them good luck
+on their journeys.</p>
+
+<p>Now the third son was called Simple, because
+he did not do as his brothers did, and cared nothing
+for fine clothes and fine airs, but liked to
+wander off in the woods by himself. When
+Simple saw his brothers starting off all so grandly
+he said: &ldquo;Give me a lunch, and I will go
+and build a flying ship.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The truth was that the idea of a flying ship
+very much appealed to Simple, though he did not
+give much thought to the Princess.</p>
+
+<p>But his mother said: &ldquo;Go back into the woods,
+Simple, that is the place for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Simple persisted, and at last she gave him
+a satchel containing a lunch of black bread without
+any jam, and a flask of water.</p>
+
+<p>As Simple neared the woods he met a Manikin
+who asked him for something to eat. Simple was
+ashamed to open his satchel with the black bread
+and water in it. &ldquo;But,&rdquo; he reflected, &ldquo;if one is
+hungry black bread is better than no bread.&rdquo; The
+Manikin certainly looked hungry, so Simple put
+his hand into the satchel and took out the roll of
+bread&mdash;and lo&mdash;it was not black at all, but white,
+made of the finest flour, and spread with rich,
+golden butter. The flask, too, when he took it out,
+was not as it had been when his mother put it
+in, but was filled with red wine.</p>
+
+<p>So Simple and the Manikin sat down by the
+roadside and ate together. Then the Manikin
+asked Simple where he was going, and Simple
+told him that he was going to build a flying ship.
+He almost forgot about the Princess, but remembered,
+as an afterthought, and he told the
+Manikin that when the ship was done he would
+fly in it to the palace and marry the Princess.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the Manikin, &ldquo;if you want to do
+that take this ax with you and the first tree that
+you come to strike it three times with the ax,
+then bow before it three times, and then kneel
+down with your face hidden until you are told to
+get up. There will be a flying ship before you.
+Climb into it and fly to the palace of the Princess,
+and if you meet anybody along the way take
+them along.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Simple took the ax and went into the wood,
+and the first tree that he came to he struck three
+times with the ax, then bowed three times before
+it, then knelt down and hid his face. By-and-by
+he felt someone touch his shoulder and he looked
+up, and there was a ship with wings outspread,
+all ready to fly. So he climbed into it and bade
+it fly away to the city of the Princess.</p>
+
+<p>As he flew over a clearing in the woods Simple
+saw a man with his ear to the ground, listening.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho!&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;you below! What are you
+doing?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am listening to the sounds of the world,&rdquo;
+said the man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Simple, &ldquo;come up into the ship.
+Maybe you can hear more up here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man climbed up into the ship, and they
+flew on. As they passed over a field they saw a
+man hopping on one leg, with the other strapped
+up behind his ear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho!&rdquo; cried Simple, &ldquo;You below! Why do
+you hop on one leg, with the other bound up?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said the man, &ldquo;if I were to unbind
+the other I would step so far that I would be at
+the end of the world in a minute.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Simple, &ldquo;come up into the ship,
+that will be less tiresome than hopping so far.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man came up into the ship and they
+flew on. As they passed a clear lake of cold water
+they saw a man standing beside it looking so
+disconsolately at the water that Simple called out,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Ho, you below! Why do you look at the water
+so sadly?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said the man, &ldquo;I am very thirsty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; called Simple, &ldquo;why don&#8217;t you take a
+drink? There is water enough!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the man, &ldquo;it is not right that I
+should drink here, for I am so thirsty that I
+would drink all of this at one gulp, and there
+would be no lake, and I would still be thirsty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Simple, &ldquo;come up into the ship.
+Maybe we can find water enough for you somewhere.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man climbed up into the ship and they
+flew on. As they passed over a village they met
+a man carrying a great basket of bread. &ldquo;Ho!&rdquo;
+cried Simple, &ldquo;you below! Where are you going?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am going to the baker&#8217;s at the other end of
+the village to buy some bread for my breakfast,&rdquo;
+replied the man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But you have a big basketful of bread now,&rdquo;
+said Simple.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the man, &ldquo;that is not enough for the
+first morsel. I shall eat that up in one bite.
+There are not bakers enough in this village to
+keep me supplied, and I am always hungry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Simple, &ldquo;come up into the ship.
+Maybe we shall find some bread in the city.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man climbed up into the ship and they
+flew on. As they passed over a meadow they saw
+a man carefully carrying a bundle of straw.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho!&rdquo; cried Simple, &ldquo;you below! Why do you
+carry that straw so carefully, when there is straw
+all about you in the meadow?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But this is no ordinary straw,&rdquo; said the man.
+&ldquo;It has a magic power, and when it is scattered
+about it will make the hottest place as cold as ice.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Simple, &ldquo;bring it along and come
+up into the ship. It may be hot in the city.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man climbed up into the ship and they
+flew on. As they passed over a wooded park
+they saw a man carrying a bundle of sticks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho!&rdquo; cried Simple, &ldquo;you below! Why do you
+carry those sticks so carefully when all the woods
+about you are full of sticks?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But these are not ordinary sticks,&rdquo; said the
+man. &ldquo;If I were to throw them on the ground
+they would become soldiers, armed and ready for
+a battle.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Simple, &ldquo;they are wonderful sticks
+indeed! Bring them up into the ship. There may
+be a need for soldiers in the city.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man climbed up into the ship and they
+flew on. Soon they came to the city, where the
+word soon went about that a ship was flying over,
+and men and women came out into the streets and
+on to the roofs of the houses to see what it might
+be like. And the King came out on his balcony
+and saw Simple and his strange crew flying
+straight toward the palace.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, now,&rdquo; said the King, &ldquo;what sort of a
+fellow is this? I cannot have him marry my
+daughter. He has not a knight in his train&mdash;and
+as for him&mdash;!&rdquo; the King had no words in
+which to express his thought.</p>
+
+<p>The Princess, too, looking out and seeing the
+flying ship with Simple in the bow and the other
+strange folk behind him, repented of her rash
+word, and said: &ldquo;You must give this fellow
+some impossible task to do, so that he will fail,
+for it is certain that I cannot wed him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the King sent for his courtiers, and bade
+them wait upon the man in the flying ship and
+say to him that before his daughter could be
+given in marriage a flask of water must be
+brought this day from a spring at the end of
+the world.</p>
+
+<p>The man with the wonderful hearing had his
+ear to the deck of the ship, and he heard this
+order, and reported it to Simple, who lamented,
+and said: &ldquo;How can I bring a flask of water
+from the end of the world? It may take me a
+year to go there and back&mdash;perhaps even the rest
+of my life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the man with the bound leg said: &ldquo;You
+forget that I am here. When the summons comes
+I will take the flask and go for the water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So when the messenger came Simple answered
+quietly that the order would be obeyed at once.</p>
+
+<p>The man with the bound leg unfastened his leg
+from behind his ear and started off to the end of
+the world, and when he came there he filled the
+flask and came back with it, and Simple went with
+it to the palace, arriving just as the King and the
+Princess were finishing their dinner.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is all very well,&rdquo; said the King, &ldquo;but we
+cannot have this fellow wed the Princess. We
+will prepare a feast, and tell him that it must be
+eaten at once. Let forty oxen be killed, and five
+hundred loaves be prepared and five hundred cakes
+be baked, and all of these must this fellow and
+his followers eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man with the wonderful hearing having
+his ear to the deck of the ship reported this conversation
+to Simple, who lamented and said:
+&ldquo;How can we eat forty oxen, and five hundred
+loaves and five hundred cakes! It will take us a
+year to eat so much, or maybe all of the rest of
+our lives.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the hungry man, who had long
+since eaten the few loaves from his basket, &ldquo;you
+forget that I am here. Perhaps now for the first
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>
+time in my life I shall have enough to eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So when the feast was served they all sat down
+to it, and ate as they wished; then the hungry man
+ate the remainder of the forty oxen and the five
+hundred loaves and the five hundred cakes and
+there was not a crumb left. When he had quite
+finished he said that he could have eaten at least
+two more oxen and another hundred cakes, but
+that he was not quite so hungry as he had been.</p>
+
+<p>When the King&#8217;s messengers told him that the
+feast was all eaten that same night he said:
+&ldquo;That is all very well, but we cannot have this
+fellow wed the Princess. We will prepare a
+drinking, and serve five hundred flagons of wine,
+and tell him that it must all be drunken that same
+night, or he cannot wed the Princess. Let the
+flagons of wine be prepared and served to him,
+and all of them must this fellow and his followers
+drink.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man with the wonderful hearing having
+his ear to the deck of the ship reported this to
+Simple, who lamented and said: &ldquo;How can we
+drink five hundred flagons of wine? It will take
+us a year to do so, or maybe all of the rest of
+our lives.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the thirsty man said, &ldquo;You forget that I
+am here. Perhaps now for the first time in my
+life I shall have enough to drink.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So when the wine was served they all gathered
+around the table and drank as much as they
+wanted of it; then the thirsty man picked up
+flagon after flagon and drank them off until all
+were empty. And at the end he said that he
+could have drunken at least fifty flagons more,
+but that he was not so thirsty as he had been.</p>
+
+<p>When the messengers of the King reported that
+the wine was all drunken, the King said: &ldquo;Now
+are we put to it, for we cannot have this fellow
+wed the Princess.&rdquo; So he sent his messengers
+to the ship bidding Simple come to the palace
+and make ready for the wedding, and prepared a
+bath for him. And when Simple entered the
+room for the bath he found that it was heated
+so hot that the walls burned his hands when he
+touched them, and the floors were like red-hot
+iron. But the man with the straw had come in
+behind him, warned by the man with the wonderful
+hearing, and seeing what was afoot, scattered
+his straw all about the bathroom, and at once it
+became as cold as one could wish, and, the door
+having been locked, Simple climbed up on the
+stove and went to sleep, and there they found
+him in the morning, wrapped in a blanket.</p>
+
+<p>When this was reported to the King he was
+very angry, and he said, &ldquo;This fellow is evidently
+very smart, but for all of that we cannot have
+him wed the Princess. I will give him an impossible
+task. Go you to him,&rdquo; he said to the
+messenger, &ldquo;and tell him that he must come to
+me at to-morrow&#8217;s sunrise with an army fitting
+the rank of one who would wed the Princess.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the man with the wonderful hearing reported
+this to Simple he was in despair, and
+lamented and said: &ldquo;Now at last am I beaten,
+though, after all, I have a flying ship, even if I
+do not wed the Princess. It will take me a year
+to raise an army, perhaps it would take all the
+rest of my life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the man with the sticks said: &ldquo;You forget
+that I am here. Now all of these others have
+proven that they could help you to win the
+Princess, let me at least do my share.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So at dawn they flew out over the parade
+ground, and the man with the sticks threw them
+down upon the ground, and immediately there
+sprung up soldiers, in platoons and regiments,
+with armor, and captains and colonels and generals
+to command them. And the King and his
+courtiers had never seen such an army, and the
+Princess, standing on the balcony beside her
+father, as they rode by the palace, seeing Simple
+riding at the head of the band, with the generals
+paying him homage, said: &ldquo;This man must be a
+very great prince indeed, and, now that I look
+at him he is not so uncomely, after all.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Simple, riding at the head of his army,
+looking up at the balcony and seeing the Princess
+there said to himself: &ldquo;A flying ship is all very
+well, but the Princess is very beautiful, and to
+wed her will be the most wonderful thing in the
+world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Simple and the Princess were married, and
+the crew of the flying ship were at the wedding,
+and all of the captains and the colonels and the
+generals of his army, and never had there been
+such a wedding in the kingdom. And by and by
+the King died, and Simple became the King, and
+the Princess became the Queen, and they lived
+happily ever after.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 242px;">
+<img src="images/img154.jpg" width="242" height="53" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p>
+<h2>ROBIN OF THE LOVING HEART</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY EMMA ENDICOTT MAREAN</strong></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>Please, Mother, tell us a story. Have him
+a wood-chopper boy this time. Please, Mother,
+quick, for Elizabeth is sleepy already. Oh,
+Mother, hurry!</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>So here is the story.</em></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a little boy who
+lived all alone with his parents in the heart of a
+deep wood. His father was a wood-chopper
+who worked hard in the forest all day, while
+the mother kept everything tidy at home and
+took care of Robin. Robin was an obliging,
+sunny-hearted little fellow who chopped the
+kindling as sturdily as his father chopped the
+dead trees and broken branches, and then he
+brought the water and turned the spit for his
+mother.</p>
+
+<p>As there were no other children in the great
+forest, he made friends with the animals and
+learned to understand their talk. In the spring
+the mother robin, for whom he thought he was
+named, called him to see the blue eggs in her
+nest, and in the autumn the squirrels chattered
+with him and brought him nuts. But his four
+dearest friends were the Owl, who came to his
+window evenings and gave him wise counsel;
+the Hare, who played hide-and-seek with him
+around the bushes; the Eagle, who brought him
+strange pebbles and shells from the distant seashore;
+and the Lion, who, for friendship&#8217;s sake,
+had quite reformed his habits and his appetite,
+so that he lapped milk from Robin&#8217;s bowl and
+simply adored breakfast foods.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly all the happiness in the little cottage
+was turned to mourning, when the good wood-chopper
+was taken ill, and the mother was at her
+wits&#8217; end to take care of him and to provide bread
+and milk. Robin&#8217;s heart burned within him to
+do something to help, but he could not swing an
+ax with his little hands.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; he said that night to his friend the Owl,
+&ldquo;if I were a great knight, perhaps I could ride
+to the city and win the Prize for Good Luck.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what is the Prize for Good Luck?&rdquo;
+asked the Owl, who knew everything in the
+world except that.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 247px;">
+<img src="images/img155.jpg" width="247" height="385" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the owl called a council of robin&#8217;s
+best friends&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then Robin explained that the lovely princess,
+whose hair was like spun gold and whose eyes
+were like the blue forget-me-nots by the brook,
+had lost her precious amulet, given to her by her
+godmother, which kept her, as long as it lay on
+her neck, healthy and beautiful and happy. One
+day, when she was playing in the flower-garden,
+the little gold chain snapped and the amulet
+rolled away. Everybody in the palace had searched,
+the soldiers had been called out to help, and all
+the small boys had been organized into an amulet
+brigade, for what they cannot see is usually
+not worth seeing at all. But no one could find
+it, and in the meantime the princess grew pale,
+and, truth to tell, rather cross. Her hair dulled
+a little, and her eyes looked like forget-me-nots
+drowned in the brook. When the court philosopher
+reasoned the matter out and discovered
+that the amulet had been carried far away, perhaps
+outside the kingdom, the king offered the
+Prize for Good Luck for its return.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, if I could win the Prize for Good
+Luck,&rdquo; said Robin, &ldquo;we should have bread and
+milk all the time, and Mother need not work so
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>
+hard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Owl in her wisdom called a council
+of Robin&#8217;s best friends, and asked them what
+they were going to do about it. They waited
+respectfully for her advice; and this was her
+wonderful plan:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Robin could win the Prize for Good Luck,&rdquo;
+declared the Owl, &ldquo;if only he were wise and
+swift and clear-sighted and strong enough. Now
+I will lend him my wisdom, the Hare shall lend
+his swiftness, the Eagle shall
+lend his eyesight, and the
+Lion shall lend his strength.&rdquo;
+And thus it was agreed.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Owl went back
+to little Robin&#8217;s window and
+explained the plan.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must remember,&rdquo; she
+said warningly, &ldquo;time is
+precious. It is almost morning
+now. I cannot long spare
+my wisdom, for who would
+guide the feathered folk? If
+the Hare cannot run, how
+can he escape the fox? If
+the Eagle cannot see, he will
+dash himself into the cliff if
+he flies, and he will starve to
+death if he sits still. If the
+Lion&#8217;s strength is gone, the
+wolves will be the first to
+know it. Return, then, without
+delay. At the stroke of
+nine o&#8217;clock to-morrow night,
+we shall await you here. Now
+go quickly, for rather would
+I die than live like the
+feather-brained blue jay.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Immediately Robin felt
+himself so strong and so
+brave that he hesitated not a
+minute. Swift as a hare he
+hastened to the palace, and
+at daybreak he blew the
+mighty horn that announced
+the coming of one who would
+seek for the amulet. The
+king groaned when he saw
+him, sure that it would be a vain quest for such a
+little fellow. The truth was that the court philosopher
+feared the amulet had been stolen by the
+Ogre of Ogre Castle, but no one dared to mention
+the fact, much less to ask the Ogre to return
+it. The princess, however, immediately sat up
+and took notice, charmed by the brave light in
+Robin&#8217;s eyes and his merry smile.</p>
+
+<p>Robin asked to be taken up into the highest
+tower of the palace, and there, looking leagues
+and leagues away to Ogre Castle, he saw with
+his Eagle sight the amulet, glowing like sunlight
+imprisoned in a ruby.</p>
+
+<p>The Ogre was turning it over and over in
+his hand, muttering to himself, in the stupid
+way ogres always have: &ldquo;It must be a nut, for
+I can see something good inside.&rdquo; Robin could
+not hear him, but he was sure, by the help of
+the Owl&#8217;s wisdom, that it was the amulet.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 358px;">
+<img src="images/img156.jpg" width="358" height="449" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;at daybreak robin blew the mighty horn&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>In a thrice&mdash;that means while you count three&mdash;Robin
+was speeding away with the Hare&#8217;s swiftness
+toward Ogre Castle, and in a few minutes
+he was demanding the amulet from the Ogre.</p>
+
+<p>Now usually the Ogre was not at all a disagreeable
+fellow, and the Owl&#8217;s wisdom would
+have easily sufficed to enable Robin to secure the
+amulet without trouble, but he had just tried
+to crack the amulet with his teeth. It broke off
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span>
+the very best tooth he had in his head, and his
+poor jaws ached so that he was in a very bad
+temper. He turned fiercely, and for a few minutes
+Robin needed all the strength the Lion had
+given him.</p>
+
+<p>After all, the Ogre was one of the pneumatic-tire,
+hot-water-bag kind of giants, who flat out
+if you stick a pin into them and lie perfectly
+limp until they are bandaged up and set going
+once more. That is really a secret, but Robin
+knew it by the help of the Owl&#8217;s wisdom, and
+he was not the least little bit afraid.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 355px;">
+<img src="images/img157.jpg" width="355" height="461" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the princess waved her lily hand to robin&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>So Robin managed to get the amulet away
+without too much difficulty, and the Hare&#8217;s
+swiftness quickly took him back to the palace.
+When the princess, who was watching from the
+tower window, saw the rosy light of the amulet
+in the distance, pinkness came back to her
+cheeks, and her eyes shone like stars, and she
+waved her lily hand to Robin in perfect happiness.</p>
+
+<p>Ah, such a merrymaking as they planned for
+that evening! Robin was to receive the Prize
+for Good Luck, so much gold coin that it would
+take three carts and six mules to carry it back
+to the cottage. The king counted out money
+all the afternoon, and the queen put up tarts
+and jars of honey for Robin to take to his
+mother, and the princess gave him her photograph.</p>
+
+<p>Now comes the sad part. It had taken so
+much time to reach the palace, to explain to the
+king, to ascend the tower and find the amulet,
+to conquer the Ogre of Ogre Castle, and to return
+to the palace, that it was almost night
+before Robin realized it. When the money had
+been counted out and the
+tarts wrapped in paraffin paper
+and the pots of honey
+packed in excelsior, it was
+seven o&#8217;clock.</p>
+
+<p>Now the party was to begin
+at nine, for the princess
+had to have her white satin
+frock sent home from the
+dressmaker, and her hair had
+to be curled. The Punch and
+Judy was to come at ten, and
+the ice-cream was to be
+served at eleven, for in palaces
+people keep terribly late
+hours, not at all good for
+them. Just as Robin had
+dressed himself in a beautiful
+blue velvet suit, thinking
+how fine it was that he
+should open the dance with
+the princess and how lucky
+it was that he had the
+strength of a lion, so that he
+could dance at all after his
+busy day, he suddenly remembered
+his promise to the
+Owl.</p>
+
+<p>It was such a shock that, in spite of the Lion&#8217;s
+strength, he nearly fainted. Then he went
+quickly to the king and told him that he must
+go away at once. The king was very angry
+and bade him have done with such nonsense.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Faith, you must stay,&rdquo; he said crossly.
+&ldquo;There would be no living with the princess if
+her party is spoiled. Besides, you will lose the
+Prize for Good Luck, for the people have been
+promised that they shall see it presented to somebody
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span>
+to-night and we must not disappoint them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 245px;">
+<img src="images/img158a.jpg" width="245" height="325" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the saucy blue jay mocked the fluttering owl&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Poor Robin&#8217;s heart was heavy. How could he
+lose all that he had gained and go away as poor
+as when he came? That wasn&#8217;t all nor half of
+all. To lose the money would be bad, but he
+had much more to lose than that. For one day
+he had enjoyed the fun of being stronger and
+wiser and swifter and keener-sighted than anybody
+else. Isn&#8217;t that better than money and all
+the prizes for good luck? Yes, indeed, his heart
+answered over and over again. How could he
+go back and give up the wisdom and the swiftness
+and the clear sight and the strength, even
+if he could give up the money?</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know now,&rdquo; he thought bitterly, &ldquo;how the
+Owl felt when she said she would not be a feather-brain
+like the blue jay. And it is much more
+important for a boy to be strong than for a common
+old lion, who is pretty old anyway. And
+there are lots of hares in the forest and eagles
+on the mountain.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Robin slowly climbed the stairs to the
+tower, for he thought he would see what the
+Owl and the Hare and the Eagle and the Lion
+were doing in the forest. He looked over to
+the cottage, leagues and leagues away. There,
+under a big oak, lay the Owl, her feathers all
+a-flutter. She had had no more sense than to
+go out in the brilliant sunshine, and something
+had gone wrong inside her head. The saucy
+blue jay stood back and mocked her. Robin&#8217;s
+heart gave one little throb of pity, but he was
+wise enough to see the value of wisdom, and he
+hardened himself. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t believe she has sense
+enough to know that anything is wrong,&rdquo; he
+said to himself.</p>
+
+<p>Then he looked for the Hare. &ldquo;Oh, he&#8217;s all
+right,&rdquo; said Robin, gladly. But just then he
+saw a dark shape, only about a mile away, following
+the Hare&#8217;s track.</p>
+
+<p>Robin&#8217;s heart gave two throbs of pity. &ldquo;Poor
+old Hare!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I have had lots of fun
+with him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he looked for the Eagle, and his heart
+beat hard and fast when he saw him sitting
+alone on the dead branch of a tree, one wing
+hanging bruised, perhaps broken, and his sightless
+eyes turned toward the tower, waiting, waiting.
+Blind!</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 246px;">
+<img src="images/img158b.jpg" width="246" height="274" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;it followed the hare&#8217;s track&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Robin looked quickly for the Lion. For a
+time he could not find him, for tears came in his
+eyes as he thought of the Eagle. Then he saw
+the poor creature, panting from thirst, trying
+to drag himself to the river. He was almost
+there when his last bit of strength seemed to
+fail, and he lay still, with the water only a few
+yards away.</p>
+
+<p>Then Robin&#8217;s heart leaped and bounded with
+pity, and with pure gladness, too, that he was
+not yet too late to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>
+save his friends from the consequences
+of their own generosity. The
+last rays of sunset struck the tower as
+Robin, forgetting all about his blue
+velvet clothes and the princess and
+the Prize for Good Luck, ran and raced,
+uphill and down, through brambles
+and briers, over bogs and hummocks,
+leaving bits of lace caught on the
+bushes, swifter than ever he hastened to
+the Ogre of Ogre Castle or to the lovely princess
+with the amulet.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img159a.jpg" width="500" height="148" alt="He saw the poor creature panting from thirst" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 136px;">
+<img src="images/img159as.jpg" width="136" height="365" alt="He saw the blind eagle sitting alone in the tree" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>He was there&mdash;oh, yes, he was
+there long before nine o&#8217;clock. The
+Owl received back her wisdom, and I can
+tell you that she soon sent the saucy blue jay
+packing. The Hare had his swiftness, and the
+fox was left so far behind that he was soon glad
+to limp back home and eat the plain supper that
+Mrs. Fox had prepared for him. The poor blind
+Eagle opened his eyes, and saw the moon and the
+stars, and, better than moon and stars, the loving
+face of his comrade, Robin. The Lion drank his
+fill, and said that now he would like some breakfast
+food, please. So the story ended happily
+after all.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, yes, I forgot about the Prize for Good
+Luck, didn&#8217;t I? When the king told the princess
+that Robin was foolish enough to give back
+the wisdom and the swiftness and the clear sight
+and the strength that had won the prize for him,
+and that without them he was only a very common
+little boy, not good enough for a princess
+to dance with, she stamped her foot and called
+for the godmother who gave her the amulet in
+the first place.</p>
+
+<p>Then the princess&#8217;s godmother said that the
+princess for once was quite, quite right&mdash;that
+Robin must have the three cartloads of gold
+coin drawn by six mules, and the tarts and
+honey for his mother, and whenever the princess
+gave another party she must ask him to
+open the dance with her, blue velvet suit or no
+blue velvet suit&mdash;&ldquo;because,&rdquo; said the godmother,
+&ldquo;there is one thing better than wisdom or swiftness
+or clear sight or strength, and that is a
+loving heart.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p><em>But Elizabeth had gone to sleep.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><a name="SPRING" id="SPRING"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img159b.jpg" width="500" height="104" alt="In spring" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img160a.jpg" width="500" height="258" alt="A Famous Case" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>By Theodore C. Williams</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Two honey-bees half came to blows<br />
+About the lily and the rose,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Which might the sweeter be;</span><br />
+And as the elephant passed by,<br />
+The bees decided to apply<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">To this wise referee.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+The elephant, with serious thought,<br />
+Ordered the flowers to be brought,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And smelt and smelt away.</span><br />
+Then, swallowing both, declared his mind:<br />
+&ldquo;No trace of perfume can I find,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But both resemble hay.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+           <p class="center">MORAL</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;">
+Dispute is wrong. But foolish bees,<br />
+Who will contend for points like these,<br />
+Should not suppose good taste in roses<br />
+Depends on elephantine noses.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img160b.jpg" width="450" height="346" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img161.jpg" width="500" height="119" alt="Old-fashioned stories" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE TWELVE HUNTSMEN</h2>
+
+
+<p>Hundreds of thousands of years ago a prince
+met a fair maiden as he traveled through the Enchanted
+Land. The prince loved the maiden
+dearly, and she loved him as much as he loved
+her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you marry me?&rdquo; asked the prince one
+day.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed I will,&rdquo; said the maiden, &ldquo;for there is
+no one in all the world I love so well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then all was as merry as merry could be. The
+maiden danced and sang, and the prince laughed
+aloud for joy.</p>
+
+<p>But one day, as they were together, a messenger
+arrived hot and breathless. He came from
+the prince&#8217;s father, who was King of a neighboring
+kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;His Majesty is dying,&rdquo; said the messenger,
+&ldquo;and he would speak with you, my lord.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas,&rdquo; said the prince to the maiden, &ldquo;I must
+leave you, and remain with my father until his
+death. Then I shall be king and I will come for
+you and you shall be my queen. Till then,
+good-by. This ring I give you as a keepsake.
+Once more, farewell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The maiden drew the ring on her finger, and,
+with a sad heart, watched the prince ride off.</p>
+
+<p>The King had but a short time to live when
+his son arrived at the palace. &ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said the dying
+man, &ldquo;how glad I am that you are come.
+There is one promise I wish you to make ere I
+die. Then I shall close my eyes in peace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Surely, dear father, I will promise what you
+ask. There is nothing I would not do to let you
+rest at ease.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then said the dying King, &ldquo;Promise that you
+will marry the bride whom I have chosen for
+you,&rdquo; and he named a princess well known to
+the prince.</p>
+
+<p>Without thinking of anything but to ease his
+father&#8217;s mind, the prince said, &ldquo;I promise.&rdquo; The
+King smiled gladly as he heard the words, and
+closed his eyes in peace.</p>
+
+<p>The prince was now proclaimed King, and the
+time soon came when he must go to the bride his
+father had chosen for him, and ask, &ldquo;Will you
+marry me?&rdquo; This he did, and the princess answered,
+&ldquo;Indeed I will.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now the maiden who had first promised to
+marry the prince heard of this, and it nearly
+broke her heart. Each day she grew paler and
+thinner, until her father at last said: &ldquo;Wherefore,
+my child, do you look so sad? Ask what you will,
+and I shall do my utmost to give it you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>For a moment his daughter thought. Then
+she said: &ldquo;Dear father, find for me eleven maidens
+exactly like myself. Let them be fair, and
+tall, and slim, with curly golden hair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I shall do my best,&rdquo; said her father; and he
+had a search made far and wide throughout the
+Enchanted Land until the eleven maidens were
+found. Each was fair, and tall, and slim, and
+there was not one whose golden hair did not curl.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden was pleased indeed, and she next
+ordered twelve huntsmen&#8217;s dresses to be made of
+green cloth, trimmed with beaver fur; also
+twelve green caps each with a pheasant&#8217;s feather.
+Then to each of the maidens she gave a dress and
+hat, commanding her to wear them, while the
+twelfth she wore herself.</p>
+
+<p>The twelve huntsmen then set out on horseback
+to the court of the King, who, when a prince, had
+promised to marry their leader.</p>
+
+<p>So well was the maiden disguised by the hunting-dress,
+that the King did not recognize her.
+She asked if he were in need of huntsmen, and
+if he would take her and her companions into his
+service.</p>
+
+<p>Never had a finer troop been seen, and the
+King said he would gladly engage them. So they
+entered his service, and lived at the palace, and
+were treated with all kindness and respect.</p>
+
+<p>Now among the King&#8217;s favorites at court was
+a lion. To possess this lion was as good
+as to have a magician, for he knew all secret
+things.</p>
+
+<p>One evening the lion said to the King: &ldquo;You
+imagine you engaged twelve young huntsmen not
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span>
+long ago, do you not?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I did,&rdquo; said the King.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pray excuse me, if I contradict you,&rdquo; said
+the lion, &ldquo;but I assure you, you are mistaken.
+They were not huntsmen whom you engaged, but
+twelve maidens.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; said the King, &ldquo;absurd, ridiculous!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Again I would crave forgiveness if I offend,&rdquo;
+said the lion, &ldquo;but those whom you believe to be
+huntsmen are, in truth, twelve fair maidens.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Prove what you say, if you would have me
+believe it,&rdquo; said the King.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To-morrow, then, summon the twelve to the
+royal chamber. On the floor let peas be scattered.
+Then, as the huntsmen advance toward you, you
+will see them trip and slide as maidens. If they
+are men they will walk with a firm tread.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Most wise Lion!&rdquo; said the King, and he ordered
+it to be done as the royal beast had said.</p>
+
+<p>But in the palace was a servant who already
+loved the fair young huntsmen, and when he
+heard of the trap that was to be laid, he went
+straight to them and said, &ldquo;The lion is going to
+prove to the King that you are maidens.&rdquo; Then
+he told them how he would seek to do this,
+and said, &ldquo;Do your best to walk with a firm
+tread.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Next morning the King ordered the twelve
+huntsmen to be called, and as they walked across
+the royal chamber, it was with so firm a tread
+that not a single pea moved.</p>
+
+<p>After they had left, the King turned to the
+lion and said, &ldquo;You have spoken falsely. They
+walked as other men.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the lion said: &ldquo;They must have been
+warned, or they would have tripped and slidden
+as maidens. I will yet prove to you that I speak
+the truth. To-morrow, summon the twelve to the
+royal chamber. Let twelve spinning-wheels be
+placed there. Then, as the huntsmen advance
+toward you, you will see each cast longing looks
+at the spinning-wheels, which, if they were men,
+you must grant they would not do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King was pleased that the huntsmen should
+again be put to the test, for the lion was a wise
+beast and had never before been proved wrong.</p>
+
+<p>But again the kind servant warned the disguised
+maidens, and they resolved not even to
+glance in the direction of the spinning-wheels.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning the King ordered the twelve
+huntsmen to be called, and as they walked across
+the royal chamber there was not one of them but
+looked straight into the eyes of the King. It
+seemed as though they had not known that the
+spinning-wheels were there.</p>
+
+<p>After they had gone the King turned to the
+lion, and again he said, &ldquo;You have spoken
+falsely.&rdquo; Then he told the royal beast that the
+twelve huntsmen had not even glanced in the direction
+of the spinning-wheels.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They must have been warned,&rdquo; repeated the
+lion, but the King believed him no longer.</p>
+
+<p>So the huntsmen stayed with the King and
+went out a-hunting with him, and the more he
+saw of them the more he liked them.</p>
+
+<p>One day, while they were in the forest, news
+was brought that the princess whom the King was
+to marry was on her way to meet the hunting-party.</p>
+
+<p>When the true bride heard it, she grew white as
+a lily, and, staggering, fell backward. Fortunately,
+the trunk of a tree supported her until the
+King, wondering what had happened to his dear
+huntsman, ran to the spot and pulled off her
+glove.</p>
+
+<p>Looking at the white hand, what was his surprise
+to see upon the middle finger the ring he
+had given to the maiden he loved. Then he
+looked into her face and recognized her, and in a
+flash he understood that she had come to court as
+a huntsman, only to be near him. The King was
+so touched that he kissed her white cheeks till
+they grew rosy, and her blue eyes opened in wonder.
+&ldquo;You shall be my queen,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and
+none in all the wide world shall separate us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he sent a messenger to the princess who
+was coming to meet him, saying he was sorry he
+must ask her to return home, as the maiden that
+he loved and was going to marry was with him
+in the forest.</p>
+
+<p>And the next day the bells pealed loud and far,
+and at the royal wedding the lion was an honored
+guest, because it had at last been proved that he
+spoke the truth.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="DANCING" id="DANCING"></a>THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a King who had
+twelve daughters, each more beautiful than the
+other. The twelve princesses slept in a large hall,
+each in a little bed of her own. After they were
+snugly settled for the night, their father, the
+King, used to bolt the door on the outside. He
+then felt sure that his daughters would be safe
+until he withdrew the bolt next morning.</p>
+
+<p>But one day when the King unbolted the hall
+door, and peeped in as usual, he saw twelve
+worn-out pairs of little slippers lying about the
+floor.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What! shoes wanted again,&rdquo; he exclaimed, and
+after breakfast a messenger was sent to order a
+new pair for each of the princesses.</p>
+
+<p>But the next morning the new shoes were worn
+out, how no one knew.</p>
+
+<p>This went on and on until the King made up
+his mind to put an end to the mystery. The shoes,
+he felt sure, were danced to pieces, and he sent
+a herald to offer a reward to any one who should
+discover where the princesses held their night-frolic.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He who succeeds, shall choose one of my
+daughters to be his wife,&rdquo; said the King, &ldquo;and he
+shall reign after my death; but he who fails, after
+three nights&#8217; trial, shall be put to death.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Soon a prince arrived at the palace, and said
+he was willing to risk his life in the attempt to
+win one of the beautiful princesses.</p>
+
+<p>When night came, he was given a bedroom next
+the hall in which the royal sisters slept. His door
+was left ajar and his bed placed so that from it
+he could watch the door of the hall. The escape
+of the princesses he would also watch, and he
+would follow them in their flight, discover their
+secret haunt, and marry the fairest.</p>
+
+<p>This is what the prince meant to do, but before
+long he was fast asleep. And while he slept, the
+princesses danced and danced, for, in the morning,
+the soles of their slippers were once more
+riddled with holes.</p>
+
+<p>The next night the prince made up his mind
+that stay awake he would, but again he must have
+fallen fast asleep, for in the morning twelve pairs
+of little worn-out slippers lay scattered about the
+floor of the hall.</p>
+
+<p>The third night, in fear and trembling, the
+prince began his night watch. But try as he
+might, he could not keep his eyes open, and when
+in the morning the little slippers were as usual
+found riddled with holes, the King had no mercy
+on the prince who could not keep awake, and his
+head was at once cut off.</p>
+
+<p>After his death, many princes came from far
+and near, each willing to risk everything in the
+attempt to win the fairest of these fair princesses.
+But each failed, and each in his turn was beheaded.</p>
+
+<p>Now a poor soldier, who had been wounded in
+the wars, was on his way home to the town where
+the twelve princesses lived. One morning he met
+an old witch.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You can no longer serve your country,&rdquo; she
+said. &ldquo;What will you do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;With your help, good mother, I mean to rule
+it,&rdquo; replied the soldier; for he had heard of the
+mystery at the palace, and of the reward the King
+offered to him who should solve it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That need not be difficult,&rdquo; said the witch.
+&ldquo;Listen to me. Go straightway to the palace.
+There you will be led before the throne. Tell the
+King that you would win the fairest of his fair
+daughters for your wife. His Majesty will welcome
+you gladly, and when night falls, you will be
+shown to a little bedroom. From the time you
+enter it, remember these three things. Firstly, refuse
+to drink the wine which will be offered you;
+secondly, pretend to fall fast asleep; thirdly, wear
+this when you wish to be invisible.&rdquo; So saying,
+the old dame gave him a cloak and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Straightway, the soldier went to the palace, and
+was led before the throne. &ldquo;I would win the
+fairest of your fair daughters for my wife,&rdquo; said
+he, bowing low before the King.</p>
+
+<p>So anxious was his Majesty to discover the
+secret haunt of his daughters, that he gladly welcomed
+the poor soldier, and ordered that he should
+be dressed in scarlet and gold.</p>
+
+<p>When bedtime came, the soldier was shown his
+little room, from which he could see the door of
+the sleeping-hall. No sooner had he been left
+alone than in glided a fair princess bearing in her
+hand a silver goblet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I bring you sweet wine. Drink,&rdquo; she said.
+The soldier took the cup and pretended to swallow,
+but he really let the wine trickle down into
+a sponge which he had fastened beneath his chin.</p>
+
+<p>The princess then left him, and he went to bed
+and pretended to fall asleep. So well did he pretend,
+that before long his snores were heard by
+the princesses in their sleeping-hall.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Listen,&rdquo; said the eldest, and they all sat up in
+bed and laughed and laughed till the room shook.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If ever we were safe, we are safe to-night,&rdquo;
+they thought, as they sprang from their little
+white beds, and ran to and fro, opening cupboards,
+boxes, and cases, and taking from them
+dainty dresses, and ribbons, and laces and jewels.</p>
+
+<p>Gaily they decked themselves before the mirror,
+bubbling over with mischief and merriment at
+the thought that once more they should enjoy
+their night-frolic. Only the youngest sister was
+quiet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t know why,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but I feel
+so strange&mdash;as if something were going to
+happen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are a little goose,&rdquo; answered the eldest,
+&ldquo;you are always afraid. Why! I need not have
+put a sleeping powder in the soldier&#8217;s wine. He
+would have slept without it. Now, are you all
+ready?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The twelve princesses then stood on tiptoe at
+the hall door, and peered into the little room
+where the soldier lay, seemingly sound asleep.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>
+Yes, they were quite safe once more.</p>
+
+<p>Back they went into the hall. The eldest
+princess tapped upon her bed. Immediately it
+sank into the earth, and, through the opening it
+had made, the princesses went down one by one.</p>
+
+<p>The soldier who, peeping, had seen twelve little
+heads peer out of the hall door, at once threw his
+invisible cloak around him, and followed the
+princesses into the hall, unseen. He was just in
+time to reach the youngest, as she disappeared
+through the opening in the floor. Halfway down
+he trod upon her frock.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, what was that?&rdquo; screamed the little
+princess, terrified. &ldquo;Some one is tramping on my
+dress.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense, be quiet,&rdquo; said the eldest, &ldquo;it must
+have caught on a hook.&rdquo; Then they all went
+down, down, until they reached a beautiful avenue
+of silver trees.</p>
+
+<p>Thought the soldier, &ldquo;I must take away a remembrance
+of the place to show the King,&rdquo; and
+he broke off a twig.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, did you hear that crackling sound?&rdquo; cried
+the youngest princess. &ldquo;I told you something was
+going to happen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Baby!&rdquo; replied the eldest. &ldquo;The sound was a
+salute.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Next they came to an avenue where the trees
+were golden. Here the soldier again broke off a
+twig, and again was heard the crackling sound.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A salute, I told you,&rdquo; said the eldest princess
+to her terrified little sister.</p>
+
+<p>Further on they reached an avenue of trees
+that glittered with diamonds. When the soldier
+once more broke off a twig, the youngest princess
+screamed with fright, but her sisters only went on
+faster and faster, and she had to follow in fear
+and trembling.</p>
+
+<p>At last they came to a great lake. Close to the
+shore lay twelve little boats, and in each boat
+stood a handsome prince, one hand upon an oar,
+the other outstretched to welcome a princess.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the little boats rowed off, a prince and a
+princess in each, the soldier, still wearing his invisible
+cloak, sitting by the youngest sister.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wonder,&rdquo; said the prince who rowed her,
+&ldquo;why the boat is so heavy to-day. I have to pull
+with all my strength, and yet can hardly get
+along.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am sure I do not know,&rdquo; answered the
+princess. &ldquo;I dare say it is the hot weather.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the opposite shore of the lake stood a castle.
+Its bright lights beckoned to the twelve little boats
+that rowed toward it. Drums beat, and trumpets
+sounded a welcome. Very merrily did the sisters
+reach the little pier. They sprang from the boats,
+and ran up the castle steps and into the gay ballroom.
+And there they danced and danced, but
+never saw or guessed that the soldier with the
+invisible cloak danced among them. When a
+princess lifted a wine-cup to her lips and found
+it empty, she felt frightened, but she little thought
+that the unseen soldier had drained it. On and
+on they danced, until three o&#8217;clock, but then the
+sisters had to stop, for all their little slippers were
+riddled with holes. And in the early gray morning
+the princes rowed them back across the lake,
+while the soldier seated himself this time beside
+the eldest princess.</p>
+
+<p>When they reached the bank, the sisters wandered
+up the sloping shore, while the princes
+called after them, &ldquo;Good-by, fair daughters of the
+King, to-night once more shall we await you
+here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And all the princesses turned, and, waving their
+white hands, cried sleepily, &ldquo;Farewell, farewell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little did the sisters dream as they loitered
+homeward, that the soldier ran past them, reached
+the castle, and climbed the staircase that led to his
+little bedroom. When, slowly and wearily, they
+reached the door of the hall where they slept,
+they heard loud snores coming from his room.
+&ldquo;Ah, safe once more!&rdquo; they exclaimed, and they
+undid their silk gowns, and their ribbons and
+jewels, and kicked off their little worn-out shoes.
+Then each went to her white bed, and in less than
+a minute was sound asleep.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the soldier told nothing of
+his wonderful adventure, for he thought he would
+like again to follow the princesses in their wanderings.
+And this he did a second and a third
+time, and each night the twelve sisters danced
+until their slippers were riddled with holes. The
+third night the soldier carried off a goblet, as
+a sign that he had visited the castle across the
+lake.</p>
+
+<p>When next day he was brought before the
+King, to tell where the twelve dancing princesses
+held their night-frolic, the soldier took with him
+the twig with its silver leaves, the twig with its
+leaves of gold, and the twig whose leaves were
+of diamonds. He took, too, the goblet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you would live, young man,&rdquo; said the King,
+&ldquo;answer me this: How comes it that my daughters&#8217;
+slippers, morning after morning are danced
+into holes? Tell me, where have the princesses
+spent the three last nights?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;With twelve princes in an underground castle,&rdquo;
+was the unexpected reply.</p>
+
+<p>And when the soldier told his story, and held
+up the three twigs and the goblet to prove the
+truth of what he said, the King sent for his
+daughters.</p>
+
+<p>In the twelve sisters tripped, with no pity
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>
+in their hearts for &ldquo;the old snorer,&rdquo; as
+they called the soldier; but when their eyes
+fell upon the twigs and the goblet they all
+turned white as lilies, for they knew that their
+secret night-frolics were now at an end for
+ever.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tell your tale,&rdquo; said the King to the soldier.
+But before he could speak, the princesses wrung
+their hands, crying, &ldquo;Alack! alack!&rdquo; and their
+father knew that at last he had discovered their
+secret.</p>
+
+<p>Then turning to the soldier, the King said:
+&ldquo;You have indeed won your prize. Which of my
+daughters do you choose as your wife?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am no longer young,&rdquo; replied the soldier.
+&ldquo;Let me marry the eldest princess.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So that very day the wedding bells pealed loud
+and far, and a few years later the old soldier and
+his bride were proclaimed King and Queen.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="EDWY" id="EDWY"></a>EDWY AND THE ECHO</h2>
+
+
+<p>It was in the time of good Queen Anne, when
+none of the trees in the great forest of Norwood,
+near London, had begun to be cut down, that a
+very rich gentleman and lady lived in that neighborhood.
+Their name was Lawley, and they had
+a fine old house and large garden with a wall all
+round it. The woods were so close to this garden
+that some of the high trees spread their branches
+over the top of the wall.</p>
+
+<p>Now this lady and gentleman were very proud
+and very grand. They despised all people poorer
+than themselves, and there were none whom they
+despised more than the gypsies, who lived in the
+forest round about them.</p>
+
+<p>There was no place in all England then so full
+of gypsies as the forest of Norwood.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. and Mrs. Lawley had been married many
+years without having children. At length they
+had a son, whom they called Edwy. They could
+not make enough of their only child or dress him
+too finely.</p>
+
+<p>When he was just old enough to run about
+without help, he used to wear his trousers inlaid
+with the finest lace, with golden studs and laced
+robings. He had a plume of feathers in his cap,
+which was of velvet, with a button of gold to
+fasten it up in front under the feathers. He
+looked so fine that whoever saw him with the servants
+who attended him used to say, &ldquo;Whose
+child is that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He was a pretty boy, too, and when his first
+sorrow came he was still too young to have
+learned any proud ways.</p>
+
+<p>No one is so rich as to be above the reach of
+trouble, and when at last it came to Mr. and Mrs.
+Lawley it was all the more terrible.</p>
+
+<p>One day the proud parents had been away some
+hours visiting a friend a few miles distant. On
+their return Edwy was nowhere to be found. His
+waiting-maid was gone, and had taken away his
+finest clothes. At least, these also were missing.</p>
+
+<p>The poor father and mother were almost beside
+themselves with grief. All the gentlemen and
+magistrates round about helped in the search and
+tried to discover who had stolen him. But it was
+all in vain. Of course the gypsies were suspected
+and well examined, but nothing could be made of
+it.</p>
+
+<p>Nor was it ever found out how the child had
+been carried off. But carried off he had been by
+the gypsies, and taken away to a country among
+hills between Worcester and Hereford.</p>
+
+<p>In that country was a valley with a river running
+deep at the bottom. There were many trees
+and bushes, rocks and caves and holes there. Indeed,
+it was the best possible place for the haunt
+of wild people.</p>
+
+<p>To this place the gypsies carried the little
+boy, and there they kept him all the following
+winter, warm in a hut with some of their own
+children.</p>
+
+<p>They stripped him of his velvet and feathers
+and lace and golden clasps and studs, and clothed
+him in rags and daubed his fair skin with mud.
+But they fed him well, and after a little while
+he was quite happy and contented.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps the cunning gypsies hoped that during
+the long months of winter the child would quite
+forget the few words he had learned to speak distinctly
+in his father&#8217;s house. They thought he
+would forget to call himself Edwy, or to cry,
+&ldquo;Oh, mamma, mamma, papa, papa! come to little
+Edwy!&rdquo; as he so often did. They taught him
+that his name was not Edwy, but Jack, or Tom,
+or some such name. And they made him say
+&ldquo;mam&rdquo; and &ldquo;dad&rdquo; and call himself the gypsy boy,
+born in a barn.</p>
+
+<p>But after he had learned all these words, whenever
+anything hurt or frightened him, he would
+cry again, &ldquo;Mamma, papa, come to Edwy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The gypsies could not take him out with them
+while there was a danger of his crying like that.
+So he never went with them on their rounds of
+begging and buying rags and telling fortunes.
+Instead, he was left in the hut, in the valley, with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>
+some big girl or old woman to look after him.</p>
+
+<p>It happened one day, in the month of May, that
+Edwy was left as usual in the hut. He had been
+up before sunrise to breakfast with those who
+were going out for their day&#8217;s begging and stealing.
+After they had left, he had fallen asleep on
+a bed of dry leaves. Only one old woman, who
+was too lame to tramp, was left with him.</p>
+
+<p>He slept long, and when he awoke he sat up on
+his bed of leaves and looked about him to see who
+was with him. He saw no one within the hut,
+and no one at the doorway.</p>
+
+<p>Little children do not like to be quite alone.
+Edwy listened to hear if there were any voices
+outside, but he heard nothing but the rush of
+a waterfall close by, and the distant cry of
+sheep and lambs. The next thing the little one
+did was to get up and go out at the door of
+the hut.</p>
+
+<p>The hut was built of rude rafters in the front
+of a cave or hole in the rock. It was low down
+in the glen, at the edge of the brook, a little below
+the waterfall. When the child came out he
+looked anxiously for somebody, and was more
+and more frightened when he could find no one
+at all.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman must have been close at hand
+although out of sight, but she was deaf, and did
+not hear the noise made by the child when he
+came out of the hut.</p>
+
+<p>Edwy did not remember how long he stood by
+the brook, but this is certain, that the longer he
+felt himself to be alone the more frightened he
+became. Then he began to fancy terrible things.
+At the top of the rock from which the waters fell
+there was a huge old yew-tree, or rather bush,
+which hung forward over the fall. It looked
+very black in comparison with the tender green
+of the other trees, and the white, glittering spray
+of the water.</p>
+
+<p>Edwy looked at it and fancied that it moved.
+His eye was deceived by the dancing motion of
+the water. While he looked and looked, some
+great black bird came out from the midst of it,
+uttering a harsh, croaking sound.</p>
+
+<p>The little boy could bear no more. He turned
+away from the terrible bush and the terrible bird,
+and ran down the valley, leaving hut and all behind.
+And, as he ran, he cried, as he always did
+when hurt or frightened, &ldquo;Papa, mamma! oh,
+come! oh, come to Edwy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He ran and ran while his little bare feet were
+bruised with pebbles, and his legs torn with briers.
+Very soon he came to where the valley became
+narrower and the rocks and banks higher on
+either side. The brook ran along between, and a
+path went in a line with the brook; but this path
+was only used by the gypsies and a few poor cottagers,
+and was but a lonely road.</p>
+
+<p>As Edwy ran he still cried, &ldquo;Mamma, mamma,
+papa, papa! oh, come! oh, come to Edwy!&rdquo; And
+he kept up this cry from time to time, till his
+young voice began to be returned in a sort of hollow
+murmur.</p>
+
+<p>When first he noticed this, he was even more
+frightened than before. He stood and looked
+round. Then he turned with his back toward the
+hut and ran and ran again until he got deeper in
+among the rocks. Then he stopped again, for the
+high black banks frightened him still more, and
+setting up his young voice he called again as he
+had done before.</p>
+
+<p>He had scarcely finished his cry, when a voice
+seemed to answer him. It said, &ldquo;Come, come to
+Edwy!&rdquo; It said it once, it said it twice, it said
+it a third time. But it seemed each time more
+distant.</p>
+
+<p>The child looked up and down, and all around,
+and in his terror he cried more loudly, &ldquo;Oh, papa,
+mamma! come, come to poor Edwy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was an echo, the echo of the rocks which
+repeated the words of the child. The more loudly
+he spoke, the more perfect was the echo. But he
+could only catch the last few words, and this time
+he only heard, &ldquo;Poor, poor Edwy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Edwy still dimly remembered a far-away happy
+home, and kind parents, and now he believed that
+what the echo said came from them. They were
+calling to him, and saying, &ldquo;Poor, poor Edwy!&rdquo;
+But where could they be? Were they in the
+caves, or at the top of the rocks, or in the blue
+bright heavens?</p>
+
+<p>He looked at the rocks and the sky, and down
+among the reeds and sedges and alders by the
+side of the brook, but he could find no one.</p>
+
+<p>After a while he called again, and called louder
+still.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come, come,&rdquo; was the cry again, &ldquo;Edwy is
+lost! lost! lost!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Echo repeated the last words as before, &ldquo;Lost!
+lost! lost!&rdquo; and now the voice sounded from behind
+him, for he had moved round a corner of a
+rock.</p>
+
+<p>The child heard the voice behind, and turned
+and ran that way. Then he stopped and heard it
+again in the opposite direction. Next he
+shrieked from fear, and echo returned the shriek,
+finishing up with broken sounds which to Edwy&#8217;s
+ears seemed as if some one a long way off was
+mocking him. His terror was now at its highest,
+and he did not know what to do, or where to go.
+Turning round, he began once more to run down
+the valley, and every step took him nearer the
+mouth of the glen and the entrance to the great
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span>
+highroad.</p>
+
+<p>And who had been driving along that road, in
+a fine carriage with four horses, but Edwy&#8217;s own
+papa and mamma!</p>
+
+<p>Mr. and Mrs. Lawley had given up all hopes of
+finding their little boy near Norwood, and they
+had set out in their coach to go all over the country
+in search of him. They had come the day before
+to a town near to the place where the
+gypsies had kept Edwy all the winter. There
+they had made many inquiries, and asked about
+the gypsies who were to be found in that country.
+But people were afraid of the gypsies, and
+did not like to say anything which might bring
+trouble upon themselves.</p>
+
+<p>The poor father and mother, therefore, could
+get no news there, and the next morning they
+came across the country, and along the road into
+which the gypsies&#8217; valley opened.</p>
+
+<p>Wherever these unhappy parents saw a wild
+country full of woods, they thought, if possible,
+more than ever of their lost child, and Mrs. Lawley
+would begin to weep. Indeed, she had done
+little else since she lost her boy.</p>
+
+<p>The travelers first caught sight of the gypsies&#8217;
+valley as the coach arrived at the top of a high
+hill. The descent on the other side was so steep
+that it was thought right to put a drag on the
+wheels.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lawley suggested that they should get out
+and walk down the hill, so the coach stopped and
+every one got down from it. Mr. Lawley walked
+first, followed closely by his servant William,
+and Mrs. Lawley came after, leaning on the arm
+of her favorite little maid Barbara.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Barbara!&rdquo; said Mrs. Lawley, when the
+others were gone forward, &ldquo;when I remember
+all the pretty ways of my boy, and think of his
+lovely face and gentle temper, and of the way in
+which I lost him, my heart is ready to break.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, dear mistress,&rdquo; answered the little maid,
+&ldquo;who knows but that our grief may soon be at
+an end and we may find him yet and all will be
+well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lawley walked on before with the servant.
+He too was thinking of his boy as he looked up
+the wild lonely valley. He saw a raven rise from
+the wood and heard its croaking noise&mdash;it was
+perhaps the same black bird that had frightened
+Edwy.</p>
+
+<p>William remarked to his master that there was
+a sound of falling water and that there must be
+brooks running into the valley. Mr. Lawley, however,
+was too sad to talk to his servant. He could
+only say, &ldquo;I don&#8217;t doubt it,&rdquo; and then they both
+walked on in silence.</p>
+
+<p>They came to the bottom of the valley even
+before the carriage got there. They found that
+the brook crossed the road in that place, and that
+the road was carried over it by a little stone
+bridge.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lawley stopped upon the bridge. He
+leaned on the low wall, and looked upon the dark
+mouth of the glen, William stood a little behind
+him.</p>
+
+<p>William was young, and his sense of hearing
+was very quick. As he stood there he thought he
+heard a voice, but the rattling of the coach-wheels
+over the stony road prevented his hearing
+it distinctly. He heard the cry again, but the
+coach was coming nearer, and made it still more
+difficult for him to catch the sound.</p>
+
+<p>His master was surprised the next moment
+to see him jump over the low parapet of the
+bridge and run up the narrow path which led
+to the glen.</p>
+
+<p>It was the voice of Edwy and the answering
+echo which William had heard. He had got just
+far enough away from the sound of the coach-wheels
+at the moment when the echo returned
+poor little Edwy&#8217;s wildest shriek.</p>
+
+<p>The sound was fearful and unnatural, but
+William was not easily put out. He looked back
+to his master, and his look made Mr. Lawley at
+once leave the bridge and follow him, though
+hardly knowing why.</p>
+
+<p>They both went up the glen, the man being some
+way in front of his master. Another cry and another
+answering echo again reached the ear of
+William. The young man once more looked
+round at his master and ran on. The last cry
+had been heard by Mr. Lawley, who followed as
+quickly as he could. But, as the valley turned
+and turned among the rocks, he soon lost sight of
+his servant.</p>
+
+<p>Very soon Mr. Lawley came to the very place
+where the echo had most astonished Edwy, because
+the sound had seemed to come from opposite
+sides. Here he heard the cry again, and
+heard it distinctly. It was the voice of a child
+crying, &ldquo;No! no! no! papa! mamma! Oh, come!
+oh, come!&rdquo; and then a fearful shriek or laugh of
+some wild woman&#8217;s voice.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lawley rushed on, winding in and out between
+the rocks. Different voices, all repeated
+in strange confusion by the echoes, rang in his
+ears. But amid all these sounds he thought only
+of that one sad cry, &ldquo;Papa! mamma! Oh, come!
+oh, come!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he came out to where he saw his servant
+again, and with him an old woman who
+looked like a witch. She held the hand of a little
+ragged child very firmly, though the baby struggled
+hard to get free, crying, &ldquo;Papa! mamma!
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span>
+Oh, come! oh, come!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>William was talking earnestly to the woman,
+and had got hold of the other hand of the child.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lawley rushed on, trembling with hope
+and fear. Could this boy be his Edwy? William
+had entered his service since he had lost his child
+and could not therefore know the boy. He himself
+could not be sure&mdash;so strange, so altered did
+the baby look.</p>
+
+<p>But Edwy knew his own papa in a moment.
+He could not run to meet him, for he was tightly
+held by the gypsy, but he cried, &ldquo;Oh, papa! papa
+is come to Edwy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old woman knew Mr. Lawley, and saw
+that the child knew him. She had been trying to
+persuade William that the boy was her grandchild.
+But it was no use now. She let the child&#8217;s
+hand go, and, while he was flying to his father&#8217;s
+arms, she disappeared into some well-known hole
+or hollow in the neighboring rocks.</p>
+
+<p>Who can describe the feelings of the father
+when he felt the arms of his long-lost boy clinging
+round his neck, and the little heart beating
+against his own? Or who could say what the
+mother felt when she saw her husband come out
+from the mouth of the valley, bearing in his arms
+the little ragged child? Could this be her own
+baby, her Edwy? She could hardly be sure of
+her happiness till the boy held out his arms to
+her and cried, &ldquo;Mamma! mamma!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before they got into the coach the happy parents
+knelt down upon the grass to thank God for
+his goodness. There was no pride now in their
+hearts and they never forgot the lesson they had
+learned.</p>
+
+<p>In their beautiful home at Norwood they were
+soon as much loved and respected as they had
+been feared and disliked. Even the gypsies in
+time became their faithful friends, and Edwy was
+as safe in the forest as in his own garden at
+home.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="VINEGAR" id="VINEGAR"></a>THE LITTLE OLD WOMAN WHO<br />
+LIVED IN A VINEGAR-BOTTLE</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once upon a time a little old woman
+who lived in a vinegar-bottle. One day, as she
+was sweeping out her house, she found a silver
+coin, and she thought she should like to buy a fish.</p>
+
+<p>So off she went to the place where the fishermen
+were casting their nets. When she got there
+the nets had just been drawn up, and there was
+only one little fish in them. So the fishermen let
+her have that for her silver piece.</p>
+
+<p>But, as she was carrying it home, the little fish
+opened its mouth and said: &ldquo;Pray, good woman,
+throw me into the water again. I am but a very
+little fish, and I shall make you a very poor supper.
+Pray, good woman, throw me into the water
+again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman had pity on the little
+fish, and threw it into the water.</p>
+
+<p>But hardly had she done so before the water
+began to bubble and a little fairy stood beside her.
+&ldquo;My good woman,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I am the little fish
+you threw into the water, and, as you were so
+kind to me when I was in trouble, I promise to
+give you anything that you wish for.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the little old woman thanked the fairy
+very much, but said she did not want for anything.
+She lived in a nice little vinegar-bottle
+with a ladder to go up and down, and had all she
+wished for.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the fairy, &ldquo;if at any time you
+want anything, you have only to come to the
+waterside and call &lsquo;Fairy, fairy,&rsquo; and I shall appear,
+to answer you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and she
+lay awake all night trying to think of something
+she wanted. And the next morning she went to
+the waterside and called &ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and the
+water bubbled, and the little fairy stood beside
+her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, good woman?&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You were
+so kind, ma&#8217;am, as to promise that you would
+give me anything I wished for, because I threw
+you into the water when you were but a little fish.
+Now, if you please, ma&#8217;am, I should like a little
+cottage. For you must know I live in a vinegar-bottle,
+and I find it very tiresome to have to go
+up and down a ladder every time I go in and out
+of my house.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go home and you shall have one,&rdquo; said the
+fairy.</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and there
+she found a nice whitewashed cottage, with roses
+climbing round the windows.</p>
+
+<p>She was very happy, and thought she would
+never want anything more; but after a while she
+grew discontented again.</p>
+
+<p>So back she went to the waterside and called
+&ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and the water bubbled, and the
+little fairy stood beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, good woman?&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You have
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>
+been very kind, ma&#8217;am, in giving me a house, and
+now, if you please, ma&#8217;am, I would like some new
+furniture. For the furniture I had in the vinegar-bottle
+looks very shabby now that it is in
+the pretty little cottage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go home and you shall have some,&rdquo; said the
+fairy.</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and there
+she found her cottage filled with nice new furniture,
+a stool and table, a neat little four-post
+bed with blue-and-white checked curtains, and an
+armchair covered with flowered chintz.</p>
+
+<p>She was very happy, and thought she would
+never want anything more; but after a while she
+grew discontented again.</p>
+
+<p>So back she went to the waterside and called
+&ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and the water bubbled, and the
+little fairy stood beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, good woman?&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You have
+been very kind, ma&#8217;am, in giving me a house and
+furniture, and now, if you please, ma&#8217;am, I would
+like some new clothes. For I find that the clothes
+I wore in the vinegar-bottle are not nearly good
+enough for the mistress of such a pretty little
+cottage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the fairy said, &ldquo;Go home and you shall
+have some.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and there
+she found all her old clothes changed to new ones.
+There was a silk dress and a flowered apron, and
+a grand lace cap and high-heeled shoes.</p>
+
+<p>Well, she was very happy, and she thought she
+should never want anything more; but after a
+while she grew discontented again.</p>
+
+<p>So back she went to the waterside and called
+&ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and the water bubbled, and the
+little fairy stood beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, good woman?&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You have
+been very kind, ma&#8217;am, in giving me a house and
+furniture and clothes; and now, if you please, I
+should like a maid. For I find when I have to do
+the work of the house that my new clothes get
+very dirty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the fairy said, &ldquo;Go home and you shall
+have one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and there
+she found at the door a neat little maid with a
+broom in her hand, all ready to sweep the floor.</p>
+
+<p>This made her very happy, and she thought she
+would never want anything more; but after a
+while she grew discontented again.</p>
+
+<p>So back she went to the waterside and called
+&ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and the water bubbled, and the little
+fairy stood beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, good woman?&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You have
+been very kind, ma&#8217;am, in giving me a house and
+furniture, and clothes, and a maid; and now, if
+you please, I should like a pony. For when I go
+out walking my new clothes get very much
+splashed with the mud.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the fairy said, &ldquo;Go home and you shall
+have one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and there
+she saw at the door a little pony all ready bridled
+and saddled for her to ride.</p>
+
+<p>She was very happy, and thought she would
+never want anything more; but after a while she
+grew discontented again.</p>
+
+<p>So back she went to the waterside and called
+&ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and the water bubbled, and the
+little fairy stood beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, my good woman?&rdquo; she
+said.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You have
+been very kind, ma&#8217;am, in giving me a house and
+furniture, and clothes, and a maid, and a pony;
+and now, if you please, ma&#8217;am, I should like a
+covered cart. For I find that my new clothes get
+quite as muddy riding as walking.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the fairy said, &ldquo;Go home and you will
+find one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and there
+she found her pony harnessed into a nice little
+covered cart.</p>
+
+<p>She had hardly seen the cart, when back she
+ran to the waterside, calling &ldquo;Fairy, fairy&rdquo;; and
+the water bubbled, and the little fairy stood beside
+her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What <em>do</em> you want, good woman?&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman answered: &ldquo;You have
+been very kind, ma&#8217;am, in giving me a house and
+furniture, and clothes, and a maid, and a pony
+and a cart; but now, if you please, ma&#8217;am, I
+should like a coach and six. For it is like all the
+farmers&#8217; wives to ride about in a cart.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the fairy said: &ldquo;Oh, you discontented little
+old woman! The more I give you, the more
+you want. Go back to your vinegar-bottle.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little old woman went home, and she
+found everything gone&mdash;her cart, and her pony,
+and her maid, and her clothes, and her furniture,
+and her house. Nothing remained but the little
+old vinegar-bottle, with the ladder to get up the
+side.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE SNOW QUEEN</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a little boy called
+Kay. And there was a little girl. Her name was
+Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>They were not brother and sister, this little boy
+and girl, but they lived in tiny attics next door to
+one another.</p>
+
+<p>When they were not playing together, Gerda
+spent her time peeping at Kay, through one of the
+little panes in her window. And Kay peeped
+back at Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>Outside each attic was a tiny balcony, just big
+enough to hold two little stools and a window-box.
+Often Gerda would step out of her attic
+window into the balcony, carrying with her a
+three-legged wooden stool. Then she would
+climb over the low wall that separated her from
+Kay.</p>
+
+<p>And there in Kay&#8217;s balcony the two children
+would sit and play together, or tell fairy tales, or
+tend the flowers that bloomed so gaily in the window-box.</p>
+
+<p>At other times it was Kay who would bound
+over the low wall into Gerda&#8217;s balcony, and there,
+too, the little boy and girl were as happy as
+though they had been in Fairyland.</p>
+
+<p>In each little window-box grew a rose-bush,
+and the bloom and the scent of the red roses they
+bore gave Kay and Gerda more delight than you
+can imagine; and all her life long a red rose remained
+little Gerda&#8217;s favorite flower.</p>
+
+<p>But it was not always summer-time, and when
+cold, frosty winter came, and the Snow Queen
+sailed down on the large white snowflakes from
+a gray sky, then no flowers bloomed in the window-boxes.
+And the balcony was so slippery
+that the children dared not venture to step out
+of their attic windows, but had to run down one
+long flight of stairs and up another to be able to
+play together.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes, though, Kay stayed in his own little
+room and Gerda stayed in hers, gazing and
+gazing at the lovely pictures of castles, and
+mountains, and sea, and flowers that the Snow
+Queen had drawn on the window-panes as she
+passed.</p>
+
+<p>But now that the little panes of glass were covered
+with pictures, how could Kay and Gerda
+peep at each other from the attic windows?</p>
+
+<p>Ah, they had a plan, and a very good plan, too.
+Kay would heat a penny on the stove, and then
+press it against the window-pane, and so make
+little round peep-holes. Then he would put his
+eye to one of these little rounds and&mdash;what did he
+see? A bright black eye peeping from Gerda&#8217;s attic,
+for she, too, had heated a penny and made
+peep-holes in her window.</p>
+
+<p>It was in winter, too, when the children could
+not play together on the balcony, that Gerda&#8217;s
+grandmother told them stories of the Snow
+Queen.</p>
+
+<p>One night, as Kay was undressing to go to bed,
+he climbed on a chair and peeped out of one of his
+little round holes, and there, on the edge of the
+window-box, were a few big snowflakes. And as
+the little boy watched them, the biggest grew
+bigger and bigger, until it grew into a white lady
+of glittering, dazzling ice. Her eyes shone like
+two bright stars.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It must be the Snow Queen,&rdquo; thought Kay, and
+at that moment the white lady nodded to him, and
+waved her hand, and as he jumped from his chair,
+he fancied she flew past the window. &ldquo;It must be
+the Snow Queen.&rdquo; Would he ever see her again?</p>
+
+<p>At last the white winter melted away and green
+spring burst upon the earth. Then once more
+summer&mdash;warm, bright, beautiful summer.</p>
+
+<p>It was at five o&#8217;clock, one sunny afternoon, that
+Kay and Gerda sat together on their little stools
+in the balcony, looking at a picture-book.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried Kay suddenly, &ldquo;oh, there is something
+sharp in my eye, and I have such a pain in
+my heart!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Gerda put her arms round Kay&#8217;s neck and
+looked into his eye.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can see nothing, Kay dear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! it is gone now,&rdquo; said the boy, and they
+turned again to the picture-book.</p>
+
+<p>But something had flown into Kay&#8217;s eye, and it
+was not gone; a little bit had reached his heart,
+and it was still there. Listen, and I will tell you
+what had happened.</p>
+
+<p>There was about this time a most marvelous
+mirror in the world. It belonged to the worst
+hobgoblin that ever lived, and had been made by
+his wicked little demons.</p>
+
+<p>Those who looked into this mirror saw reflected
+there all the mean and ugly people and things in
+the world, and not one beautiful sight could they
+see. And the thoughts of those who looked into
+this mirror became as mean and ugly as the people
+and things they saw.</p>
+
+<p>This delighted the hobgoblin, who ordered his
+little demons to carry the mirror all over the world
+and to do as much mischief with it as they could.</p>
+
+<p>But one day, when they had traveled far, the
+mirror slipped from the hands of the little imps,
+and fell to earth, shivered into hundreds of thousands
+of millions of bits. Then it did more harm
+than ever, for the tiny pieces, some no bigger than
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span>
+a grain of sand, were blown all over the world,
+and often flew in people&#8217;s eyes, and sometimes
+even found their way into their hearts.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 362px;">
+<img src="images/img171.jpg" width="362" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;they flew up and up on a dark cloud&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>And when a big person or a child had a little
+bit of this magic mirror in his eye, he saw only
+what was mean and ugly; and if the tiniest grain
+of the glass reached his heart, alas! alas! it froze
+all the kindness and gentleness and love that was
+there, and the heart became like a lump of ice.</p>
+
+<p>This is what had happened to poor little Kay.
+One tiny bit of the magic mirror had flown into
+his eye; another had entered his heart.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How horrid you look, Gerda. Why are you
+crying? And oh, see the worm in that rose.
+Roses are ugly, and so are window-boxes.&rdquo; And
+Kay kicked the window-box, and knocked two
+roses from the rose-bush.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kay dear, what is the matter?&rdquo; asked Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>The little boy did not answer, but broke off
+another rose, and then, without saying good-by,
+stepped in at his own window, leaving Gerda
+alone.</p>
+
+<p>The next time the little girl brought out the
+picture-book, Kay tore the leaves, and when the
+grandmother told them a story, he interrupted her
+and made ugly faces. And he would tread on
+Gerda&#8217;s toes and pull her hair, and make faces at
+her, too.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How cruel little Kay grows,&rdquo; said his friends;
+for he mocked the old people and ill-treated those
+who were weak. And all through the blue summer
+and the yellow autumn Kay teased little
+Gerda, or left her that he might play with the
+bigger children in the town.</p>
+
+<p>But it was when winter came, and the big white
+snowflakes once more fell from a gray sky, that
+Gerda felt loneliest, for Kay now drew on his
+thick gloves, slung his little sledge across his
+back, and marched off alone. &ldquo;I am going to ride
+in the square,&rdquo; he shouted in her ear as he passed.
+But Gerda could not answer; she could only think
+of the winters that had gone, when she and Kay
+always sat side by side in that same little sledge.
+How happy they had been! Oh, why, why had
+he not taken her with him?</p>
+
+<p>Kay walked briskly to the square, and there he
+watched the bolder of the boys tie their sledges to
+the farmers&#8217; carts. With what glee they felt
+themselves being drawn over the snow-covered
+ground! When they reached the town gates they
+would jump out, unfasten their sledges, and
+return to the square to begin the fun all over
+again.</p>
+
+<p>Kay was thinking how much he would like to
+tie his little sledge behind a cart, when a big
+sledge, painted white, drove by. In it sat some
+one muffled in a white fur coat and cap. Twice
+the sledge drove round the square.</p>
+
+<p>As it passed Kay the second time, he quickly
+fastened on his little sledge behind, and in a moment
+found himself flying through the streets.
+What fun! On and on through snowdrifts, bounding
+over ditches, rushing down hills, faster and
+faster they flew.</p>
+
+<p>Little Kay grew frightened. Twice he tried to
+unfasten the string that tied his sledge to the
+other, but both times the white driver turned
+round and nodded to him to sit still. At last they
+had driven through the town gates. The snow
+fell so heavily that it blinded him. Now he could
+not see where they were going, and Kay grew
+more frightened still. He tried to say his prayers,
+but could only remember the multiplication
+table. Bigger and bigger grew the snowflakes,
+till they seemed like large white birds. Then,
+suddenly, the sledge stopped. The driver stood
+up. She was a tall lady, dazzlingly white. Her
+eyes shone like two stars. She was the Snow
+Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is cold,&rdquo; said the white lady; &ldquo;come into my
+sledge. Now, creep inside my furs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kay did as he was told, but he felt as if he had
+fallen into a snowdrift.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are still cold,&rdquo; said the Snow Queen, and
+she kissed his forehead. Her lips were like ice,
+and Kay shivered and felt the old pain at his
+heart. But only for a minute, for the Snow
+Queen kissed him again, and then he forgot the
+pain, and he forgot Gerda, and he forgot his
+grandmother and his old home, and had not a
+thought for anything or any one but the Snow
+Queen.</p>
+
+<p>He had no fear of her now, no, not although
+they flew up and up on a dark cloud, away over
+woods and lakes, over rivers, islands, and seas.
+No, he was not afraid, although the cold wind
+whistled around them, and beneath the wild
+wolves howled. Kay did not care.</p>
+
+<p>Above them the moon shone bright and clear.
+All night long the boy would gaze at it and the
+twinkling stars, but by day he slept at the feet of
+the Snow Queen.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>But what of little Gerda?</p>
+
+<p>Poor child, she watched and she waited and she
+wondered, but Kay did not come, and nobody
+could tell her where he was. The boys had seen
+him drive out of the town gates behind a big
+sledge painted white. But no one had heard of
+him since.</p>
+
+<p>Little Gerda cried bitterly. Perhaps Kay was
+drowned in the river. Oh, what a long, cold winter
+that was! But spring came at last, bright
+spring with its golden sunshine and its singing
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span>
+birds.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kay is dead,&rdquo; said Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kay dead? It is not true,&rdquo; said the sunshine.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kay dead? We do not believe it,&rdquo; twittered
+the swallows.</p>
+
+<p>And neither did little Gerda believe it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will put on my new red shoes,&rdquo; said the
+child one morning, &ldquo;and go to the river and ask
+it about Kay.&rdquo; So she put on her little red shoes,
+and kissed her old grandmother who was still
+asleep, and wandered alone, out beyond the town
+gates, and down to the river-bank.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have you taken my little playfellow?&rdquo; she
+asked. &ldquo;I will give you these if you will bring
+him back to me,&rdquo; and she flung her little shoes
+into the river.</p>
+
+<p>They fell close to the bank and the little waves
+tossed them back on to the dry pebbles at her feet.
+&ldquo;We do not want you, we will keep Kay,&rdquo; they
+seemed to say.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps I did not throw them far enough,&rdquo;
+thought Gerda; and, stepping into a boat
+that lay among the rushes, she flung the red
+shoes with all her might into the middle of the
+river.</p>
+
+<p>But the boat was not fastened and it glided out
+from among the rushes. Soon it was drifting
+faster and faster down the river. The little shoes
+floated behind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps I am going to little Kay,&rdquo; thought
+Gerda, as she was carried farther and farther
+down the river. How pretty it was! Trees waved
+and flowers nodded on its banks. Sheep grazed
+and cattle browsed, but not one soul, big or little,
+was to be seen.</p>
+
+<p>After a long time Gerda came to a cherry-garden
+which stretched down to the river-bank. At
+the end of this garden stood a tiny cottage with a
+thatched roof, and with red, blue, and yellow glass
+windows.</p>
+
+<p>On either side of the door stood a wooden soldier.
+Gerda thought the soldiers were alive, and
+shouted to them.</p>
+
+<p>The wooden soldiers, of course, did not hear,
+but an old, old woman, who lived in the tiny
+house, wondered who it could be that called. She
+hobbled out, leaning on her hooked stick. On her
+head she wore a big sun-hat, and on it were
+painted beautiful flowers.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You poor child,&rdquo; said the old, old woman,
+walking straight into the river, and catching hold
+of the boat with her hooked stick; &ldquo;you poor
+dear!&rdquo; And she pulled the boat ashore and lifted
+out little Gerda on to the green grass.</p>
+
+<p>Gerda was delighted to be on dry land again,
+but she was a little bit afraid of the old, old
+woman, who now asked her who she was and
+where she came from.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am looking for Kay, little Kay. Have you
+seen him?&rdquo; began Gerda, and she went on to tell
+the old, old woman the whole story of her playmate
+and his strange disappearance. When she
+had finished, she asked again, &ldquo;Have you seen
+him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the old, old woman, &ldquo;but I expect
+him. Come in,&rdquo; and she took little Gerda by the
+hand. &ldquo;Come to my house and taste my cherries.&rdquo;
+And when they had gone into the cottage, the
+old, old woman locked the door. Then she gave
+Gerda a plate of the most delicious cherries, and
+while the little girl ate them, the old, old woman
+combed her hair with a golden comb.</p>
+
+<p>Now this old, old woman was a witch, and the
+comb was a magic comb, for as soon as it touched
+her hair, Gerda forgot all about Kay. And this
+was just what the witch wished, for she was a
+lonely old woman, and would have liked Gerda to
+become her own little girl and stay with her always.</p>
+
+<p>Gerda did enjoy the red cherries, and, while she
+was still eating them, the old, old woman stole
+out to the garden and waved her hooked stick
+over the rose-bushes and they quickly sank beneath
+the brown earth. For Gerda had told her
+how fond Kay had once been of their little rose-bushes
+in the balcony, and the witch was afraid
+the sight of roses would remind the little girl of
+her lost playmate. But now that the roses had
+vanished, Gerda might come into the garden.</p>
+
+<p>How the child danced for joy past the lilies
+and bluebells, how she suddenly fell on her knees
+to smell the pinks and mignonette, and then
+danced off again, in and out among the sunflowers
+and hollyhocks!</p>
+
+<p>Gerda was perfectly happy now, and played
+among the flowers until the sun sank behind the
+cherry-trees. Then the old, old woman again
+took her by the hand, and led her to the little
+house. And she undressed her and put her into
+a little bed of white violets, and there the little
+girl dreamed sweet dreams.</p>
+
+<p>The next day and the next again and for many
+more Gerda played among the flowers in the garden.</p>
+
+<p>One morning, as the old woman sat near, Gerda
+looked at her hat with the wonderful painted
+flowers. Prettiest of all was a rose.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A rose! Why, surely I have seen none in the
+garden,&rdquo; thought Gerda, and she danced off in
+search.</p>
+
+<p>But she could find none, and in her disappointment
+hot tears fell. And they fell on the very
+spot where the roses had grown, and as soon as
+the warm drops moistened the earth, the rose-bushes
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span>
+sprang up.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are beautiful, beautiful,&rdquo; she said; but in
+a moment the tears fell again, for she thought of
+the rose-bushes in the balcony, and she remembered
+Kay.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh Kay, dear, dear Kay, is he dead?&rdquo; she
+asked the roses.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, he is not dead,&rdquo; they answered, &ldquo;for we
+have been beneath the brown earth, and he is not
+there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then where, oh, where is he?&rdquo; and she went
+from flower to flower whispering, &ldquo;Have you
+seen little Kay?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the flowers stood in the sunshine, dreaming
+their own dreams, and these they told the
+little maiden gladly, but of Kay they could not
+tell her, for they knew nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Then the little girl ran down the garden path
+until she came to the garden gate. She pressed
+the rusty latch. The gate flew open, and Gerda
+ran out on her little bare feet into the green
+fields. And she ran, and she ran, until she could
+run no longer. Then she sat down on a big stone
+to rest.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, it must be autumn,&rdquo; she said sorrowfully,
+as she looked around. And little Gerda
+felt sorry that she had stayed so long in the magic
+garden, where it was always summer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why have I not been seeking little Kay?&rdquo; she
+asked herself, and she jumped up and trudged
+along, on and on, out into the great wide world.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>At last the cold white winter came again, and
+still little Gerda was wandering alone through
+the wide world, for she had not found little Kay.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Caw, caw,&rdquo; said a big raven that hopped on
+the stone in front of her. &ldquo;Caw, caw.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have you seen little Kay?&rdquo; asked Gerda, and
+she told the bird her sad story.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It may have been Kay,&rdquo; said the raven, &ldquo;I
+cannot tell. But if it was, he will have forgotten
+you now that he lives with the princess.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Does he live with a princess?&rdquo; asked Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, he does. If you care to listen, I will tell
+you how it came about. In this kingdom lives a
+princess so clever that she has read all the newspapers
+in the world, and forgotten them again.
+Last winter she made up her mind to marry. Her
+husband, she said, must speak well. He must
+know the proper thing to say, and say it prettily.
+Otherwise she would not marry. I assure you
+what I say is perfectly true, for I have a tame
+sweetheart who lives at court, and she told me
+the whole story.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;One day it was published in the newspapers
+that any handsome young man might go to the
+palace to speak to the princess. The one who
+spoke most prettily and answered most wisely
+should be chosen as her husband. What a stir
+there was! Young men flocked to the palace in
+crowds, chattering as they came. But when they
+saw the great staircase, and the soldiers in their
+silver uniform, and the grand ladies in velvet and
+lace, they could only talk in whispers. And when
+they were led before the beautiful princess, who
+was seated on a pearl as big as a spinning-wheel,
+they were silent. She spoke to them, but they
+could think of nothing to say, so they repeated
+her last words over and over again. The princess
+did not like that, and she&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But Kay, little Kay, did he come?&rdquo; interrupted
+Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are in too great a hurry,&rdquo; said the raven;
+&ldquo;I am just coming to that. On the third day
+came a boy with sparkling eyes and golden hair,
+but his clothes were shabby. He&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, that would be Kay. Dear, dear Kay, I
+have found him at last.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He had a knapsack on his back, and&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, it must have been a sledge,&rdquo; again interrupted
+Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I said he had a knapsack on his back, and he
+wore boots that creaked, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, then it must be Kay, for he had new
+boots. I heard them creak through our attic
+wall when&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Little girl, do not interrupt, but listen to me.
+He wore boots that creaked, but even that did
+not frighten him. He creaked up the great staircase,
+he passed the soldiers in silver uniform, he
+bowed to the ladies in velvet and lace, and still
+he was quite at his ease. And when he was led
+before the beautiful princess who was seated on
+a pearl as big as a spinning-wheel, he answered
+so prettily and spoke so wisely that she chose him
+as her husband.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, indeed it was Kay,&rdquo; said little Gerda.
+&ldquo;He was so clever. He could do arithmetic up
+to long division. Oh, take me to him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will see what can be done,&rdquo; said the raven.
+&ldquo;I will talk about it to my tame sweetheart. She
+will certainly be able to advise us. Wait here by
+the stile,&rdquo; and the raven wagged his head and
+flew off.</p>
+
+<p>It was growing dark before he returned.
+&ldquo;Here is a roll my tame sweetheart sent you.
+&lsquo;The little maiden must be hungry,&rsquo; she said.
+As for your going to the palace with those bare
+feet&mdash;the thing is impossible. The soldiers in silver
+uniform would not let you go up the great
+stair. But do not cry. My sweetheart knows a
+little back staircase. She will take you to the
+prince and princess. Follow me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 376px;">
+<img src="images/img175.jpg" width="376" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;you poor child,&rsquo; said the old woman,<br />
+walking straight into the river&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>On tiptoe little Gerda followed the raven, as
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>
+he hopped across the snow-covered field and up
+the long avenue that led to the palace garden.
+And in the garden they waited silently until the
+last light had gone out. Then they turned along
+the bare walk that led to the back door. It stood
+wide open.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, how little Gerda&#8217;s heart beat, as on the
+tips of her little bare toes she followed the raven
+up the dimly lighted back staircase!</p>
+
+<p>On the landing at the top burned a small lamp.
+Beside it stood the tame sweetheart.</p>
+
+<p>Gerda curtsied as her grandmother had taught
+her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He,&rdquo; said the tame sweetheart, nodding to the
+raven of the field, &ldquo;he has told me your story. It
+has made me sad. But if you carry the lamp, I
+will lead the way, and then we shall see&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We shall see little Kay,&rdquo; murmured Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hush! we shall see what we shall see,&rdquo; said
+the tame sweetheart.</p>
+
+<p>Through room after room Gerda followed her
+strange guide, her heart thumping and thumping
+so loudly that she was afraid some one in the palace
+would hear it and wake.</p>
+
+<p>At last they came to a room in which stood
+two little beds, one white and one red. The tame
+sweetheart nodded to the little girl.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Gerda! she was trembling all over, as she
+peeped at the little head that rested on the pillow
+of the white bed.</p>
+
+<p>Oh! that was the princess.</p>
+
+<p>Gerda turned to the little red bed. The prince
+was lying on his face, but the hair, surely it was
+Kay&#8217;s hair. She drew down the little red coverlet
+until she saw a brown neck. Yes! it was
+Kay&#8217;s neck, she felt sure.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kay, Kay, it is I, little Gerda, wake, wake.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the prince awoke. He turned his head.
+He opened his eyes&mdash;and&mdash;alas! alas! it was not
+little Kay.</p>
+
+<p>Then Gerda cried and cried as if her heart
+would break. She cried until she awoke the princess,
+who started up bewildered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you, little girl, and where do you
+come from, and what do you want?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I want Kay, little Kay, do you know
+where he is?&rdquo; And Gerda told the princess all
+her story, and of what the ravens had done to
+help her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Poor little child,&rdquo; said the princess, &ldquo;how sad
+you must feel!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And how tired,&rdquo; said the prince, and he
+jumped out of his little red bed, and made Gerda
+lie down.</p>
+
+<p>The little girl was grateful indeed. She folded
+her hands and was soon fast asleep.</p>
+
+<p>And Gerda dreamed of Kay. She saw him
+sitting in his little sledge, and it was dragged by
+angels. But it was only a dream, and, when she
+awoke, her little playmate was as far away as
+ever.</p>
+
+<p>The ravens were now very happy, for the
+princess said that, although they must never
+again lead any one to the palace by the back staircase,
+this time they should be rewarded. They
+should for the rest of their lives live together in
+the palace garden, and be known as the court
+ravens, and be fed from the royal kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>When little Gerda awoke from her dreams, she
+saw the sunbeams stealing across her bed. It
+was time to get up.</p>
+
+<p>The court ladies dressed the little girl in silk
+and velvet, and the prince and princess asked her
+to stay with them at the palace. But Gerda
+begged for a little carriage, and a horse, and a
+pair of boots, that she might again go out into
+the great wide world to seek little Kay.</p>
+
+<p>So they gave her a pair of boots and a muff,
+and when she was dressed, there before the door
+stood a carriage of pure gold. The prince himself
+helped Gerda to step in, and the princess
+waved to her as she drove off.</p>
+
+<p>But although Gerda was now a grand little
+girl, she was very lonely. The coachman and
+footman in the scarlet and gold livery did not
+speak a word. She was glad when the field raven
+flew to the carriage and perched by her side. He
+explained that his wife, for he was now married,
+would have come also, but she had eaten too
+much breakfast and was not well. But at the end
+of three miles the raven said good-by, and flapping
+his shiny black wings, flew into an elm.
+There he watched the golden carriage till it could
+no longer be seen.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Gerda was lonely as ever! There were
+gingernuts and sugar-biscuits and fruit in the
+carriage, but these could not comfort the little
+girl.</p>
+
+<p>When would she find Kay?</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>In a dark forest lived a band of wild robbers.
+Among them was an old robber-woman, with
+shaggy eyebrows and no teeth. She had one little
+daughter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look, look! what is that?&rdquo; cried the little
+robber-girl one afternoon, as something like a
+moving torch gleamed through the forest. It was
+Gerda&#8217;s golden carriage. The robbers rushed toward
+it, drove away the coachman and the footman,
+and dragged out the little girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How plump she is! You will taste nice, my
+dear,&rdquo; the old woman said to Gerda, as she drew
+out her long, sharp knife. It glittered horribly.
+&ldquo;Now, just stand still, so, and&mdash;oh! stop, I say,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span>
+stop,&rdquo; screamed the old woman, for at that moment
+her daughter sprang upon her back and bit
+her ear. And there she hung like some savage
+little animal. &ldquo;Oh, my ear, my ear, you bad,
+wicked child!&rdquo; But the woman did not now try
+to kill Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>Then the robber-child said, &ldquo;Little girl, I want
+you myself, and I want to ride beside you.&rdquo; So
+together they stepped into the golden carriage
+and drove deep into the wood. &ldquo;No one will hurt
+you now, unless I get angry with you,&rdquo; said the
+robber-girl, putting her arm round Gerda. &ldquo;Are
+you a princess?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Gerda, and she told the robber-girl
+all her story. &ldquo;Have you seen little Kay?&rdquo; she
+ended.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never,&rdquo; said the robber-girl, &ldquo;never.&rdquo; Then
+she looked at Gerda and added, &ldquo;No one shall kill
+you even if I am angry with you. I shall do it
+myself.&rdquo; And she dried Gerda&#8217;s eyes. &ldquo;Now
+this is nice,&rdquo; and she lay back, her red hands in
+Gerda&#8217;s warm, soft muff.</p>
+
+<p>At last the carriage stopped at a robber&#8217;s castle.
+It was a ruin. The robber-girl led Gerda
+into a large, old hall and gave her a basin of hot
+soup. &ldquo;You shall sleep there to-night,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;with me and my pets.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Gerda looked where the robber-girl pointed, and
+saw that in one corner of the room straw was
+scattered on the stone floor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, you shall see my pets. Come, lie down
+now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And little Gerda and the robber-girl lay down
+together on their straw bed. Above, perched on
+poles, were doves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mine, all mine,&rdquo; said the little robber-girl.
+Jumping up, she seized the dove nearest her by
+the feet and shook it till its wings flapped. Then
+she slung it against Gerda&#8217;s face. &ldquo;Kiss it,&rdquo; she
+said. &ldquo;Yes, all mine; and look,&rdquo; she went on, &ldquo;he
+is mine, too;&rdquo; and she caught by the horn a
+reindeer that was tied to the wall. He had
+a bright brass collar round his neck. &ldquo;We
+have to keep him tied or he would run away.
+I tickle him every night with my sharp knife,
+and then he is afraid;&rdquo; and the girl drew
+from a hole in the wall a long knife, and
+gently ran it across the reindeer&#8217;s neck. The
+poor animal kicked, but the little robber-girl
+laughed, and then again lay down on her bed of
+straw.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said Gerda, with terror in her eyes,
+&ldquo;you are not going to sleep with that long, sharp
+knife in your hand?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I always do,&rdquo; replied the robber-girl;
+&ldquo;one never knows what may happen. But tell me
+again all about Kay, and about your journey
+through the wide world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Gerda told all her story over again. Then
+the little robber-girl put one arm round Gerda&#8217;s
+neck, and with her long knife in the other, she
+fell sound asleep.</p>
+
+<p>But Gerda could not sleep. How could she,
+with that sharp knife close beside her? She
+would try not to think of it. She would listen to
+the doves. &ldquo;Coo, coo,&rdquo; they said. Then they
+came nearer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We have seen little Kay,&rdquo; they whispered.
+&ldquo;He floated by above our nest in the Snow
+Queen&#8217;s sledge. She blew upon us as she passed,
+and her icy breath killed many of us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where was little Kay going? Where does
+the Snow Queen live?&rdquo; asked Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The reindeer can tell you everything,&rdquo; said
+the doves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the reindeer, &ldquo;I can tell you. Little
+Kay was going to the Snow Queen&#8217;s palace,
+a splendid palace of glittering ice, away in Lapland.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Kay, little Kay!&rdquo; sighed Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lie still, or I shall stick my knife into you,&rdquo;
+said the little robber-girl.</p>
+
+<p>And little Gerda lay still, but she did not sleep.
+In the morning she told the robber-girl what the
+doves and the reindeer had said.</p>
+
+<p>The little robber-girl looked very solemn and
+thoughtful. Then she nodded her head importantly.
+At last she spoke, not to Gerda, but to
+the reindeer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I should like to keep you here always, tied by
+your brass collar to that wall. Then I should
+still tickle you with my knife, and have the fun
+of seeing you kick and struggle. But never mind.
+Do you know where Lapland is?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Lapland! of course the reindeer knew.
+Had he not been born there? Had he not
+played in its snow-covered fields? As the reindeer
+thought of his happy childhood, his eyes
+danced.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Would you like to go back to your old home?&rdquo;
+asked the robber-girl.</p>
+
+<p>The reindeer leaped into the air for joy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well, I will soon untie your chain.
+Mother is still asleep. Come along, Gerda. Now,
+I am going to put this little girl on your back,
+and you are to carry her safely to the Snow
+Queen&#8217;s palace. She must find her little playfellow.&rdquo;
+And the robber-girl lifted Gerda up and
+tied her on the reindeer&#8217;s back, having first put
+a little cushion beneath her. &ldquo;I must keep your
+muff, Gerda, but you can have mother&#8217;s big, black
+mittens. Come, put your hands in. Oh, they do
+look ugly.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am going to Kay, little Kay,&rdquo; and Gerda
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span>
+cried for joy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is nothing to whimper about,&rdquo; said the
+robber-girl. &ldquo;Look! here are two loaves and a
+ham.&rdquo; Then she opened wide the door, loosened
+the reindeer&#8217;s chain, and said, &ldquo;Now run.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the reindeer darted through the open door,
+Gerda waving her blackmittened hands, and the
+little robber-girl calling after the reindeer, &ldquo;Take
+care of my little girl.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On and on they sped, over briers and bushes,
+through fields and forests and swamps. The
+wolves howled and the ravens screamed. But
+Gerda was happy. She was going to Kay.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>The loaves and the ham were finished, and
+Gerda and the reindeer were in Lapland.</p>
+
+<p>They stopped in front of a little hut. Its roof
+sloped down almost to the ground, and the door
+was so low that to get into the hut one had to
+creep on hands and knees. How the reindeer
+squeezed through I cannot tell, but there he was
+in the little hut, telling an old Lapp woman who
+was frying fish over a lamp, first his own story
+and then the sad story of Gerda and little Kay.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, you poor creatures,&rdquo; said the Lapp
+woman, &ldquo;the Snow Queen is not in Lapland at
+present. She is hundreds of miles away at her
+palace in Finland. But I will give you a note to
+a Finn woman, and she will direct you better than
+I can.&rdquo; And the Lapp woman wrote a letter on
+a dried fish, as she had no paper.</p>
+
+<p>Then, when Gerda had warmed herself by the
+lamp, the Lapp woman tied her on to the reindeer
+again, and they squeezed through the little
+door and were once more out in the wide world.</p>
+
+<p>On and on they sped through the long night,
+while the blue northern lights flickered in the sky
+overhead, and the crisp snow crackled beneath
+their feet.</p>
+
+<p>At last they reached Finland and knocked on
+the Finn woman&#8217;s chimney, for she had no door
+at all. Then they squeezed down the chimney
+and found themselves in a very hot little room.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman at once loosened Gerda&#8217;s
+things, and took off her mittens and boots. Then
+she put ice on the reindeer&#8217;s head. Now that her
+visitors were more comfortable she could look at
+the letter they brought. She read it three times
+and then put it in the fish-pot, for this old woman
+never wasted anything.</p>
+
+<p>There was silence for five minutes, and then
+the reindeer again told his story first, and afterward
+the sad story of Gerda and little Kay.</p>
+
+<p>Once more there was silence for five minutes,
+and then the Finn woman whispered to the reindeer.
+This is what she whispered: &ldquo;Yes, little
+Kay is with the Snow Queen, and thinks himself
+the happiest boy in the world. But that is because
+a little bit of the magic mirror is still in
+his eye, and another tiny grain remains in his
+heart. Until they come out, he can never be the
+old Kay. As long as they are there, the Snow
+Queen will have him in her power.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But cannot you give Gerda power to overcome
+the Snow Queen?&rdquo; whispered the reindeer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I cannot give her greater power than she has
+already. Her own loving heart has won the help
+of bird and beast and robber-girl, and it is that
+loving heart that will conquer the Snow Queen.
+But this you can do. Carry little Gerda to the
+palace garden. It is only two miles from here.
+You will see a bush covered with red berries.
+Leave Gerda there and hurry back to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Off sped the reindeer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, my boots and my mittens!&rdquo; cried Gerda.</p>
+
+<p>But the reindeer would not stop. On he rushed
+through the snow until he came to the bush with
+the red berries. There he put Gerda down and
+kissed her, while tears trickled down his face.
+Then off he bounded, leaving the little girl standing
+barefoot on the crisp snow.</p>
+
+<p>Gerda stepped forward. Huge snowflakes were
+coming to meet her. They did not fall from the
+sky. No, they were marching along the ground.
+And what strange shapes they took! Some
+looked like white hedgehogs, some like polar
+bears. They were the Snow Queen&#8217;s soldiers.</p>
+
+<p>Gerda grew frightened. But she did not run
+away. She folded her hands and closed her eyes.
+&ldquo;Our Father which art in heaven,&rdquo; she began, but
+she could get no further. The cold was so great
+that she could not go on. She opened her eyes,
+and there, surrounding her, was a legion of bright
+little angels. They had been formed from her
+breath, as she prayed, &ldquo;Our Father which art in
+heaven.&rdquo; And the bright little angels shivered
+into a hundred pieces the snowflake army, and
+Gerda walked on fearlessly toward the palace of
+the Snow Queen.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>Little Kay sits alone in the great ice hall. He
+does not know that he is blue with cold, for the
+Snow Queen has kissed away the icy shiverings
+and left his heart with no more feeling than a
+lump of ice.</p>
+
+<p>And this morning she has flown off to visit the
+countries of the south, where the grapes and
+the lemons grow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is all so blue there,&rdquo; she had said, &ldquo;I must
+go and cast my veil of white across their hills
+and meadows.&rdquo; And away she flew.</p>
+
+<p>So Kay sits in the great ice hall alone. Chips
+of ice are his only playthings, and now he leaves
+them on the ice-floor and goes to the window to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span>
+gaze at the snowdrifts in the palace garden.
+Great gusts of wind swirl the snow past the windows.
+Kay can see nothing. He turns again to
+his ice toys.</p>
+
+<p>Outside, little Gerda struggles through the biting
+wind, then, saying her morning prayer, she
+enters the vast hall. At a glance she sees the
+lonely boy. In a twinkling she knows it is Kay.
+Her little bare feet carry her like wings across
+the ice floor. Her arms are round his neck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kay, dear, dear Kay!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Kay does not move. He is still and cold
+as the palace walls.</p>
+
+<p>Little Gerda bursts into tears, hot, scalding
+tears. Her arms are yet round Kay&#8217;s neck, and
+her tears fall upon his heart of ice. They thaw
+it. They reach the grain of glass, and it melts
+away.</p>
+
+<p>And now Kay&#8217;s tears fall hot and fast, and as
+they pour, the tiny bit of glass passes out of his
+eye, and he sees, he knows, his long-lost playmate.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Little Gerda, little Gerda!&rdquo; he cries, &ldquo;where
+have you been, where have you been, where are
+we now?&rdquo; and he shivers as he looks round the
+vast cold hall.</p>
+
+<p>But Gerda kisses his white cheeks, and they
+grow rosy; she kisses his eyes, and they shine
+like stars; she kisses his hands and feet, and he is
+strong and glad.</p>
+
+<p>Hand in hand they wander out of the ice
+palace. The winds hush, the sun bursts forth.
+They talk of their grandmother, of their rose-trees.</p>
+
+<p>The reindeer has come back, and with him
+there waits another reindeer. They stand by the
+bush with the red berries.</p>
+
+<p>The children bound on to their backs, and are
+carried first to the hut of the Finn woman, and
+then on to Lapland. The Lapp woman has new
+clothes ready for them, and brings out her sledge.
+Once more Kay and Gerda are sitting side by
+side. The Lapp woman drives, and the two reindeer
+follow. On and on they speed through the
+white-robed land. But now they leave it behind.
+The earth wears her mantle of green.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good-by,&rdquo; they say to the kind Lapp woman;
+&ldquo;good-by&rdquo; to the gentle reindeer.</p>
+
+<p>Together the children enter a forest. How
+strange and how sweet the song of the birds!</p>
+
+<p>A young girl on horseback comes galloping toward
+them. She wears a scarlet cap, and has
+pistols in her belt. It is the robber-girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So you have found little Kay.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Gerda smiles a radiant smile, and asks for the
+prince and princess.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They are traveling far away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And the raven?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, the raven is dead. But tell me what you
+have been doing, and where you found little
+Kay.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The three children sit down under a fir-tree,
+and Gerda tells of her journey through Lapland
+and Finland, and how at last she had found little
+Kay in the palace of the Snow Queen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Snip, snap, snorra!&rdquo; shouts the robber-girl,
+which is her way of saying &ldquo;Hurrah!&rdquo; Then,
+promising that if ever she is near their town, she
+will pay them a visit, off she gallops into the wide
+world.</p>
+
+<p>On wander the two children, on and on. At
+last they see the tall towers of the old town where
+they had lived together. Soon they come to the
+narrow street they remember so well. They
+climb the long, long stair, and burst into the little
+attic.</p>
+
+<p>The rose-bush is in bloom, and the sun pours
+in upon the old grandmother, who reads her Bible
+by the open window.</p>
+
+<p>Kay and Gerda take their two little stools and
+sit down one on either side of her, and listen to
+the words from the Good Book. As they listen,
+a great peace steals into their souls.</p>
+
+<p>And outside it is summer&mdash;warm, bright,
+beautiful summer.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 349px;">
+<img src="images/img179.jpg" width="349" height="65" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE MASTER-MAID</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once there was a King who had a son, and
+this Prince would not stay at home, but went a
+long, long way off to a very far country. There
+he met a Giant; and though it seems a strange
+thing for a King&#8217;s son to do, the Prince went to
+the Giant&#8217;s house to be his servant, and the Giant
+gave the Prince a room, to sleep in, which, very
+strangely, had a door on every side. However,
+the Prince thought little of this, for he was very
+tired, and he went quickly to bed, and slept
+soundly all night.</p>
+
+<p>Now, the Giant had a large herd of goats; and
+very likely the Prince thought the Giant would
+send him to herd the goats. But the Giant did
+nothing of the sort. In the morning he prepared
+to take the goats to pasture himself; but before
+he set out he told the Prince that he expected
+him to clean the stable before he came back in
+the evening.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am a very easy master,&rdquo; said the Giant,
+&ldquo;and that is all I expect you to do. But remember,
+I expect the work to be well done.&rdquo; Then,
+before he reached the door, he turned back and
+said, in a threatening way: &ldquo;You are not to
+open a single one of the doors in your room. If
+you do, I shall kill you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Giant shut the door in a way that
+seemed to say, &ldquo;I mean every word I have said,&rdquo;
+and he went off with his goats, and left the Prince
+alone.</p>
+
+<p>When he was gone, the Prince drummed for a
+while with his fingers on the window. Then,
+when the Giant and his flock had gone out of
+sight, he began to walk about the room, whistling
+to himself and looking at the forbidden doors.</p>
+
+<p>The house seemed silent and lonely, and he
+really had nothing to do. To clean a stable with
+only one stall seemed a very small task for a
+sturdy boy like him.</p>
+
+<p>At last he said to himself: &ldquo;I wonder what the
+Giant keeps behind those doors? I think I shall
+look and see.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>If the Giant had been there the Prince would
+have paid dear for his curiosity; but he was far
+away, and the Prince boldly opened the first door,
+and inside he saw a huge pot, or cauldron, boiling
+away merrily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What a strange thing,&rdquo; said the Prince; &ldquo;there
+is no fire under the pot. I must go in and see it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And into the room he went, and bent down to
+see what queer soup it was that boiled without a
+fire. As he did so, a lock of his hair dipped into
+the pot; and when he raised his head, the lock
+looked like bronze. The cauldron was full of
+boiling copper.</p>
+
+<p>He went out and closed the door carefully
+behind him; and, wondering if there was a copper
+pot in the next room, he opened the second door.
+There was a cauldron inside, boiling merrily; but
+there was no fire to be seen. He went over and
+looked into the pot; and as it did not look exactly
+like the first one, he dipped in another lock.
+When he raised his head, up came the lock,
+weighted heavily with silver. The cauldron was
+full of boiling silver.</p>
+
+<p>Wondering greatly at the Giant&#8217;s riches, the
+Prince went out, closed the door very carefully,
+and opened the third door. He almost tip-toed
+into this room, he was so curious; but he went
+through the same performance. And when he
+raised his head from the third pot that boiled
+without a fire, the third lock of hair was like a
+heavy tassel of gold. The third pot was full of
+boiling gold.</p>
+
+<p>Full of amazement at the Giant&#8217;s great riches,
+the Prince hurried out of the room, and closed
+the door with the greatest care. By this time he
+was so full of curiosity that he ran as fast as he
+could to the fourth door. And yet he scarcely
+dared to open it to see the riches he was sure it
+hid behind it.</p>
+
+<p>However, he opened it, very gently and very
+quietly; and there on the bench, in the window,
+looking out, sat a beautiful maiden.</p>
+
+<p>Although the door opened very quietly, she
+heard the sound, and looked up. And when she
+saw the handsome young Prince standing in the
+doorway, she started toward him, and cried in
+great distress: &ldquo;O boy, boy! why have you come
+here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince told her he had come to serve the
+Giant, and found him a very easy master. Indeed,
+he said the Giant had given him nothing
+to do that day but clean the stable.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden told him that if he tried to clean
+it as everyone else did, he would never finish the
+work, because for every pitchforkful he threw
+out, ten would come back.</p>
+
+<p>The thing to do, she said, was to use the handle
+of his pitchfork, and the work would soon be
+done.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince said he would follow her advice;
+and then they sat all day and talked of pleasant
+things. Indeed, they liked each other so well
+that they very soon settled that they would get
+married.</p>
+
+<p>When it came toward evening, the maiden
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>
+reminded the Prince that the Giant would soon
+be home. So the youth went out to clean the
+stable. First, he tried to do the work as any
+other boy would do it; but when he found that
+in a very short time he would not have room
+to stand, he quickly turned the pitchfork around
+and used the handle. In a few moments the
+stable was as clean as a stable could be. Then
+he went back to his room and wandered about it
+with his hands in his pockets, looking quite as
+innocent as if he had not raised the latch of a
+single door.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the Giant came in and asked if his work
+was done. The Prince said it was. Of course,
+the Giant did not believe him; but he went out
+to see. When he came back he said very decidedly
+to the Prince: &ldquo;You have been talking to my
+Master-Maid. You could not have learned how
+to clean that stable yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Prince made himself appear as if he
+had never heard of the maiden before, and asked
+such stupid questions that the Giant went away
+satisfied, and left him to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning, before the Giant set out with
+his goats, he again told the Prince that he would
+find he was an easy master: all he had to do that
+day was to catch the Giant&#8217;s horse that was
+feeding on the mountain-side. And having set
+him this task, the Giant said that if the Prince
+opened one of the doors he would kill him. Then
+he took his staff, and was soon out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>Quick as the Giant disappeared, the Prince,
+who had no more interest in the other rooms,
+opened the fourth door. The maiden asked him
+about his day&#8217;s task; and when she heard it; she
+told the Prince that the horse would rush at him
+with flame bursting from its nostrils, and its
+mouth wide open to tear him. But, she said, if
+he would take the bridle that hung on the crook
+by the door, and fling it straight into the horse&#8217;s
+mouth, the beast would become quite tame. He
+promised to do so; and they talked all day of
+pleasant things. And when it came toward evening
+the maiden reminded him that the Giant
+would soon be home.</p>
+
+<p>So the Prince went out to catch the horse;
+and everything happened as the maiden said. But
+when the fiery horse rushed at him with open
+mouth he watched his opportunity, and just at the
+right moment he flung the bridle in between its
+teeth, and the horse stood still. Then the Prince
+mounted it and rode it quietly home. He put the
+horse in the stable, and went to his room, sat
+down and whistled to himself as if he did not
+know there was a maiden in the world.</p>
+
+<p>Very soon the Giant came in, and asked about
+the horse, and the Prince said very quietly that it
+was in the stable. The Giant did not believe him;
+but he went to see, and again accused the Prince
+of having been talking to his Master-Maid.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince pretended to be stupid, and asked
+silly questions, and said he would like to see the
+maid. &ldquo;You shall see her soon enough,&rdquo; the
+Giant promised, and went away and left the
+Prince to go to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>The next day, before the Giant set out, he told
+the Prince to go down underground and fetch
+his taxes. Then he warned the Prince not to
+touch the doors, and went off with his goats.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner was he out of sight than the Prince
+rushed to the maiden, and asked her how he was
+to find his way underground to get the taxes,
+and how much he should ask for. She took him
+to the window and pointed out a rocky ledge. He
+must go there, she said, take a club that hung
+beside it, and knock on the rocky wall. As soon
+as he did so, a fiery monster would come out,
+and ask his errand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But remember,&rdquo; said the maiden, &ldquo;when he
+asks how much you want, you are to say: &lsquo;As
+much as I can carry.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince promised to do as she said, and
+they sat down close together and talked until the
+evening of what they would do when they escaped
+from the Giant and went home to get married.</p>
+
+<p>When evening came the maiden reminded the
+Prince of the Giant&#8217;s coming, and he went to get
+the money from the fiery monster. Everything
+happened as the maiden said; and when the
+monster, with sparks flying everywhere from him,
+asked fiercely, &ldquo;How much do you want?&rdquo; the
+Prince was not in the least afraid, but said: &ldquo;As
+much as I can carry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is a good thing you did not ask for a horse-load,&rdquo;
+said the monster; and he took the Prince
+in and filled a sack, which was as much as the
+Prince could do to carry. Indeed, that was nothing
+to what the Prince saw there, for gold and
+silver coins lay around, inside the mountain, like
+pebbles on the seashore.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince carried the money back to the
+Giant&#8217;s house; and when the Giant reached home,
+the Prince sat quietly in his room, whistling softly,
+just as if he had never risen from his seat
+since the Giant left.</p>
+
+<p>The Giant demanded the money for his taxes.
+&ldquo;Here it is,&rdquo; said the Prince, showing him the
+bursting sack. The Giant examined the money,
+and then again accused the Prince of having been
+talking to the Master-Maid.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Master,&rdquo; said the Prince, &ldquo;this is the third day
+you have talked about the Master-Maid. Will
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span>
+you let me see her?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Giant looked at the Prince from under his
+bushy eyebrows, and said: &ldquo;It is time enough
+to-morrow. I will show her to you myself, and
+you will see quite enough of her,&rdquo; and he went
+off and left the Prince to his sleep.</p>
+
+<p>But next morning, early, the Giant strode into
+the Prince&#8217;s room, and saying, &ldquo;Now I will take
+you to see the Master-Maid,&rdquo; he opened the door
+of the fourth room, beckoned the Prince to follow
+him in, and said to the maiden: &ldquo;Kill this youth,
+boil him in the large cauldron, and when the broth
+is ready, call me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, just as if he had said nothing more startling
+than &ldquo;Prepare some cauliflower for dinner,&rdquo;
+he lay down on the bench and fell so fast asleep
+that his snores sounded like thunder.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img182.jpg" width="500" height="378" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;kill this youth. boil him in the large cauldron,&rdquo; said the giant</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Immediately the maiden began to make her
+preparations very neatly and quickly. First, with
+a little knife she made a small gash in the Prince&#8217;s
+little finger and dropped three drops of his blood
+on the wooden stool, near the cauldron. Then
+she gathered up a lot of rubbish, such as old shoes
+and rags, and put them in the cauldron with water
+and pepper and salt. Last of all, she packed a
+small chest with gold, and gave it to the Prince
+to carry; filled a water-flask; took a golden cock
+and hen, and put a lump of salt and a golden
+apple in her pocket. Then the maid and the
+Prince ran to the sea-shore as fast as they could,
+climbed on board a little ship that had come from
+no-one-knows-where, and sailed away.</p>
+
+<p>After a while the Giant roused a little, and
+said sleepily: &ldquo;Will it soon boil?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The first drop of blood answered quietly: &ldquo;It
+is just beginning.&rdquo; And the Giant went to sleep
+again.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of a few hours more he roused again
+and asked: &ldquo;Will it soon be ready?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the second drop said: &ldquo;Half done,&rdquo; in
+the maiden&#8217;s mournful voice, for she had seen so
+many dark deeds done that, until the Prince came,
+she was always sad.</p>
+
+<p>Again the Giant went to sleep, for several
+hours; but then he became quite awake, and
+asked: &ldquo;Is it not done yet?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The third drop said: &ldquo;Quite ready.&rdquo; And the
+Giant sat up, and looked around. The maiden
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span>
+was nowhere to be seen, but the Giant went over
+to the pot and tasted the soup.</p>
+
+<p>At once he knew what had happened, and in
+a furious rage rushed to the sea, but he could
+not get over it. So he called up his water-sucker,
+who lay down and drank two or three draughts;
+and the water fell so low that the horizon dropped,
+and the Giant could see the maiden and the
+Prince a long way off.</p>
+
+<p>But the Master-Maid told the Prince to throw
+the lump of salt into the sea, and as soon as he
+did so it became such a high mountain that the
+Giant could not cross it, and the water-sucker
+could not gather up any more water.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Giant called his hill-borer, who bored
+a tunnel through the mountain, so that the sucker
+could go through and drink up more water.</p>
+
+<p>Then the maiden told the Prince to scatter a
+few drops from the water-bottle into the sea. As
+soon as he did so the sea filled up, and before
+the water-sucker could drink one drop, they were
+at the other side, safe in the kingdom of the
+Prince&#8217;s father.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince did not think it was fitting that his
+bride should walk to his palace, so he said he
+would go and fetch seven horses and a carriage
+to take her there. The maiden begged him not to
+go, because, she said, he would forget her; but
+he insisted. Then she asked him to speak to no
+one while he was away, and on no account to
+taste anything; and he promised that he would go
+straight to the stable for the horses, and without
+speaking a word to anyone, would come straight
+back.</p>
+
+<p>When he got to the palace he found it full of
+a merry company, for his brother was going to be
+married to a lovely princess, who had come from
+a far-off land. But in answer to their cries of
+welcome and questions the Prince said no word,
+and only shook his head when they offered him
+food, until the pretty laughing young sister of the
+bride-to-be rolled a bright red apple across the
+courtyard to him. Laughing back at her, he
+picked it up, and without thinking bit into it.
+Immediately he forgot the Master-Maid, who had
+saved his life and was now sitting alone on the
+seashore waiting for him.</p>
+
+<p>She waited until the night began to grow dark;
+then she went away into the wood near the palace
+to find shelter. There she found a dark hut,
+owned by a Witch, who at first would not allow
+her to stay. The Witch&#8217;s hard heart, however,
+was softened by the maiden&#8217;s gold, and she allowed
+her to have the hut.</p>
+
+<p>Then the maid flung into the fire a handful of
+gold, which immediately melted and boiled all
+over the hut, and gilded the dark, dingy walls.
+The Witch was so frightened that she ran away,
+and the maid was left alone in the little gilded
+house.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the Sheriff was passing
+through the wood, and stopped to see the gilded
+house. At once he fell in love with the beautiful
+maiden, and asked her to marry him. The maiden
+asked if he had a great deal of money, and the
+Sheriff said he had a good deal, and went away to
+fetch it. In the evening he came back with a
+two-bushel bag of gold; and as he had so much,
+the maiden seemed to think she would marry him.</p>
+
+<p>But as they were talking she sprang up, saying
+she had forgotten to put coal on the fire. The
+Sheriff went to do it for her, and immediately
+she put a spell on him so that until morning came,
+he could not let the shovel go, and had to stand all
+night pouring red hot coals over himself. In the
+morning he was a sad sight to see, and hurried
+home so fast, to hide himself, that people thought
+he was mad.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the Attorney passed by, and the
+same thing happened. The Attorney brought a
+four-bushel sack of money to show the maid how
+rich he was; and while they were talking the maid
+said she had forgotten to close the door, so the
+Attorney went to close it. When he had his hand
+on the latch the maid cried: &ldquo;May you hold the
+door, and the door you, and may you go between
+wall and wall, till day dawns.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And all night long the Attorney had to rush
+back and forth, trying to escape from the blows
+of the door which he could not let go. He made
+a great deal of noise, but the maid slept as soundly
+as if she were in the midst of calm. In the morning
+the Attorney escaped, and went home so
+bruised-and-battered looking that everyone stopped
+and stared at him.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the Bailiff saw the bright little
+house and the maid. He at once fell in love with
+her, and brought at least six bushels of money
+to show how rich she would be, if she married
+him. The maid seemed to think she would; but
+while they were talking she suddenly remembered
+to tie up the calf.</p>
+
+<p>The Bailiff went to do it for her, and she put a
+spell on him, so that all night long he had to fly
+over hill and dale holding on to the calf&#8217;s tail,
+which he could by no means let go. In the morning
+he was a sorry sight, as he limped slowly
+home, with torn coat and ragged boots at which
+everyone looked, for he was always dressed very
+neatly.</p>
+
+<p>While all this was happening, the Prince had
+quite forgotten the maid; and, indeed, it was
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span>
+arranged that he was to marry the young Princess
+who had thrown him the apple on the same day
+that his brother married her sister.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img184.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the bailiff could not let go of the calf&#8217;s tail</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>But when the two Princes and their brides
+were seated in the carriage the trace-pin broke,
+and no pin could be got that would not break,
+until the Sheriff thought of the maiden&#8217;s shovel-handle.
+The King sent to borrow it, and it made
+a pin that did not break in two.</p>
+
+<p>Then a curious thing happened: the bottom of
+the carriage fell out, and as fast as a new one
+was made it fell to pieces. However, the Attorney
+thought of the maiden&#8217;s door. The King sent
+to borrow it, and it fitted the bottom of the carriage
+exactly.</p>
+
+<p>Everything was now ready, and the coachman
+cracked his whip; but, strain as they would, the
+horses could not move the carriage. At last the
+Bailiff thought of the Master-Maid&#8217;s calf; and
+although it was a very ridiculous thing to see
+the King&#8217;s carriage drawn by a calf, the King
+sent to borrow it. The maiden, who was very
+obliging, lent it at once. The calf was harnessed
+to the carriage, and away it went over stock and
+stone, pulling horse and carriage as easily and
+quickly as it had pulled the Bailiff.</p>
+
+<p>When they got to the church door the carriage
+began to go round and round so quickly that it
+was very difficult and dangerous to get out of it.</p>
+
+<p>When they were seated at the wedding feast,
+the Prince said he thought they ought to invite
+the maiden who lived in the gilded hut, because
+without her help they could not have got to the
+church at all. The King thought so too; so they
+sent five courtiers to ask her to the feast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Greet the King,&rdquo; replied the maid, &ldquo;and tell
+him if he is too good to come to me, I am too
+good to go to him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the King had to go himself and invite her;
+and as they went to the palace he thought she
+was something else than what she seemed to be.</p>
+
+<p>So he put her in the place of honor beside the
+Prince; and after a while the Master-Maid took
+out the golden cock and hen and the golden apple,
+which she had brought from the Giant&#8217;s house,
+and put them on the table.</p>
+
+<p>At once the cock and hen began to fight.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! look how those two there are fighting
+for the apple,&rdquo; said the Prince.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, and so did we fight to get out of danger,&rdquo;
+said the Master-Maid.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Prince knew her again. The Witch
+who had thrown him the apple disappeared, and
+now for the first time they began really to keep
+the wedding.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CAP O&#8217; RUSHES<a name="FNanchor_J_10" id="FNanchor_J_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_J_10" class="fnanchor">[J]</a></h2>
+
+
+<p>Well, there was once a very rich gentleman
+who had three daughters, and he thought he&#8217;d
+see how fond they were of him. So he says to
+the first:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How much do you love me, my dear?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why,&rdquo; says she, &ldquo;as I love my life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s good,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>So he says to the second: &ldquo;How much do you
+love me, my dear?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why,&rdquo; says she, &ldquo;better nor all the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s good,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>So he says to the third: &ldquo;How much do you
+love me, my dear?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, I love you as fresh meat loves salt,&rdquo;
+says she.</p>
+
+<p>Well, but he was angry! &ldquo;You don&#8217;t love me
+at all,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;and in my house you stay no
+more.&rdquo; So he drove her out, there and then,
+and shut the door in her face.</p>
+
+<p>Well, she went away, on and on, till she came
+to a fen, and there she gathered a lot of rushes
+and made them into a kind of a sort of a cloak,
+with a hood, to cover her from head to foot, and
+to hide her fine clothes.</p>
+
+<p>And then she went on and on till she came
+to a great house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you want a maid?&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, we don&#8217;t,&rdquo; said they.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I haven&#8217;t nowhere to go,&rdquo; says she; &ldquo;and I
+ask no wages, and will do any sort of work,&rdquo;
+says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;if you like to wash the
+pots and scrape the saucepans you may stay,&rdquo;
+said they.</p>
+
+<p>So she stayed there, and washed the pots, and
+scraped the saucepans, and did all the dirty work.
+And because she gave no name they called her
+&ldquo;Cap o&#8217; Rushes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Well, one day there was to be a great dance
+a little way off, and the servants were allowed
+to go and look on at the grand people. Cap o&#8217;
+Rushes said she was too tired to go, so she stayed
+at home.</p>
+
+<p>But when they were gone, she offed with her cap
+o&#8217; rushes, and cleaned herself, and went to the
+dance. And no one there was so finely dressed
+as she!</p>
+
+<p>Well, who should be there but her master&#8217;s son,
+and what should he do but fall in love with her
+the minute he set eyes on her. He wouldn&#8217;t
+dance with anyone else.</p>
+
+<p>But before the dance was done, Cap o&#8217; Rushes
+slipped off and away she went home. And when
+the other maids came back she was pretending
+to be asleep with her cap o&#8217; rushes on.</p>
+
+<p>Well, next morning they said to her: &ldquo;You
+did miss a sight, Cap o&#8217; Rushes!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What was that?&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, the beautifullest lady you ever saw,
+dressed right gay and ga&#8217;. The young master&mdash;he
+never took his eyes off her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I should like to have seen her,&rdquo; says
+Cap o&#8217; Rushes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, there&#8217;s to be another dance this evening,
+and perhaps she&#8217;ll be there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But, come the evening, Cap o&#8217; Rushes said she
+was too tired to go with them. Howsoever, when
+they were gone, she offed with her cap o&#8217; rushes,
+cleaned herself, and away she went to the dance.</p>
+
+<p>The master&#8217;s son had been reckoning on seeing
+her, and he danced with no one else, and never
+took his eyes off her. But before the dance was
+over she slipped off and home she went, and when
+the maids came back she pretended to be asleep
+with her cap o&#8217; rushes on.</p>
+
+<p>Next day they said to her again: &ldquo;Well, Cap
+o&#8217; Rushes, you should have been there to see the
+lady. There she was again, gay and ga&#8217;, and the
+young master&mdash;he never took his eyes off her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, there,&rdquo; says she, &ldquo;I should ha&#8217; liked to
+ha&#8217; seen her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; says they, &ldquo;there&#8217;s a dance again this
+evening, and you must go with us, for she&#8217;s
+sure to be there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Well, come this evening, Cap o&#8217; Rushes said
+she was too tired to go; and do what they would
+she stayed at home. But when they were gone,
+she offed with her cap o&#8217; rushes and cleaned herself,
+and away she went to the dance.</p>
+
+<p>The master&#8217;s son was rarely glad when he saw
+her. He danced with none but her, and never
+took his eyes off her. When she wouldn&#8217;t tell
+him her name, nor where she came from, he gave
+her a ring, and told her if he didn&#8217;t see her
+again he should die.</p>
+
+<p>Well, before the dance was over, off she slipped,
+and home she went; and when the maids came
+home she was pretending to be asleep with her
+cap o&#8217; rushes on.</p>
+
+<p>Well, next day they says to her: &ldquo;There, Cap
+o&#8217; Rushes, you didn&#8217;t come last night, and now
+you won&#8217;t see the lady, for there&#8217;s no more
+dances.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I should have rarely liked to have seen
+her,&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>The master&#8217;s son he tried every way to find
+out where the lady was gone; but go where he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>
+might, and ask whom he might, he never heard
+anything about her. And he got worse and worse
+for the love of her, till he had to keep to his bed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Make some gruel for the young master,&rdquo; they
+said to the cook. &ldquo;He&#8217;s dying for the love of
+the lady.&rdquo; The cook set about making it, when
+Cap o&#8217; Rushes came in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you a-doing of?&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m going to make some gruel for the young
+master,&rdquo; says the cook, &ldquo;for he&#8217;s dying for love
+of the lady.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me make it,&rdquo; says Cap o&#8217; Rushes.</p>
+
+<p>Well, the cook wouldn&#8217;t at first, but at last
+she said yes, and Cap o&#8217; Rushes made the gruel.
+And when she had made it she slipped the ring
+into it on the sly before the cook took it upstairs.</p>
+
+<p>The young man he drank it, and then he saw
+the ring at the bottom.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Send for the cook,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>So up she came.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who made this gruel here?&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I did,&rdquo; says the cook, for she was frightened.</p>
+
+<p>And he looked at her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, you didn&#8217;t,&rdquo; says he. &ldquo;Say who did it,
+and you shan&#8217;t be harmed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, &#8217;t was Cap o&#8217; Rushes,&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Send Cap o&#8217; Rushes here,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>So Cap o&#8217; Rushes came.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you make my gruel?&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I did,&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where did you get this ring?&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;From him that gave it me,&rdquo; says she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you, then?&rdquo; says the young man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll show you,&rdquo; says she. And she offed with
+her cap o&#8217; rushes, and there she was in her
+beautiful clothes.</p>
+
+<p>Well, the master&#8217;s son he got well very soon,
+and they were to be married in a little time. It
+was to be a very grand wedding, and everyone
+was asked, far and near. And Cap o&#8217; Rushes&#8217;
+father was asked. But she never told anybody
+who she was.</p>
+
+<p>But before the wedding, she went to the cook,
+and says she:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I want you to dress every dish without a mite
+of salt.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;ll be rare nasty,&rdquo; says the cook.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img186.jpg" width="500" height="368" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;and there she was in her beautiful clothes&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That doesn&#8217;t signify,&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>
+Well, the wedding day came, and they were
+married. And after they were married all the
+company sat down to the dinner. When they began
+to eat the meat, it was so tasteless they
+couldn&#8217;t eat it. But Cap o&#8217; Rushes&#8217; father tried
+first one dish and then another, and then he burst
+out crying.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s the matter?&rdquo; said the master&#8217;s son to
+him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;I had a daughter. And I
+asked her how much she loved me. And she said,
+&lsquo;As much as fresh meat loves salt.&rsquo; And I turned
+her from my door, for I thought she didn&#8217;t love
+me. And now I see she loved me best of all.
+And she may be dead for aught I know.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, father, here she is!&rdquo; said Cap o&#8217; Rushes.
+And she goes up to him and puts her arms round
+him.</p>
+
+<p>And so they were all happy ever after.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_J_10" id="Footnote_J_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_J_10"><span class="label">[J]</span></a> From &ldquo;English Fairy Tales,&rdquo; collected by Joseph Jacobs;
+used by permission of G. P. Putnam&#8217;s Sons.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FULFILLED" id="FULFILLED"></a>FULFILLED</h2>
+
+
+<p>It was Christmas eve, and in the great house
+on the hill there was much rejoicing and preparation
+for the feasting on the morrow. A knock
+came at the door, and two strangers stood there.
+&ldquo;We have lost our way,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;and the night
+is dark and cold, and we do not know where to
+go, and we would be glad to be allowed to stay
+for the night.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the farmer and his wife said &ldquo;No!&rdquo; very
+shortly. They had no room for beggars.</p>
+
+<p>So the strangers went to the foot of the hill
+where stood the small cottage of a laborer and
+his wife. In this house there was much happiness,
+but there was no preparation for feasting
+on the morrow. They were poor folk, who could
+not keep the feast.</p>
+
+<p>But when the strangers came the laborer opened
+the door wide and bade them enter and draw near
+the fire and warm themselves. And, because
+there was but one bed in the house, the laborer
+and his wife gave that to their guests, and themselves
+slept on straw in an outer room; but,
+strange to say, they never slept better in all their
+lives.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning they urged the strangers to
+stay with them, as it was a feast-day, and a sorry
+time for travelers to be on the road. And,
+because there was no meat in the house, the
+laborer went out and killed the one goat which
+they owned, and his wife dressed it, and cooked
+it, and made a feast. Then the strangers and
+the laborer and his wife went to church together,
+and all came home and sat down to the good
+dinner.</p>
+
+<p>And when they were departing one of the
+strangers said to the laborer: &ldquo;How many horns
+had the little goat?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The laborer looked a bit confused, for he had
+not meant that his guests should know that he
+had sacrificed his last goat for them, but he
+answered: &ldquo;Why, there were but two, of course.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the guests, &ldquo;you and your wife
+shall have two wishes, one for each of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The laborer and his wife looked at each other,
+at first in perplexity, and then they smiled. They
+were very contented, they said. They had looked
+into each other&#8217;s eyes, and had seen that which
+made for happiness and contentment. So they
+told the guests that they had no wishes to make:
+if they might but have their daily bread, and the
+hope of heaven when they died, there was nothing
+more.</p>
+
+<p>The strangers said that these things should
+certainly be fulfilled, and took their leave, promising
+to come again next year, and spend the
+night, and attend church, and share the feast
+with their friends.</p>
+
+<p>From that day on everything that the laborer
+and his wife did prospered. Their pigs were fat,
+and brought good prices on the market; their
+corn grew thick and tall, and the barns were filled
+with golden grain; their hens laid more and bigger
+eggs than ever before, so that soon the couple
+were no longer poor, but prosperous.</p>
+
+<p>They knew quite well to whom they owed such
+good fortune, and often spoke about it, and looked
+forward to the time when their friends should
+come again next year. For it seemed to them that
+they could hardly enjoy the good things that had
+been given to them until they had thanked those
+through whose favor the good fortune had come.</p>
+
+<p>Now, the farmer and his wife remembered that
+these strangers had first come to them; and when
+they heard the story they were envious, for, although
+they were rich, they were not content.</p>
+
+<p>So one day the farmer went down the hill to
+the laborer&#8217;s cottage and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;After all, your house is but small to entertain
+such guests. When they come again this year,
+send them up to our house, and we will give them
+a grand feast, and soft beds to sleep on, and take
+them to the church in our fine carriage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The laborer and his wife thought that it was
+very nice that their friends were to be so well
+entertained, and were very willing to promise to
+send them to the house of the farmer.</p>
+
+<p>So when the Christmas season was come the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span>
+farmer and his wife killed an ox, and prepared
+a great feast. And when the strangers came they
+were right royally entertained; but the next morning
+they said that they must hasten, as they were
+to enter the church with the friends of the year
+before. This was very satisfactory to the farmer
+and his wife, for they did not want to go to
+church on Christmas Day, but the farmer said
+that since the strangers were going to the church
+he would drive them there in his carriage.</p>
+
+<p>So the finest horses on the farm were harnessed
+to the carriage and it stood at the door. And just
+as they were about to drive away one of the
+strangers turned to the farmer, asking: &ldquo;Did you
+kill the ox for us?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; answered the farmer, eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And how many horns did he have?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This was the question that the farmer and his
+wife had been waiting for, and the farmer&#8217;s wife
+whispered in her husband&#8217;s ear: &ldquo;Say four&mdash;there
+will be that much more for us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the farmer answered: &ldquo;Indeed, it was a
+very peculiar ox; it had four horns.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the stranger, &ldquo;you shall have four
+wishes, two for each of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they mounted into the carriage and were
+driven off to the church, the farmer driving very
+fast, for he was eager to get back home to his
+wife so that they might talk over what they were
+to wish for.</p>
+
+<p>So when he started back the horses were pretty
+well &ldquo;blown,&rdquo; and could not go fast, and the
+farmer whipped them, and at last one of them
+stumbled and a trace broke. This was most provoking,
+and he could not wait to fix it right, but
+fastened it hastily, for he wanted to be at home
+again. Then the other horse stumbled, and the
+other trace broke, so both of them were down.</p>
+
+<p>At this the farmer was very angry. &ldquo;The
+wicked elves take you! I wish&mdash;&rdquo; But the words
+were not all out of his mouth before the horses
+had gone, leaving the harness dangling to the
+carriage.</p>
+
+<p>The farmer was indeed angry now, but there
+was nothing to be done about it, and he knew
+that he had but one wish left and he wanted to
+make that one very carefully, so he packed the
+harness on his back, left the wagon standing, and
+started home on foot.</p>
+
+<p>Now, at home the farmer&#8217;s wife was very impatient
+for him to come, for she wanted to talk
+over with him what her two wishes should be,
+and at last she exclaimed: &ldquo;Oh, I wish that he
+would hurry!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner were the words spoken than the
+farmer shot through the air and into the house,
+angry at having been brought so speedily, and
+at his wife for having so foolishly wasted a wish.
+So immediately they began to quarrel about it,
+and the farmer said that it was all her fault for
+making him lie about the number of horns on
+the ox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Plague take the woman!&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;I
+wish that two of the horns were growing out of
+her head this minute!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner were the words spoken than the
+woman threw her hands to her head and cried
+aloud in pain, for two horns were growing rapidly,
+one on each side of her head, and soon they
+were pushing through her hair and shoving her
+cap aside.</p>
+
+<p>But the farmer clapped his hand to his mouth
+exclaiming: &ldquo;Oh, that was my last wish. Do
+you now quickly wish for a million dollars!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Much good a million dollars would do me!&rdquo;
+said his wife, &ldquo;with horns on my head like an
+ox!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But you could buy bonnets of silk and of
+velvet and cover them up,&rdquo; pleaded her husband,
+who saw his last hope of riches disappearing, as,
+indeed, it did, for he had hardly stopped speaking
+when his wife exclaimed: &ldquo;I wish that the horns
+were gone off of my head.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And in a moment the horns were gone, and
+so was the last wish, and so was the hope for
+great riches, and so, also, were the two fine
+horses!</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GRISLY" id="GRISLY"></a>KING GRISLY-BEARD</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once there was a great King who had a daughter
+that was very beautiful, but so haughty and
+vain she thought none of the Princes who came
+to ask her in marriage were good enough for
+her, and she made sport of them.</p>
+
+<p>One day the King, her father, held a great
+feast, and invited all the Princes at once. They
+sat in a row, according to their rank&mdash;Kings and
+Princes and Dukes and Earls. Then the Princess
+came in, and passed down the line by them all;
+but she had something disagreeable to say to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>
+every one. The first was too fat. &ldquo;He&#8217;s as
+round as a tub!&rdquo; she said. The next one was
+too tall. &ldquo;What a flag-pole!&rdquo; she declared. The
+next was too short. &ldquo;What a dumpling!&rdquo; was
+her comment. The fourth was too pale, and so
+she called him &ldquo;Wall-face.&rdquo; The fifth was too
+red, and was named &ldquo;Coxcomb.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thus she had some joke upon every one, but
+she laughed more than all at a good King who
+was there. &ldquo;Look at him,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;his beard
+is like an old mop. I call him &lsquo;Grisly-Beard.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+So after that the good King got the nickname of
+&ldquo;Grisly-Beard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now the old King, her father, was very angry
+when he saw how badly his daughter behaved,
+and how she treated all his friends. So he said
+that, willing or unwilling, she should marry the
+first beggar that came to the door! All the Kings
+and Nobles heard him say this.</p>
+
+<p>Two days afterward a traveling singer came
+by. When he began to sing and beg alms the
+King heard him and said: &ldquo;Let him come in.&rdquo;
+So they brought in a dirty-looking fellow, and
+he sang before the King and the Princess. When
+he begged a gift the King said: &ldquo;You have sung
+so well that I will give you my daughter for your
+wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img189.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;you have sung so well i will give you my daughter for your wife&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>The Princess begged for mercy, but her father
+said: &ldquo;I shall keep my word.&rdquo; So the parson
+was sent for, and she was married to the singer.
+Then the King said: &ldquo;You must get ready; you
+can&#8217;t stay here any longer; you must travel on
+with your husband.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the beggar departed and took his wife
+with him.</p>
+
+<p>Soon they came to a great wood. &ldquo;Whose wood
+is this?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It belongs to King Grisly-Beard,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;If
+you had taken him this would have been yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, unlucky girl that I am! I wish I had
+taken King Grisly-Beard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Next they came to some fine meadows. &ldquo;Whose
+are these beautiful green meadows?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They belong to King Grisly-Beard. If you
+had taken him they would have been yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, unlucky girl that I am! I wish indeed I
+had married King Grisly-Beard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they came to a great city. &ldquo;Whose is this
+noble city?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It belongs to King Grisly-Beard,&rdquo; he said
+again. &ldquo;If you had taken him this would have
+been yours, also.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 184px;">
+<img src="images/img190.jpg" width="184" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">a drunken soldier rode his horse against her stall</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, miserable girl that I am,&rdquo; she sighed.
+&ldquo;Why did I not marry King Grisly-Beard?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is no business of mine,&rdquo; said the singer.</p>
+
+<p>At last they came to a small cottage. &ldquo;To
+whom does this little hovel belong?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This is yours and mine,&rdquo; said the beggar.
+&ldquo;This is where we are to live.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are your servants?&rdquo; she asked, falteringly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We cannot afford servants,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;You
+will have to do whatever is to be done. Now,
+make the fire and put on water and cook my
+supper.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Princess knew nothing of making fires and
+cooking, and the beggar was forced to help her.
+Early the next morning he called her to clean
+the house.</p>
+
+<p>Thus they lived for three days, and when they
+had eaten up all there was in the cottage, the man
+said: &ldquo;Wife, we can&#8217;t go on like this, spending
+money and earning nothing. You must learn to
+weave baskets.&rdquo; So he went out and cut willows,
+and brought them home and taught her how to
+weave. But it made her fingers very sore.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I see that this will never do,&rdquo; said her husband;
+&ldquo;try and spin. Perhaps you will do that
+better.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she sat down and tried to spin, and her
+husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut
+her tender fingers till the blood ran.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am afraid you are good for nothing,&rdquo; said
+the man. &ldquo;What a bargain I have got. However,
+I will try and set up a trade in pots and
+pans, and you shall stand in the market and sell
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; sighed she, &ldquo;when I stand in the market,
+if any of my father&#8217;s court pass by and see
+me there, how they will laugh at me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the beggar said she must work, if she did
+not wish to die of hunger. At first, the trade
+went very well, for many people, seeing such a
+beautiful woman, bought her wares and paid their
+money without thinking of taking away the goods.
+Then her husband bought a fresh lot of ware,
+and she sat down one day with it in the corner
+of the market; but a drunken soldier came by
+and rode his horse against her stall, and broke
+her goods into a thousand pieces. So she began
+to weep: &ldquo;Ah, what will become of me?&rdquo; said
+she. &ldquo;What will my husband say?&rdquo; So she ran
+home and told him all.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How silly you were,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;to put a china-stall
+in the corner of the market where everybody
+passes; but let us have no more crying.
+I see you are not fit for this sort of work; so I
+will go to the King&#8217;s palace and ask if they do not
+want a kitchen-maid.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the next day the Princess became a kitchen-maid,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>
+and helped the cook do all the dirtiest work.</p>
+
+<p>She had not been there long before she heard
+that the eldest son of the King of that country
+was going to be married. She looked out of one
+of the windows and saw all the ladies and gentlemen
+of the court in fine array. Then she thought
+with a sore heart of her own sad fate. Her husband,
+it is true, had been in a way kind to her;
+but she realized now the pride and folly which
+had brought her so low.</p>
+
+<p>All of a sudden, as she was going out to take
+some food to her husband in their humble cottage,
+the King&#8217;s son in golden clothes broke through
+the crowd; and when he saw a beautiful woman
+at the kitchen door, he took her by the hand and
+said that she should be his partner in the dance.</p>
+
+<p>Then she trembled for fear, for when she looked
+up she saw that it was King Grisly-Beard himself
+who was making fun of her. However, he led
+her into the ballroom, and as he did so the cover
+of her basket came off, so that the fragments of
+food in it fell to the floor. Then everybody
+laughed and jeered at her, and she wished herself
+a thousand feet deep in the earth.</p>
+
+<p>She sprang to the door to run away; but King
+Grisly-Beard overtook her, brought her back, and
+threw his golden cloak over her shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do not be afraid, my dear,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;I am
+the beggar who has lived with you in the hut.
+I brought you there because I loved you. I am
+also the soldier who upset your stall. I have
+done all this to cure you of your pride. Now it
+is all over; you have learned wisdom, and it is
+time for us to hold our marriage feast.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the maids came and brought her the most
+beautiful robes, and her father and his whole
+court came in and wished her much happiness.
+The feast was grand, and all were merry; and
+I wish you and I had been of the party.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img191.jpg" width="500" height="361" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img192a.jpg" width="500" height="208" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+<p style="font-size: 1.5em; margin-top: -9em; margin-bottom: 8em;"><em><strong>The Country Rat<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">and the Town Rat</span></strong></em></p>
+
+
+<p>A Country Rat invited a Town Rat, an intimate friend,
+to pay him a visit, and partake of his country fare. As
+they were on the bare plough-lands, eating their wheat-stalks
+and roots pulled up from the hedge row, the Town
+Rat said to his friend, &ldquo;You live here the life of the ants,
+while in my house is the horn of plenty. I am surrounded
+with every luxury, and if you will come with me, as I
+much wish you would, you shall have an ample share of
+my dainties.&rdquo; The Country Rat was easily persuaded, and
+returned to town with his friend. On his arrival, the Town
+Rat placed before him bread, barley, beans, dried figs, honey,
+raisins, and last of all, brought a dainty piece of cheese from
+a basket. The Country Rat being much delighted at the
+sight of such good cheer, expressed his satisfaction in warm
+terms, and lamented his own hard fate. Just as they were
+beginning to eat, some one opened the door, and they both
+ran off squeaking as fast as they could to a hole so narrow
+that two could only find room in it by squeezing. They had
+scarcely again begun their repast when someone else entered
+to take something out of a cupboard, on which the two
+Rats, more frightened than before, ran away and hid themselves.
+At last the Country Rat, almost famished, thus
+addressed his friend: &ldquo;Although you have prepared for me
+so dainty a feast, I must leave you to enjoy it by
+yourself. It is surrounded by too many dangers to
+please me. I prefer my bare plough-lands and
+roots from the hedge row, so that I only
+can live in safety and without fear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 250px;">
+<img src="images/img192b.jpg" width="250" height="140" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p class="center"><em><strong>Peace is more desirable
+than wealth</strong></em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2>FABLES</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 431px;">
+<img src="images/img193.jpg" width="431" height="500" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE FOX AND THE GOAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Fox one day tried to drink at a well when
+he caught his feet on a stone and fell into the
+water. It was not so deep as to drown him, yet
+the poor Fox could not get out. Soon a Goat
+came that way. He, too, thought he would drink,
+but then he saw the Fox in the well, so he said,
+&ldquo;Is the water good?&rdquo; &ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said the Fox,
+&ldquo;it is very good and nice, and there is a lot of it.&rdquo;
+In sprang the Goat, and at once the Fox sprang
+on to his back, and thence out of the well. &ldquo;Ah,
+my friend!&rdquo; said he, as he stood safe on the
+brink, &ldquo;if your brains had been as large as
+your beard, you would have seen where you
+meant to jump to!&rdquo; and then the sly Fox ran
+off and left the poor Goat in the well. <em>Look
+before you leap.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FROGS" id="FROGS"></a>THE TWO FROGS</h2>
+
+
+<p>Two Frogs were neighbors. The one inhabited
+a deep pond, far removed from public view; the
+other lived in a gully containing little water, and
+traversed by a country road. He that lived in the
+pond warned his friend, and entreated him to
+change his residence and come and live with him,
+saying that he could enjoy greater safety from
+danger and more abundant food. The other refused,
+saying that he felt it so very hard to remove
+from a place to which he had become accustomed.
+A few days afterward a heavy wagon
+passed through the gully, and crushed him to
+death under its wheels. <em>A wilful man will have
+his way to his own hurt.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="MANGER" id="MANGER"></a>THE DOG IN THE MANGER</h2>
+
+
+<p>A cross Dog lay in a manger full of hay; and
+when the Ox came near to eat his own food, the
+rude and ill-bred cur at once began to snarl and
+bite at him. &ldquo;What a selfish Beast thou art!&rdquo;
+said the Ox; &ldquo;thou canst not eat the hay thyself,
+nor wilt thou look on while others feed.&rdquo; <em>Do
+not be selfish.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="STAG" id="STAG"></a>THE STAG AT THE POOL</h2>
+
+
+<p>One hot day, a Stag, who came down from the
+hills to quench his thirst at a pool of clear water,
+saw his form in the stream. &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said he,
+&ldquo;what fine horns these are&mdash;with what grace do
+they rise above my head! I wish that all the
+parts of my body were as good as they. But
+sometimes I quite blush at these poor, thin, weak
+legs of mine.&rdquo; While he thought thus, all at
+once the cries of the huntsman and the bay of
+the hounds were heard. Away flew the Stag, and
+by the aid of these same thin, weak legs he soon
+outran the hunt. At last he found himself in a
+wood, and he had the bad luck to catch his fine
+horns in the branch of a tree, where he was held
+till the hounds came up and caught him. He now
+saw how foolish he had been in thinking so ill
+of his legs which would have brought him safely
+away, and in being so vain of those horns which
+had caused his ruin. <em>The useful is better than
+the beautiful.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="ASS" id="ASS"></a>THE WAR-HORSE AND THE ASS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A War-Horse, grand in all the trappings of
+war, came with a great noise down the road. The
+ground rang with the sound of his hoofs. At
+the same time a meek Ass went with tired step
+down the same road with a great load on his back.
+The Horse cried to the poor Ass to &ldquo;get out of
+my way, or I will crush you beneath my feet.&rdquo;
+The Ass, who did not wish to make the proud
+horse cross, at once went to the side, so that he
+might pass him. Not long after this, the Horse
+was sent to the wars. There he had the ill-luck
+to get a bad wound, and in that state, as he was
+not fit to serve in the field of war, his fine clothes
+were taken from him, and he was sold to the man
+with whom the Ass dwelt. Thus the Ass and the
+Horse met once more, but this time the grand
+War-Horse was, with great pains and toil, drawing
+a cart with a load of bricks. Then the Ass
+saw what small cause he had to think his lot
+worse than that of the Horse, who had in times
+gone by treated him with so much scorn. <em>Pride
+will have a fall.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="WHO" id="WHO"></a>THE FROGS WHO WANTED A KING</h2>
+
+
+<p>In old times when the Frogs swam at ease
+through the ponds and lakes, they grew tired of
+their tame mode of life. They thought they would
+like some kind of change, so they all met and
+with much noise prayed to Jove to send them a
+King. Jove and all the gods laughed loud at the
+Frogs, and with a view to please them he threw to
+them a log, and said, &ldquo;There is a King for you!&rdquo;
+The loud fall of the log made a great splash in
+the lake, which sent a thrill through all the Frogs;
+and it was long ere they dared to take a peep
+at their new lord and King. At length some of
+the more brave swam to him, and they were soon
+followed by the rest; and when they saw that he
+did not move but lay quite still, they leaped upon
+his back, and sprang and sang on him, and cried
+out that he was no King but a log. Such a
+King did not at all please them; so they sent a
+fresh prayer to Jove to beg him for a King who
+had some life, and would move. Then Jove sent
+a Stork, and said he thought this would suit
+them. The Stork had but just come to the Frogs
+than he set to work to eat them up as fast as he
+could. Of course the Frogs did not like this new
+King even as well as King Log, and they sent at
+once to Jove and prayed to him to take away
+the Stork. They would rather have no King at
+all than all be eaten up. But Jove would not
+grant their prayer this time. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;it
+was your own wish, and if you will be so vain
+and foolish, you must pay the cost.&rdquo; <em>It is better
+to bear the ills we have than fly to those we
+know not of.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img195a.jpg" width="450" height="154" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE OX AND THE FROG</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 130px;">
+<img src="images/img195b.jpg" width="130" height="59" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+An ox, drinking at a pool, trod on a brood of young
+frogs, and crushed one of them to death. The
+mother coming up, and missing one of her sons, inquired
+of his brothers what had become of him.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+&ldquo;He is dead,&rdquo; said they; &ldquo;for just now a very huge
+beast with four great feet came to the pool and crushed
+him with his cloven heel.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+The frog, puffing herself out, inquired, &ldquo;Was the beast
+as big as <em>that</em> in size?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+&ldquo;Cease mother, to puff yourself out,&rdquo; said her son, &ldquo;and
+do not be angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner
+burst than successfully imitate the hugeness of that monster.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>To know the limitations of our nature, and act accordingly,
+is the part of wisdom.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img196a.jpg" width="450" height="109" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE HERON WHO WAS<br />
+HARD TO PLEASE</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 108px;">
+<img src="images/img196b.jpg" width="108" height="26" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A heron having bolted down too large
+a fish, burst its deep gullet-bag and lay
+down on the shore to die. A kite seeing
+it, exclaimed: &ldquo;You richly deserve your
+fate; for a bird of the air has
+no business to seek its
+food from the sea.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 189px;">
+<img src="images/img196c.jpg" width="189" height="282" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Everyone should be content
+to mind his own business.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE SHEPHERD BOY AND THE WOLF</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Shepherd Boy, who tended his sheep in a
+field near a village, used to make fun of his
+friends by crying out now and then, &ldquo;A Wolf! a
+Wolf!&rdquo; as if a Wolf were at the heels of his
+sheep. This trick did well more than once. The
+men who were in the village would leave their
+work, and come in hot haste to the boy&#8217;s help,
+each man with an axe or a club with which to
+kill the Wolf. But as each time they found that
+it was a Boy&#8217;s joke, they made up their minds
+not to come at his cries. One day the Wolf did
+come; and the Boy cried and cried, &ldquo;The Wolf!
+The Wolf! Help! Help!&rdquo; But it was all in
+vain, each man thought he was at his old game
+again. So the Wolf ate the poor Sheep. <em>No one
+trusts a liar even when he speaks the truth.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="COCK" id="COCK"></a>THE ASS, THE COCK, AND THE LION</h2>
+
+
+<p>An Ass and a Cock one day ate together just
+as a fine Lion passed by. As soon as he had
+cast his eyes on the Ass, he made up his mind to
+make a meal of him. But it is said that the Lion,
+though he is the King of Beasts, dreads to hear
+a cock crow. Now, it came to pass that, just
+as the Lion was in the act of springing on the
+Ass, the Cock sent forth a loud and shrill crow.
+The Lion took to his heels at once, and ran off as
+fast as he could. The Ass saw this, and thought
+that the Lion was running off through fear of
+him. So he gave a great bray, and threw up his
+head, and started to chase the runaway King of
+Beasts. But they had not gone far in this way
+when the Lion turned round. He soon saw that
+there was but an Ass behind him; so he stood still
+in his flight, laid hold of the poor Ass, and soon
+tore him to pieces. <em>Pride oft leads to ruin.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BEAR" id="BEAR"></a>THE LION, THE BEAR, AND THE FOX</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Lion and a Bear were roaming together in
+the wood when they found a dead Fawn. &ldquo;This
+belongs to me,&rdquo; cried the Bear, for she had been
+the first to catch sight of it. &ldquo;No! to me,&rdquo; said
+the Lion; &ldquo;am I not the King of Beasts?&rdquo; As
+they could not agree as to who should own the
+body of the Fawn, they fell to blows. The fight
+was hard and long; and at last both were so faint
+and weak with loss of blood that they lay down
+on the ground and panted, for they were quite out
+of breath. Just then a Fox went by, and saw
+that the Bear and the Lion had no strength left,
+so he quickly stepped in between them and bore
+off the Fawn as his prize. &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;how
+foolish we have been! The end of all our fighting
+has been to give that sly scamp the Fox a good
+meal.&rdquo; <em>Half a loaf is better than no bread.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HORSE" id="HORSE"></a>THE HORSE AND THE STAG</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Horse had the plain entirely to himself.
+A Stag intruded into his domain, and shared his
+pasture. The Horse desiring to revenge himself
+on the stranger, requested a man, if he were willing
+to help him in punishing the Stag. The man
+replied, that if the Horse would receive a bit in
+his mouth, and agree to carry him, that he would
+contrive effectual weapons against the Stag. The
+Horse consented and allowed the man to mount
+him. From that hour he found that, instead of
+obtaining revenge on the Stag, he had enslaved
+himself to the service of man. <em>Beware of him
+who demands pay for a courtesy.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BOAR" id="BOAR"></a>THE LION AND THE BOAR</h2>
+
+
+<p>On a summer day, when the great heat induced
+a general thirst, a Lion and a Boar came
+at the same moment to a small well to drink.
+They fiercely disputed which of them should drink
+first, and were soon engaged in the agonies of a
+mortal combat. On their stopping on a sudden to
+take breath for the fiercer renewal of the strife,
+they saw some Vultures waiting in the distance
+to feast on the one which should fall first. They
+at once made up their quarrel, saying, &ldquo;<em>It is better
+for us to make friends than to become the food
+of Crows or Vultures.</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FISHERMAN" id="FISHERMAN"></a>THE HUNTSMAN AND THE FISHERMAN</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Huntsman, returning with his dogs from
+the field, fell in by chance with a Fisherman,
+bringing home a basket well laden with fish. The
+Huntsman wished to have the fish; and their
+owner experienced an equal longing for the
+contents of the game-bag. They quickly agreed
+to exchange the produce of their day&#8217;s sport.
+Each was so well pleased with his bargain that
+for some time they made the same exchange day
+after day. A neighbor said to them, &ldquo;If you go
+on in this way, you will soon destroy, by frequent
+use, the pleasure of your exchange, and each will
+again wish to retain the fruits of his own sport.&rdquo;
+<em>Abstain and enjoy.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img198a.jpg" width="450" height="220" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE ASS<br />
+IN THE LION&#8217;S SKIN</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 95px;">
+<img src="images/img198b.jpg" width="95" height="64" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+An ass, having put on the lion&#8217;s skin, roamed
+about in the forest, and amused himself by
+frightening all the foolish animals he met with in
+his wanderings. At last, meeting a fox, he tried
+to frighten him also, but the fox no sooner heard
+the sound of his voice than he exclaimed: &ldquo;I
+might possibly have been frightened myself, if I
+had not heard you bray.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Deceitfulness has too many ill-concealed marks
+to escape discovery by someone, sometime.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img199a.jpg" width="450" height="328" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 6em;">the cat and the monkey</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 2.5em;">a miller, his son, and their ass</span></p>
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img199b.jpg" width="450" height="332" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 5em;">the hare and the tortoise</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 2em;">the town rat and the country rat</span><br />
+<span class="caption1" style="margin-left: 14em;">from drawings by bess bruce cleveland</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img200a.jpg" width="450" height="326" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 5em;">the hen and the golden eggs</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 3em;">the lion and the gnat</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img200b.jpg" width="450" height="330" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 6em;">the ass in the lion&#8217;s skin</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 4em;">the ox and the frog</span><br />
+<span class="caption1" style="margin-left: 14em;">from drawings by bess bruce cleveland</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img201a.jpg" width="450" height="200" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE HARE and THE TORTOISE</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 118px;">
+<img src="images/img201b.jpg" width="118" height="22" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace
+of the tortoise. The latter laughing, said: &ldquo;Though
+you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.&rdquo; The
+hare, deeming her assertion to be simply impossible assented
+to the proposal; and they agreed that the fox should choose
+the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for
+the race they started together. The tortoise never for a
+moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace
+straight to the end of the course. The hare, trusting to
+his native swiftness, cared little about the race, and lying
+down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last, waking up,
+and moving as fast as he could, he saw the tortoise had
+reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her
+fatigue.</p>
+
+<p class="center" style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+<em>Slow and steady wins the race.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE FOX AND THE WOOD-CUTTER</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Fox, running before the hounds, came across
+a Wood-cutter felling an oak, and besought him
+to show him a safe hiding-place. The Wood-cutter
+advised him to take shelter in his own hut.
+The Fox crept in and hid himself in a corner.
+The huntsman came up with his hounds, in a
+few minutes, and inquired of the Wood-cutter if
+he had not seen the Fox. He declared that he
+had not seen him, and yet pointed, all the time he
+was speaking, to the hut where the Fox lay hid.
+The huntsman took no notice of the signs, but,
+believing his word, hastened forward in the chase.
+As soon as they were well away, the Fox departed
+without taking any notice of the Wood-cutter:
+whereon he called to him, and reproached
+him, saying, &ldquo;You ungrateful fellow, you owe
+your life to me, and yet you leave me without a
+word of thanks.&rdquo; The Fox replied, &ldquo;Indeed, I
+should have thanked you fervently, <em>if your deeds
+had been as good as your words, and if your
+hands had not been traitors to your speech</em>.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="OTHER" id="OTHER"></a>THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS ON A HUNT</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Lion and a lot of other Beasts made a
+plan to share whatever they caught when they
+went on a hunt. The first day they went out
+they took a fat Stag, which was cut up into three
+parts. The Lion said he would be the chief
+judge, and laid his paw on one of the shares,
+and thus spoke: &ldquo;This first piece I claim as your
+lord and king; this part, too, I claim as the most
+brave and most fierce of you all; and as for the
+third,&rdquo; he cried, as he bent his big, bright eyes on
+the crowd of Beasts, &ldquo;I mean to take that, too,
+and let me see which of you dare stop me!&rdquo;
+<em>Might is apt to make a right.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="EAGLE" id="EAGLE"></a>THE EAGLE AND THE ARROW</h2>
+
+
+<p>A man shot a shaft at an Eagle, and hit him
+in the heart. When in the pains of death, the
+Eagle saw that the dart was made in part with
+one of his own quills. &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;how much
+more sharp are wounds which are made by arms
+which we have ourselves made!&rdquo; <em>It is sad to
+find that we are the cause of our own ills.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="MOUSE" id="MOUSE"></a>THE MOUSE AND THE FROG</h2>
+
+
+<p>One day a Mouse met a Frog, and so well did
+they like each other that they said they would
+travel together. The Frog feared lest the Mouse
+should come to harm, and so tied his own hind-leg
+to the fore-leg of the Mouse. After a walk
+of some days like this on land, they came to a
+pond. The Frog made a start to swim, and bade
+the Mouse be of good heart. When they had got
+half-way over, the Frog made a sharp plunge to
+the bottom&mdash;and of course took the Mouse with
+him. The poor Mouse tried so hard to get to the
+top of the water again, and made such a splash,
+and such a noise, that a Kite that was flying past
+heard it, flew down, caught the Mouse, bore him
+off, and took the Frog with him. <em>Self-help is
+best.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GOAT" id="GOAT"></a>THE WOLF AND THE GOAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>As a Goat stood on the top of a high rock,
+a Wolf who could not get at her where she
+was thus spoke to her: &ldquo;Pray come down; I
+much fear that you will fall from that great
+height; and you will, too, find the grass down
+here much more fresh and thick.&rdquo; &ldquo;I am much
+pleased by your kind thought,&rdquo; said the Goat, &ldquo;but
+do not mind if I do not accept it, as I think that
+you think more of your own meal than of mine.&rdquo;
+<em>Keep far from those you do not trust.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BAD" id="BAD"></a>THE BAD DOG</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once a Dog which was so fierce
+and bad that his master had to tie a big clog
+round his neck lest he should bite and tease men
+and boys in the street. The Dog thought that
+this was a thing to be proud of, so ran through
+the best known streets, and grew so vain that he
+scorned the dogs he met, and would not be seen
+with them. But one of them said in his ear,
+&ldquo;You are wrong, my friend; the badge round
+your neck is a mark of shame, not a cause for
+pride.&rdquo; <em>Some win fame only for their folly.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="KID" id="KID"></a>THE KID AND THE WOLF</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Kid who had left the side of her dam was
+caught by a Wolf. When she saw that the Wolf
+had got her fast, and that there was no chance
+of flight, the Kid said, &ldquo;If my life is to be short,
+let it at least be gay. Do you pipe for a time,
+and I will dance.&rdquo; So the Wolf set to play and
+the Kid to dance; but the music was heard by
+some Dogs who were near, and they ran to find
+out what it was for. When the Wolf saw them
+on their way he ran off as fast as his legs could
+go, and then the Dogs took the Kid home to her
+dam. <em>There is oft a slip between the cup and
+the lip.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img203a.jpg" width="450" height="111" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE FOX AND THE GRAPES</h2>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A famished fox saw some clusters of
+rich black grapes hanging from
+a trellised vine. She resorted to all
+her tricks to get them, but wearied
+herself in vain, for she could not reach
+high enough. At last, she turned
+away, beguiling herself of her disappointment
+by saying: &ldquo;The grapes are
+sour, and not ripe
+as I thought.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 302px;">
+<img src="images/img203b.jpg" width="302" height="255" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Disappointment may be lightened
+by philosophy, even if the latter is wrong.</em></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 70px;">
+<img src="images/img203c.jpg" width="70" height="29" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img204a.jpg" width="450" height="151" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE FOX AND THE RAVEN</h2>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A raven having stolen a bit of cheese, perched in a
+tree, and held it in her beak. A fox seeing her longed
+to possess himself of the cheese, and by wily stratagem
+succeeded. &ldquo;How handsome is the raven,&rdquo; he exclaimed,
+&ldquo;in the beauty of her shape, and in the fairness of her
+complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her
+beauty, she would deservedly be considered the
+Queen of the birds!&rdquo; This he said
+deceitfully; but the raven, anxious
+to refute the reflection cast upon
+her voice, set up a loud caw, and
+dropped the cheese. The fox quickly
+picked it up, and thus addressed
+the raven: &ldquo;My good raven, your voice
+is right enough, but your wit is wanting.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 230px;">
+<img src="images/img204b.jpg" width="230" height="289" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Flattery is often a mask to hide evil.</em></p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE BULL AND THE GOAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Bull fled from a Lion and ran into a cave
+where a Goat lived. The Goat tried to stop his
+entrance, and struck at him with his horns. The
+Bull, though cross at this, did not butt at the
+Goat on the spot, but just said, &ldquo;Do not think
+that I fear you. Wait till the Lion is out of
+sight, and then I will treat you as you deserve.&rdquo;
+<em>Never profit by the woes of others.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SWAN" id="SWAN"></a>THE RAVEN AND THE SWAN</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Raven who did not like his black coat had
+the wish to grow as white as a Swan. So he
+left his old friends and haunts, and went to the
+streams and lakes, where he spent all his time
+washing and dressing his clothes; but all was
+of no use, he was just as black as ever; and as
+he had not had food that was good for him, he
+soon grew ill and died. <em>We cannot change our
+skins.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THIEF" id="THIEF"></a>THE THIEF AND THE DOG</h2>
+
+
+<p>One night a Thief came to a house that he
+meant to rob; but he knew that he had no chance
+to do this till he had made the Dog who took care
+of it quiet. So he threw to him some sops with
+the hope that that would stop his bark. &ldquo;Get out
+will you!&rdquo; cried the Dog; &ldquo;I did not trust you
+from the first, but now I know that you mean no
+good!&rdquo; <em>Do not take a bribe to do wrong.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="LOADED" id="LOADED"></a>THE HORSE AND THE LOADED ASS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A man who had a Horse and an Ass had a
+way of putting all the load on the back of the
+Ass, and none on the Horse. One day as they
+went in this way by a long, long road, the poor
+tired Ass tried to get the Horse to help him to
+bear his load. But the Horse was not kind, and
+said lots of cruel things to the Ass and said he
+must trudge on in front. The Ass did trudge on;
+but the weight was too much for him, so he fell
+down on the road, and at once died. The man
+then came up, took the load from the back of the
+Ass, and laid it on that of the Horse; and made
+him bear the body of the Ass, too. So the Horse
+was punished, and at last had to bear the whole
+of the load. <em>Be kind to the weak.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SALT" id="SALT"></a>THE ASS WITH THE SALT</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Man who had an Ass heard that salt was to
+be bought for less gold at the seaside than where
+he was, so he went there to buy some. He put
+as much on his Ass as he could bear, and was
+going home, when just as they had to cross a
+small bridge, the Ass fell into the stream; the
+salt at once melted, so the Ass with ease got up
+the bank, and, now free from his load, went on
+his way with a light heart. Very soon after this
+the man went to the seaside once more, and put
+still more salt on his Ass. As they went their
+way they came once more to the bridge where the
+Ass fell into the stream. The Ass thought of his
+fall and what had come of it, and this time took
+care to roll into the water once more; the salt
+was again gone, and he was free from his load.
+The Man was cross at this, and thought to cure
+the Ass of this trick, so the third time he gave
+him a load of sponges. As soon as they came
+to the bridge the Ass fell into the stream; but
+as the sponges drew in the water he found as he
+trudged home that this time his load had grown
+in weight. <em>We may play a trick once too often.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="JEWEL" id="JEWEL"></a>THE COCK AND THE JEWEL</h2>
+
+
+<p>As a young Cock tried to find food for himself
+and his Hens in a farmyard, he saw a gem which
+shone with bright rays, and which some one had
+let fall there. The Cock did not see what use
+such a thing could be to him, and did not stop
+to think if it might be of use to any one else.
+But he shook his head with a wise air, and said:
+&ldquo;You shine like a very fine and rare thing, but
+for my part my taste lies in quite another line. I
+would rather have a grain of corn than all the
+gems in the world.&rdquo; <em>Learn how to use all things
+for good.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="TAIL" id="TAIL"></a>THE FOX WHO HAD LOST HIS TAIL</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Fox, caught in a trap, escaped with the loss
+of his &ldquo;brush.&rdquo; Henceforth feeling his life a
+burden from the shame and ridicule to which he
+was exposed, he schemed to bring all the other
+Foxes into a like condition with himself, that in
+the common loss he might the better conceal his
+own deprivation. He assembled a good many
+Foxes, and publicly advised them to cut off their
+tails saying &ldquo;that they would not only look much
+better without them, but that they would get rid
+of the weight of the brush, which was a great
+inconvenience.&rdquo; One of them interrupting him
+said, &ldquo;<em>If you had not yourself lost your tail, my
+friend, you would not thus counsel us.</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img206a.jpg" width="450" height="217" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE EAGLE AND THE JACKDAW</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 121px;">
+<img src="images/img206b.jpg" width="121" height="34" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+An eagle flying down from his eyrie on a lofty rock, seized
+upon a lamb, and carried him aloft in his talons. A
+jackdaw, who witnessed the capture of the lamb, was
+stirred with envy, and determined to emulate the strength
+and flight of the eagle. He flew around with a great whir
+of his wings, and settled upon a large ram, with the intention
+of carrying him off; but his claws becoming entangled in his
+fleece he was not able to release himself, although he
+fluttered with his feathers as much as he could. The
+shepherd, seeing what had happened, ran up and caught
+him. He at once clipped his wings, and taking him home at night,
+gave him to his children. On their saying:
+&ldquo;Father, what kind of bird is it?&rdquo; he
+replied: &ldquo;To my certain knowledge
+he is a daw; but he will have it
+that he is an eagle.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 142px;">
+<img src="images/img206c.jpg" width="142" height="169" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>We should know our weakness
+and our strength.</em></p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img207a.jpg" width="450" height="209" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE HEN AND THE GOLDEN EGGS</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 118px;">
+<img src="images/img207b.jpg" width="118" height="82" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A Cottager and his wife had a hen which
+laid every day a golden egg. They supposed
+that it must contain a great lump of gold in
+its inside, and killed it in order that they might
+get it, when to their surprise they found that the
+hen differed in no respect from their other hens.
+The foolish pair, thus hoping to become rich all
+at once, deprived themselves of the gain of which
+they were day by day assured.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>It is better to be content with small
+things that are certain than to seek big
+things that are uncertain.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE DOG AND THE ASS</h2>
+
+
+<p>An Ass laden with loaves of bread was going
+on a long journey with a dog to guard him from
+harm. Before the journey was ended both were
+famished with hunger, which the Ass was able
+to appease by eating the grass and thistles that
+grew by the roadside. Seeing this, the dog&#8217;s hunger
+became still sharper, so that he begged for
+a piece of bread from the Ass&#8217;s load.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you are hungry,&rdquo; said the Ass rudely, &ldquo;you
+can eat grass just as I do. I have no bread
+to give you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just then they saw, in the distance, a Wolf
+loping toward them, and the trembling Ass begged
+the dog to protect him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the dog. &ldquo;People who live alone
+will have to fight alone.&rdquo; And he went off and
+left the unfortunate Ass to his fate.</p>
+
+<p><em>When your friends need you, go to their assistance.
+You do not know when you may need
+them.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SUN" id="SUN"></a>THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN</h2>
+
+
+<p>The North Wind and the Sun had a discussion
+as to which was the stronger, and had the more
+power, and finally agreed that the first to compel
+a traveler to remove his cloak should be the
+winner in the contest between them. The North
+Wind began, by blowing a strong blast, thinking
+to tear away the traveler&#8217;s cloak. But his breath
+was so cold, that he only succeeded in making the
+traveler wind his garment more and more closely
+around him, until he resembled a sheath.</p>
+
+<p>Then came the Sun&#8217;s turn, and he shed his
+beams on the poor man&#8217;s head so that he loosened
+his cloak, and basked in their warmth, and finally
+quite forgetful of the cold, he cast his cloak
+aside and took shelter from the heat under a tree
+that grew by the roadside.</p>
+
+<p><em>Gentleness is often stronger than force.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FOX" id="FOX"></a>THE FOX AND THE LION</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Fox who had never yet seen a Lion, when
+he fell in with him by a certain chance for the
+first time in the forest, was so frightened that he
+was near dying with fear. On his meeting with
+him for the second time, he was still much
+alarmed, but not to the same extent as at first.
+On seeing him the third time, he so increased in
+boldness that he went up to him, and commenced
+a familiar conversation with him.</p>
+
+<p><em>Acquaintance softens prejudices.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="PITCHER" id="PITCHER"></a>THE CROW AND THE PITCHER</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher,
+and, hoping to find water, flew to it with great
+delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his
+grief that it contained so little water that he
+could not possibly get at it. He tried everything
+he could think of to reach the water, but all his
+efforts were in vain. At last he collected as
+many stones as he could carry, and dropped them
+one by one with his beak, into the pitcher, until
+he brought the water within his reach, and thus
+saved his life.</p>
+
+<p><em>Necessity is the mother of invention.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SHADOW" id="SHADOW"></a>THE ASS AND HIS SHADOW</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Traveler hired an Ass to convey him to a
+distant place. The day being intensely hot, and
+the sun shining in its strength, the traveler
+stopped to rest, and sought shelter from the heat
+under the Shadow of the Ass. As this afforded
+only protection for one, and as the traveler and
+the owner of the Ass both claimed it, a violent
+dispute arose between them as to which had
+the right to it. The owner maintained that he
+had let the Ass only, and not his Shadow. The
+traveler asserted that he had, with the hire of the
+Ass, hired his Shadow also. The quarrel proceeded
+from words to blows, and while the men
+fought the Ass galloped off.</p>
+
+<p><em>In quarreling about the shadow we often lose
+the substance.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CRANE" id="CRANE"></a>THE WOLF AND THE CRANE</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Wolf, having a bone stuck in his throat,
+hired a Crane for a large sum to put his head
+into his throat and draw out the bone. When
+the Crane had extracted the bone, and demanded
+the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and
+grinding his teeth, exclaimed: &ldquo;Why, you have
+surely already a sufficient recompense in having
+been permitted to draw out your head in safety
+from the mouth and jaws of a wolf.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and
+be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 426px;">
+<img src="images/img209a.jpg" width="426" height="167" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE FOX AND THE CRANE</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 79px;">
+<img src="images/img209b.jpg" width="79" height="38" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A fox invited a crane to supper, and provided
+nothing for his entertainment but some soup
+made of pulse, and poured out into a broad, flat stone
+dish. The soup fell out of the long bill of the
+crane at every mouthful, and his vexation at not
+being able to eat afforded the fox most intense
+amusement.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+The crane, in his turn, asked the fox to sup with
+him, and set before her a flagon, with a long, narrow
+mouth, so that he could easily insert his neck,
+and enjoy its contents at his leisure; while the fox,
+unable even to taste it, met with a fitting requital,
+after the fashion of her own hospitality.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Unfeeling jests and pranks at the expense of
+others beget unhappiness and discomfort at the
+expense of ourselves.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img210.jpg" width="450" height="341" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.5em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: -14em;"><strong>THE CAT</strong><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1.2em; font-variant: small-caps;"><strong>and</strong></span></p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.5em; margin-left: 20em; margin-bottom: 10em;"><span style="margin-left: 1.5em; font-variant: small-caps;"><strong>the</strong></span><br />
+<strong>MONKEY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A monkey once found some chestnuts, which he
+put on the hot coals of a fire to roast.
+He was puzzled, however, as to how he should
+get them again without burning himself. Seeing
+a nice tabby cat in a corner, he thus accosted
+her: &ldquo;Please come and sit with me awhile,
+for I am lonely.&rdquo; Puss took a seat at the monkey&#8217;s
+side, without thinking of harm, when he jumped
+on her back. Seizing both her paws, he made
+her pull the nuts from the fire, despite her cries.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Study your acquaintances, and beware of those
+who, in the guise of friendship, would use you
+for their own selfish purposes.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE DANCING MONKEYS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Prince had some Monkeys trained to dance.
+Being naturally great mimics of men&#8217;s actions,
+they showed themselves most apt pupils; and,
+when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they
+danced as well as any of the guests. The spectacle
+was often repeated with great applause, till
+on one occasion a guest, bent on mischief, took
+from his pocket a handful of nuts, and threw
+them on the stage. The Monkeys at the sight
+of the nuts forgot their dancing, and became (as
+indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors, and
+pulling off their masks, and tearing their robes,
+they fought with one another for the nuts. The
+dancing spectacle thus came to an end, amidst the
+laughter and ridicule of the audience.</p>
+
+<p><em>Habits are not easily broken.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HARES" id="HARES"></a>THE HARES AND THE FROGS</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Hares, oppressed with a sense of their
+own exceeding timidity, and weary of the perpetual
+alarm to which they were exposed, with
+one accord determined to put an end to themselves
+and their troubles, by jumping from a lofty precipice
+into a deep lake below. As they scampered
+off in a very numerous body to carry out their
+resolve, the Frogs lying on the banks of the lake
+heard the noise of their feet, and rushed helter-skelter
+to the deep water for safety. On seeing
+the rapid disappearance of the Frogs, one of the
+Hares cried out to his companions: &ldquo;Stay, my
+friends, do not do as you intended; for you now
+see that other creatures who yet live are more
+timorous than ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Conquer fear.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GNAT" id="GNAT"></a>THE LION AND THE GNAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Gnat came to a Lion and said: &ldquo;I do not
+the least fear you, nor are you stronger than I
+am. You can scratch with your claws, and bite
+with your teeth&mdash;so can a woman in her quarrels.
+Let us fight, and see who shall conquer.&rdquo;
+The Gnat, having sounded his horn, fastened himself
+upon the Lion, and stung him on the nostrils
+and parts of the face devoid of hair. The Lion,
+trying to crush him, tore himself with his claws,
+until he punished himself severely. The Gnat
+thus prevailed over the Lion, and, buzzing about
+in a song of triumph, flew away. But shortly
+afterward he became entangled in the meshes of
+a cobweb, and was eaten by a spider. He greatly
+lamented his fate, saying: &ldquo;Woe is me! that I,
+who can wage war successfully with the hugest
+beast, should perish myself from this spider, the
+most inconsiderable of insects!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Esteem yourself neither highly nor lowly, but
+walk humbly in the face of the Unknown.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BULLS" id="BULLS"></a>THE FROGS AND THE BULLS</h2>
+
+
+<p>Two frogs, sitting on the edge of a pond saw
+two Bulls fighting in a meadow close by. &ldquo;Alas!&rdquo;
+cried one of the frogs. &ldquo;Those dreadful beasts
+are fighting. What will become of us!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is no reason for fear,&rdquo; said the other
+frog. &ldquo;Their quarrels have nothing to do with
+us. Their lives are different from ours, and
+cannot affect us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said the first frog, &ldquo;you are wrong.
+One of them will certainly triumph. The vanquished
+will take refuge from the victor in our
+marshes, and we shall be trampled under his feet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>When the strong fall out, the weak are the
+greatest sufferers from their quarrels.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="LARK" id="LARK"></a>THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Lark had made her nest in the early Spring
+on the young green wheat. The brood had almost
+grown to their proper strength, and attained the
+use of their wings and the full plumage of their
+feathers, when the owner of the field, overlooking
+his crop, now quite ripe, said, &ldquo;The time is come
+when I must send to all my neighbors to help
+me with my harvest.&rdquo; One of the young Larks
+heard his speech, and told it to his mother, asking
+her to what place they should move for safety.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is no occasion to move yet, my son,&rdquo;
+she replied; &ldquo;the man who only sends to his
+friends to help him with his harvest is not really
+in earnest.&rdquo; The owner of the field again came a
+few days later, and saw the wheat shedding the
+grain from excess of ripeness, and said, &ldquo;I will
+come myself to-morrow with my laborers, and
+with as many reapers as I can hire, and will get
+in the harvest.&rdquo; The Lark on hearing these
+words said to her brood, &ldquo;It is time now to be
+off, my little ones, for the man is in earnest this
+time; he no longer trusts to his friends, but
+will reap the field himself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Self-help is the best help.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BELLING" id="BELLING"></a>BELLING THE CAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>The mice who lived in the old house met one
+day to discuss the means to be used to get rid
+of a large, fierce black cat that had taken up her
+abode there, and made her living by hunting and
+eating them up one by one, so that their numbers
+were greatly reduced. Each mouse lived in constant
+dread of being pounced upon and eaten.</p>
+
+<p>Even the youngest scarcely dared to scurry
+across the floor, its little heart beating pit-a-pat,
+and they found it so hard to get time to look for
+food that they all grew thin.</p>
+
+<p>They lived in such dread that when they met,
+no one at first could think of anything to say.
+But at last a young mouse plucked up his spirits
+and said: &ldquo;I will tell you what to do. Fasten
+a bell on the cat&#8217;s neck. As she walks about
+the bell will ring, and we shall hear it and can
+tell where she is.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This seemed so good a plan that the mice all
+chattered joyously, until an old mouse asked
+quietly: &ldquo;Who will go out and bell the cat?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>None of the mice dared; and they quickly realized
+that <em>what seems an easy plan may be hard
+to carry out, and some things are easier said
+than done</em>.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img212.jpg" width="450" height="194" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>A MILLER, HIS SON,<br />
+AND THEIR ASS</h2>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A miller and his son were driving their ass
+to a neighboring fair to sell him. They
+had not gone far when they met a troop of
+women collected around a well. &ldquo;Look,&rdquo; cried one,
+&ldquo;did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging on
+foot when they might ride?&rdquo; The old man, hearing
+this, made his son mount, and continued to
+walk at his side.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+Presently they came to a group of old men
+in debate. &ldquo;There,&rdquo; said one of them, &ldquo;it proves
+what I was a-saying: what respect is shown to
+old age in these days? Do you see that idle
+lad riding, while his old father has to walk? Get
+down, you young scapegrace, and let the old man
+rest his weary limbs.&rdquo; Upon this the old man made
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span>
+his son dismount, and got up himself.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+Soon they met a company of women and children.
+&ldquo;Why, you lazy old fellow,&rdquo; cried several tongues at once,
+&ldquo;how can you ride upon the beast, while that poor little
+lad can hardly keep pace by the side of you?&rdquo; The
+miller immediately took up his son behind him. They
+had now almost reached the town.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+&ldquo;Pray, honest friend,&rdquo; said a citizen, &ldquo;is that ass your
+own?&rdquo; &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the old man. &ldquo;Oh, one would not have
+thought so,&rdquo; said the other, &ldquo;by the way you load him.
+Why, you two fellows are better able to carry the
+poor beast than he you.&rdquo; So they tied the legs of the
+ass together, and by the aid of a pole endeavored to
+carry him on their shoulders over a bridge. The sight
+brought the people in crowds to laugh at it; till the
+ass broke the cords that held him and fell into
+the river. Upon this, the old man, vexed and ashamed,
+made his way home.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>In trying to please everybody one is quite likely to please nobody.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Tortoise, lazily basking in the sun, complained
+to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no
+one would teach her to fly. An Eagle hovering
+near, heard her lamentation, and demanded what
+reward she would give him, if he would take her
+aloft, and float her in the air. &ldquo;I will give you,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;all the riches of the Red Sea.&rdquo; &ldquo;I
+will teach you to fly then,&rdquo; said the Eagle; and
+taking her up in his talons, he carried her almost
+to the clouds,&mdash;when suddenly letting her go, she
+fell on a lofty mountain, and dashed her shell to
+pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment
+of death: &ldquo;I have deserved my present fate; for
+what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can
+with difficulty move about on the earth?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>If men had all they wished, they would be often
+ruined.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="JUNO" id="JUNO"></a>THE PEACOCK AND JUNO</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Peacock made complaint to Juno that,
+while the small nightingale pleased every ear with
+his song, he no sooner opened his mouth than he
+became a laughing-stock of all who heard him.
+The Goddess, to console him, said, &ldquo;But you far
+excel in beauty and in size. The splendor of the
+emerald shines in your neck, and you unfold a
+tail gorgeous with painted plumage.&rdquo; &ldquo;But for
+what purpose have I,&rdquo; said the bird, &ldquo;this dumb
+beauty so long as I am surpassed in song?&rdquo; &ldquo;The
+lot of each,&rdquo; replied Juno, &ldquo;has been assigned by
+the will of the Fates&mdash;to thee, beauty; to the
+eagle, strength; to the nightingale, song; to the
+raven, favorable, and to the crow, unfavorable
+auguries. These are all contented with the endowments
+allotted to them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Contentment is happiness.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_ASS" id="THE_ASS"></a>THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass entered into an
+agreement to assist each other in the chase. Having
+secured a large booty, the Lion, on their
+return from the forest, asked the Ass to allot his
+due portion to each of the three partners in the
+treaty. The Ass carefully divided the spoil into
+three equal shares, and modestly requested the
+two others to make the first choice. The Lion,
+bursting into a great rage, devoured the Ass.
+Then he requested the Fox to do him the favor
+to make a division. The Fox accumulated all that
+they had killed into one large heap, and left to
+himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion
+said, &ldquo;Who has taught you, my very excellent
+fellow, the art of division? You are perfect to
+a fraction.&rdquo; He replied, &ldquo;I learnt it from the
+Ass, by witnessing his fate.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes
+of others.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FATHER" id="FATHER"></a>THE FATHER AND HIS SONS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Father had a family of sons who were
+perpetually quarreling among themselves. When
+he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations,
+he determined to give them a practical illustration
+of the evils of disunion and for this purpose
+he one day told them to bring him a bundle
+of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the
+faggot into the hands of each of them in succession,
+and ordered them to break it in pieces.
+They each tried with all their strength and were
+not able to do it. He next unclosed the faggot,
+and took the sticks separately, one by one, and
+again put them into their hands, on which they
+broke them easily. He then addressed them in
+these words: &ldquo;My sons, if you are of one mind,
+and unite to assist each other, you will be as this
+faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your
+enemies; but <em>if you are divided among yourselves,
+you will be broken as easily as these sticks</em>.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img215a.jpg" width="450" height="201" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE DOVE AND THE ANT</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 57px;">
+<img src="images/img215b.jpg" width="57" height="29" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+An ant went to the bank of a river to quench
+its thirst, and, being carried away by the rush
+of the stream, was on the point of being drowned.
+A dove, sitting on a tree overhanging the water,
+plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close
+to her. The ant, climbing on to it, floated in safety
+to the bank. Shortly afterward a bird-catcher came
+and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for
+the dove, which sat in the branches. The ant, perceiving
+his design, stung him in the foot. He suddenly
+threw down the twigs, and thereupon made the
+dove take wing.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>The grateful heart will find opportunities
+to show gratitude.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img216.jpg" width="450" height="168" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE FOX AND THE CAT</h2>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+A fox was boasting to a cat of its clever devices for
+escaping its enemies. &ldquo;I have a whole bag of tricks,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+&ldquo;I have only one,&rdquo; said the cat, &ldquo;but I can generally manage
+with that.&rdquo; Just at that moment they heard the cry of a
+pack of hounds coming toward them, and the cat immediately
+scampered up a tree and hid himself in the boughs. &ldquo;This
+is my plan,&rdquo; said the cat. &ldquo;What are you going to do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+The fox thought first of one way, then of another,
+and while he was debating, the hounds came nearer,
+and at last the fox in his confusion was caught up by
+the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>Better one carefully thought out plan of action than
+a hundred untried ideas.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img217a.jpg" width="450" height="329" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 6em;">the fox and the grapes</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 5em;">the fox and the cat</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img217b.jpg" width="450" height="331" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 6em;">the fox and the raven</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 4em;">the fox and the crane</span><br />
+<span class="caption1" style="margin-left: 14em;">from drawings by bess bruce cleveland</span></p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img218a.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 3em;">the heron who was hard to please</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 1em;">the ants and the grasshopper</span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img218b.jpg" width="450" height="331" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="caption" style="margin-left: 5em;">the eagle and the jackdaw</span>
+<span class="caption" style="margin-left: 3.5em;">the dove and the ant</span><br />
+<span class="caption1" style="margin-left: 14em;">from drawings by bess bruce cleveland</span></p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/img219a.jpg" width="450" height="163" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE ANTS<br />
+<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">and</span><br />
+THE GRASSHOPPER</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 179px;">
+<img src="images/img219b.jpg" width="179" height="27" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em;">
+The ants were employing a fine winter&#8217;s day
+in drying grain collected in the summer-time.
+A grasshopper, perishing from famine, passed
+by and earnestly begged for a little food.
+The ants inquired of him: &ldquo;Why did you not treasure
+up food during the summer?&rdquo; He replied: &ldquo;I had not
+leisure enough. I passed the days in singing.&rdquo; They
+then said in derision: &ldquo;If you were foolish enough
+to sing all the summer you must dance supperless
+to bed in the winter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 5em; margin-right: 5em;">
+<em>In living, be guided much by the laws
+of nature, and not by the hope of mercy.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p>
+<h6>FABLES FROM INDIA</h6>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED BY RAMASWAMI RAJU</strong></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE GLOW-WORM AND THE DAW</h2>
+
+<p>A Jackdaw once ran up to a Glow-Worm and
+was about to seize him. &ldquo;Wait a moment, good
+friend,&rdquo; said the Worm; &ldquo;and you shall hear
+something to your advantage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! what is it?&rdquo; said the Daw.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am but one of the many Glow-Worms that
+live in this forest. If you wish to have them all,
+follow me,&rdquo; said the Glow-Worm.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly!&rdquo; said the Daw.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Glow-Worm led him to a place in
+the wood where a fire had been kindled by some
+woodmen, and pointing to the sparks flying about,
+said, &ldquo;There you find the Glow-Worms warming
+themselves round a fire. When you have done
+with them, I shall show you some more, at a distance
+from this place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Daw darted at the sparks, and tried to
+swallow some of them; but his mouth being
+burned by the attempt, he ran away exclaiming,
+&ldquo;Ah, the Glow-Worm is a dangerous little creature!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the Glow-Worm with pride, &ldquo;<em>Wickedness
+yields to wisdom!</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="VILLAGERS" id="VILLAGERS"></a>THE FOX AND THE VILLAGERS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Fox that had long been the dread of the
+village poultry yard was one day found lying
+breathless in a field. The report went abroad
+that, after all, he had been caught and killed by
+some one. In a moment, everybody in the village
+came out to see the dead Fox. The village Cock,
+with all his Hens and Chicks, was also there to
+enjoy the sight.</p>
+
+<p>The Fox then got up, and shaking off his
+drowsiness, said, &ldquo;I ate a number of Hens and
+Chicks last night; hence I must have slumbered
+longer than usual.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Cock counted his Hens and Chicks and
+found a number wanting. &ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;how
+is it I did not know of it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear sir,&rdquo; said the Fox, as he retreated
+to the wood, &ldquo;it was last night I had a good meal
+on your Hens and Chicks, yet you did not know
+of it. A moment ago they found me lying in the
+field, and you knew of it at once.&rdquo; <em>Ill news
+travels fast!</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SNAKE" id="SNAKE"></a>THE FROG AND THE SNAKE</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Snake and a Frog were friends in a pond.
+The Snake taught the Frog to hiss, and the Frog
+taught the Snake to croak. The Snake would
+hide in the reeds and croak. The Frogs would
+say, &ldquo;Why, there is one of us,&rdquo; and come near.
+The Snake would then dart at them, and eat
+all he could seize. The Frog would hide in the
+reeds and hiss. His kin would say, &ldquo;Why, there
+is the Snake,&rdquo; and keep off.</p>
+
+<p>After some time, the Frogs found out the trick
+of the Snake, and took care not to come near
+him. Thus the Snake got no Frogs to eat for
+a long time; so he seized his friend to gobble
+him up.</p>
+
+<p>The Frog then said, though too late, &ldquo;By becoming
+your friend, I lost the company of my
+kindred, and am now losing my life.&rdquo; <em>One&#8217;s
+neck to fate one has to bend, when one would
+make so bad a friend!</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="ASSEMBLY" id="ASSEMBLY"></a>THE ASSEMBLY OF ANIMALS</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once there was a great assembly of the animals
+in a wood. The Lion said, &ldquo;Look how great my
+valor! &#8217;Tis this that makes me king of the
+woods.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Fox said, &ldquo;Look, how deep my cunning!
+&#8217;Tis this that feeds me so well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Peacock said, &ldquo;Look, how bright my feathers!
+&#8217;Tis this that makes me the wonder and
+admiration of the wood.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Elephant said, &ldquo;Look, how long and powerful
+my tusks! there is nothing that can resist
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A Toad, who lived secure in the heart of a
+rock, close by, said, &ldquo;&#8217;Tis the Lion&#8217;s valor that
+leads him to the herds, and gets him killed by
+the hunters. &#8217;Tis the Fox&#8217;s cunning that brings
+him to the furrier at last. &#8217;Tis the plumes of the
+Peacock that men covet; hence his ruin. The
+Elephant is hunted for his tusks, and they are his
+bane.&rdquo; <em>In the mark of your vanity is your
+death!</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THREE" id="THREE"></a>THE COCK AND HIS THREE HENS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Cock, named Crimson Crest, was once strutting
+about with his three hens, Meek Love, Bright
+Wit, and Fine Feather. The hens, being in very
+good spirits, said, &ldquo;Ah, how we love you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why do you love me at all?&rdquo; said Crimson
+Crest.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;of the noble qualities
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span>
+that adorn your mind.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are you sure,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you love me for the
+qualities that adorn my mind?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, we are,&rdquo; said the three with one voice.</p>
+
+<p>After having gone over some distance, Crimson
+Crest dropped down like one dead.</p>
+
+<p>Meek Love wept, saying, &ldquo;Ah, how he loved
+us!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Bright Wit wept, saying, &ldquo;Ah, how well he
+crowed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Fine Feather wept, saying, &ldquo;Ah, what bright
+plumes he had!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Crimson Crest some time after showed signs
+of life.</p>
+
+<p>Meek Love cried, &ldquo;Oh, live and love us again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Bright Wit cried, &ldquo;Oh, let us hear your crowing
+again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Fine Feather cried, &ldquo;Oh, let us see your bright
+plumes again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Crimson Crest got up like one waking
+from a trance, and with a hearty laugh exclaimed,
+&ldquo;Ladies, you fancied you all loved me for one
+and the same reason; but now you see. <em>There is
+many a way to love as they say!</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="WHITE" id="WHITE"></a>THE BLACK DOG AND THE WHITE DOG</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Man in the East once went about saying,
+&ldquo;I can put these two dogs together, one of which
+is white, and the other black, as you see, and
+make a gray dog of them; and turn the gray dog
+again to the black dog and the white dog, if people
+would pay for the fun.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A Wag who heard these words removed the
+two dogs at night, and left instead a gray cur.
+The man rose up in the morning and complained
+bitterly to the crowd, which came to see him, that
+some one had stolen his two dogs.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the Wag, who was one of the crowd,
+&ldquo;some one has simply saved you the trouble of
+putting the two dogs together, and making a gray
+dog of them. So you must now perform the other
+part of your trick, and make the black dog and
+the white dog out of this gray cur.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man quietly threw his wallet over his
+shoulders and walked away. The Wag and the
+crowd shouted&mdash;&ldquo;The tongue hath no bone in it.
+It can turn as you twist it.&rdquo; <em>It is one thing to
+say, and another thing to do!</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="APE" id="APE"></a>THE ELEPHANT AND THE APE</h2>
+
+
+<p>An Elephant named Grand Tusk and an Ape
+named Nimble were friends.</p>
+
+<p>Grand Tusk observed, &ldquo;Behold, how big and
+powerful I am!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Nimble cried in reply, &ldquo;Behold, how agile and
+entertaining I am!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Each was eager to know which was really
+superior to the other, and which quality was the
+most esteemed by the wise.</p>
+
+<p>So they went to Dark Sage, an owl that lived
+in an old tower, to have their claims discussed and
+settled.</p>
+
+<p>Dark Sage said, &ldquo;You must do as I bid, that
+I may form an opinion.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Agreed!&rdquo; cried both.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said Dark Sage, &ldquo;cross yonder river,
+and bring me the mangoes on the great tree
+beyond.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Off went Grand Tusk and Nimble, but when
+they came to the stream, which was flowing full,
+Nimble held back; but Grand Tusk took him up
+on his back, and swam across in a very short
+time. Then they came to the mango-tree, but
+it was very lofty and thick. Grand Tusk could
+neither touch the fruit with his trunk, nor could
+he break the tree down to gather the fruit. Up
+sprang Nimble, and in a trice let drop a whole
+basketful of rich ripe mangoes. Grand Tusk
+gathered the fruit up into his capacious mouth,
+and the two friends crossed the stream as before.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said Dark Sage, &ldquo;which of you is the
+better? Grand Tusk crossed the stream, and Nimble
+gathered the fruit.&rdquo; <em>Each thing in its place
+is best.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="DAWN" id="DAWN"></a>THE CROW AND THE DAWN</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Crow that lived on a tree by a great city in
+the East thought that the day dawned because of
+his cawing. One day he said to himself, &ldquo;How
+important I am! But for my care, I confess, the
+world would get into a mess.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He had a mind to see how the world would
+fare if for it he did not care. So toward day-dawn
+he shut his eyes, and slept away without
+cawing. Then he awoke, and found the sun
+shining as bright as ever on the great city.</p>
+
+<p>He said, with great ill-humor, &ldquo;I see how it
+happened. Some knave of my kind must have
+cawed and helped the sun up!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Error breeds error.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_GOAT" id="THE_GOAT"></a>THE LION AND THE GOAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Lion was eating up one after another the
+animals of a certain country. One day an old
+Goat said, &ldquo;We must put a stop to this. I have
+a plan by which he may be sent away from this
+part of the country.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pray act up to it at once,&rdquo; said the other
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>
+animals.</p>
+
+<p>The old Goat laid himself down in a cave on
+the roadside, with his flowing beard and long
+curved horns. The Lion on his way to the village
+saw him, and stopped at the mouth of the
+cave.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So you have come, after all,&rdquo; said the Goat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; said the Lion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, I have long been lying in this cave. I
+have eaten up one hundred Elephants, a hundred
+Tigers, a thousand Wolves, and ninety-nine Lions.
+One more Lion has been wanting. I have waited
+long and patiently. Heaven has, after all, been
+kind to me,&rdquo; said the Goat, and shook his horns
+and his beard, and made a start as if he were
+about to spring upon the Lion.</p>
+
+<p>The latter said to himself, &ldquo;This animal looks
+like a Goat, but it does not talk like one. So
+it is very likely some wicked spirit in this shape.
+Prudence often serves us better than valor, so
+for the present I shall return to the wood,&rdquo; and
+he turned back.</p>
+
+<p>The Goat rose up, and, advancing to the mouth
+of the cave, said, &ldquo;Will you come back to-morrow?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never again,&rdquo; said the Lion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you think I shall be able to see you, at
+least, in the wood to-morrow?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Neither in the wood, nor in this neighborhood
+any more,&rdquo; said the Lion, and running to the
+forest, soon left it with his kindred.</p>
+
+<p>The animals in the country, not hearing him
+roar any more, gathered round the Goat, and said,
+&ldquo;<em>The wisdom of one doth save a host.</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SUNLING" id="SUNLING"></a>THE SUNLING</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the good old days a Clown in the East, on
+a visit to a city kinsman, while at dinner, pointed
+to a burning candle and asked what it was. The
+City Man said, in jest, it was a sunling, or one
+of the children of the sun.</p>
+
+<p>The Clown thought that it was something rare;
+so he waited for an opportunity, and hid it in a
+chest of drawers close by. Soon the chest caught
+fire, then the curtains by its side, then the room,
+then the whole house.</p>
+
+<p>After the flames had been put down the City
+Man and the Clown went into the burned building
+to see what remained. The Clown turned over
+the embers of the chest of drawers. The City
+Man asked what he was seeking for. The Clown
+said, &ldquo;It is in this chest that I hid the bright sunling;
+I wish to know if he has survived the
+flames.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas,&rdquo; said the City Man, who now found out
+the cause of all the mischief, &ldquo;<em>never jest with
+fools!</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="MUSHROOM" id="MUSHROOM"></a>THE MUSHROOM AND THE GOOSE</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Goose that was once cackling with great
+pride thought that a Mushroom was gazing at
+it, and said, &ldquo;You contemptible thing, why do
+you stare at me like that? You can never hope
+to meet me on terms of equality, can you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly, madam,&rdquo; said the Mushroom &ldquo;and
+that very soon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This enraged the Goose more, so she said, &ldquo;I
+would cut you up in pieces with my bill but for
+the people who are close by, and who are so silly
+as to care for you,&rdquo; and went strutting away.
+Soon after the Goose and Mushroom were served
+up in separate dishes, very near each other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said the Mushroom, &ldquo;you see we have
+met after all, and so closely.&rdquo; <em>Those who have a
+common fate in the end had better be friends.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FABLES" id="FABLES"></a>THE FABLES OF PILPAY THE HINDU</h2>
+
+
+<p>Pilpay is thought to have been a Hindu who
+lived many centuries before Jesus was born, and
+who wrote fables that have been translated into
+almost every language. His fables are older than
+those of &AElig;sop.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_FOX" id="THE_FOX"></a>THE FOX AND THE HEN</h2>
+
+
+<p>A hungry Fox, spying a fine fat Hen, made
+up his mind to eat her. But as he was about to
+spring upon her he heard a great noise, and looking
+up, saw a drum hanging upon a tree. As the
+wind blew, the branches beat upon the drum.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;A thing that can make so
+much noise must certainly have more flesh upon
+it than a miserable hen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So, allowing the Hen to escape, he sprang upon
+the drum; but when he tore the parchment head
+open he found that there was nothing inside.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wretched being that I am,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;I have
+missed a dainty meal for nothing at all.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>By being too greedy we may miss everything
+that is worth having.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FISHES" id="FISHES"></a>THE THREE FISHES</h2>
+
+
+<p>Three Fishes lived in a pond. The first was
+wise, the second had a little sense, and the third
+was foolish. A fisherman saw the fish, and went
+home for his net in order that he might catch
+them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I must get out of this pond at once,&rdquo; said
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span>
+the Wise Fish. And he threw himself into a
+little channel that led to a river. The others did
+not trouble at all.</p>
+
+<p>Presently the Fisherman returned with his net,
+and stopped up the channel leading to the river.
+The Second Fish wished he had followed the
+example of the Wise Fish; but he soon thought
+of a plan to escape. He floated upside down on
+the surface of the water, and the fisherman, thinking
+he was dead, did not trouble about him any
+more.</p>
+
+<p>But the Foolish Fish was caught, and taken
+home to be eaten.</p>
+
+<p><em>We should all endeavor to be wise.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FALCON" id="FALCON"></a>THE FALCON AND THE HEN</h2>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;How ungrateful you must be!&rdquo; said a Falcon
+to a Hen. &ldquo;You are fed with the best of food,
+you have a snug bed provided for you at night,
+you are protected from foxes, and yet, when the
+men who do all this for you want to take hold of
+you, you run away and do not return their caresses.
+Now, I do not receive anything like so
+many benefits, and yet I allow the men to hold
+me, and I serve them when they go hunting in
+the field.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said the Hen. &ldquo;What you say is true.
+But, remember, you never see a hawk roasting in
+front of the fire, whereas you see hundreds of
+good fat hens treated in that way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><em>Circumstances alter cases.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="KIND" id="KIND"></a>THE KING WHO GREW KIND</h2>
+
+
+<p>A cruel King was riding out one day, when
+he saw a fox attack a hen. But just then a
+dog ran after the fox and bit his leg. The fox,
+however, lame as he was, managed to escape into
+his hole, and the dog ran off. A man who saw
+him threw a stone at the dog, and cracked his
+head; but at this moment a horse passing by ran
+against the man and trod on his foot. A minute
+later the horse&#8217;s foot stepped upon a stone, and
+his ankle was broken.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said the King. &ldquo;This will be a lesson
+to me. I see that misfortunes always overtake
+those who ill-use others.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And from that time the King became a kind
+and wise ruler of his people.</p>
+
+<p><em>Punishment sooner or later overtakes those
+who wrong others.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><a name="MODERN_FABLES" id="MODERN_FABLES"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img223.jpg" width="500" height="113" alt="Modern Fables" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="COUNCIL" id="COUNCIL"></a>THE HORSES&#8217; COUNCIL</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED FROM JOHN GAY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time, a restless, dissatisfied horse
+persuaded all the other horses on the farm that
+they were oppressed by the man who owned them,
+and that they should rebel against him.</p>
+
+<p>So a meeting was called to which all the horses
+came, to argue the matter and see what should
+be done. One wanted one thing, one another, and
+at the last a young colt, who had not yet been
+trained sprang to the front with tossing mane,
+and proud, arched neck, and eyes of fire, and
+thus addressed the listening throng of horses:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What slaves we are! How low has fallen our
+race! Because our fathers lived in their service,
+must we too toil? Shall we submit ourselves to
+man, and spend our youth in servile tasks; with
+straining sinews drag the ploughshare through the
+heavy soil, or draw the carrier&#8217;s heavy load in
+winter cold or beneath the sun of summer? See
+how strong we are, how weak man is! Shall we
+subdue our strength, and champ a bit, and serve
+his pride? Not so. Away with bit and bridle,
+rein and spur! We shall be free as air!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He ceased, and with a step of conscious pride
+regained his place among the crowd, from which
+came snickers of applause and neighs of praise.</p>
+
+<p>Then from behind the crowd, with slow and
+stately movements, came an aged steed. He faced
+the turbulent crew, and with firm accents that
+compelled their silence, he began to speak:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When I was young as you,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I too
+cried out for freedom from the daily toil that
+was my task. I soon had better thoughts. Man
+toils for us. For us he braves the summer heat, to
+store our food. If we lend him our strength to
+plough the land, he sows and reaps the grain,
+that we may share it, as we share the toil.
+<em>Through all the world&#8217;s history it has been decreed
+each one must in some way aid the other&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>
+need.</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He ceased, and left the place, and by his words
+the council quietly dispersed.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="REED" id="REED"></a>THE OAK AND THE REED</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>One day the Oak said to the Reed: &ldquo;Nature
+has been indeed unkind to you. She has made
+you so weak that even the tiniest bird that flies
+bends you to earth beneath her little weight. The
+gentlest breeze that scarcely moves the surface of
+the lake has power to bend your head.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My head, which rises like a mountain, is not
+content to stop the blazing rays of sunshine, but
+braves even the tempest; the wind that to you
+seems to be a hurricane, to me is but a gentle sigh
+of wind at eventide.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you had grown beneath the shelter of my
+leafy crown, with which I cover all the ground
+around, I would have saved you from the storms
+which make you suffer. Alas, you are most often
+found along the marshy borders of the kingdom
+of the winds. Nature, it seems to me, has been
+to you unjust.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your pity,&rdquo; said the Reed, &ldquo;comes from good
+nature, but have no care for me. The winds for
+me hold far less danger than they hold for you.
+I bend but do not break. You have till now
+resisted all their powerful blows and never bent
+your back. But wait the end.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just as the gentle little Reed ended these words,
+a great north wind rushed down from the horizon
+and flung itself on them with fury. The Reed
+bent low before it, but the tree defied the anger
+of the blast and held its head upright. But the
+strong wind drew back, doubled its force, and
+with a furious rush tore up the oak tree by its
+mighty roots.</p>
+
+<p>The blast passed on and in the quiet that it
+left behind, the Reed raised up her head, and
+looking sadly at the giant tree whose stately head
+lay in the waters of the stream, she sadly said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>It is often well to bend before the storms that
+threaten us.</em>&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="KNOWLEDGE" id="KNOWLEDGE"></a>THE ADVANTAGE OF KNOWLEDGE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Two citizens lived beside each other in a town
+in France. The one was rich and had a fine
+house, and a garden, horses, and carriages, and
+servants to wait on him. But he was stupid, for
+when he was a boy at school he learned nothing.
+The other man was poor in gold and silver, but
+he was rich in knowledge, and full of wisdom,
+and he knew all the beauty and the glory of the
+world.</p>
+
+<p>These two held constant arguments. The rich
+man said that nothing in the world should be
+held in honor but riches, and that the wise and
+learned should bow to him because of all his
+wealth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My friend,&rdquo; he often said, &ldquo;what use is it to
+read so many books? They do not bring you
+money! You have a small house, you wear the
+same coat in the winter that you do in summer.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The wise man could not always answer back,
+he had too much to say, and often kept silence.</p>
+
+<p>But a war broke out. All the town, in which
+the two men lived, was broken down, and both
+men had to leave it to seek their fortune in another
+place. The rich man, who had lost his
+money, was now poor indeed, for he had nothing,
+and wandered through the world getting nothing
+but scorn for his ignorance. But the wise man
+was welcomed everywhere, and received with
+honor because of all the wisdom and the knowledge
+that he brought with him.</p>
+
+<p><em>Knowledge is power.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="RIVER" id="RIVER"></a>THE TORRENT AND THE RIVER</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>With great noise and much tumult a torrent
+fell down the mountain side. All fled before it;
+horror followed it; it made the country round it
+tremble.</p>
+
+<p>Only one traveler, who was flying from robbers
+that were following after him, dared to
+cross the stream, and put it as a barrier between
+him and the men who were pursuing him. This
+gave him confidence although the robbers still
+followed. So when he reached the edge of a
+broad river, that seemed to him to be an image
+of sleep, it looked so soft and peaceable and quiet,
+he rode his horse into the water to cross it. It
+had no high banks, but a little beach sloped from
+the meadow down to meet the water, which looked
+so peaceful that it seemed as if a little child might
+cross it, to gather flowers on the other side, and
+so the traveler thought it held no danger for him.</p>
+
+<p>But the quiet river was very deep, and though
+it made no noise, its current ran so strongly that
+it lifted both the horse and rider on its waves
+and carried them away, and drowned them.</p>
+
+<p><em>Quiet people are stronger than the noisy.</em></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE TOMTIT AND THE BEAR</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>One summer day, as a Wolf and a Bear were
+walking together in a wood, they heard a bird
+singing most sweetly. &ldquo;Brother,&rdquo; said the Bear,
+&ldquo;what can that bird be that is singing so sweetly?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the Wolf, &ldquo;that is the king of the
+birds, we must take care to show him all respect.&rdquo;
+(Now I should tell you that this bird was after
+all no other than the Tomtit.)</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If that is the case,&rdquo; said the Bear, &ldquo;I should
+like to see the royal palace; so pray come along
+and show me it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gently, my friend,&rdquo; said the Wolf, &ldquo;we cannot
+see it just yet, we must wait till the queen
+comes home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Soon afterward the queen came with food in
+her beak, and she and the king began to feed their
+young ones.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now for it!&rdquo; said the Bear; and was about to
+follow them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stop a little, Master Bruin,&rdquo; said the Wolf,
+&ldquo;we must wait now till the king and queen are
+gone again.&rdquo; So they marked the hole where they
+had seen the nest, and went away. But the Bear,
+being very eager to see the palace, soon came
+back again, and, peeping into the nest, saw five
+or six young birds lying at the bottom of it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What nonsense!&rdquo; said Bruin, &ldquo;this is not a
+royal palace: I never saw such a filthy place in
+my life; and you are no royal children, you little
+base-born brats!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the young tomtits heard this they
+were very angry, and screamed out: &ldquo;We are not
+base-born, you stupid bear! Our father and
+mother are honest, good sort of people; and, depend
+upon it, you shall suffer for your rudeness!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this the Wolf and the Bear grew frightened,
+and ran away to their dens. But the young tomtits
+kept crying and screaming; and when their
+father and mother came home and offered them
+food, they all said: &ldquo;We will not touch a bit;
+no, not though we should die of hunger, till that
+rascal Bruin has been punished for calling us
+base-born brats.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Make yourselves easy, my darlings,&rdquo; said the
+old king, &ldquo;you may be sure he shall get what
+he deserves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he went out to the Bear&#8217;s den, and cried
+out with a loud voice, &ldquo;Bruin, the bear! thou
+hast been very rude to our lawful children. We
+shall therefore make war against thee and thine,
+and shall never cease until thou hast been punished
+as thou so richly deservest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now when the bear heard this, he called together
+the ox, the ass, the stag, the fox, and all
+the beasts of the earth. And the Tomtit also
+called on his side all the birds of the air, both
+great and small, and a very large army of wasps,
+gnats, bees, and flies, and indeed many other
+kinds of insects.</p>
+
+<p>As the time came near when the war was to
+begin, the Tomtit sent out spies to see who was
+the leader of the enemy&#8217;s forces. So the gnat,
+who was by far the best spy of them all, flew
+backward and forward in the wood where the
+enemy&#8217;s troops were, and at last hid himself under
+a leaf on a tree close by.</p>
+
+<p>The Bear, who was standing so near the tree
+that the gnat could hear all he said, called to the
+fox and said, &ldquo;Reynard, you are the cleverest of
+all the beasts; therefore you shall be our leader
+and go before us to battle; but we must first agree
+upon some signal, by which we may know what
+you want us to do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Behold,&rdquo; said the fox, &ldquo;I have a fine long,
+bushy tail, which is very like a plume of red
+feathers, and gives me a very warlike air. Now
+remember, when you see me raise up my tail, you
+may be sure that the battle is won, and you have
+then nothing to do but to rush down upon the
+enemy with all your force. On the other hand,
+if I drop my tail, the battle is lost, and you must
+run away as fast as you can.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now when the gnat had heard all this, she flew
+back to the Tomtit and told him everything that
+had passed.</p>
+
+<p>At length the day came when the battle was
+to be fought. As soon as it was light, the army
+of beasts came rushing forward with such a fearful
+sound that the earth shook. King Tomtit,
+with his troops, came flying along also in warlike
+array, flapping and fluttering, and beating the air,
+so that it was quite frightful to hear; and both
+armies set themselves in order of battle upon the
+field.</p>
+
+<p>Now the Tomtit gave orders to a troop of
+wasps that at the first onset they should march
+straight toward Captain Reynard and fixing themselves
+about his tail, should sting him with all
+their might. The wasps did as they were told;
+and when Reynard felt the first sting, he started
+aside and shook one of his legs, but still held up
+his tail with wonderful bravery. At the second
+sting he was forced to drop his tail for a moment;
+but when the third wasp had fixed itself,
+he could bear it no longer, and clapped his tail
+between his legs, and ran away as fast as he
+could.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the beasts saw this, they thought of
+course all was lost, and raced across the country
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>
+away to their holes.</p>
+
+<p>Then the king and queen of the birds flew back
+in joy to their children, and said: &ldquo;Now, children,
+eat, drink, and be merry, for we have won the
+battle!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the young birds said: &ldquo;No; not till Bruin
+has humbly begged our pardon for calling us
+base-born.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the king flew back to the bear&#8217;s den, and
+cried out:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thou villain bear! come forthwith to my nest,
+and humbly ask my children to forgive the insult
+thou hast offered them. If thou wilt not do this,
+every bone in thy body shall be broken.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the bear was forced to crawl out of his
+den very sulkily, and do what the king bade
+him; and after that the young birds sat down
+together, and ate, and drank, and made merry
+till midnight.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="STRIPES" id="STRIPES"></a>WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES<a name="FNanchor_K_11" id="FNanchor_K_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_K_11" class="fnanchor">[K]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY THORNTON W. BURGESS</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Jimmy Skunk, as everybody knows, wears a
+striped suit, a suit of black and white. There
+was a time, long, long ago, when all the Skunk
+family wore black. Very handsome their coats
+were, too, a beautiful glossy black. They were
+very, very proud of them, and took the greatest
+care of them, brushing them carefully ever so
+many times a day.</p>
+
+<p>There was a Jimmy Skunk then, just as there
+is now, and he was head of all the Skunk family.
+Now, this Jimmy Skunk was very proud, and
+thought himself very much of a gentleman. He
+was very independent, and cared for no one.
+Like a great many other independent people, he
+did not always consider the rights of others. Indeed,
+it was hinted in the wood and on the Green
+Meadows that not all of Jimmy Skunk&#8217;s doings
+would bear the light of day. It was openly said
+that he was altogether too fond of prowling about
+at night, but no one could prove that he was
+responsible for mischief done in the night, for no
+one saw him. You see his coat was so black
+that in the darkness of the night it was not visible
+at all.</p>
+
+<p>Now, about this time of which I am telling
+you, Mrs. Ruffed Grouse made a nest at the foot
+of the Great Pine, and in it she laid fifteen beautiful
+buff eggs. Mrs. Grouse was very happy, very
+happy indeed, and all the little meadow folks who
+knew of her happiness were happy, too, for they
+all loved shy, demure, little Mrs. Grouse. Every
+morning when Peter Rabbit trotted down the
+Lone Little Path through the wood past the Great
+Pine he would stop for a few minutes to chat
+with Mrs. Grouse. Happy Jack Squirrel would
+bring her the news every afternoon. The Merry
+Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind would
+run up a dozen times a day to see how she was
+getting along.</p>
+
+<p>One morning Peter Rabbit, coming down the
+Lone Little Path for his usual morning call, found
+a terrible state of affairs. Poor little Mrs. Grouse
+was heartbroken. All about the foot of the Great
+Pine lay the empty shells of their beautiful eggs.
+They had been broken and scattered this way and
+that.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How did it happen?&rdquo; asked Peter Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t know,&rdquo; sobbed poor little Mrs. Grouse.
+&ldquo;In the night when I was fast asleep something
+pounced upon me. I managed to get away and
+fly up in the top of the Great Pine. In the morning
+I found all my eggs broken, just as you see
+them here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Peter Rabbit looked the ground over very carefully.
+He hunted around behind the Great Pine,
+he looked under the bushes, he studied the ground
+with a very wise air. Then he hopped off down
+the Lone Little Path to the Green Meadows. He
+stopped at the house of Johnny Chuck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What makes your eyes so big and round?&rdquo;
+asked Johnny Chuck. Peter Rabbit came very
+close so as to whisper in Johnny Chuck&#8217;s ear, and
+told him all that he had seen. Together they went
+to Jimmy Skunk&#8217;s house. Jimmy Skunk was in
+bed. He was very sleepy and very cross when he
+came to the door. Peter Rabbit told him what
+he had seen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Too bad! Too bad!&rdquo; said Jimmy Skunk, and
+yawned sleepily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Won&#8217;t you join us in trying to find out who
+did it?&rdquo; asked Johnny Chuck.</p>
+
+<p>Jimmy Skunk said he would be delighted to
+come, but that he had some other business that
+morning and he would join them in the afternoon.
+Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck went on. Pretty
+soon they met the Merry Little Breezes and told
+them the dreadful story.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What shall we do?&rdquo; asked Johnny Chuck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&#8217;ll hurry over, and tell Old Dame Nature,&rdquo;
+cried the Merry Little Breezes, &ldquo;and ask her
+what to do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So away flew the Merry Little Breezes to Old
+Dame Nature and told her all the dreadful story.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span>
+Old Dame Nature listened very attentively. Then
+she sent the Merry Little Breezes to all the little
+meadow folks to tell everyone to be at the Great
+Pine that afternoon. Now, whatever Old Dame
+Nature commanded, all the little meadow folks
+were obliged to do. They did not dare to disobey
+her.</p>
+
+<p>Promptly at 4 o&#8217;clock that afternoon all the
+little meadow folks were gathered around the
+foot of the Great Pine. Brokenhearted little Mrs.
+Ruffed Grouse sat beside her empty nest, with
+all the broken shells about her.</p>
+
+<p>Reddy Fox, Peter Rabbit, Johnny Chuck, Billy
+Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry Muskrat, Hooty the
+Owl, Bobby Coon, Sammy Jay, Blacky the Crow,
+Grandfather Frog, Mr. Toad, Spotty the Turtle,
+the Merry Little Breezes, all were there. Last of
+all came Jimmy Skunk. Very handsome he looked
+in his shining black coat, and very sorry he appeared
+that such a dreadful thing should have
+happened. He told Mrs. Grouse how badly he
+felt, and he loudly demanded that the culprit
+should be run down without delay and severely
+punished.</p>
+
+<p>Old Dame Nature has the most smiling face
+in the world, but this time it was very, very
+grave indeed. First she asked little Mrs. Grouse
+to tell her story all over again that all might hear.
+Then each in turn was asked to tell where he
+had been the night before. Johnny Chuck, Happy
+Jack Squirrel, Striped Chipmunk, Sammy Jay,
+and Blacky the Crow had gone to bed when Mr.
+Sun went down behind the Purple Hills. Jerry
+Muskrat, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, Grandfather
+Frog, and Spotty the Turtle had been
+down in Farmer Brown&#8217;s corn-field. Hooty the
+Owl had been hunting in the lower end of the
+Green Meadows. Peter Rabbit had been down in
+the Berry Patch. Mr. Toad had been under the
+big piece of bark which he called a house. Old
+Dame Nature called on Jimmy Skunk last of all.
+Jimmy protested that he had been very, very tired
+and had gone to bed very early indeed, and had
+slept the whole night through.</p>
+
+<p>Then Old Dame Nature asked Peter Rabbit
+what he had found among the shells that morning.</p>
+
+<p>Peter Rabbit hopped out and laid three long
+black hairs before Old Dame Nature. &ldquo;These,&rdquo;
+said Peter Rabbit, &ldquo;are what I found among the
+egg shells.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Old Dame Nature called Johnny Chuck.
+&ldquo;Tell us, Johnny Chuck,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;what you
+saw when you called at Jimmy Skunk&#8217;s house this
+morning.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I saw Jimmy Skunk,&rdquo; said Johnny Chuck, &ldquo;and
+Jimmy seemed very, very sleepy. It seemed to
+me that his whiskers were yellow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That will do,&rdquo; said Old Dame Nature, and she
+called Old Mother West Wind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What time did you come down on the Green
+Meadows this morning?&rdquo; asked Old Dame Nature.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just at the break of day,&rdquo; said Old Mother
+West Wind, &ldquo;as Mr. Sun was coming up from
+behind the Purple Hills.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And whom did you see so early in the morning?&rdquo;
+asked old Dame Nature.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I saw Bobby Coon going home from old Farmer
+Brown&#8217;s corn-field,&rdquo; said Old Mother West Wind.
+&ldquo;I saw Hooty the Owl coming back from the
+lower end of the Green Meadows. I saw Peter
+Rabbit down in the berry patch. Last of all, I
+saw something like a black shadow coming down
+the Lone Little Path toward the house of Jimmy
+Skunk.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Everyone was looking very hard at Jimmy
+Skunk. Jimmy began to look very unhappy and
+very uneasy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who wears a black coat?&rdquo; asked Dame Nature.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jimmy Skunk!&rdquo; shouted all the little meadow
+folks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What might make whiskers yellow?&rdquo; asked
+Old Dame Nature.</p>
+
+<p>No one seemed to know at first. Then Peter
+Rabbit spoke up. &ldquo;It might be the yolk of an
+egg,&rdquo; said Peter Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who are likely to be sleepy on a bright sunny
+morning?&rdquo; asked Old Dame Nature.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;People who have been out all night,&rdquo; said
+Johnny Chuck, who himself always goes to bed
+with the sun.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jimmy Skunk,&rdquo; said Old Dame Nature, and
+her voice was very stern, very stern indeed, and
+her face was very grave. &ldquo;Jimmy Skunk, I
+accuse you of having broken and eaten the eggs
+of Mrs. Grouse. What have you to say for yourself?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jimmy Skunk hung his head. He hadn&#8217;t a word
+to say. He just wanted to sneak away by himself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jimmy Skunk,&rdquo; said Old Dame Nature,
+&ldquo;because your handsome black coat, of which you
+are so proud, has made it possible for you to move
+about in the night without being seen, and because
+we can no longer trust you upon your honor,
+henceforth you and your descendants shall wear
+a striped coat which is the sign that you cannot
+be trusted. Your coat hereafter shall be black
+and white, that will always be visible.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And this is why to this day Jimmy Skunk
+wears a striped suit of black and white.</p>
+
+</div>
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_K_11" id="Footnote_K_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_K_11"><span class="label">[K]</span></a> From &ldquo;Old Mother West Wind,&rdquo; by Thornton W. Burgess;
+used by permission of the author and publishers,
+Little, Brown &amp; Co.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img228a.jpg" width="500" height="239" alt="How Cats Came to Purr" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY JOHN BENNETT</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>A Boy having a Pet Cat which he Wished to
+Feed, Said to Her, &ldquo;Come, Cat, Drink this Dish of
+Cream; it will Keep your Fur as Soft as Silk,
+and Make you Purr like a Coffee-Mill.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He had no sooner said this than the Cat, with
+a Great Glare of her Green Eyes, bristled her
+Tail like a Gun-Swab and went over the Back
+Fence, head first&mdash;pop!&mdash;as Mad as a Wet Hen.</p>
+
+<p>And this is how she came to do so:</p>
+
+<p>The story is an old one&mdash;very, very old. It
+may be Persian; it may be not: that is of very
+little moment. It is so old that if all the nine
+lives of all the cats that have ever lived in the
+world were set up together in a line, the other end
+of it would just reach back to the time when this
+occurred.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;">
+<img src="images/img228b.jpg" width="200" height="156" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the cat that ground the coffee in
+the king&#8217;s kitchen&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>And this is the story:</p>
+
+<p>Many, many years ago, in a country which was
+quite as far from anywhere else as the entire distance
+thither and back, there was a huge cat that
+ground the coffee in the King&#8217;s kitchen, and
+otherwise assisted with the meals.</p>
+
+<p>This cat was, in truth, the actual and very
+father of all subsequent cats, and his name was
+Sooty Will, for his hair was as black as a night
+in a coal-hole. He was ninety years old, and his
+mustaches were like whisk-brooms. But the most
+singular thing about him was that in all his life
+he had never once purred nor humped up his
+back, although his master often stroked him. The
+fact was that he never had learned to purr, nor
+had any reason, so far as he knew, for humping
+up his back. And being the father of all the cats,
+there was no one to tell him how. It remained
+for him to acquire a reason, and from his example
+to devise a habit which cats have followed from
+that time forth, and no doubt will forever follow.</p>
+
+<p>The King of the country had long been at war
+with one of his neighbors, but one morning he
+sent back a messenger to say that he had beaten
+his foeman at last, and that he was coming home
+for an early breakfast as hungry as three bears.
+&ldquo;Have batter-cakes and coffee,&rdquo; he directed, &ldquo;hot,
+and plenty of &#8217;em!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At that the turnspits capered and yelped with
+glee, for batter-cakes and coffee are not cooked
+upon spits, and so they were free to sally forth
+into the city streets and watch the King&#8217;s homecoming
+in a grand parade.</p>
+
+<p>But the cat sat down on his tail in the corner
+and looked cross. &ldquo;Scat!&rdquo; said he, with an angry
+caterwaul. &ldquo;It is not fair that you should go and
+that I should not.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes, it is,&rdquo; said the gleeful turnspits;
+&ldquo;turn and turn about is fair play: you saw the
+rat that was killed in the parlor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Turn about fair play, indeed!&rdquo; cried the cat.
+&ldquo;Then all of you get to your spits; I am sure that
+is turn about!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay,&rdquo; said the turnspits, wagging their tails
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span>
+and laughing. &ldquo;That is over and over again,
+which is not fair play. &#8217;Tis the coffee-mill that
+is turn and turn about. So turn about to your
+mill, Sooty Will; we are off to see the King!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img229b.jpg" width="500" height="284" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;turning hand-springs, head-springs,
+and heel-springs as they went&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>With that they pranced out into
+the court-yard, turning hand-springs,
+head-springs, and heel-springs as
+they went, and, after giving three
+hearty and vociferous cheers in a
+grand chorus at the bottom of the
+garden, went capering away for
+their holiday.</p>
+
+<p>The cat spat at their vanishing
+heels, sat down on his tail in the
+chimney-corner, and was very glum
+indeed.</p>
+
+<p>Just then the cook looked in from
+the pantry. &ldquo;Hullo!&rdquo; he said gruffly.
+&ldquo;Come, hurry up the coffee!&rdquo; That
+was the way he always gave his orders.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;">
+<img src="images/img229a.jpg" width="300" height="177" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;hullo!&rsquo; he said gruffly.<br />
+&lsquo;come, hurry up the coffee!&rsquo;&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The black cat&#8217;s whiskers bristled. He turned
+to the mill with a fierce frown, his long tail going
+to and fro like that of a tiger in its lair; for
+Sooty Will had a temper like hot gunpowder, that
+was apt to go off <em>sizz</em>, <em>whizz</em>, <em>bang</em>! and no one
+to save the pieces. Yet, at least while the cook
+was by, he turned the mill furiously, as if with a
+right good-will.</p>
+
+<p>Meantime, out in the city a glorious day came
+on. The sun went buzzing up the pink-and-yellow
+sky with a sound like that of a walking-doll&#8217;s
+works, or of a big Dutch clock behind a
+door; banners waved from the castled heights,
+and bugles sang from every tower; the city gates
+rang with the cheers of the enthusiastic crowd.
+Up from cellars, down from lofts, off work-benches,
+and out at the doors of their masters&#8217;
+shops, dodging the thwacks of their masters&#8217;
+straps, &ldquo;pop-popping&rdquo; like corks from the necks
+of so many bottles, came apprentices, shop-boys,
+knaves and scullions, crying: &ldquo;God save the
+King! Hurrah! Hurrah! Masters and work
+may go to Rome; our tasks shall wait on our own
+sweet wills; &#8217;t is holiday when the King comes
+home. God save the King! Hurrah!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then came the procession. There were first
+three regiments of trumpeters, all blowing different
+tunes; then fifteen regiments of mounted infantry
+on coal-black horses, forty squadrons of
+green-and-blue dragoons, and a thousand drummers
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span>
+and fifers in scarlet and blue and gold, making
+a thundering din with their rootle-te-tootle-te-tootle-te-rootle;
+and pretty well up to the front
+in the ranks was the King himself, bowing and
+smiling to the populace, with his hand on his
+breast; and after him the army, all in shining
+armor, just enough pounded to be picturesque,
+miles on miles of splendid men, all bearing the
+trophies of glorious war, and armed with lances
+and bows and arrows, falchions, morgensterns,
+martels-de-fer, and other choice implements of
+justifiable homicide, and the reverse, such as
+hautboys and sackbuts and accordions and dudelsacks
+and Scotch bagpipes&mdash;a glorious sight!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img230.jpg" width="500" height="423" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">a part of the grand procession</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>And, as has been said before, the city gates rang
+with the cheers of the crowd, crimson banners
+waved over the city&#8217;s pinnacled summits, and
+bugles blew, trumpets brayed, and drums beat
+until it seemed that wild uproar and rich display
+had reached its high millennium.</p>
+
+<p>The black cat turned the coffee-mill. &ldquo;My oh!
+my oh!&rdquo; he said. "It certainly is not fair that
+those bench-legged turnspits with feet like so
+much leather should see the King marching home
+in his glory, while I, who go shod, as it were, in
+velvet, should hear only the sound through the
+scullery windows. It is not fair. It is no doubt
+true that &ldquo;The cat may mew, and the dog shall
+have his day,&rdquo; but I have as much right to my day
+as he; and has it not been said from immemorial
+time that &lsquo;A cat may look at a king&rsquo;? Indeed it
+has, quite as much as that the dog may have his
+day. I will not stand it; it is not fair. A cat may
+look at a king; and if any cat may look at a king,
+why, I am the cat who may. There are no other
+cats in the world; I am the only one. Poh! the
+cook may shout till his breath gives out, he cannot
+frighten me; for once I am going to have my
+fling!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he forthwith swallowed the coffee-mill, box,
+handle, drawer-knobs, coffee-well, and all, and
+was off to see the King.</p>
+
+<p>So far, so good. But, ah! the sad and undeniable
+truth, that brightest joys too soon must end!
+Triumphs cannot last forever, even in a land of
+legends. There comes a reckoning.</p>
+
+<p>When the procession was past and gone, as all
+processions pass and go, vanishing down the
+shores of forgetfulness; when barons, marquises,
+dukes, and dons were gone, with their pennants
+and banners; when the last lancers had gone
+prancing past and were lost to sight down the
+circuitous avenue, Sooty Will, with drooping tail,
+stood by the palace gate, dejected. He was sour
+and silent and glum. Indeed, who would not be,
+with a coffee-mill on his conscience? To own up
+to the entire truth, the cat was feeling decidedly
+unwell; when suddenly the cook popped his head
+in at the scullery entry, crying, &ldquo;How now, how
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span>
+now, you vagabonds! The war is done, but the
+breakfast is not. Hurry up, scurry up, scamper
+and trot! The cakes are all cooked and are piping
+hot! Then why is the coffee so slow?&rdquo;
+The King was in the dining-hall, in dressing-gown
+and slippers, irately calling for his breakfast!</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 199px;">
+<img src="images/img231b.jpg" width="199" height="151" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;he forthwith swallowed the coffee-mill&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The shamefaced, guilty cat ran hastily down
+the scullery stairs and hid under the refrigerator,
+with such a deep inward sensation of remorse
+that he dared not look the kind cook in the face.
+It now really seemed to him as if everything had
+gone wrong with the world, especially his own
+insides. This any one will readily believe who
+has ever swallowed a coffee-mill. He began to
+weep copiously.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 153px;">
+<img src="images/img231d.jpg" width="153" height="132" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;and was off to see the king&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The cook came into the kitchen. &ldquo;Where is the
+coffee?&rdquo; he said; then, catching sight of the secluded
+cat, he stooped, crying, &ldquo;Where is the
+coffee?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 170px;">
+<img src="images/img231a.jpg" width="170" height="124" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the cat was feeling decidedly unwell&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The cat sobbed audibly. &ldquo;Some one must have
+come into the kitchen while I ran out to look at
+the King!&rdquo; he gasped, for there seemed to him no
+way out of the scrape but by telling a plausible
+untruth. &ldquo;Some one must have come into the
+kitchen and stolen it!&rdquo; And with that, choking
+upon the handle of the mill, which projected into
+his throat, he burst into inarticulate sobs.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 125px;">
+<img src="images/img231c.jpg" width="125" height="105" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;it seemed as if everything had gone wrong&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The cook, who was, in truth, a very kind-hearted
+man, sought to reassure the poor cat.
+&ldquo;There; it is unfortunate, very; but do not weep;
+thieves thrive in kings&#8217; houses!&rdquo; he said, and,
+stooping, he began to stroke the drooping cat&#8217;s
+back to show that he held the weeping creature
+blameless.</p>
+
+<p>Sooty Will&#8217;s heart leaped into his throat.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 212px;">
+<img src="images/img231e.jpg" width="212" height="185" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;where is the coffee?&rsquo; said the cook&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, oh!&rdquo; he half gasped, &ldquo;oh, oh! If he rubs
+his great hand down my back he will feel the
+corners of the coffee-mill through my ribs as sure
+as fate! Oh, oh! I am a gone cat!&rdquo; And with
+that, in an agony of apprehension lest his guilt
+and his falsehood be thus presently detected, he
+humped up his back as high in the air as he could,
+so that the corners of the mill might not make
+bumps in his sides and that the mill might thus
+remain undiscovered.</p>
+
+<p>But, alas! he forgot that coffee-mills turn. As
+he humped up his back to cover his guilt, the coffee-mill
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span>
+inside rolled over, and, as it rolled, began
+to grind&mdash;<em>rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr!</em></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, oh! you have swallowed the mill!&rdquo; cried
+the cook.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 430px;">
+<img src="images/img232a.jpg" width="430" height="269" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;out stepped the genius that lived under the great ovens&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; cried the cat; &ldquo;I was only thinking
+aloud.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At that out stepped the Genius that Lived under
+the Great Ovens, and, with his finger pointed at
+the cat, said in a frightful voice, husky with
+wood-ashes: &ldquo;Miserable and pusillanimous beast!
+By telling a falsehood to cover a wrong you have
+only made bad matters worse. For betraying
+man&#8217;s kindness to cover your shame, a curse shall
+be upon you and all your kind until the end of the
+world. Whenever men stroke you in kindness,
+remembrance of your guilt shall make you hump
+up your back with shame, as you did to avoid being
+found out; and in order that the reason for
+this curse shall never be forgotten, whenever man
+is kind to a cat the sound of the grinding of a
+coffee-mill inside shall perpetually remind him of
+your guilt and shame!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that the Genius vanished in a cloud of
+smoke.</p>
+
+<p>And it was even as he said. From that day
+Sooty Will could never abide having his back
+stroked without humping it up to conceal the mill
+within him; and never did he hump up his back
+but the coffee-mill began slowly to grind, <em>rr-rr-rr-rr!</em>
+inside him; so that, even in the prime of
+life, before his declining days had come, being
+seized upon by a great remorse for these things
+which might never be amended, he retired to a
+home for aged and reputable cats, and there, so
+far as the records reveal, lived the remainder of
+his days in charity and repentance.</p>
+
+<p>But the curse has come down even to the present
+day, as the Genius that Lived under the Great
+Ovens said, and still maintains, though cats have
+probably forgotten the facts, and so, when stroked,
+hump up their backs and purr as if these actions
+were a matter of pride instead of being a blot
+upon their family record.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;">
+<img src="images/img232b.jpg" width="345" height="146" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;he retired to a home for<br />
+aged and reputable cats&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img233.jpg" width="500" height="122" alt="Stories From Scandinavia" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE GREEDY CAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once on a time there was a man who had a Cat,
+and she was so awfully big, and such a beast to
+eat, he couldn&#8217;t keep her any longer. So she
+was to go down to the river with a stone round
+her neck, but before she started she was to have
+a meal of meat. So the goody set before her a
+bowl of porridge and a little trough of fat. That
+the creature crammed into her, and ran off and
+jumped through the window. Outside stood the
+goodman by the barn-door threshing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, goodman,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, pussy,&rdquo; said the goodman; &ldquo;have
+you had any food to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge and
+a trough of fat&mdash;and, now I think of it, I&#8217;ll take
+you, too,&rdquo; and so she took the goodman and
+gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>When she had done that, she went into the
+byre, and there sat the goody milking.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, goody,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, pussy,&rdquo; said the goody; &ldquo;are you
+here, and have you eaten up your food yet?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve eaten a little to-day, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most
+fasting,&rdquo; said pussy; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman&mdash;and,
+now I think of it, I&#8217;ll take you, too,&rdquo; and
+so she took the goody and gobbled her up.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you cow at the manger,&rdquo; said the
+Cat to Daisy the cow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, pussy,&rdquo; said the bell-cow; &ldquo;have
+you had any food to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;I&#8217;ve only had a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody&mdash;and, now I think of it, I&#8217;ll take you,
+too,&rdquo; and so she took the cow and gobbled her up.</p>
+
+<p>Then off she set into the home-field, and there
+stood a man picking up leaves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you leaf-picker in the field,&rdquo; said
+the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, pussy; have you had anything to
+eat to-day?&rdquo; said the leaf-picker.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and Daisy the cow&mdash;and, now I think of
+it, I&#8217;ll take you, too.&rdquo; So she took the leaf-picker
+and gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>Then she came to a heap of stones, and there
+stood a stoat and peeped out.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mr. Stoat of Stoneheap,&rdquo; said the
+Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge, and
+a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody,
+and the cow, and the leaf-picker&mdash;and, now I
+think of it, I&#8217;ll take you, too.&rdquo; So she took the
+stoat and gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>When she had gone a bit farther, she came to
+a hazel-brake, and there sat a squirrel gathering
+nuts.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Sir Squirrel of the Brake,&rdquo; said
+the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat&mdash;and, now I think of it, I&#8217;ll take you,
+too.&rdquo; So she took the squirrel and gobbled him
+up.</p>
+
+<p>When she had gone a little farther, she saw
+Reynard the fox, who was prowling about by
+the woodside.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Reynard Slyboots,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat, and the squirrel&mdash;and, now I think of it,
+I&#8217;ll take you, too.&rdquo; So she took Reynard and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>
+gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>When she had gone a little farther she met
+Long Ears, the hare.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mr. Hopper the hare,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox&mdash;and, now I
+think of it, I&#8217;ll take you, too.&rdquo; So she took the
+hare and gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>When she had gone a bit farther she met
+a wolf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you Greedy Graylegs,&rdquo; said the
+Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge, and
+a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody,
+and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the stoat,
+and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare&mdash;and
+now I think of it, I may as well take you, too.&rdquo;
+So she took and gobbled up Graylegs, too.</p>
+
+<p>So she went on into the wood, and when she
+had gone far and farther than far, o&#8217;er hill and
+dale, she met a bear-cub.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you bare-breeched bear,&rdquo; said the
+Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy,&rdquo; said the bear-cub;
+&ldquo;have you had anything to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge, and
+a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody,
+and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the stoat,
+and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare, and
+the wolf&mdash;and, now I think of it, I may as well
+take you, too.&rdquo; And so she took the bear-cub
+and gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>When the Cat had gone a bit farther, she met
+a she-bear, who was tearing away at a stump
+till the splinters flew, so angry was she at having
+lost her cub.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you Mrs. Bruin,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare,
+and the wolf, and the bear-cub&mdash;and, now I think
+of it, I&#8217;ll take you, too,&rdquo; and so she took Mrs.
+Bruin and gobbled her up, too.</p>
+
+<p>When the Cat got still farther on, she met
+Baron Bruin himself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you Baron Bruin,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy,&rdquo; said Bruin; &ldquo;have
+you had anything to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge, and
+a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody,
+and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the stoat,
+and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare, and
+the wolf, and the bear-cub, and the she-bear&mdash;and,
+now I think of it, I&#8217;ll take you, too,&rdquo; and
+so she took Bruin and ate him up, too.</p>
+
+<p>So the Cat went on and on, and farther than
+far, till she came to the abodes of men again, and
+there she met a bridal train on the road.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you bridal train on the king&#8217;s highway,&rdquo;
+said she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and
+the stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox, and the
+hare, and the wolf, and the bear-cub, and the
+she-bear, and the he-bear&mdash;and, now I think of
+it, I&#8217;ll take you, too,&rdquo; and so she rushed at them,
+and gobbled up both the bride and bridegroom,
+and the whole train, with the cook and the fiddler,
+and the horses and all.</p>
+
+<p>When she had gone still farther, she came to a
+church, and there she met a funeral.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you funeral train,&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge, and
+a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare,
+and the wolf, and the bear-cub, and the she-bear,
+and the he-bear, and the bride and bridegroom,
+and the whole train&mdash;and, now, I don&#8217;t mind if I
+take you, too,&rdquo; and so she fell on the funeral
+train and gobbled up both the body and the bearers.</p>
+
+<p>Now when the Cat had got the body in her, she
+was taken up to the sky, and when she had gone
+a long, long way, she met the moon.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Moon,&rdquo; said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span>
+and the wolf, and the bear-cub, and the she-bear,
+and the he-bear, and the bride and bridegroom,
+and the whole train, and the funeral train&mdash;and,
+now I think of it, I don&#8217;t mind if I take you, too,&rdquo;
+and so she seized hold of the moon, and gobbled
+her up, both new and full.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
+<img src="images/img235.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;that we&#8217;ll fight about,&rsquo; said the billy goat&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>So the Cat went a long way still, and then she
+met the sun.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you sun in heaven.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy,&rdquo; said the sun; &ldquo;have
+you had anything to eat to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting,&rdquo;
+said the Cat; &ldquo;it was only a bowl of porridge,
+and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the
+goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the
+stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare,
+and the wolf, and the bear-cub, and the she-bear,
+and the he-bear, and the bride and bridegroom,
+and the whole train, and the funeral train, and
+the moon&mdash;and, now I think of it, I don&#8217;t mind
+if I take you, too,&rdquo; and so she rushed at the sun
+in heaven and gobbled him up.</p>
+
+<p>So the Cat went far and farther than far, till
+she came to a bridge, and on it she met a big
+billy-goat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, you Billy-goat on Broad-bridge,&rdquo;
+said the Cat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything
+to eat to-day?&rdquo; said the billy-goat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;ve had a little, but I&#8217;m &#8217;most fasting;
+I&#8217;ve only had a bowl of porridge, and a trough
+of fat, and the goodman, and the goody in the
+byre, and Daisy the cow at the manger, and the
+leaf-picker in the home-field, and Mr. Stoat of
+Stoneheap, and Sir Squirrel of the Brake, and
+Reynard Slyboots, and Mr. Hopper the hare, and
+Greedy Graylegs the wolf, and Bare-breech the
+bear-cub, and Mrs. Bruin, and Baron Bruin, and
+a bridal train on the king&#8217;s highway, and a
+funeral at the church, and Lady Moon in the sky,
+and Lord Sun in heaven&mdash;and, now I think of it,
+I&#8217;ll take you, too.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That we&#8217;ll fight about,&rdquo; said the billy-goat,
+and butted at the Cat till she fell right
+over the bridge into the river, and there she
+burst.</p>
+
+<p>So they all crept out one after the other, and
+went about their business, and were just as good
+as ever, all that the Cat had gobbled up. The
+goodman of the house, and the goody in the byre,
+and Daisy the cow at the manger, and the leaf-picker
+in the home-field, and Mr. Stoat of Stoneheap,
+and Sir Squirrel of the Brake, and Reynard
+Slyboots, and Mr. Hopper the hare, and
+Greedy Graylegs the wolf, and Bare-breech the
+bear-cub, and Mrs. Bruin, and Baron Bruin, and
+the bridal train on the highway, and the funeral
+train at the church, and Lady Moon in the sky,
+and Lord Sun in heaven.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HILLSIDE" id="HILLSIDE"></a>GUDBRAND ON THE HILLSIDE</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once upon a time a man whose name
+was Gudbrand. He had a farm which lay far
+away up on the side of a hill, and therefore they
+called him Gudbrand on the hillside.</p>
+
+<p>He and his wife lived so happily together, and
+agreed so well, that whatever the man did the
+wife thought it so well done that no one could
+do it better. No matter what he did, she thought
+it was always the right thing.</p>
+
+<p>They lived on their own farm, and had a hundred
+dollars at the bottom of their chest and two
+cows in their cow-shed. One day the woman
+said to Gudbrand:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think we ought to go to town with one of
+the cows and sell it, so that we may have some
+ready money by us. We are pretty well off, and
+ought to have a few shillings in our pocket like
+other people. The hundred dollars in the chest
+we mustn&#8217;t touch, but I can&#8217;t see what we want
+with more than one cow, and it will be much better
+for us, as I shall have only one to look after
+instead of the two I have now to mind and feed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Yes, Gudbrand thought, that was well and
+sensibly spoken. He took the cow at once and
+went to town to sell it; but when he got there
+no one would buy the cow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, well!&rdquo; thought Gudbrand, &ldquo;I may as well
+take the cow home again. I know I have both
+stall and food for it, and the way home is no
+longer than it was here.&rdquo; So he strolled homeward
+again with the cow.</p>
+
+<p>When he had got a bit on the way he met a
+man who had a horse to sell, and Gudbrand
+thought it was better to have a horse than a cow,
+and so he changed the cow for the horse.</p>
+
+<p>When he had gone a bit farther he met a man
+who was driving a fat pig before him, and then
+he thought it would be better to have a fat pig
+than a horse, and so he changed with the man.</p>
+
+<p>He now went a bit farther, and then he met a
+man with a goat, and so he thought it was surely
+better to have a goat than a pig, and changed
+with the man who had the goat.</p>
+
+<p>Then he went a long way, till he met a man
+who had a sheep. He changed with him, for he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span>
+thought it was always better to have a sheep than
+a goat.</p>
+
+<p>When he had got a bit farther he met a man
+with a goose, and so he changed the sheep for
+the goose. And when he had gone a long, long
+way he met a man with a cock. He changed the
+goose with him, for he thought this wise: &ldquo;It is
+surely better to have a cock than a goose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He walked on till late in the day, when he began
+to feel hungry. So he sold the cock for sixpence
+and bought some food for himself. &ldquo;For
+it is always better to keep body and soul together
+than to have a cock,&rdquo; thought Gudbrand.</p>
+
+<p>He then set off again homeward till he came
+to his neighbor&#8217;s farm, and there he went in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How did you get on in town?&rdquo; asked the people.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, only so-so,&rdquo; said the man. &ldquo;I can&#8217;t boast
+of my luck, nor can I grumble at it either.&rdquo; And
+then he told them how it had gone with him from
+first to last.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you&#8217;ll have a fine reception when you
+get home to your wife,&rdquo; said the man. &ldquo;Heaven
+help you! I should not like to be in your place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think I might have fared much worse,&rdquo; said
+Gudbrand; &ldquo;but whether I have fared well or ill,
+I have such a kind wife that she never says anything,
+no matter what I do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Aye, so you say; but you won&#8217;t get me to believe
+it,&rdquo; said the neighbor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Shall we have a wager on it?&rdquo; said Gudbrand.
+&ldquo;I have a hundred dollars in my chest at
+home. Will you lay the same?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they made the wager and Gudbrand remained
+there till the evening, when it began to
+get dark, and then they went together to the
+farm.</p>
+
+<p>The neighbor was to remain outside the
+door and listen while Gudbrand went in to his
+wife.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening!&rdquo; said Gudbrand when he came
+in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening!&rdquo; said the wife. &ldquo;Heaven be
+praised you are back again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, here I am!&rdquo; said the man. And then
+the wife asked him how he had got on in town.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, so-so,&rdquo; answered Gudbrand. &ldquo;Not much
+to brag of. When I came to town no one would
+buy the cow, so I changed it for a horse.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I&#8217;m so glad of that,&rdquo; said the woman.
+&ldquo;We are pretty well off and we ought to drive
+to church like other people, and when we can
+afford to keep a horse I don&#8217;t see why we should
+not have one. Run out, children, and put the
+horse in the stable.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I haven&#8217;t got the horse, after all,&rdquo; said
+Gudbrand; &ldquo;for when I had got a bit on the way
+I changed it for a pig.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear me!&rdquo; cried the woman, &ldquo;that&#8217;s the very
+thing I should have done myself. I&#8217;m so glad
+of that, for now we can have some bacon in the
+house and something to offer people when they
+come to see us. What do we want with a horse?
+People would only say we had become so grand
+that we could no longer walk to church. Run
+out, children, and let the pig in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I haven&#8217;t got the pig either,&rdquo; said Gudbrand,
+&ldquo;for when I had got a bit farther on the
+road I changed it into a milch goat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear! dear! how well you manage everything!&rdquo;
+cried the wife. &ldquo;When I really come to
+think of it, what do I want with the pig? People
+would only say: &lsquo;Over yonder they eat up
+everything they have.&rsquo; No, now I have a
+goat I can have both milk and cheese and keep
+the goat into the bargain. Let in the goat,
+children.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I haven&#8217;t got the goat either,&rdquo; said Gudbrand.
+&ldquo;When I got a bit on the way I changed
+the goat and got a fine sheep for it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well!&rdquo; returned the woman, &ldquo;you do everything
+just as I should wish it&mdash;just as if I had
+been there myself. What do we want with a
+goat? I should have to climb up hill and down
+dale to get it home at night. No, when I have a
+sheep I can have wool and clothes in the house
+and food as well. Run out, children, and let in
+the sheep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I haven&#8217;t got the sheep any longer,&rdquo; said
+Gudbrand, &ldquo;for when I had got a bit on the way
+I changed it for a goose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, thank you for that!&rdquo; said the woman;
+&ldquo;and many thanks, too! What do I want with
+a sheep? I have neither wheel nor spindle, and
+I do not care either to toil and drudge making
+clothes; we can buy clothes now as before. Now
+I can have goose-fat, which I have so long been
+wishing for, and some feathers to stuff that little
+pillow of mine. Run, children, and let in the
+goose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I haven&#8217;t got the goose either,&rdquo; said
+Gudbrand. &ldquo;When I had got a bit farther on the
+way I changed it for a cock.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I don&#8217;t know how you can think of it
+all!&rdquo; cried the woman. &ldquo;It&#8217;s just as if I had
+done it all myself. A cock! Why, it&#8217;s just the
+same as if you&#8217;d bought an eight-day clock, for
+every morning the cock will crow at four, so we
+can be up in good time. What do we want with
+a goose? I can&#8217;t make goose-fat and I can easily
+fill my pillow with some soft grass. Run, children,
+and let in the cock.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I haven&#8217;t the cock either,&rdquo; said Gudbrand;
+&ldquo;for when I had got a bit farther I became
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span>
+so terribly hungry I had to sell the cock
+for sixpence and get some food to keep body and
+soul together.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Heaven be praised you did that!&rdquo; cried the
+woman. &ldquo;Whatever you do, you always do the
+very thing I could have wished. Besides, what
+did we want with the cock? We are our own
+masters and can lie as long as we like in the
+mornings. Heaven be praised! As long as I
+have got you back again, who manage everything
+so well, I shall neither want cock, nor goose,
+nor pig, nor cows.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Gudbrand then opened the door. &ldquo;Have I won
+the hundred dollars now?&rdquo; he asked. And the
+neighbor was obliged to confess that he had.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HONEY" id="HONEY"></a>PORK AND HONEY</h2>
+
+
+<p>At dawn the other day, when Bruin came tramping
+over the bog with a fat pig, Reynard sat up
+on a stone by the moorside.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, grandsire,&rdquo; said the fox. &ldquo;What&#8217;s
+that so nice that you have there?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pork,&rdquo; said Bruin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I have got a dainty bit, too,&rdquo; said Reynard.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is that?&rdquo; asked the bear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The biggest wild bee&#8217;s comb I ever saw in
+my life,&rdquo; said Reynard.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, you don&#8217;t say so,&rdquo; said Bruin, who
+grinned and licked his lips, he thought it would
+be so nice to taste a little honey. At last he said:
+&ldquo;Shall we swap our fare?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay, nay!&rdquo; said Reynard, &ldquo;I can&#8217;t do that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The end was that they made a bet, and agreed
+to name three trees. If the fox could say them
+off faster than the bear, he was to have leave to
+take one bite of the bacon; but if the bear could
+say them faster, he was to have leave to take
+one sup out of the comb. Greedy Bruin thought
+he was sure to sup out all the honey at one
+breath.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Reynard, &ldquo;it&#8217;s all fair and right,
+no doubt, but all I say is, if I win, you shall be
+bound to tear off the bristles where I am to bite.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; said Bruin, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll help you, as you
+can&#8217;t help yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they were to begin and name the trees.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Fir, Scotch Fir, Spruce</span>,&rdquo; growled out
+Bruin, for he was gruff in his tongue, that he
+was. But for all that he only named two trees,
+for fir and Scotch fir are both the same.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>Ash</em>, <em>Aspen</em>, <em>Oak</em>,&rdquo; screamed Reynard, so that
+the wood rang again.</p>
+
+<p>So he had won the wager, and down he ran
+and took the heart out of the pig at one bit, and
+was just running off with it. But Bruin was
+angry because Reynard had taken the best bit
+out of the whole pig, and so he laid hold of his
+tail and held him fast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stop a bit, stop a bit,&rdquo; he said, and was wild
+with rage.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; said the fox, &ldquo;it&#8217;s all right; let
+me go, grandsire, and I&#8217;ll give you a taste of
+my honey.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Bruin heard that, he let go his hold, and
+away went Reynard after the honey.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here, on this honeycomb,&rdquo; said Reynard,
+&ldquo;lies a leaf, and under this leaf is a hole, and
+that hole you are to suck.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As he said this he held up the comb under the
+bear&#8217;s nose, took off the leaf, jumped up on a
+stone, and began to gibber and laugh, for there
+was neither honey nor honeycomb, but a wasp&#8217;s
+nest, as big as a man&#8217;s head, full of wasps, and
+out swarmed the wasps and settled on Bruin&#8217;s
+head, and stung him in his eyes and ears, and
+mouth and snout. And he had such hard work
+to rid himself of them that he had no time to
+think of Reynard.</p>
+
+<p>And that&#8217;s why, ever since that day, Bruin
+is so afraid of wasps.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BRUIN" id="BRUIN"></a>HOW REYNARD OUTWITTED BRUIN</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once on a time there was a bear, who sat on a
+hillside in the sun and slept. Just then Reynard
+came slouching by and caught sight of him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There you sit taking your ease, grandsire,&rdquo;
+said the fox. &ldquo;Now, see if I don&#8217;t play you a
+trick.&rdquo; So he went and caught three field-mice
+and laid them on a stump close under Bruin&#8217;s
+nose, and then he bawled out into his ear, &ldquo;Bo!
+Bruin, here&#8217;s Peter the Hunter, just behind
+this stump&rdquo;; and as he bawled this out he
+ran off through the wood as fast as ever he
+could.</p>
+
+<p>Bruin woke up with a start, and when he saw
+the three little mice, he was as mad as a March
+hare, and was going to lift up his paw and crush
+them, for he thought it was they who had bellowed
+in his ear.</p>
+
+<p>But just as he lifted it he caught sight of Reynard&#8217;s
+tail among the bushes by the woodside,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>
+and away he set after him, so that the underwood
+crackled as he went, and, to tell the truth, Bruin
+was so close upon Reynard that he caught hold
+of his off hind foot just as he was crawling into
+an earth under a pine-root. So there was Reynard
+in a pinch; but for all that he had his wits
+about him, for he screeched out, &ldquo;<span class="smcap">Slip the pine-root
+and catch Reynard&#8217;s foot</span>,&rdquo; and so the
+silly bear let his foot slip and laid hold of the
+root instead. But by that time Reynard was safe
+inside the earth, and called out:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I cheated you that time, too, didn&#8217;t I, grandsire?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Out of sight isn&#8217;t out of mind,&rdquo; growled
+Bruin down the earth, and was wild with rage.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CRESTED" id="CRESTED"></a>THE COCK AND THE CRESTED HEN</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once a Cock who had a whole farmyard
+of hens to look after and manage; and
+among them was a tiny little Crested Hen. She
+thought she was altogether too grand to be in
+company with the other hens, for they looked so
+old and shabby; she wanted to go out and strut
+about all by herself, so that people could see how
+fine she was, and admire her pretty crest and
+beautiful plumage.</p>
+
+<p>So one day when all the hens were strutting
+about on the dust-heap and showing themselves
+off, and picking and clucking, as they were wont
+to do, this desire seized her, and she began to
+cry:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, over the fence!
+cluck, cluck, cluck, over the fence!&rdquo; and wanted
+to get away.</p>
+
+<p>The Cock stretched his neck and shook his
+comb and feathers, and cried:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go not there!&rdquo; And all the old hens cackled:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go-go-go-go not there!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But she set off for all that; and was not a little
+proud when she got away, and could go about
+pluming and showing herself off quite alone.</p>
+
+<p>Just then a hawk began to fly round in a circle
+above her, and all of a sudden he swooped down
+upon her. The Cock, as he stood on top of
+the dust-heap, stretching his neck and peering
+first with one eye and then with the other,
+had long noticed him, and cried with all his
+might:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come, come, come and help! Come, come,
+come and help!&rdquo; till the people came running to
+see what was the matter. They frightened the
+hawk so that he let go the Hen, and had to be
+satisfied with her tuft and her finest feathers,
+which he had plucked from her. And then, you
+may be sure, she lost no time in running-home;
+she stretched her neck, and tripped along, crying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See, see, see, see how I look! See, see, see,
+see how I look!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Cock came up to her in his dignified way,
+drooped one of his wings, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Didn&#8217;t I tell you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>From that time the Hen did not consider herself
+too good to be in the company of the old
+hens on the dust-heap.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 377px;">
+<img src="images/img241.jpg" width="377" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;didn&#8217;t i tell you?&rdquo; said the cock</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="TRAMP" id="TRAMP"></a>THE OLD WOMAN AND THE TRAMP</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once a tramp who went plodding his
+way through a forest. The distance between the
+houses was so great that he had little hope of
+finding a shelter before the night set in. But all
+of a sudden he saw some lights between the trees.
+He then discovered a cottage, where there was a
+fire burning on the hearth. How nice it would
+be to roast one&#8217;s self before that fire, and to get
+a bite of something, he thought; and so he
+dragged himself toward the cottage.</p>
+
+<p>Just then an old woman came toward him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening, and well met!&rdquo; said the tramp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening,&rdquo; said the woman. &ldquo;Where do
+you come from?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;South of the sun, and east of the moon,&rdquo; said
+the tramp; &ldquo;and now I am on the way home
+again, for I have been all over the world with
+the exception of this parish,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must be a great traveler, then,&rdquo; said the
+woman. &ldquo;What may be your business here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I want a shelter for the night,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I thought as much,&rdquo; said the woman; &ldquo;but
+you may as well get away from here at once, for
+my husband is not at home, and my place is not
+an inn,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My good woman,&rdquo; said the tramp, &ldquo;you must
+not be so cross and hard-hearted, for we are both
+human beings, and should help one another, as
+it is written.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Help one another?&rdquo; said the woman, &ldquo;help?
+Did you ever hear such a thing? Who&#8217;ll help
+me, do you think? I haven&#8217;t got a morsel in the
+house! No, you&#8217;ll have to look for quarters
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span>
+elsewhere,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>But the tramp was like the rest of his kind; he
+did not consider himself beaten at the first rebuff.
+Although the old woman grumbled and complained
+as much as she could, he was just as persistent
+as ever, and went on begging and praying
+like a starved dog, until at last she gave in,
+and he got permission to lie on the floor for the
+night.</p>
+
+<p>That was very kind, he thought, and he
+thanked her for it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Better on the floor without sleep, than suffer
+cold in the forest deep,&rdquo; he said; for he was a
+merry fellow, this tramp, and was always ready
+with a rhyme.</p>
+
+<p>When he came into the room he could see that
+the woman was not so badly off as she had pretended;
+but she was a greedy and stingy woman
+of the worst sort, and was always complaining
+and grumbling.</p>
+
+<p>He now made himself very agreeable, of
+course, and asked her in his most insinuating
+manner for something to eat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where am I to get it from?&rdquo; said the woman.
+&ldquo;I haven&#8217;t tasted a morsel myself the whole
+day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the tramp was a cunning fellow, he was.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Poor old granny, you must be starving,&rdquo; he
+said. &ldquo;Well, well, I suppose I shall have to ask
+you to have something with me, then?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have something with you!&rdquo; said the woman.
+&ldquo;You don&#8217;t look as if you could ask any one to
+have anything! What have you got to offer
+one, I should like to know?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He who far and wide does roam sees many
+things not known at home; and he who many
+things has seen has wits about him and senses
+keen,&rdquo; said the tramp. &ldquo;Better dead than lose
+one&#8217;s head! Lend me a pot, granny!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old woman now became very inquisitive,
+as you may guess, and so she let him have a pot.</p>
+
+<p>He filled it with water and put it on the fire,
+and then he blew with all his might till the fire
+was burning fiercely all round it. Then he took
+a four-inch nail from his pocket, turned it three
+times in his hand, and put it into the pot.</p>
+
+<p>The woman stared with all her might.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s this going to be?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nail broth,&rdquo; said the tramp, and began to stir
+the water with the porridge-stick.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nail broth?&rdquo; asked the woman.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, nail broth,&rdquo; said the tramp.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman had seen and heard a good deal
+in her time, but that anybody could have made
+broth with a nail, well, she had never heard the
+like before.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s something for poor people to know,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;and I should like to learn how to make
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That which is not worth having will always
+go a-begging,&rdquo; said the tramp, but if she wanted
+to learn how to make it she had only to watch
+him, he said, and went on stirring the broth.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman squatted on the ground, her
+hands clasping her knees, and her eyes following
+his hand as he stirred the broth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This generally makes good broth,&rdquo; he said;
+&ldquo;but this time it will very likely be rather thin,
+for I have been making broth the whole week
+with the same nail. If one only had a handful
+of sifted oatmeal to put in, that would make
+it all right,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But what one has to go
+without, it&#8217;s no use thinking more about,&rdquo; and
+so he stirred the broth again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I think I have a scrap of flour somewhere,&rdquo;
+said the old woman, and went out to
+fetch some, and it was both good and fine.</p>
+
+<p>The tramp began putting the flour into the
+broth, and went on stirring, while the woman
+sat staring now at him and then at the pot until
+her eyes nearly burst their sockets.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This broth would be good enough for company,&rdquo;
+he said, putting in one handful of flour
+after another. &ldquo;If I had only a bit of salted beef
+and few potatoes to put in, it would be fit for
+gentlefolks, however particular they might be,&rdquo;
+he said. &ldquo;But what one has to go without, it&#8217;s
+no use thinking more about.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the old woman really began to think it
+over, she thought she had some potatoes, and
+perhaps a bit of beef as well; and these she gave
+the tramp, who went on stirring, while she sat
+and stared as hard as ever.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This will be grand enough for the best in the
+land,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I never!&rdquo; said the woman; &ldquo;and just
+fancy&mdash;all with a nail!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He was really a wonderful man, that tramp!
+He could do more than drink a sup and turn the
+tankard up, he could.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If one had only a little barley and a drop of
+milk, we could ask the king himself to have some
+of it,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;for this is what he has every
+blessed evening&mdash;that I know, for I have been
+in service under the king&#8217;s cook,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear me! Ask the king to have some! Well,
+I never!&rdquo; exclaimed the woman, slapping her
+knees. She was quite awestruck at the tramp
+and his grand connections.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But what one has to go without, it&#8217;s no use
+thinking more about,&rdquo; said the tramp.</p>
+
+<p>And then she remembered she had a little barley;
+and as for milk, well, she wasn&#8217;t quite out
+of that, she said. And then she went to fetch
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>
+both the one and the other.</p>
+
+<p>The tramp went on stirring, and the woman
+sat staring, one moment at him and the next at
+the pot.</p>
+
+<p>Then all at once the tramp took out the
+nail.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now it&#8217;s ready, and now we&#8217;ll have a real
+good feast,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But to this kind of soup
+the king and the queen always take a dram or
+two, and one sandwich at least. And then they
+always have a cloth on the table when they eat,&rdquo;
+he said. &ldquo;But what one has to go without, it&#8217;s
+no use thinking more about.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But by this time the old woman herself had
+begun to feel quite grand and fine, I can tell you;
+and if that was all that was wanted to make it
+just as the king had it, she thought it would be
+nice to have it exactly the same way for once,
+and play at being king and queen with the tramp.
+She went straight to a cupboard and brought out
+the brandy bottle, dram glasses, butter and
+cheese, smoked beef and veal, until at last the
+table looked as if it were decked out for company.</p>
+
+<p>Never in her life had the old woman had such
+a grand feast, and never had she tasted such
+broth, and just fancy, made only with a nail!</p>
+
+<p>She was in such a good and merry humor at
+having learned such an economical way of making
+broth that she did not know how to make
+enough of the tramp who had taught her such a
+useful thing.</p>
+
+<p>So they ate and drank, and drank and ate, until
+they became both tired and sleepy.</p>
+
+<p>The tramp was now going to lie down on the
+floor. But that would never do, thought the old
+woman; no, that was impossible. &ldquo;Such a grand
+person must have a bed to lie in,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>He did not need much pressing. &ldquo;It&#8217;s just like
+the sweet Christmas time,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and a nicer
+woman I never came across. Ah, well! Happy
+are they who meet with such good people,&rdquo; said
+he; and he lay down on the bed and went asleep.</p>
+
+<p>And next morning, when he woke, the first
+thing he got was a good breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>When he was going, the old woman gave him
+a bright dollar piece.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And thanks, many thanks, for what you have
+taught me,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Now I shall live in comfort,
+since I have learned how to make broth
+with a nail.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, it isn&#8217;t very difficult if one only has
+something good to add to it,&rdquo; said the tramp as
+he went his way.</p>
+
+<p>The woman stood at the door staring after him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Such people don&#8217;t grow on every bush,&rdquo; she
+said.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="OLD_WOMAN" id="OLD_WOMAN"></a>THE OLD WOMAN AND THE FISH</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once upon a time an old woman who
+lived in a miserable cottage on the brow of a
+hill overlooking the town. Her husband had been
+dead for many years, and her children were in
+service round about the parish, so she felt rather
+lonely and dreary by herself, and otherwise she
+was not particularly well off either.</p>
+
+<p>But when it has been ordained that one shall
+live, one cannot think of one&#8217;s funeral; and so
+one has to take the world as it is, and still be satisfied;
+and that was about all the old woman
+could console herself with. But that the road up
+which she had to carry the pails from the well
+should be so heavy; and that the axe should have
+such a blunt and rusty edge, so that it was only
+with the greatest difficulty that she could cut the
+little firewood she had; and that the stuff she
+was weaving was not sufficient&mdash;all this grieved
+her greatly, and caused her to complain from
+time to time.</p>
+
+<p>So one day, when she had pulled the bucket up
+from the well, she happened to find a small pike
+in the bucket, which did not at all displease
+her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Such fish does not come into my pot every
+day,&rdquo; she said; and now she could have a really
+grand dish, she thought. But the fish that she
+had got this time was no fool; it had the gift of
+speech, that it had.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me go!&rdquo; said the fish.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman began to stare, you may be
+sure. Such a fish she had never before seen in
+this world.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are you so much better than other fish,
+then?&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and too good to be eaten?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wise is he who does not eat all he gets hold
+of,&rdquo; said the fish; &ldquo;only let me go, and you shall
+not remain without reward for your trouble.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I like a fish in the bucket better than all those
+frisking about free and frolicsome in the lakes,&rdquo;
+said the old woman. &ldquo;And what one can catch
+with one hand, one can also carry to one&#8217;s
+mouth,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That may be,&rdquo; said the fish; &ldquo;but if you do
+as I tell you, you shall have three wishes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wish in one fist, and pour water in the other,
+and you&#8217;ll soon see which you will get filled
+first,&rdquo; said the woman. &ldquo;Promises are well
+enough, but keeping them is better, and I sha&#8217;n&#8217;t
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span>
+believe much in you till I have got you in the
+pot,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You should mind that tongue of yours,&rdquo; said
+the fish, &ldquo;and listen to my words. Wish for three
+things, and then you&#8217;ll see what will happen,&rdquo; he
+said.</p>
+
+<p>Well, the old woman knew well enough what
+she wanted to wish, and there might not be so
+much danger in trying how far the fish would
+keep his word, she thought.</p>
+
+<p>She then began thinking of the heavy hill up
+from the well.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would wish that the pails could go of themselves
+to the well and home again,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So they shall,&rdquo; said the fish.</p>
+
+<p>Then she thought of the axe, and how blunt it
+was.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would wish that whatever I strike shall
+break right off,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So it shall,&rdquo; said the fish.</p>
+
+<p>And then she remembered that the stuff she
+was weaving was not long enough.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would wish that whatever I pull shall become
+long,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That it shall,&rdquo; said the fish. &ldquo;And now, let
+me down into the well again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Yes, that she would, and all at once the pails
+began to shamble up the hill.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear me, did you ever see anything like it?&rdquo;
+The old woman became so glad and pleased that
+she slapped herself across the knees.</p>
+
+<p>Crack, crack! it sounded; and then both her
+legs fell off, and she was left sitting on the top
+of the lid over the well.</p>
+
+<p>Now came a change. She began to cry and
+wail, and the tears started from her eyes, whereupon
+she began blowing her nose with her apron,
+and as she tugged at her nose it grew so long, so
+long, that it was terrible to see.</p>
+
+<p>That is what she got for her wishes! Well,
+there she sat, and there she no doubt still sits, on
+the lid of the well. And if you want to know
+what it is to have a long nose, you had better
+go there and ask her, for she can tell you all
+about it, she can.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="LAD" id="LAD"></a>THE LAD AND THE FOX</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once upon a time a little lad, who was
+on his way to church, and when he came to a
+clearing in the forest he caught sight of a fox
+that was lying on the top of a big stone so fast
+asleep that he did not know the lad had seen
+him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If I catch that fox,&rdquo; said the lad, &ldquo;and sell
+the skin, I shall get money for it, and with that
+money I shall buy some rye, and that rye I shall
+sow in father&#8217;s corn-field at home. When the
+people who are on their way to church pass by
+my field of rye they&#8217;ll say: &lsquo;Oh, what splendid
+rye that lad has got!&rsquo; Then I shall say to them:
+&lsquo;I say, keep away from my rye!&rsquo; But they won&#8217;t
+heed me. Then I shall shout to them: &lsquo;I say,
+keep away from my rye!&rsquo; But still they won&#8217;t
+take any notice of me. Then I shall scream with
+all my might: &lsquo;Keep away from my rye!&rsquo; and
+then they&#8217;ll listen to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the lad screamed so loudly that the fox
+woke up and made off at once for the forest, so
+that the lad did not even get as much as a handful
+of his hair.</p>
+
+<p>No; it&#8217;s best always to take what you can
+reach, for of undone deeds you should never
+screech, as the saying goes.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="ASHPOT" id="ASHPOT"></a>ADVENTURES OF ASHPOT</h2>
+
+
+<p>Norwegian children are just as fond of fairy
+stories as are any other children, and they are
+lucky in having a great number, for that famous
+story-teller, Hans Christian Andersen, was a
+Dane, and as the Danish language is very like
+the Norwegian, his stories were probably known
+in Norway long before they were known in England.
+But the Norwegians have plenty of other
+stories of their own, and they love to sit by the
+fire of burning logs or round the stove in the
+long winter evenings and listen to them. Of
+course, they know all about people like Cinderella
+and Jack the Giant-Killer, but their favorite
+hero is called by the name of Ashpot, who is
+sometimes a kind of boy Cinderella and sometimes
+a Jack the Giant-Killer.</p>
+
+<p>The following are two stories which the little
+yellow-haired Norse children never fail to delight
+in:</p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a man who had
+been out cutting wood, and when he came home
+he found that he had left his coat behind, so he
+told his little daughter to go and fetch it. The
+child started off, but before she reached the wood
+darkness came on, and suddenly a great big hill-giant
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span>
+swooped down upon her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Please, Mr. Giant,&rdquo; said she, trembling all
+over, &ldquo;don&#8217;t take me away to-night, as father
+wants his coat; but to-morrow night, if you will
+come when I go to the <em>stabbur</em> to fetch the bread,
+I will go away with you quietly.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the giant agreed, and the next night, when
+she went to fetch the bread, he came and carried
+her off. As soon as it was found that she was
+missing, her father sent her eldest brother to
+look for her, but he came back without finding
+her. The second brother was also sent, but with
+no better result. At last the father turned to his
+youngest son, who was the drudge of the house,
+and said: &ldquo;Now, Ashpot, you go and see if you
+can find your sister.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So away went Ashpot, and no sooner had he
+reached the wood than he met a bear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Friend bear,&rdquo; said Ashpot, &ldquo;will you help
+me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Willingly,&rdquo; answered the bear. &ldquo;Get up on
+my back.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Ashpot mounted the bear&#8217;s back and rode
+off. Presently they met a wolf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Friend wolf,&rdquo; said Ashpot, &ldquo;will you do some
+work for me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Willingly,&rdquo; answered the wolf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then jump up behind,&rdquo; said Ashpot, and the
+three went on deeper into the wood.</p>
+
+<p>They next met a fox, and then a hare, both of
+whom were enlisted into Ashpot&#8217;s service, and,
+mounted on the back of the bear, were swiftly
+carried off to the giant&#8217;s abode.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, Mr. Giant!&rdquo; said they.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Scratch my back!&rdquo; roared the giant, who lay
+stretched in front of the fire warming himself.</p>
+
+<p>The hare immediately climbed up and began to
+scratch as desired; but the giant knocked him
+over, and down he fell on to the hearthstone,
+breaking off his forelegs, since which time all
+hares have had short forelegs.</p>
+
+<p>The fox next clambered up to scratch the
+giant&#8217;s back, but he was served like the hare.
+Then the wolf&#8217;s turn came, but the giant said
+that he was no better at scratching than the
+others.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>You</em> scratch me!&rdquo; shouted the giant, turning
+impatiently to the bear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; answered Bruin; &ldquo;I know all about
+scratching,&rdquo; and he forthwith dug his claws into
+the giant&#8217;s back and ripped it into a thousand
+pieces.</p>
+
+<p>Then all the beasts danced on the dead body
+of the monster, and Ashpot recovered his sister
+and took her home, carrying off, at the same time,
+all the giant&#8217;s gold and silver. The bear and the
+wolf burst into the cattle-sheds and devoured all
+the cows and sheep, the fox feasted in the hen-roost,
+while the hare had the free run of the oatfield.
+So every one was satisfied.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p>The other story is also about Ashpot, whose
+two elder brothers still treated him very badly,
+and eventually turned him out of his home. Poor
+Ashpot wandered away up into the mountains,
+where he met a huge giant. At first he was terribly
+afraid, but after a little while he told the
+giant what had happened to him, and asked him
+if he could find a job for him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are just the very man I want,&rdquo; said the
+giant. &ldquo;Come along with me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The first work to be done was to make a fire
+to brew some ale, so they went off together to
+the forest to cut firewood. The giant carried a
+club in place of an axe, and when they came to
+a large birch-tree he asked Ashpot whether he
+would like to club the tree down or climb up and
+hold the top of it. The boy thought that the latter
+would suit him best, and he soon got up to the
+topmost branches and held on to them. But the
+giant gave the tree such a blow with his club as
+to knock it right out of the ground, sending Ashpot
+flying across the meadows into a marsh.
+Luckily he landed on soft ground, and was none
+the worse for his adventure; and they soon managed
+to get the tree home, when they set to work
+to make a fire.</p>
+
+<p>But the wood was green, and would not burn,
+so the giant began to blow. At the first puff Ashpot
+found himself flying up to the ceiling as if
+he had been a feather, but he managed to catch
+hold of a piece of birch-bark among the rafters,
+and on reaching the ground again he told the
+giant that he had been up to get something to
+make the fire burn.</p>
+
+<p>The fire was soon burning splendidly, and the
+giant commenced to brew the ale, drinking it off
+as fast as it was made. Ashpot watched him
+getting gradually stupid, and heard him mutter
+to himself, &ldquo;To-night I will kill him,&rdquo; so he began
+to think of a plan to outwit his master.
+When he went to bed he placed the giant&#8217;s
+cream-whisk, with which the giant used to beat
+his cream, between the sheets as a dummy, while
+Ashpot himself crept under the bedstead, where
+he was safely hidden.</p>
+
+<p>In the middle of the night, just as he had expected,
+he heard the giant come into his room,
+and then there was a tremendous whack as the
+giant brought his club down on to the bed. Next
+morning the boy came out of his room as if nothing
+had happened, and his master was very much
+surprised to find him still alive.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hullo!&rdquo; said the giant. &ldquo;Didn&#8217;t you feel anything
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span>
+in the night?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I did feel something,&rdquo; said Ashpot; &ldquo;but I
+thought that it was only a sausage-peg that had
+fallen on the bed, so I went to sleep again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The giant was more astonished than ever, and
+went off to consult his sister, who lived in a
+neighboring mountain, and was about ten times
+his size. At length it was settled that the giantess
+should set her cooking-pot on the fire, and
+that Ashpot should be sent to see her, when she
+was to tip him into the caldron and boil him. In
+the course of the day the giant sent the boy off
+with a message to his sister, and when he reached
+the giantess&#8217;s dwelling he found her busy cooking.
+But he soon saw through her design, and
+he took out of his pocket a nut with a hole in it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look here,&rdquo; he said, showing the nut to the
+ogress, &ldquo;you think you can do everything. I
+will tell you one thing that you can&#8217;t do: you
+can&#8217;t make yourself so small as to be able to
+creep into the hole in this nut.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Rubbish!&rdquo; replied the giantess. &ldquo;Of course
+I can!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And in a moment she became as small as a fly,
+and crept into the nut, whereupon Ashpot hurled
+it into the fire, and that was the end of the
+giantess.</p>
+
+<p>The boy was so delighted that he returned to
+his old tyrant the giant and told him what had
+happened to his sister. This set the big man
+thinking again as to how he was to rid himself
+of this sharp-witted little nuisance. He did not
+understand boys, and he was afraid of Ashpot&#8217;s
+tricks, so he offered him as much gold and silver
+as he could carry if he would go away and
+never return. Ashpot, however, replied that the
+amount he could carry would not be worth having,
+and that he could not think of going unless
+he got as much as the giant could carry.</p>
+
+<p>The giant, glad to get rid of him at any cost,
+agreed, and, loading himself with gold and silver
+and precious stones, he set out with the boy toward
+his home. When they reached the outskirts
+of the farms they saw a herd of cattle, and
+the giant began to tremble.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What sort of beasts are these?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They are my father&#8217;s cows,&rdquo; replied Ashpot,
+&ldquo;and you had better put down your burden and
+run back to your mountain, or they may bite
+you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The giant was only too happy to get away, so,
+depositing his load, which was as big as a small
+hill, he made off, and left the boy to carry his
+treasure home by himself.</p>
+
+<p>So enormous was the amount of the valuables
+that it was six years before Ashpot succeeded in
+removing everything from the field where the
+giant had set it down; but he and all his relations
+were rich people for the rest of their lives.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="LEGENDS" id="LEGENDS"></a>NORWEGIAN BIRD-LEGENDS</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Norwegians have several quaint old legends
+connected with some of their birds. This
+is the story of the goldcrest, known in Norway
+as the &ldquo;bird-king&rdquo;:</p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time the golden eagle determined
+to be publicly acknowledged as king of the birds,
+and he called a meeting of every kind of bird in
+the world. As many of the birds would come
+from tropical countries, he appointed a day in
+the warmest month; and the place he chose was a
+vast tract called Gr&ouml;nfjeld, where every species
+of bird would feel at home, since it bordered on
+the sea, yet was well provided with trees, shrubs,
+flowers, rocks, sand, and heather, as well as with
+lakes and rivers full of fish.</p>
+
+<p>So on the morning of the great congress the
+birds began to arrive in a steady stream, and by
+noon every description of bird was represented&mdash;even
+the ostrich, though how he contrived to
+cross the seas the story does not say. The eagle
+welcomed them, and when the last humming-bird
+had settled down he addressed the meeting, saying
+that there was no doubt that he had a right
+to demand to be proclaimed their king. The
+spread of his wings was prodigious, he could
+fearlessly look at the sun, and to whatever height
+he soared he could detect the slightest movement
+of a fly on the earth.</p>
+
+<p>But the birds objected to the eagle on account
+of his plundering habits, and then each in turn
+stated his own case as a claimant for the kingship&mdash;the
+ostrich could run the fastest, the bird
+of paradise and the peacock could look the prettiest,
+the parrot could talk the best, the canary
+could sing the sweetest, and every one of them,
+for some reason or other, was in his own opinion
+superior to his fellows. After several days of
+fruitless discussion it was finally decided that
+whichever bird could soar the highest should be,
+once and for all, proclaimed king.</p>
+
+<p>Every bird who could fly at all tried his best,
+and the golden eagle, confident of success, waited
+till last. Finally he spread his wings, and as he
+did so an impudent little goldcrest hopped (unbeknown
+to his great rival) on to his back. Up went
+the eagle, and soon outdistanced every other bird.
+Then, when he had almost reached the sun, he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span>
+shouted out, &ldquo;Well, here I am, the highest of all!&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Not so,&rdquo; answered the goldcrest, as, leaving the
+eagle&#8217;s back, he fluttered upward, until suddenly
+he knocked his head against the sun and set fire
+to his crest. Stunned by the shock, the little upstart
+fell headlong to the ground, but, soon recovering
+himself, he immediately flew up on to the
+royal rock and showed the golden crown which
+he had assumed. Unanimously he was proclaimed
+king of the birds, and by this name, concludes the
+legend, he has ever since been known, his sunburnt
+crest remaining as a proof of his cunning
+and daring.</p>
+
+<p>In those parts of Norway where the goldcrest is
+rarely seen the same story, omitting the part
+about the sun and the burnt crest, is told of the
+common wren, who is said to have broken off his
+tail in his great fall. And to this is applied the
+moral: &ldquo;Proud and ambitious people sometimes
+meet with an unexpected downfall.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There are at least seven kinds of woodpeckers
+found in Norway, and of these the great black
+woodpecker is the largest. The woodmen consider
+it to be a bird which brings bad luck, and avoid
+it as much as possible. They call it &ldquo;Gertrude&#8217;s
+Bird&rdquo; because of the following legend:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our Saviour once called on an old woman
+who lived all alone in a little cottage in an extensive
+forest in Norway. Her name was Gertrude,
+and she was a hard, avaricious old creature, who
+had not a kind word for anybody, and although
+she was not badly off in a worldly point of view,
+she was too stingy and selfish to assist any poor
+wayfarer who by chance passed her cottage door.
+One day our Lord happened to come that way,
+and, being hungry and thirsty, he asked of Gertrude
+a morsel of bread to eat and a cup of cold
+water to drink. But the wicked old woman refused,
+and turned our Saviour from the door with
+harsh words. Our Lord stretched forth his hand
+toward the aged crone, and, as a punishment, she
+was immediately transformed into a black woodpecker;
+and ever since that day the wicked old
+creature has wandered about the world in the
+shape of a bird, seeking her daily bread from
+wood to wood and from tree to tree. The red
+head of the bird is supposed to represent the red
+nightcap worn by Gertrude.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Legends of this description were doubtless introduced
+in the early days of Christianity in order
+to impress the new religion on the people,
+and several have been preserved. Thus the turtle-dove
+is revered as a bird which spoke kind
+words to our Lord on the cross; and, similarly,
+the swallow is said to have perched upon the
+cross and to have pitied him; while the legend of
+the crossbill relates how its beak became twisted
+in endeavoring to withdraw the nails, and how
+to this day it bears upon its plumage the red
+blood-stains from the cross.</p>
+
+<p>One more Christian legend&mdash;about the lapwing,
+or peewit: The lapwing was at one time
+a handmaiden of the Virgin Mary, and stole her
+mistress&#8217;s scissors, for which she was transformed
+into a bird, and condemned to wear a
+forked tail resembling scissors. Moreover, the
+lapwing was doomed forever and ever to fly
+from tussock to tussock, uttering over and over
+again the plaintive cry of &ldquo;Tyvit! tyvit!&rdquo;
+(&ldquo;Thief! thief!&rdquo;)</p>
+
+<p>In the old viking times, before Christianity
+had found its way so far north, the bird which
+influenced the people most was the raven. He
+was credited with much knowledge, as well as
+with the power to bring good or bad luck. One
+of the titles of Odin was &ldquo;Raven-god,&rdquo; and he
+had as messengers two faithful ravens, &ldquo;who
+could speak all manner of tongues, and flew on
+his behests to the uttermost parts of the earth.&rdquo;
+In those days the figure of a raven was usually
+emblazoned on shield and standard, and it was
+thought that as the battle raged, victory or defeat
+could be foreseen by the attitude assumed
+by the embroidered bird on the standard. And
+it is well known that William the Conqueror
+(who came of viking stock) flew a banner with
+raven device at the battle of Hastings where he
+won such a great victory.</p>
+
+<p>But the greatest use of all to which the sable
+bird was put was to guide the roving pirates on
+their expeditions. Before a start was made a
+raven was let loose, and the direction of his
+flight gave the viking ships their course. In
+this manner, according to the old Norse legends,
+did Floki discover Iceland; and many other extraordinary
+things happened under the influence
+of the raven.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 349px;">
+<img src="images/img246.jpg" width="349" height="65" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 377px;">
+<img src="images/img247.jpg" width="377" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;every description of bird was represented&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE UGLY DUCKLING</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>It was glorious out in the country. It was
+summer, and the corn-fields were yellow, and the
+oats were green; the hay had been put up in
+stacks in the green meadows, and the stork went
+about on his long red legs, and chattered Egyptian,
+for this was the language he had learned from
+his good mother. All around the fields and meadows
+were great forests, and in the midst of these
+forests lay deep lakes. Yes, it was really glorious
+out in the country. In the midst of the sunshine
+there lay an old farm, surrounded by deep canals,
+and from the wall down to the water grew great
+burdocks, so high that little children could stand
+upright under the loftiest of them. It was just
+as wild there as in the deepest wood. Here sat
+a Duck upon her nest, for she had to hatch her
+young ones; but she was almost tired out before
+the little ones came; and then she so seldom had
+visitors. The other ducks liked better to swim
+about in the canals than to run up to sit down
+under a burdock, and cackle with her.</p>
+
+<p>At last one egg-shell after another burst open.
+&ldquo;Piep! piep!&rdquo; it cried, and in all the eggs there
+were little creatures that stuck out their heads.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Rap! rap!&rdquo; they said; and they all came rapping
+out as fast as they could, looking all round
+them under the green leaves; and the mother let
+them look as much as they chose, for green is
+good for the eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How wide the world is!&rdquo; said the young
+ones, for they certainly had much more room now
+than when they were in the eggs.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you think this is all the world?&rdquo; asked
+the mother. &ldquo;That extends far across the other
+side of the garden, quite into the parson&#8217;s field,
+but I have never been there yet. I hope you
+are all together,&rdquo; she continued, and stood up.
+&ldquo;No, I have not all. The largest egg still lies
+there. How long is this to last? I am really
+tired of it.&rdquo; And she sat down again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, how goes it?&rdquo; asked an old Duck who
+had come to pay her a visit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It lasts a long time with that one egg,&rdquo; said
+the Duck who sat there. &ldquo;It will not burst.
+Now, only look at the others; are they not the
+prettiest ducks one could possibly see? They
+are all like their father; the bad fellow never
+comes to see me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me see the egg which will not burst,&rdquo;
+said the old visitor. &ldquo;Believe me, it is a turkey&#8217;s
+egg. I was once cheated in that way, and had
+much anxiety and trouble with the young ones,
+for they are afraid of the water. I could not
+get them to venture in. I quacked and clucked,
+but it was no use. Let me see the egg. Yes,
+that&#8217;s a turkey egg! Let it lie there, and come
+and teach the other children to swim.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think I will sit on it a little longer,&rdquo; said
+the Duck. &ldquo;I&#8217;ve sat so long now that I can sit
+a few days more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just as you please,&rdquo; said the old Duck; and
+she went away.</p>
+
+<p>At last the great egg burst. &ldquo;Piep! piep!&rdquo;
+said the little one, and crept forth. It was very
+large and very ugly. The Duck looked at it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a very large duckling,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;none
+of the others look like that: can it really be a
+turkey chick? Now we shall soon find it out.
+It must go into the water, even if I have to
+thrust it in myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next day the weather was splendidly bright,
+and the sun shone on all the green trees. The
+Mother-Duck went down to the water with all
+her little ones. Splash she jumped into the water.
+&ldquo;Quack! quack!&rdquo; she said, and one duckling after
+another plunged in. The water closed over their
+heads, but they came up in an instant, and swam
+capitally; their legs went of themselves, and
+there they were all in the water. The ugly gray
+Duckling swam with them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, it&#8217;s not a turkey,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;look how
+well it can use its legs, and how upright it holds
+itself. It is my own child! On the whole it&#8217;s
+quite pretty, if one looks at it rightly. Quack!
+quack! come with me, and I&#8217;ll lead you out into
+the great world, and present you in the poultry-yard;
+but keep close to me, so that no one may
+tread on you, and take care of the cats!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so they came into the poultry-yard. There
+was a terrible riot going on in there, for two
+families were quarreling about an eel&#8217;s head, and
+the cat got it after all.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See, that&#8217;s how it goes in the world!&rdquo; said
+the Mother-Duck; and she whetted her beak, for
+she, too, wanted the eel&#8217;s head. &ldquo;Only use your
+legs,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;See that you can bustle about,
+and bow your heads before the old Duck yonder.
+She&#8217;s the grandest of her tribe; she&#8217;s of Spanish
+blood&mdash;that&#8217;s why she&#8217;s so fat; and do you
+see, she has a red rag around her leg; that&#8217;s
+something particularly fine, and the greatest distinction
+a duck can enjoy; it signifies that one
+does not want to lose her, and that she&#8217;s to be
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>
+recognized by man and beast. Shake yourselves&mdash;don&#8217;t
+turn in your toes; a well-brought-up duck
+turns its toes quite out, just like father and
+mother, so! Now bend your necks and say
+&lsquo;Rap&rsquo;!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And they did so; but the other ducks round
+about looked at them, and said quite boldly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look there! now we&#8217;re to have these hanging
+on, as if there were not enough of us already!
+And&mdash;fie!&mdash;how that Duckling yonder looks; we
+won&#8217;t stand that!&rdquo; And one duck flew up immediately,
+and bit it in the neck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let it alone,&rdquo; said the mother; &ldquo;it does no
+harm to any one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, but it&#8217;s too large and peculiar,&rdquo; said
+the Duck who had bitten it; &ldquo;and therefore it
+must be buffeted.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Those are pretty children that the mother has
+there,&rdquo; said the old Duck with the rag on her leg.
+&ldquo;They&#8217;re all pretty but that one; that was a
+failure. I wish she could alter it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That cannot be done, my lady,&rdquo; replied the
+Mother-Duck. &ldquo;It is not pretty, but it has a
+really good disposition, and swims as well as any
+other; I may even say it swims better. I think
+it will grow up pretty, and become smaller in
+time; it has lain too long in the egg, and therefore
+is not properly shaped.&rdquo; And then she
+pinched it in the neck, and smoothed its feathers.
+&ldquo;Moreover, it is a drake,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and therefore
+it is not of so much consequence. I think
+he will be very strong: he makes his way already.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The other ducklings are graceful enough,&rdquo;
+said the old Duck. &ldquo;Make yourself at home;
+and if you find an eel&#8217;s head, you may bring it
+to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And now they were at home. But the poor
+Duckling which had crept last out of the egg,
+and looked so ugly, was bitten and pushed and
+jeered, as much by the ducks as by the chickens.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is too big!&rdquo; they all said. And the turkey-cock,
+who had been born with spurs, and therefore
+thought himself an emperor, blew himself
+up like a ship in full sail, and bore straight down
+upon it; then he gobbled, and grew quite red in
+the face. The poor Duckling did not know where
+it should stand or walk; it was quite melancholy
+because it looked ugly, and was scoffed at by
+the whole yard.</p>
+
+<p>So it went on the first day; and afterward it
+became worse and worse. The poor Duckling was
+hunted about by every one; even its brothers and
+sisters were quite angry with it, and said: &ldquo;If
+the cat would only catch you, you ugly creature!&rdquo;
+And the mother said: &ldquo;If you were only far
+away!&rdquo; And the ducks bit it, and the chickens
+beat it, and the girl who had to feed the poultry
+kicked at it with her foot.</p>
+
+<p>Then it ran and flew over the fence, and the
+little birds in the bushes flew up in fear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is because I am so ugly!&rdquo; thought the
+Duckling; and it shut its eyes, but flew on farther;
+thus it came out into the great moor, where the
+wild ducks lived. Here it lay the whole night
+long; and it was weary and downcast.</p>
+
+<p>Toward morning the wild ducks flew up, and
+looked at their new companion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What sort of a one are you?&rdquo; they asked;
+and the Duckling turned in every direction, and
+bowed as well as it could. &ldquo;You are remarkably
+ugly!&rdquo; said the wild ducks. &ldquo;But that is very
+indifferent to us, so long as you do not marry
+into our family.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Poor thing! it certainly did not think of marrying,
+and only hoped to obtain leave to lie among
+the reeds and drink some of the swamp water.</p>
+
+<p>Thus it lay two whole days; then came thither
+two wild geese, or, properly speaking, two wild
+ganders. It was not long since each had crept
+out of an egg, and that&#8217;s why they were so
+saucy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Listen, comrade,&rdquo; said one of them. &ldquo;You&#8217;re
+so ugly that I like you. Will you go with us,
+and become a bird of passage? Near here, in
+another moor, there are a few sweet lovely wild
+geese, all unmarried, and all able to say &lsquo;Rap&rsquo;!
+You&#8217;ve a chance of making your fortune, ugly
+as you are!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Piff! paff!&rdquo; resounded through the air; and
+the two ganders fell down dead in the swamp,
+and the water became blood-red. &ldquo;Piff! paff!&rdquo;
+it sounded again, and whole flocks of wild geese
+rose up from the reeds. And then there was
+another report. A great hunt was going on. The
+hunters were lying in wait all round the moor,
+and some were even sitting up in the branches
+of the trees, which spread far over the reeds.
+The blue smoke rose up like clouds among the
+dark trees, and was wafted far away across the
+water; and the hunting dogs came&mdash;splash,
+splash!&mdash;into the swamp, and the rushes and the
+reeds bent down on every side. That was a fright
+for the poor Duckling! It turned its head, and
+put it under its wing; but at that moment a
+frightful great dog stood close by the Duckling.
+His tongue hung far out of his mouth and his
+eyes gleamed horrible and ugly; he thrust out his
+nose close against the Duckling, showed his sharp
+teeth, and&mdash;splash, splash!&mdash;on he went, without
+seizing it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Heaven be thanked!&rdquo; sighed the Duckling.
+&ldquo;I am so ugly that even the dog does not like
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span>
+to bite me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so it lay quite quiet, while the shots rattled
+through the reeds and gun after gun was fired.
+At last, late in the day, silence was restored; but
+the poor Duckling did not dare to rise up; it
+waited several hours before it looked around,
+and then hastened away out of the moor as fast
+as it could. It ran on over field and meadow;
+there was such a storm raging that it was difficult
+to get from one place to another.</p>
+
+<p>Toward evening the Duckling came to a miserable
+little hut. This hut was so dilapidated that
+it did not know on which side it should fall;
+and that&#8217;s why it remained standing. The storm
+whistled round the Duckling in such a way that
+the poor creature was obliged to sit down, to
+stand against it; and the tempest grew worse
+and worse. Then the Duckling noticed that one
+of the hinges of the door had given way, and
+the door hung so slanting that the Duckling
+could slip through the crack into the room.</p>
+
+<p>Here lived a woman, with her Tom Cat and
+her Hen. And the Tom Cat, whom she called
+Sonnie, could arch his back and purr, he could
+even give out sparks; but for that one had to
+stroke his fur the wrong way. The Hen had
+quite little short legs, and therefore she was
+called Chickabiddy-shortshanks; she laid good
+eggs, and the woman loved her as her own child.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning the strange Duckling was at
+once noticed, and the Tom Cat began to purr,
+and the Hen to cluck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s this?&rdquo; said the woman, looking all
+around; but she could not see very well, and
+therefore she thought the Duckling was a fat
+duck that had strayed. &ldquo;This is a rare prize!&rdquo;
+she said. &ldquo;Now I shall have duck&#8217;s eggs. I
+hope it is not a drake. We must try that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so the Duckling was admitted on trial
+for three weeks; but no eggs came. And the
+Tom Cat was master of the house, and the Hen
+was the lady, and always said, &ldquo;We and the
+world!&rdquo; for she thought they were half the world,
+and by far the better half. The Duckling thought
+one might have a different opinion, but the Hen
+would not allow it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can you lay eggs?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then you&#8217;ll have the goodness to hold your
+tongue.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the Tom Cat said, &ldquo;Can you curve your
+back, and purr and give out sparks?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then you cannot have any opinion of your
+own when sensible people are speaking.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the Duckling sat in the corner and was
+melancholy; then the fresh air and the sunshine
+streamed in; and it was seized with such a strange
+longing to swim on the water, that it could not
+help telling the Hen of it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you thinking of?&rdquo; cried the Hen.
+&ldquo;You have nothing to do, that&#8217;s why you have
+these fancies. Purr or lay eggs, and they will
+pass over.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But it is so charming to swim on the water!&rdquo;
+said the Duckling, &ldquo;so refreshing to let it close
+above one&#8217;s head, and to dive to the bottom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that must be a mighty pleasure, truly,&rdquo;
+quoth the Hen. &ldquo;I fancy you must have gone
+crazy. Ask the Cat about it&mdash;he&#8217;s the cleverest
+animal I know&mdash;ask him if he likes to swim on
+the water, or to dive down; I won&#8217;t speak about
+myself. Ask our mistress, the old woman; no
+one in the world is cleverer than she. Do you
+think she has any desire to swim, and to let the
+water close above her head?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You don&#8217;t understand me,&rdquo; said the Duckling.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We don&#8217;t understand you? Then pray who
+is to understand you? You surely don&#8217;t pretend
+to be cleverer than the Tom Cat and the woman&mdash;I
+won&#8217;t say anything of myself. Don&#8217;t be conceited,
+child, and be grateful for all the kindness
+you have received. Did you not get into a warm
+room, and have you not fallen into company from
+which you may learn something. But you are a
+chatterer, and it is not pleasant to associate with
+you. You may believe me, I speak for your
+good. I tell you disagreeable things, and by that
+one may always know one&#8217;s true friends! Only
+take care that you learn to lay eggs, or to purr
+and give out sparks!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think I will go out into the wide world,&rdquo;
+said the Duckling.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, do go,&rdquo; replied the Hen.</p>
+
+<p>And the Duckling went away. It swam on the
+water, and dived, but it was slighted by every
+creature because of its ugliness.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 375px;">
+<img src="images/img251.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;have you not fallen into company from<br />
+which you may learn something?&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Now came the Autumn. The leaves in the forest
+turned yellow and brown; the wind caught
+them so that they danced about, and up in the air
+it was very cold. The clouds hung low, heavy
+with hail and snow-flakes, and on the fence stood
+the raven, crying, &ldquo;Croak! croak!&rdquo; for mere
+cold; yes, it was enough to make one feel cold
+to think of this. The poor little Duckling certainly
+had not a good time. One evening&mdash;the
+sun was just setting in his beauty&mdash;there came a
+whole flock of great handsome birds out of the
+bushes; they were dazzlingly white, with long
+flexible necks; they were swans. They uttered a
+very peculiar cry, spread forth their glorious
+great wings, and flew away from that cold region
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span>
+to warmer lands, to fair open lakes. They
+mounted so high, so high! and the ugly little
+Duckling felt quite strangely as it watched them.
+It turned round and round in the water like a
+wheel, stretched out its neck toward them, and
+uttered such a strange loud cry as frightened itself.
+Oh! it could not forget those beautiful,
+happy birds; and as soon as it could see them
+no longer, it dived down to the very bottom, and
+when it came up again, it was quite beside itself.
+It knew not the name of those birds, and knew
+not whither they were flying; but it loved them
+more than it had ever loved any one. It was
+not at all envious of them. How could it think
+of wishing to possess such loveliness as they
+had? It would have been glad if only the ducks
+would have endured its company.</p>
+
+<p>And the Winter grew cold, very cold! The
+Duckling was forced to swim about in the water,
+to prevent the surface from freezing entirely; but
+every night the hole in which it swam about became
+smaller and smaller. It froze so hard that
+the icy covering cracked again; and the Duckling
+was obliged to use its legs continually to prevent
+the hole from freezing up. At last it became exhausted,
+and lay quite still, and thus froze fast
+into the ice.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning a peasant came by, and
+when he saw what had happened, he took his
+wooden shoe, broke the ice-crust to pieces, and
+carried the Duckling home to his wife. Then it
+came to itself again. The children wanted to play
+with it, but the Duckling thought they would
+do it an injury, and in its terror fluttered up into
+the milk-pan, so that the milk spurted down into
+the room. The woman clapped her hands, at
+which the Duckling flew down into the butter-tub,
+and then into the meal-barrel and out again.
+How it looked then! The woman screamed, and
+struck at it with the fire-tongs; the children
+tumbled over one another, in their efforts to
+catch the Duckling; and they laughed and
+screamed finely! Happily the door stood open,
+and the poor creature was able to slip out between
+the shrubs into the newly fallen snow;
+and there it lay quite exhausted.</p>
+
+<p>But it would be too melancholy if I were to
+tell all the misery and want which the Duckling
+had to endure in the hard Winter. It lay out on
+the moor among the reeds, when the sun began
+to shine again and the larks to sing: it was a
+beautiful Spring.</p>
+
+<p>Then all at once the Duckling could flap its
+wings: they beat the air more strongly than before,
+and bore it strongly away; and before it
+well knew how all this happened, it found itself
+in a great garden, where the elder trees smelt
+sweet, and bent their long green branches down
+to the canal that wound through the region.
+Oh, here it was so beautiful, such a gladness of
+Spring! and from the thicket came three glorious
+white swans; they rustled their wings, and swam
+lightly on the water. The Duckling knew the
+splendid creatures, and felt oppressed by a peculiar
+sadness.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will fly away to them, to the royal birds!
+and they will kill me, because I, that am so
+ugly, dare to approach them. But it is of no
+consequence! Better to be killed by <em>them</em> than
+to be pursued by ducks, and beaten by fowls, and
+pushed about by the girl who takes care of the
+poultry-yard, and to suffer hunger in Winter!&rdquo;
+And it flew out into the water, and swam toward
+the beautiful swans: these looked at it, and came
+sailing down upon it with outspread wings. &ldquo;Kill
+me!&rdquo; said the poor creature, and bent its head
+down upon the water, expecting nothing but death.
+But what was this that it saw in the clear water?
+It beheld its own image; and, lo! it was no
+longer a clumsy, dark-gray bird, ugly and hateful
+to look at, but&mdash;a swan!</p>
+
+<p>It matters nothing if one is born in a duck-yard,
+if one has only lain in a swan&#8217;s egg.</p>
+
+<p>It felt quite glad at all the need and misfortune
+it had suffered, now it realized its happiness in
+all the splendor that surrounded it. And the
+great swans swam around it, and stroked it with
+their beaks.</p>
+
+<p>Into the garden came little children, who threw
+bread and corn into the water; and the youngest
+cried: &ldquo;There is a new one!&rdquo; And the other
+children shouted joyously: &ldquo;Yes, a new one has
+arrived!&rdquo; And they clapped their hands and
+danced about, and ran to their father and mother;
+and bread and cake were thrown into the water;
+and they all said: &ldquo;The new one is the most
+beautiful of all! so young and handsome!&rdquo; And
+the old swans bowed their heads before him.</p>
+
+<p>Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head
+under his wings, for he did not know what to
+do; he was so happy, and yet not at all proud.
+He thought how he had been persecuted and
+despised; and now he heard them saying that
+he was the most beautiful of all birds. Even
+the elder tree bent its branches straight down into
+the water before him, and the sun shone
+warm and mild. Then his wings rustled, he
+lifted his slender neck, and cried rejoicingly from
+the depths of his heart:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I never dreamed of so much happiness when
+I was still the Ugly Duckling!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE WILD SWANS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Far away, where the swallows fly when our
+Winter comes on, lived a King who had eleven
+sons, and one daughter named Eliza. The eleven
+brothers were Princes, and each went to school
+with a star on his breast and his sword by his
+side. They wrote with pencils of diamond upon
+slates of gold, and learned by heart just as well
+as they read: one could see directly that they
+were Princes. Their sister Eliza sat upon a little
+stool of plate-glass, and had a picture-book which
+had been bought for the value of half a kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, the children were particularly well off; but
+it was not always to remain so.</p>
+
+<p>Their father, who was King of the whole
+country, married a bad Queen, who did not love
+the poor children at all. On the very first day
+they could notice this. In the whole palace there
+was great feasting, and the children were playing
+there. Then guests came; but instead of the
+children receiving, as they had been accustomed
+to do, all the spare cake and all the roasted
+apples, they only had some sand given them in
+a tea-cup, and were told that they might make
+believe that was something good. The next week
+the Queen took the little sister Eliza into the
+country, to a peasant and his wife; and but a
+short time had elapsed before she told the King
+so many falsehoods about the poor Princes that
+he did not trouble himself any more about them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Fly out into the world and get your own
+living,&rdquo; said the wicked Queen. &ldquo;Fly like great
+birds without a voice.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But she could not make it so bad for them as
+she had intended, for they became eleven magnificent
+wild swans. With a strange cry they
+flew out of the palace windows, far over the park
+and into the wood.</p>
+
+<p>It was yet quite early morning when they came
+by the place where their sister Eliza lay asleep
+in the peasant&#8217;s room. Here they hovered over
+the roof, turned their long necks, and flapped
+their wings; but no one heard or saw it. They
+were obliged to fly on, high up toward the clouds,
+far away into the wide world; there they flew
+into a great dark wood, which stretched away
+to the seashore.</p>
+
+<p>Poor little Eliza stood in the peasant&#8217;s room
+and played with a green leaf, for she had no
+other playthings. And she pricked a hole in the
+leaf, and looked through it up at the sun, and it
+seemed to her that she saw her brothers&#8217; clear
+eyes; each time the warm sun shone upon her
+cheeks she thought of all the kisses they had
+given her.</p>
+
+<p>Each day passed just like the rest. When the
+wind swept through the great rose hedges outside
+the house, it seemed to whisper to them:
+&ldquo;What can be more beautiful than you?&rdquo; But
+the roses shook their heads and answered &ldquo;Eliza!&rdquo;
+And when the old woman sat in front of her
+door on Sunday and read in her hymn-book, the
+wind turned the leaves and said to the book:
+&ldquo;Who can be more pious than you?&rdquo; and the
+hymn-book said, &ldquo;Eliza!&rdquo; And what the rose
+bushes and the hymn-book said was the simple
+truth.</p>
+
+<p>When she was 15 years old she was to go
+home. And when the Queen saw how beautiful
+she was, she became spiteful and filled with
+hatred toward her. She would have been glad
+to change her into a wild swan, like her brothers,
+but she did not dare to do so at once, because
+the King wished to see his daughter.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning the Queen went into the
+bath, which was built of white marble, and decked
+with soft cushions and the most splendid tapestry;
+and she took three toads and kissed them, and
+said to the first: &ldquo;Sit upon Eliza&#8217;s head when
+she comes into the bath, that she may become
+as stupid as you. Seat yourself upon her forehead,&rdquo;
+she said to the second, &ldquo;that she may
+become as ugly as you, and her father may not
+know her. Rest on her heart,&rdquo; she whispered
+to the third, &ldquo;that she may receive an evil mind
+and suffer pain from it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she put the toads into the clear water,
+which at once assumed a green color; and calling
+Eliza, she caused her to undress and step into
+the water. And while Eliza dived, one of the
+toads sat upon her hair, and the second on her
+forehead, and the third on her heart; but she
+did not seem to notice it; and as soon as she
+rose, three red poppies were floating on the
+water. If the creatures had not been poisonous,
+and if the witch had not kissed them, they would
+have been changed into red roses. But at any
+rate they became flowers, because they had rested
+on the girl&#8217;s head, and forehead, and heart. She
+was too good and innocent for sorcery to have
+power over her.</p>
+
+<p>When the wicked Queen saw that, she rubbed
+Eliza with walnut juice, so that the girl became
+dark brown, and smeared a hurtful ointment on
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span>
+her face, and let her beautiful hair hang in confusion.
+It was quite impossible to recognize the
+pretty Eliza.</p>
+
+<p>When her father saw her he was much shocked
+and declared this was not his daughter. No one
+but the yard dog and the swallows would recognize
+her; but they were poor animals who had
+nothing to say in the matter.</p>
+
+<p>Then poor Eliza wept, and thought of her
+eleven brothers who were all away. Sorrowfully
+she crept out of the castle, and walked all day
+over field and moor till she came into the great
+wood. She did not know whither she wished to
+go, only she felt very downcast and longed for
+her brothers: they had certainly been, like herself,
+thrust forth into the world, and she would
+seek for them and find them.</p>
+
+<p>She had been only a short time in the wood
+when the night fell; she quite lost the path, therefore
+she lay down upon the soft moss, prayed
+her evening prayer, and leaned her head against
+the stump of a tree. Deep silence reigned around,
+the air was mild, and in the grass and in the
+moss gleamed like a green fire hundreds of glow-worms;
+when she lightly touched one of the
+twigs with her hand, the shining insects fell
+down upon her like shooting stars.</p>
+
+<p>The whole night long she dreamed of her
+brothers. They were children again playing together,
+writing with their diamond pencils upon
+their golden slates, and looking at the beautiful
+picture-book which had cost half a kingdom. But
+on the slates they were not writing as they had
+been accustomed to do, lines and letters, but the
+brave deeds they had done, and all they had seen
+and experienced; and in the picture-book everything
+was alive&mdash;the birds sang, and the people
+went out of the book and spoke with Eliza and
+her brothers. But when the leaf was turned,
+they jumped back again directly, so that there
+should be no confusion.</p>
+
+<p>When she awoke the sun was already standing
+high. She could certainly not see it, for the
+lofty trees spread their branches far and wide
+above her. But the rays played there above like
+a gauzy veil, there was a fragrance from the
+fresh verdure, and the birds almost perched upon
+her shoulders. She heard the splashing of water;
+it was from a number of springs all flowing into
+a lake which had the most delightful sandy bottom.
+It was surrounded by thick growing bushes,
+but at one part the stags had made a large
+opening, and here Eliza went down to the water.
+The lake was so clear, that if the wind had not
+stirred the branches and the bushes, so that they
+moved, one would have thought they were painted
+upon the depths of the lake, so clearly was every
+leaf mirrored, whether the sun shone upon it
+or whether it lay in shadow.</p>
+
+<p>When Eliza saw her own face she was terrified&mdash;so
+brown and ugly was she; but when she
+wetted her little hand and rubbed her eyes and
+her forehead, the white skin gleamed forth again.
+Then she undressed and went down into the fresh
+water; a more beautiful King&#8217;s daughter than
+she was could not be found in the world. And
+when she had dressed herself again and plaited
+her long hair, she went to the bubbling spring,
+drank out of the hollow of her hand, and then
+wandered far into the wood, not knowing whither
+she went. She thought of her dear brothers, and
+thought that Heaven would certainly not forsake
+her. It is God who lets the wild apples grow,
+to satisfy the hunger. He showed her a wild
+apple tree, with the boughs bending under the
+weight of the fruit. Here she took her midday
+meal, placing props under the boughs, and then
+went into the darkest part of the forest. There
+it was so still that she could hear her own footsteps,
+as well as the rustling of every dry leaf
+which bent under her feet. Not one bird was
+to be seen, not one ray of sunlight could find
+its way through the great dark boughs of the
+trees; the lofty trunks stood so close together
+that when she looked before her it appeared as
+though she were surrounded by sets of palings
+one behind the other.</p>
+
+<p>The night came on quite dark. Not a single
+glow-worm now gleamed in the grass. Sorrowfully
+she lay down to sleep. Then it seemed
+to her as if the branches of the trees parted above
+her head, and mild eyes of angels looked down
+upon her from on high.</p>
+
+<p>When the morning came, she did not know if
+it had really been so or if she had dreamed it.</p>
+
+<p>She went a few steps forward, and then she
+met an old woman with berries in her basket,
+and the old woman gave her a few of them.
+Eliza asked the dame if she had not seen eleven
+Princes riding through the wood.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied the old woman, &ldquo;but yesterday
+I saw eleven swans swimming in the river close
+by, with golden crowns on their heads.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And she led Eliza a short distance farther, to
+a declivity, and at the foot of the slope a little
+river wound its way. The trees on its margin
+stretched their long leafy branches across toward
+each other, and where their natural growth would
+not allow them to come together, the roots had
+been torn out of the ground, and hung, intermingled
+with the branches, over the water.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 375px;">
+<img src="images/img255.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the whole day they flew onward through the air&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>Eliza said farewell to the old woman, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span>
+went beside the river to the place where the
+stream flowed out to the great open ocean.</p>
+
+<p>The whole glorious sea lay before the young
+girl&#8217;s eyes, but not one sail appeared on its surface,
+and not a boat was to be seen. How was
+she to proceed? She looked at the innumerable
+little pebbles on the shore; the water had worn
+them all round. Glass, ironstones, everything
+that was there had received its shape from the
+water, which was much softer than even her
+delicate hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It rolls on unweariedly, and thus what is hard
+becomes smooth. I will be just as unwearied.
+Thanks for your lesson, you clear rolling waves;
+my heart tells me that one day you will lead
+me to my dear brothers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the foam-covered sea-grass lay eleven white
+swan feathers, which she collected into a bunch.
+Drops of water were upon them&mdash;whether they
+were dewdrops or tears nobody could tell. Solitary
+it was there on the strand, but she did not
+feel it, for the sea showed continual changes&mdash;more
+in a few hours than the lovely lakes can
+produce in a whole year. Then a great black
+cloud came. It seemed as if the sea would say:
+&ldquo;I can look angry, too.&rdquo; And then the wind
+blew, and the waves turned their white side outward.
+But when the clouds gleamed red and the
+winds slept, the sea looked like a rose-leaf; sometimes
+it became green, sometimes white. But
+however quietly it might rest, there was still a
+slight motion on the shore; the water rose gently
+like the breast of a sleeping child.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun was just about to set, Eliza
+saw eleven wild swans, with crowns on their
+heads, flying toward the land: they swept along
+one after the other, so that they looked like a
+long white band. Then Eliza descended the slope
+and hid herself behind a bush. The swans
+alighted near her and flapped their great white
+wings.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sun had disappeared beneath
+the water, the swan&#8217;s feathers fell off, and eleven
+handsome Princes, Eliza&#8217;s brothers, stood there.
+She uttered a loud cry, for although they were
+greatly altered, she knew and felt that it must
+be they. And she sprang into their arms and
+called them by their names; and the Princes felt
+supremely happy when they saw their little sister
+again; and they knew her, though she was now
+tall and beautiful. They smiled and wept; and
+soon they understood how cruel their stepmother
+had been to them all.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We brothers,&rdquo; said the eldest, "fly about as
+wild swans as long as the sun is in the sky, but
+directly it sinks down we receive our human form
+again. Therefore we must always take care that
+we have a resting-place for our feet when the
+sun sets; for if at that moment we were flying
+up toward the clouds, we should sink down into
+the deep as men. We do not dwell here: there
+lies a land just as fair as this beyond the sea.
+But the way thither is long; we must cross the
+great sea, and on our path there is no island
+where we could pass the night, only a little rock
+stands forth in the midst of the waves; it is just
+large enough that we can rest upon it close to
+each other. If the sea is rough, the foam spurts
+far over us, but we thank God for the rock.
+There we pass the night in our human form:
+but for this rock we could never visit our beloved
+native land, for we require two of the longest
+days in the year for our journey.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Only once in each year is it granted to us to
+visit our home. For eleven days we may stay
+here and fly over the great wood, from whence
+we can see the palace in which we were born
+and in which our father lives, and the high
+church tower, beneath whose shade our mother
+lies buried. Here it seems to us as though the
+bushes and trees were our relatives; here the
+wild horses career across the steppe, as we have
+seen them do in our childhood; here the charcoal-burner
+sings the old songs to which we danced as
+children; here is our fatherland; hither we feel
+ourselves drawn, and here we have found you,
+our dear little sister. Two days more we may
+stay here; then we must away across the sea to
+a glorious land, but which is not our native land.
+How can we bear you away? for we have neither
+ship nor boat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In what way can I release you?&rdquo; asked the
+sister; and they conversed nearly the whole night,
+slumbering only for a few hours.</p>
+
+<p>She was awakened by the rustling of the
+swans&#8217; wings above her head. Her brothers
+were again enchanted, and they flew in wide
+circles and at last far away; but one of them,
+the youngest, remained behind, and the swan
+laid his head in her lap, and she stroked his
+wings; and the whole day they remained together.
+Toward evening the others came back, and when
+the sun had gone down they stood there in their
+own shapes, and one of them said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To-morrow we fly far away from here, and
+cannot come back until a whole year has gone by.
+But we cannot leave you thus! Have you courage
+to come with us? My arm is strong enough
+to carry you in the wood; and should not all our
+wings be strong enough to fly with you over the
+sea?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, take me with you,&rdquo; said Eliza.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span>
+The whole night they were occupied in weaving
+a net of the pliable willow bark and tough
+reeds; and it was great and strong. On this
+net Eliza lay down; and when the sun rose, and
+her brothers were changed into wild swans, they
+seized the net with their beaks, and flew with
+their beloved sister, who was still asleep, high up
+toward the clouds. The sunbeams fell exactly
+upon her face, so one of the swans flew over her
+head, that his broad wings might overshadow her.</p>
+
+<p>They were far away from the shore when
+Eliza awoke: she was still dreaming, so strange
+did it appear to her to be carried high through
+the air and over the sea. By her side lay a
+branch with beautiful ripe berries and a bundle
+of sweet-tasting roots. The youngest of the
+brothers had collected them and placed them there
+for her. She smiled at him thankfully, for she
+recognized him; he it was who flew over her
+and shaded her with his wings.</p>
+
+<p>They were so high that the greatest ship they
+descried beneath them seemed like a white sea-gull
+lying upon the waters. A great cloud stood
+behind them&mdash;it was a perfect mountain; and
+upon it Eliza saw her own shadow and those of
+the eleven swans; there they flew on, gigantic
+in size. Here was a picture, a more splendid
+one than she had ever yet seen. But as the sun
+rose higher and the cloud was left farther behind
+them, the floating shadowy images vanished
+away.</p>
+
+<p>The whole day they flew onward through the
+air, like a whirring arrow, but their flight was
+slower than it was wont to be, for they had
+their sister to carry. Bad weather came on;
+the evening drew near; Eliza looked anxiously
+at the setting sun, for the lonely rock in the
+ocean could not be seen. It seemed to her as
+if the swans beat the air more strongly with their
+wings. Alas! she was the cause that they did
+not advance fast enough. When the sun went
+down, they must become men and fall into the
+sea and drown. Then she prayed a prayer from
+the depths of her heart; but still she could descry
+no rock. The dark clouds came nearer in a
+great black threatening body rolling forward like
+a mass of lead, and the lightning burst forth,
+flash upon flash.</p>
+
+<p>Now the sun just touched the margin of the
+sea. Eliza&#8217;s heart trembled. Then the swans
+darted downward, so swiftly that she thought
+they were falling, but they paused again. The
+sun was half hidden below the water. And now
+for the first time she saw the little rock beneath
+her, and it looked no larger than a seal might
+look, thrusting his head forth from the water.
+The sun sank very fast; at last it appeared only
+like a star; and then her foot touched the firm
+land. The sun was extinguished like the last
+spark in a piece of burned paper; her brothers
+were standing around her, arm in arm, but there
+was not more than just enough room for her and
+for them. The sea beat against the rock and
+went over her like fine rain; the sky glowed
+in continual fire, and peal on peal the thunder
+rolled; but sister and brothers held each other
+by the hand and sang psalms, from which they
+gained comfort and courage.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning twilight the air was pure and
+calm. As soon as the sun rose the swans flew
+away with Eliza from the island. The sea still
+ran high, and when they soared up aloft, from
+their high position the white foam on the dark
+green waves looked like millions of white swans
+swimming upon the water.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun mounted higher, Eliza saw before
+her, half floating in the air, a mountainous
+country with shining masses of ice on its water,
+and in the midst of it rose a castle, apparently
+a mile long, with row above row of elegant columns,
+while beneath waved the palm woods and
+bright flowers as large as mill-wheels. She asked
+if this was the country to which they were bound,
+but the swans shook their heads, for what she
+beheld was the gorgeous, everchanging palace of
+Fata Morgana, and into this they might bring
+no human being. As Eliza gazed at it, mountains,
+woods, and castle fell down, and twenty proud
+churches, all nearly alike, with high towers and
+pointed windows, stood before them. She fancied
+she heard the organs sounding, but it was the sea
+she heard. When she was quite near the churches
+they changed to a fleet sailing beneath her, but
+when she looked down it was only a sea mist
+gliding over the ocean. Thus she had a continual
+change before her eyes, till at last she saw the
+real land to which they were bound. There
+arose the most glorious blue mountains, with
+cedar forests, cities, and palaces. Long before
+the sun went down she sat on the rock, in front
+of a great cave overgrown with delicate green
+trailing plants looking like embroidered carpets.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now we shall see what you will dream of
+here to-night,&rdquo; said the youngest brother; and
+he showed her to her bed-chamber.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Heaven grant that I may dream of a way to
+release you,&rdquo; she replied.</p>
+
+<p>And this thought possessed her mightily, and
+she prayed ardently for help; yes, even in her
+sleep she continued to pray. Then it seemed to
+her as if she were flying high in the air to the
+cloudy palace of Fata Morgana; and the fairy
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span>
+came out to meet her, beautiful and radiant; and
+yet the fairy was quite like the old woman who
+had given her the berries in the wood, and had
+told her of the swans with golden crowns on
+their heads.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your brothers can be released,&rdquo; said she.
+&ldquo;But have you courage and perseverance? Certainly,
+water is softer than your delicate hands,
+and yet it changes the shape of stones but it
+feels not the pain that your fingers will feel;
+it has no heart, and cannot suffer the agony and
+torment you will have to endure. Do you see
+the stinging nettle which I hold in my hand?
+Many of the same kind grow around the cave in
+which you sleep: those only, and those that grow
+upon churchyard graves, are serviceable, remember
+that. Those you must pluck, though they will
+burn your hands into blisters. Break these nettles
+to pieces with your feet, and you will have flax;
+of this you must plait and weave eleven shirts
+of mail with long sleeves: throw these over the
+eleven swans, and the charm will be broken. But
+recollect well, from the moment you begin this
+work until it is finished, even though it should
+take years to accomplish, you must not speak.
+The first word you utter will pierce your brothers&#8217;
+hearts like a deadly dagger. Their lives
+hang on your tongue. Remember all this!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And she touched her hand with the nettle; it
+was like a burning fire, and Eliza awoke with the
+smart. It was broad daylight; and close by the
+spot where she had slept lay a nettle like the
+one she had seen in her dream. She fell upon
+her knees and prayed gratefully, and went forth
+from the cave to begin her work.</p>
+
+<p>With her delicate hands she groped among the
+ugly nettles. These stung like fire, burning great
+blisters on her arms and hands; but she thought
+she would bear it gladly if she could only release
+her dear brothers. Then she bruised every
+nettle with her bare feet and plaited the green
+flax.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun had set her brothers came, and
+they were frightened when they found her dumb.
+They thought it was some new sorcery of their
+wicked stepmother&#8217;s; but when they saw her
+hands, they understood what she was doing for
+their sake, and the youngest brother wept. And
+where his tears dropped she felt no more pain
+and the burning blisters vanished.</p>
+
+<p>She passed the night at her work, for she
+could not sleep till she had delivered her dear
+brothers. The whole of the following day, while
+the swans were away, she sat in solitude, but
+never had time flown so quickly with her as now.
+One shirt of mail was already finished, and now
+she began the second.</p>
+
+<p>Then a hunting horn sounded among the hills,
+and she was struck with fear. The noise came
+nearer and nearer; she heard the barking dogs,
+and timidly she fled into the cave, bound into a
+bundle the nettles she had collected and prepared,
+and sat upon the bundle.</p>
+
+<p>Immediately a great dog came bounding out
+of the ravine, and then another, and another:
+they barked loudly, ran back, and then came
+again. Only a few minutes had gone before all
+the huntsmen stood before the cave, and the
+handsomest of them was the King of the country.
+He came forward to Eliza, for he had never
+seen a more beautiful maiden.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How did you come hither, you delightful
+child?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>Eliza shook her head, for she might not speak&mdash;it
+would cost her brothers their deliverance
+and their lives. And she hid her hands under
+her apron, so that the King might not see what
+she was suffering.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come with me,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;You cannot stop
+here. If you are as good as you are beautiful,
+I will dress you in velvet and silk, and place
+the golden crown on your head, and you shall
+dwell in my richest castle, and rule.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And then he lifted her on his horse. She
+wept and wrung her hands; but the King said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I only wish for your happiness: one day you
+will thank me for this.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And then he galloped away among the mountains
+with her on his horse, and the hunters
+galloped at their heels.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun went down, the fair regal city
+lay before them, with its churches and cupolas;
+and the King led her into the castle, where great
+fountains plashed in the lofty marble halls, and
+where walls and ceilings were covered with
+glorious pictures. But she had no eyes for all this&mdash;she
+only wept and mourned. Passively she
+let the women put royal robes upon her, and
+weave pearls in her hair, and draw dainty gloves
+over her blistered fingers.</p>
+
+<p>When she stood there in full array, she was
+dazzlingly beautiful, so that the Court bowed
+deeper than ever. And the King chose her for
+his bride, although the archbishop shook his head
+and whispered that the beauteous fresh maid was
+certainly a witch, who blinded the eyes and led
+astray the heart of the King.</p>
+
+<p>But the King gave no ear to this, but ordered
+that the music should sound, and the costliest
+dishes should be served, and the most beautiful
+maidens should dance before them. And she was
+led through fragrant gardens into gorgeous halls;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span>
+but never a smile came upon her lips or shone
+in her eyes; there she stood, a picture of grief.
+Then the King opened a little chamber close by,
+where she was to sleep. This chamber was
+decked with splendid green tapestry, and completely
+resembled the cave in which she had been.
+On the floor lay the bundle of flax which she
+had prepared from the nettles, and under the
+ceiling hung the shirt of mail she had completed.
+All these things one of the huntsmen had brought
+with him as curiosities.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here you may dream yourself back in your
+former home,&rdquo; said the King. &ldquo;Here is the work
+which occupied you there, and now, in the midst
+of all your splendor, it will amuse you to think
+of that time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Eliza saw this that lay so near her
+heart, a smile played round her mouth and the
+crimson blood came back into her cheeks. She
+thought of her brothers&#8217; deliverance, and kissed
+the King&#8217;s hand; and he pressed her to his heart,
+and caused the marriage feast to be announced
+by all the church bells. The beautiful dumb girl
+out of the wood became the Queen of the country.</p>
+
+<p>Then the archbishop whispered evil words into
+the King&#8217;s ear, but they did not sink into the
+King&#8217;s heart. The marriage was to take place;
+the archbishop himself was obliged to place the
+crown on her head, and with wicked spite he
+pressed the narrow circlet so tightly upon her
+brow that it pained her. But a heavier ring lay
+close around her heart&mdash;sorrow for her brothers;
+she did not feel the bodily pain. Her mouth was
+dumb, for a single word would cost her brothers
+their lives, but her eyes glowed with love for
+the kind, handsome King, who did everything to
+rejoice her. She loved him with her whole heart,
+more and more every day. Oh, that she had
+been able to confide in him and to tell him of
+her grief; but she was compelled to be dumb,
+and to finish her work in silence. Therefore at
+night she crept away from his side, and went
+quietly into the little chamber which was decorated
+like the cave, and wove one shirt of mail
+after another. But when she began the seventh
+she found that she had no flax left.</p>
+
+<p>She knew that in the churchyard nettles were
+growing that she could use; but she must pluck
+them herself, and how was she to go out there
+unseen?</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, what is the pain in my fingers to the
+torment my heart endures?&rdquo; thought she. &ldquo;I must
+venture it, and help will not be denied me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With a trembling heart, as though the deed
+she purposed doing had been evil, she crept into
+the garden in the moonlight night, and went
+through the lanes and through the deserted streets
+to the churchyard. There, on one of the broadest
+tombstones she saw sitting a circle of lamias.
+These hideous wretches took off their ragged
+garments, as if they were going to bathe; then
+with their skinny fingers they clawed open the
+fresh graves, and with fiendish greed they
+snatched up the corpses and ate the flesh. Eliza
+was obliged to pass close by them and they
+fastened their evil glances upon her; but she
+prayed silently, and collected the burning nettles,
+and carried them into the castle.</p>
+
+<p>Only one person had seen her, and that was
+the archbishop. He was awake while others
+slept. Now he felt sure his opinion was correct,
+that all was not as it should be with the Queen;
+she was a witch.</p>
+
+<p>In secret he told the King what he had seen
+and what he feared; and when the hard words
+came from his tongue, the pictures of saints in
+the cathedral shook their heads, as though they
+could have said: &ldquo;It is not so! Eliza is innocent!&rdquo;
+But the archbishop interpreted this differently&mdash;he
+thought they were bearing witness
+against her, and shaking their heads at her sinfulness.
+Then two heavy tears rolled down the
+King&#8217;s cheeks; he went home with doubt in his
+heart, and at night pretended to be asleep; but
+no real sleep came upon his eyes, for he noticed
+that Eliza got up. Every night she did this, and
+each time he followed her silently, and saw how
+she disappeared from her chamber.</p>
+
+<p>From day to day his face became darker. Eliza
+saw it, but did not understand the reason; but
+it frightened her&mdash;and what did she not suffer in
+her heart for her brothers? Her hot tears flowed
+upon the royal velvet and purple; they lay there
+like sparkling diamonds, and all who saw the
+splendor wished they were Queens. In the meantime
+she had almost finished her work. Only one
+shirt of mail was still to be completed, but she
+had no flax left, and not a single nettle. Once
+more, for the last time, therefore, she must go
+to the churchyard, only to pluck a few handfuls.
+She thought with terror of this solitary wandering
+and of the horrible lamias, but her will was
+firm as her trust in Providence.</p>
+
+<p>Eliza went on, but the King and the archbishop
+followed her. They saw her vanish into the
+churchyard through the wicket gate; and when
+they drew near, the lamias were sitting upon the
+gravestones as Eliza had seen them; and the
+King turned aside, for he fancied her among
+them, whose head had rested against his breast
+that very evening.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The people must condemn her,&rdquo; said he.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span>
+And the people condemned her to suffer death
+by fire.</p>
+
+<p>Out of the gorgeous regal halls she was led
+into a dark damp cell, where the wind whistled
+through the grated window; instead of velvet
+and silk they gave her the bundle of nettles
+which she had collected: on this she could lay
+her head; and the hard burning coats of mail
+which she had woven were to be her coverlet.
+But nothing could have been given her that she
+liked better. She resumed her work and prayed.
+Without, the street boys were singing jeering
+songs about her, and not a soul comforted her
+with a kind word.</p>
+
+<p>But toward evening there came the whirring of
+swans&#8217; wings close by the grating&mdash;it was the
+youngest of her brothers. He had found his
+sister, and she sobbed aloud with joy, though she
+knew that the approaching night would probably
+be the last she had to live. But now the work
+was almost finished, and her brothers were here.</p>
+
+<p>Now came the archbishop, to stay with her in
+her last hour, for he had promised the King to
+do so. And she shook her head, and with looks
+and gestures she begged him to depart, for in
+this night she must finish her work, or else all
+would be in vain, all her tears, her pain, and
+her sleepless nights. The archbishop withdrew,
+uttering evil words against her; but poor Eliza
+knew she was innocent, and diligently continued
+her work.</p>
+
+<p>The little mice ran about the floor; they
+dragged the nettles to her feet, to help as well
+as they could; and a thrush sat outside the grating
+of the window, and sang to her the whole
+night long, as sweetly as possible, to keep up
+her courage.</p>
+
+<p>It was still twilight; not till an hour afterward
+would the sun rise. And the eleven brothers
+stood at the castle gate, and demanded to be
+brought before the King. That could not be,
+they were told, for it was still almost night; the
+King was asleep, and might not be disturbed.
+They begged, they threatened, and the sentries
+came, yes, even the King himself came out, and
+asked what was the meaning of this. At that
+moment the sun rose and no more were the
+brothers to be seen, but eleven wild swans flew
+away over the castle.</p>
+
+<p>All the people came flocking out at the town
+gate, for they wanted to see the witch burned.
+The old horse drew the cart on which she sat.
+They had put upon her a garment of coarse
+sackcloth. Her lovely hair hung loose about her
+beautiful head; her cheeks were as pale as death;
+and her lips moved silently, while her fingers
+were engaged with the green flax. Even on the
+way to death she did not interrupt the work she
+had begun; the ten shirts of mail lay at her feet,
+and she wrought at the eleventh. The mob derided
+her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look at the red witch, how she mutters! She
+has no hymn-book in her hand; no, there she sits
+with her ugly sorcery&mdash;tear it in a thousand
+pieces!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And they all pressed upon her, and wanted
+to tear up the shirts of mail. Then eleven wild
+swans came flying up, and sat round about her
+on the cart, and beat with their wings; and the
+mob gave way before them, terrified.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is a sign from heaven! She is certainly
+innocent!&rdquo; whispered many. But they did not
+dare to say it aloud.</p>
+
+<p>Now the executioner seized her by the hand;
+then she hastily threw the eleven shirts over the
+swans, and immediately eleven handsome Princes
+stood there. But the youngest had a swan&#8217;s wing
+instead of an arm, for a sleeve was wanting to his
+shirt&mdash;she had not quite finished it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now I may speak!&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I am innocent!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the people who saw what happened bowed
+before her as before a saint; but she sank lifeless
+into her brother&#8217;s arms, such an effect had suspense,
+anguish, and pain upon her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, she is innocent,&rdquo; said the eldest
+brother.</p>
+
+<p>And now he told everything that had taken
+place; and while he spoke a fragrance arose as
+of millions of roses, for every piece of faggot in
+the pile had taken root and was sending forth
+shoots; and a fragrant hedge stood there, tall
+and great, covered with red roses, and at the top
+a flower, white and shining, gleaming like a star.
+This flower the King plucked and placed in Eliza&#8217;s
+bosom; and she awoke with peace and happiness
+in her heart.</p>
+
+<p>And all the church bells rang of themselves,
+and the birds came in great flocks. And back
+to the castle such a marriage procession was held
+as no King had ever seen.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p>
+<h2>TAPER TOM</h2>
+
+
+<p>In a certain kingdom there was a very beautiful
+Princess, but she was so sad that no one could
+make her laugh; she would not even smile, though
+all in the court were gay and happy.</p>
+
+<p>For a long time her father tried hard to find
+something that would amuse her. But she would
+sit all day at her window, and, though the members
+of the court passed and repassed, and called
+out greetings to her, she would only sigh.</p>
+
+<p>So at last her father the King caused it to be
+published abroad that whoever should make the
+Princess laugh should have her hand in marriage,
+and that half of the kingdom would be her
+dowry.</p>
+
+<p>But, that none might attempt this difficult feat
+without fair assurance, the King added as a sort
+of postscript to his decree that whoever tried to
+make the Princess laugh and failed should have
+two broad red stripes cut in his back, and salt
+should be rubbed into the stripes!</p>
+
+<p>Now, as you may imagine, soon there were a
+great many sore backs in the kingdom and in the
+kingdoms round about. For it was deemed but a
+slight matter to make a Princess laugh: did not
+women giggle at little and at nothing?</p>
+
+<p>But, although many came, and there were
+strange things done, the Princess remained as sad
+as before.</p>
+
+<p>Now, there was in the kingdom a farmer who
+had three sons, and they decided that each should
+have a trial at this task; for to win a dowry of
+half a kingdom was well worth trying.</p>
+
+<p>The oldest of the farmer&#8217;s sons was a soldier,
+and had served in the wars, where there was
+always much laughter. And he said that it would
+not be worth while for his two brothers to plan
+to journey to the court, because he intended
+to win the Princess that very first day.</p>
+
+<p>So he dressed up in his uniform, and put his
+knapsack on his back, and strutted up and down
+the road in front of the window of the Princess
+like any pouter-pigeon. But, though the Princess
+looked at him, once, she did not even turn her
+eyes in his direction a second time, and the stripes
+which were cut in his back were deep and broad,
+and he went home feeling very sore.</p>
+
+<p>His next brother was a schoolmaster, and had
+one long leg and one short leg, so that when he
+stood on the long leg he seemed a very tall man,
+and when he stood on the short leg he seemed but
+a dwarf, and he had always found that he could
+make folk laugh by quickly changing himself
+from a tall man to a mere dwarf. Moreover, he
+was a preacher, and he came out on the road in
+front of the Princess&#8217; window and preached like
+seven parsons and chanted like seven clerks; but
+it was all for naught, for after the first glance the
+Princess did not even look at him, though the
+King who stood near had to hold on to the pillars
+for laughing.</p>
+
+<p>So the schoolmaster also went home with a very
+sore back; and when the third brother, whose
+name was Taper Tom, because he sat in the ashes
+and made tapers out of fir, said he now would go
+and make the Princess laugh, the two older
+brothers turned to him in scorn, for how could he
+do what neither of them, the soldier and the
+schoolmaster, had quite failed to do? The Princess
+would not even look at him, he might be
+sure.</p>
+
+<p>But Taper Tom said that he would try.</p>
+
+<p>But when he came to the court he did not go
+before the King to say that he had come to make
+the Princess laugh. Many there were who were
+trying that each day, and there was hardly a well
+back in all the kingdom by now, and Taper Tom
+had no mind to have his own back cut, for they
+were cutting the stripes broader and rubbing
+the salt in harder every day.</p>
+
+<p>So Taper Tom went to the court and asked for
+work to do. They told him that there was no
+work to be done, but he said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What, no work&mdash;even in the kitchen? I am
+sure that the cook needs some one to fetch and
+carry for her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, now,&rdquo; said the lord high chamberlain,
+&ldquo;that might perhaps be. You may go to the
+kitchen and see.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Taper Tom went to the kitchen and the
+cook gave him work fetching and carrying. And
+every day Taper Tom saw the men who came
+and went away with their backs sore.</p>
+
+<p>One morning he was sent to the stream to catch
+a fish, and he caught a nice, fat one. As he
+came back he met a woman leading a goose with
+golden feathers by a string tied around its neck.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman wanted a fish, so she asked
+Taper Tom if he would trade the fish for the
+golden goose. &ldquo;For,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;it is a very
+strange goose. If you lead it about and anyone
+lays hands on it, and you say, &lsquo;Hang on, if you
+care to come with us,&rsquo; he will have to hang on and
+go with the goose wherever you lead.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said Taper Tom, &ldquo;you may have my
+fish and I will take your goose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old woman took the fish, and Taper Tom
+took the end of the string in his hand, and the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span>
+goose followed after.</p>
+
+<p>He had not gone far when he met a goody
+who looked longingly at the goose with the
+golden feathers, and at last she said to Taper
+Tom: &ldquo;That is a very fine goose, and I would
+like to stroke it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Taper Tom.</p>
+
+<p>So the goody laid her hand on the back of
+the goose, and Taper Tom said: &ldquo;Hang on, if
+you care to go with us.&rdquo; And the old woman
+could not take her hands off the goose, no matter
+how hard she tried.</p>
+
+<p>They went on down the road a way and came
+to a man who for a long time had hated the
+goody, and he laughed loudly to see her hanging
+on to the goose and trying so hard to let go; and
+thinking to make more difficulty for her he lifted
+up his foot and kicked at her.</p>
+
+<p>As his foot touched her dress Taper Tom said:
+&ldquo;Hang on, if you care to come with us.&rdquo; And
+the man&#8217;s foot hung on to the dress of the goody,
+and, try as hard as he would, he could not let go.
+He had to follow, hopping on one foot all the
+while, and falling often and being dragged. He
+was very angry, and said a great many bad words.</p>
+
+<p>As they passed the blacksmith shop the brawny
+smith stood at the door, and when he saw Taper
+Tom leading the goose, and the goody hanging
+on to its back, and the man following, hopping
+on one leg, he began to laugh very much, and
+ran up to the man and struck him with his
+bellows, which he held in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>And as the bellows touched the man, Taper
+Tom said: &ldquo;Hang on, if you care to come with
+us.&rdquo; And the smith had to follow after the man,
+for, try as he would, he could not let go of the
+bellows, nor would the bellows let go of the man.</p>
+
+<p>Then Taper Tom turned in on the road that
+lay in front of the window of the Princess, and
+though he did not look up, he knew that the
+Princess was watching.</p>
+
+<p>And when the Princess saw the boy leading
+the golden goose, and the goody hanging on to
+the back of the goose, and the man hopping on
+one leg behind the goody, and the smith hanging
+on to his bellows, she smiled inwardly, but she
+did not laugh.</p>
+
+<p>Taper Tom did not stop, but went on around
+to the kitchen; and when the cook came out to
+ask for her fish, with her pot and ladle in her
+hand, and she saw the golden goose, and the
+goody, and the man, and the smith, she began
+to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, so that all the
+court came out to see what had happened, and
+the Princess leaned from her window to know
+what it was all about.</p>
+
+<p>And just then the cook&#8217;s ladle touched the
+shoulder of the smith, and at that moment Taper
+Tom said: &ldquo;Hang on, if you care to come with us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he turned and started back past the window
+of the Princess. And when the Princess saw the
+cook hanging on to the shoulder of the smith, with
+her ladle and her pot in her hand, and trying hard
+to get loose, and the smith hanging on with his
+bellows to the coat of the man, and the man hanging
+on with one foot to the goody, and the goody
+with her hands on the back of the golden goose,
+and the golden goose following Taper Tom, led
+by a string, she began to laugh and to laugh and
+to laugh.</p>
+
+<p>Then the King proclaimed that Taper Tom
+should wed the Princess, and that half the kingdom
+would be her dowry.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="NORTH" id="NORTH"></a>THE BOY WHO WENT TO THE NORTH WIND</h2>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go you now to the safe and get some meal,&rdquo;
+said the mother of the Boy. &ldquo;And mind that you
+carry it carefully, for there is but little left.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Boy went to the safe to get the meal,
+but as he came back with it the North Wind blew
+it away, and he went home empty-handed, and
+there was no meal in the house that day.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the mother sent the Boy
+to the safe again, and once more the North Wind
+came and took the meal.</p>
+
+<p>On the third day it was as before. Then the
+Boy said: &ldquo;I will go to the North Wind and
+demand that he give back my meal, for we have
+nothing to eat in the house.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the boy started and went far, far to the
+country where the North Wind abode; and when
+he had come there the North Wind said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I give you greeting and thanks for your coming.
+What can I do for you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Boy answered: &ldquo;I give you back your
+greeting, and I am come for the meal which
+you have taken away from me, for we have none
+left in the house.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he told how for three days the North
+Wind had come and taken the meal as he returned
+with it from the safe, and now there was
+nothing to eat in the house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have not got your meal,&rdquo; said the North
+Wind, &ldquo;but I will give you a magic cloth which,
+whenever you say to it, &lsquo;Cloth, serve forth a
+dinner,&rsquo; will provide you with all that you can
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span>
+eat and drink in a moment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the boy took the cloth and started for his
+home, but as he had a long way to go he stopped
+over night at an inn, and, being hungry, and
+wanting to test the cloth, he sat down at a table
+and unfolded it before him, saying: &ldquo;Cloth,
+serve forth a dinner.&rdquo; Immediately there was
+served upon the cloth all sorts of good things
+to eat&mdash;such food as the Boy had never eaten
+before in his life.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is indeed a magic cloth,&rdquo; said the Boy,
+when, the dinner eaten, he folded the cloth carefully
+and put it under his pillow before he slept.</p>
+
+<p>Now, the inn-keeper had been a witness to the
+thing which had happened, and had heard the
+words which the Boy said to the cloth, so
+he decided that he must possess so wonderful a
+thing as that, for it would save him much labor.
+Accordingly, after the Boy had gone to sleep, he
+stole quietly into the room and slipped the wallet
+from under the Boy&#8217;s pillow and put into it a
+cloth of his own exactly like it.</p>
+
+<p>When the Boy reached home the next day his
+mother asked him if he had been to the North
+Wind, and if he had brought back the meal.</p>
+
+<p>The Boy said: &ldquo;The North Wind was glad to
+see me, and thanked me for coming, but said he
+did not have the meal. Instead, he gave me a
+magic cloth, so that we need never be hungry
+again, for it will serve us a dinner at any time
+we bid it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he took the cloth from his wallet and unfolded
+it on the table, as he had done at the inn,
+and said: &ldquo;Cloth, serve forth a dinner.&rdquo; But,
+as it was not a magic cloth, nothing happened.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Boy said that he would go again to
+the North Wind and tell him that his cloth would
+not do as it was bidden. So he journeyed far
+to the home of the North Wind, and the North
+Wind said: &ldquo;I give you greeting and thanks
+for your coming. What can I do for you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the boy told him how he had come before
+to ask him for the meal which the North Wind
+had taken, and the North Wind had given him
+a magic cloth which should serve forth a dinner
+when it was bidden; but that, though at the inn
+the cloth had served forth a dinner, when he
+reached his home it had not done so, and there
+was nothing to eat in the house.</p>
+
+<p>Then said the North Wind: &ldquo;I have no meal to
+give you, but I will give you a ram which, whenever
+you say to it, &lsquo;Ram, Ram, coin money,&rsquo; will
+coin gold ducats before you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Boy took the ram and started for home;
+but as it was a long way he stopped at the same
+inn on his way home, and being anxious to try the
+skill of the ram, and needing to pay his bill to
+the inn-keeper he said to it: &ldquo;Ram, Ram, coin
+money.&rdquo; And the ram coined golden ducats until
+the Boy told it to stop.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; thought the observing inn-keeper, &ldquo;this
+is a famous ram indeed. I must have this ram,
+and I will not need to work at all.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So when the Boy had gone to bed, leaving the
+ram safely tied in his room, the inn-keeper slipped
+in quietly, leading another ram which could not
+coin ducats, which he left in place of the ram
+which the North Wind had given to the Boy.</p>
+
+<p>And when the Boy reached home his mother
+asked him if he had brought back the meal this
+time. And the Boy answered: &ldquo;The North Wind
+was glad to see me, and thanked me for coming,
+but he said that he did not have the meal. But
+he gave me a ram, which, when I bid it, &lsquo;Ram,
+Ram, coin money,&rsquo; coins golden ducats, so that
+we will not be hungry any more, for we can buy
+what we need.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he led forth the ram into the room and
+said to it: &ldquo;Ram, Ram, coin money.&rdquo; And the
+ram, not being a magic ram, did nothing but stand
+in the middle of the room and stare at him.</p>
+
+<p>Now the Boy was angry, and he said: &ldquo;I will
+go to the North Wind and tell him that his ram
+is worth nothing, and that I want my rights for
+the meal which he has taken.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So back he went to the North Wind, and when
+he had told his story the North Wind said: &ldquo;I
+have nothing that I can give you but that old
+stick in the bag yonder. But when you say to it,
+&lsquo;Stick, come forth and lay on,&rsquo; it lays on unceasingly
+until you say to it, &lsquo;Stick, stop.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Boy took the bag with the stick right
+willingly, for he had by this time a fair idea of
+the cause of his trouble; and he stopped that night
+at the inn as he had done before. Though he did
+not call forth his magic stick, the inn-keeper
+knew by the way in which he cared for his bag
+that he had some special treasure, and decided
+that the Boy was a simple fellow, and that he
+must have this too, whatever it was in the bag.</p>
+
+<p>So when the Boy had gone to his room the man
+slipped in quietly and reached his hand under the
+Boy&#8217;s pillow, where the bag lay. But the Boy
+had not gone to sleep this time, and when he
+felt the hand under his pillow he said, &ldquo;Stick,
+come forth and lay on.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the stick came forth and began to lay on
+about the inn-keeper&#8217;s head, and so hard did it
+strike that the inn-keeper soon besought the Boy
+to bid it stop&mdash;for the stick would respond only
+to the owner. But the Boy would not bid the
+stick to stop until the inn-keeper had been
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span>
+roundly punished for his stealings, and had promised
+to return the magic cloth and the magic ram.
+When he had these again in his possession the
+Boy bade the stick return to the bag, and the
+next morning he went on to his home.</p>
+
+<p>And when he had laid the cloth on the table
+and said to it, &ldquo;Cloth, serve forth a dinner,&rdquo; and
+the cloth had served forth a dinner, and he and
+his mother had eaten; and he had said to the ram,
+&ldquo;Ram, Ram, coin money,&rdquo; and the ram had
+coined golden ducats until he bade it to stop;
+and he had put the stick in a safe place where
+it could always do his bidding, he and his mother
+had plenty, and were well paid for the meal
+which the North Wind had taken.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="IRON" id="IRON"></a>THE WONDERFUL IRON POT</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time a little boy and his mother
+lived together in a small brown house at the foot
+of a hill. They were very poor, for the boy&#8217;s
+father was dead, and the rich man who lived at
+the top of the hill had taken everything that they
+had, except one cow.</p>
+
+<p>At last it came that there was nothing in the
+house to eat, and the mother said: &ldquo;Now we will
+have to sell the cow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she told the little boy to take the cow to
+town and sell it, and the boy put a rope around
+the cow&#8217;s neck and started off down the road.</p>
+
+<p>He had not gone far before he met a man with
+a cloak over him and carrying something under it.
+He asked the little boy where he was going, and
+the boy told him that there was nothing to eat
+in the house and he was trying to sell the cow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you sell her to me?&rdquo; asked the man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What will you give me for her?&rdquo; asked the
+little boy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will give you an iron pot,&rdquo; said the man.</p>
+
+<p>Now, the little boy knew that he ought not to
+sell the cow for an iron pot, and he quickly said
+he would not, but as he spoke he heard a tiny
+voice under the man&#8217;s cloak saying: &ldquo;Buy me!
+Buy me!&rdquo; So he told the stranger that he might
+have the cow.</p>
+
+<p>The man took the rope in his hands, and gave
+the little boy the iron pot, and he took it
+and went home again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what did you get for the cow?&rdquo; asked
+his mother.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the boy was very much ashamed
+of having sold the cow for an iron pot, and he
+hung his head when his mother asked him what
+he had gotten. They were about to throw the
+pot away, for, as the mother said, there was
+nothing to cook in it, when they heard a tiny
+voice say: &ldquo;Put me over the fire and put in
+water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the mother put the little pot over the fire
+and put in water, which, indeed, was all that she
+had to put in. And soon the water in the pot
+began to bubble and to boil, and the little pot
+said: &ldquo;I skip! I skip!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How far do you skip, little Pot?&rdquo; asked the
+mother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I skip to the house of the rich man at the
+top of the hill,&rdquo; said the pot.</p>
+
+<p>And the little pot began to skip, skip, first on
+one of its three legs and then on another, skippity
+skip, skippity skip, until it came to the house
+of the rich man at the top of the hill, and it
+skipped right into the kitchen of the rich man&#8217;s
+house where his wife was making a pudding. All
+at once she looked up and saw the little iron pot
+on the table, where it had skipped in at the window,
+and right in front of her, and she said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, where did you come from, little Pot? You
+are just what I want to put my pudding in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she put the pudding into the little iron pot,
+and as soon as the pudding was in and safely
+covered up, the little pot began to skip, skip, first
+on one of its three legs and then on another,
+skippity skip, skippity skip, down the hill, and
+though the farmer&#8217;s wife ran after, she could not
+catch it, and away it went straight to the little
+brown house at the bottom of the hill.</p>
+
+<p>So the little boy and his mother had pudding to
+eat for dinner.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the little pot begged to be
+put on the fire, and as soon as the water began
+to bubble and to boil, it called, &ldquo;I skip! I skip!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How far do you skip, little Pot?&rdquo; asked the
+mother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I skip to the barn of the rich man at the top
+of the hill,&rdquo; said the little pot.</p>
+
+<p>And the little pot began to skip, skip, first on
+one of its three legs and then on another, skippity
+skip, skippity skip, until it came to the barn of
+the rich man at the top of the hill. And in the
+barn the thrashers were thrashing the wheat, and
+the little pot skipped right out on the thrashing
+floor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said one of the men, &ldquo;Where did you
+come from, little Pot? You are just the thing
+to hold some of this wheat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the man began pouring the wheat into the
+pot, and poured and poured until the little pot
+seemed quite full, but still there was room, so the
+man poured until all the wheat was in the pot.
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span>
+Then the little pot began to skip, skip, first on
+one of its three legs and then on another, skippity
+skip, skippity skip, out of the barn and out on the
+road. And though all of the men ran after it they
+could not catch it, and it skipped down the hill to
+the little brown house.</p>
+
+<p>So the little boy and his mother had plenty of
+white bread to eat.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the little pot begged to be
+put on the fire, and as soon as the water began
+to bubble and to boil it began to skip, skip, skippity
+skip, skippity skip, until it came to the bank
+of the rich man, and it skipped right into the
+window where the rich man sat with all his
+money spread out on his desk. And as he counted
+he looked up and saw the little iron pot standing
+in front of him, and he said, &ldquo;Where did you
+come from, little Pot? You are just the thing
+for me to put my money into.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he began to pile his money into the iron
+pot, and though it was soon full there was yet
+more room, and he piled more and more, until
+at last all his money was in the iron pot. Then
+the little pot began to skip, skip, skippity skip,
+skippity skip, right out of the bank and down the
+street and straight on till it came to the little
+brown house at the bottom of the hill. And
+though the rich man ran after it he could not
+catch it, and so all the money that he had taken
+from the little boy and his mother was carried
+back to them in the little iron pot.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the little pot begged to be
+put on the fire again, and the mother said: &ldquo;Why
+should you be put on the fire, little Pot? Have
+we not everything that we want?&rdquo; But the little
+pot still wanted to be put on the fire; and at last,
+when the mother had put in the water and made
+the fire, and the water began to bubble and to boil,
+the little pot said: &ldquo;I skip! I skip!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the mother said: &ldquo;How far do you skip,
+little Pot?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I skip to the end of the world,&rdquo; said the little
+pot. And it began to skip, skip, first on one of its
+three legs and then on another, skippity skip,
+skippity skip, until it came to the top of the
+hill, and there was the rich man hunting for his
+money. And when he saw the little iron pot he
+cried out: &ldquo;There is the pot that stole my
+money!&rdquo; And he caught up with the pot and
+put his hand into it to take out his money, but
+his hand could not find the money; so he put his
+head in to look for it, and he could not see it;
+next he climbed into the pot, and then it began to
+skip, skip, far away up the hill and up the mountain,
+and away to the end of the world.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SHEEP" id="SHEEP"></a>THE SHEEP AND PIG WHO SET UP HOUSEKEEPING</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time a Sheep stood in a pen to be
+fattened for the winter&#8217;s feast. He lived well,
+for he was given the best of everything, and he
+soon became so fat that one day the maid who
+came to bring his food said: &ldquo;Eat full to-day,
+little Sheep, for to-morrow will come the killing
+and we shall eat you.&rdquo; And she shut the gate
+and went away.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Sheep, &ldquo;I have heard that,
+Women&#8217;s words are worth heeding, and that, There
+is a cure and a physic for everything except
+death. There being no cure for that, it is best
+to find a way out of it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he ate up all the food that the maid had
+left for him, and then he butted hard against the
+gate of the pen, and it flew open, and the Sheep
+went out of the pen and out on the big road.</p>
+
+<p>He followed the road to a neighboring farm,
+and made his way to a pigsty where was fastened
+a Pig that he had known on the common.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, and thanks for our last merry meeting!&rdquo;
+said the Sheep. &ldquo;Do you know why you
+are fed so well while you stay in this sty?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, that I do not,&rdquo; said the Pig. &ldquo;But I am
+very glad to get the good food and plenty of it,
+which they have been bringing to me since I was
+shut up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho, there is reason for that,&rdquo; said the Sheep.
+&ldquo;Many a flask empties the cask. They want to
+make you very fat, for their purpose is to eat you
+at the winter&#8217;s feasting.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;May they not forget to say grace after meat,&rdquo;
+said the Pig. &ldquo;I can do naught to hinder their
+eating.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you will do as I do we will go off together
+into the woods and build a house and set up
+housekeeping,&rdquo; said the Sheep. &ldquo;A home is a
+home, be it ever so homely.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Sheep and the Pig together butted down
+the pigsty, and started off on the big road together.
+&ldquo;Good company is good comfort,&rdquo; said
+the Pig, as they trotted along.</p>
+
+<p>As they entered the big woods they met a
+Goose, who had come out on the common.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, and thanks for our last merry
+meeting,&rdquo; said the Goose, &ldquo;where are you going
+so fast?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must know that we were too well off at
+home, and so we have set off into the woods to
+build a house and set up housekeeping,&rdquo; said the
+Sheep, &ldquo;for, Every man&#8217;s house is his castle, if he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span>
+build it but big and strong enough.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;As for that,&rdquo; said the Goose, &ldquo;all places are
+alike to me, but I should like to build a house; so
+if you like I will go with you, for, It&#8217;s but child&#8217;s
+play when three share the day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;With gossip and gabble is built neither house
+nor stable!&rdquo; said the Pig. &ldquo;What can you do to
+help build the house?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;By cunning and skill a cripple can do what he
+will,&rdquo; said the Goose. &ldquo;I can gather moss to put
+into the crevices and cracks, and so make the
+house warm and comfortable.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, Piggy wanted above everything else to
+be warm and comfortable, so he said that the
+Goose might come along.</p>
+
+<p>As the three journeyed on they met a Hare.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good day, and thanks for our last merry meeting,&rdquo;
+said the Hare; &ldquo;where are you hurrying to
+so fast?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Sheep explained how they were too
+well off at home, and were going into the woods
+to build a house and set up housekeeping, &ldquo;For,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;You may travel the world around, but
+there is no place like home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Hare, &ldquo;for the matter of that, I
+have a home in every bush. But I have always
+thought that some day I would build a house,
+and I will go with you if you like.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We could use you to scare away the dogs,&rdquo;
+said the Pig, &ldquo;but you would be no good for
+anything else.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He who lives long enough will always find
+work to do,&rdquo; said the Hare. &ldquo;I have sharp teeth
+to gnaw the boards, and paws to hammer them
+fast. I can set up at any time for a carpenter,
+for, Good tools make good work, as the man said.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he got leave to go, and there was no more
+said about it.</p>
+
+<p>As they went deeper into the woods they met
+a Cock, who gave them greeting and asked where
+they were going.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Sheep explained how they were too
+well off at home, and were going into the woods
+to build a house and set up housekeeping, &ldquo;For,&rdquo;
+said the Sheep, &ldquo;He who out of doors shall bake,
+loses at last both coal and cake.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the Cock, &ldquo;that is just my case,
+for, It&#8217;s far better to sit on one&#8217;s own perch, for
+then one can never be left in the lurch; besides,
+All cocks crow loudest at home. If I may have
+your leave, I will come with you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Pig protested. &ldquo;Flapping and crowing
+sets tongues a-going!&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;but, A jaw
+on a stick never yet laid a brick. How can you
+help us or make yourself useful?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Cock, &ldquo;That house will never
+have a clock where there is neither dog nor cock.
+I will wake you up every morning, and will cry
+the alarm when the dawn arises.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very good,&rdquo; said the Pig, who was very like
+to oversleep. &ldquo;Sleep is a greedy thief, and thinks
+nothing of robbing you of half your life. You
+may come with us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they all set off together into the woods, and
+at last they came to a good place and built the
+house. The Pig hewed the timber, and the Sheep
+drew it home; the Hare was the carpenter, and
+the Goose gathered moss and filled all of the
+cracks and crevices, and the Cock wakened them
+every morning early.</p>
+
+<p>At last the house was done, and it was snug,
+and warm, and comfortable. &ldquo;&#8217;Tis good to travel
+east and west, but, after all, a home is best,&rdquo; said
+the Sheep.</p>
+
+<p>And they lived together until cold weather came,
+when they put up a stove to keep warm, and they
+planned to enjoy the long winter.</p>
+
+<p>Now, not far off from the house lived the
+Wolf and his family, and his brother and his
+brother&#8217;s family.</p>
+
+<p>And the Wolf and his brother saw the house
+which the Sheep and the Pig and the Goose and
+the Hare and the Cock had builded, and they
+talked together of how warm and comfortable
+it was, and the Wolf decided that they must get
+acquainted with their new neighbors.</p>
+
+<p>So he made up an errand and went to the door
+and said he had come to ask for a light to his
+pipe; and while the door was held open he pushed
+himself inside.</p>
+
+<p>Then all at once he found himself in a great
+confusion, for the Sheep butted him so hard that
+he fell against the stove; and the Pig gored and
+bit him; and the Goose nipped and pecked him;
+and the Hare ran about over the house, now on
+the floor and now aloft, so that the Wolf did not
+know who or what he was, and was scared out
+of his wits, and all the time the Cock perched
+on a top beam and flapped his wings and crowed
+and crowed.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by the Wolf managed to get near the
+door and to dash through it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Neighborhood makes for brotherhood,&rdquo; said the
+Wolf&#8217;s brother. &ldquo;You must have made good
+friends, since you remained so long. But what
+became of your errand, for you have neither
+pipe nor smoke?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nice life makes pleasant company,&rdquo; said the
+Wolf. &ldquo;Such manners I never saw. For no
+sooner was I inside than the shoemaker flew at
+me with his last, and two smiths blew bellows and
+made the sparks fly, and beat and punched me
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span>
+with red-hot pincers, and tore great pieces out of
+my body, the hunter kept running about trying
+to find his gun, and it is well for me that he did
+not, for I should never have come out alive; and
+all the while a butcher sat up on a beam and
+flapped his arms and sang out to the others:
+&lsquo;Put a hook into him! Put a hook into him
+and drag him thither!&rsquo; so it was all I could do to
+get out alive!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said his brother, &ldquo;we can&#8217;t choose in
+this wicked world, and an unbidden guest sometimes
+gets bad treatment. But I think that we
+will be very well advised to let these new neighbors
+alone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Wolf, and the Wolf&#8217;s family, and the
+Wolf&#8217;s brother and his brother&#8217;s family, let the
+Sheep and the Pig and the Goose and the Hare
+and the Cock alone, and they lived very happily
+in their house in the woods.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 389px;">
+<img src="images/img267.jpg" width="389" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">mother reads a fairy tale</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GRASS" id="GRASS"></a>DOLL-IN-THE-GRASS</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a King who had
+twelve sons. These sons did not like to do useful
+things&mdash;they only liked to ride and to hunt in
+the woods, and to do what pleased them.</p>
+
+<p>One day the King said: &ldquo;You shall each one
+go forth into the world to seek a bride. But you
+must choose a bride who can do useful things&mdash;and,
+to prove it, she must be able to gather the
+flax and spin and weave a shirt all in one day.
+If she cannot do this, I will not accept her as
+my daughter-in-law.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the sons set out on their errands, each riding
+a beautiful horse, and looking forward to having
+a great time out in the world while he hunted
+for his bride.</p>
+
+<p>But the youngest son, Boots, was not popular
+with the others. So they said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Boots shall not go with us. We will not have
+him along&mdash;he will not do the things that we want
+to do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Boots drew rein on his horse, and the
+others rode out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>Now, Boots was very unhappy when he was
+left alone in the woods, and he got off his horse
+and sat down on a log to think. For he did not
+know where to go to have the good times that
+his brothers had been talking about, and he did
+not know where to seek a bride.</p>
+
+<p>As he sat thinking, he heard a strange sound
+near him&mdash;a sound like silver bells tinkling softly;
+or was it fairies laughing? Boots looked all
+about him, but could see nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here I am!&rdquo; exclaimed a sweet little voice.
+And Boots looked down at the grass at his feet,
+and there was the tiniest little creature smiling up
+at him, swaying with the stem of a flower which
+waved in the slight breeze.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why are you so sad?&rdquo; asked this tiny maiden.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;my father has sent me and
+my brothers forth into the world to find brides,
+and my brothers have gone on and left me all
+alone in the woods.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The little creature laughed right merrily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And suppose they have!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;The
+wood is the most beautiful place in the world!
+And as for brides&mdash;you can find them there if
+you but seek for them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>By this time Boots was down in the soft grass
+beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But my bride must be able to gather the flax,
+and spin and weave a shirt, all in one day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pauf!&rdquo; exclaimed the little creature, &ldquo;that is
+no great task.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she tapped a tiny wand twice on the
+flower stem, and a spinning-wheel stood before
+her&mdash;such a tiny little spinning wheel! She
+lifted the wand again, and the flax stem bent
+down, so that she gathered its flower, and in a
+minute the spinning-wheel was twirling merrily.
+A touch of the wand, and the loom was before
+her; then the thread was spun into white cloth as
+fine as cobweb. Boots watched, fascinated. The
+little creature next fashioned the cloth into a shirt&mdash;such
+a tiny shirt&mdash;and never was one so fine
+seen in all the world before.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You shall come with me to the palace&mdash;you
+shall be my bride!&rdquo; exclaimed Boots.</p>
+
+<p>The little creature smiled at him, and said: &ldquo;I
+will go with you to the palace, and I will be your
+bride, but I must go in my own way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You shall go in any way that you will!&rdquo; said
+Boots.</p>
+
+<p>So Doll-in-the-Grass touched the stem of the
+flower again, and her own silver carriage came to
+her, drawn by two tiny white mice. And Boots
+rode beside her, careful that his great horse
+should not crush the little carriage.</p>
+
+<p>The little mice traveled very fast, and it was
+not long before they came to a stream. Now,
+the great horse could swim the stream without
+difficulty; but when the mice plunged into it little
+Doll-in-the-Grass and the silver carriage and all
+went under the water. Then Boots was disconsolate,
+but as he stood, mourning, a beautiful
+maiden came up out of the water, a maiden fairer
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span>
+than any in all the kingdom, and neither smaller
+nor larger than any of them. And she smiled
+at Boots and said: &ldquo;You see how love can do
+great things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Boots caught her up on his horse before
+him and exclaimed: &ldquo;Ah, love can indeed do
+great things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so they rode home together. And of all
+the wives whom his brothers won, none was so
+beautiful as Doll-in-the-Grass. And of all the
+shirts that the wives spun, none was so fine or so
+soft as the one which Doll-in-the-Grass gave to
+her father-in-law; and it had become a big shirt&mdash;large
+enough for a man to wear&mdash;and was as
+soft as silk and as fine as any cobweb could
+possibly be.</p>
+
+<p>And the King loved her more than any of his
+other daughters-in-law, and Boots more than any
+of his other sons; so he said they should live with
+him in his palace, and by-and-by succeed him on
+the throne.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BROTHERS" id="BROTHERS"></a>BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there was a King who had
+seven sons. One day he said to the six older
+ones: &ldquo;You must go forth into the world, each
+one, and seek a bride. But Boots is too young
+to go, so he shall stay at home. And when you
+have found brides for yourselves, each one, you
+shall seek the fairest Princess in all the seven
+kingdoms, and bring her home with you, and she
+shall be a bride for Boots.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the six sons set out, and each found a
+bride, all so lovely that it was not possible to
+say which was the most beautiful. But the brothers
+were so interested, each one, in his own
+bride, that all forgot they were to seek a bride
+for Boots, and they started home again.</p>
+
+<p>One night on the way they were forced by
+a storm to seek shelter in the castle of a Giant,
+and the next morning while they were standing
+in the front of the castle, with their retainers
+about them and their horses saddled ready to
+mount and depart, the Giant suddenly turned them
+all into stone where they stood&mdash;the brothers into
+large stone pillars, the brides into smaller pillars,
+the retainers into small stones, and the horses
+into stone horses. And there all stood in front of
+the castle, and the Giant went away laughing.</p>
+
+<p>After a long time of waiting at home, one day
+the King said to his youngest son: &ldquo;It must be
+that your brothers are dead. My heart is broken,
+and had I not you, my son, to console me in my
+old age, I should die of sorrow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But, my father,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;for long I have
+been thinking that I must go forth into the world
+and find my brothers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do not say that,&rdquo; said the King, &ldquo;for evil has
+certainly befallen them, and the same evil may
+befall you, and I shall be left alone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;whatever evil has befallen
+them I must fare forth and find out; and I will
+come back to you and bring my brothers with me,
+that will I.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So at last the King yielded, and Boots set out.
+But there were no retainers to go with him, and
+his father had only an old, broken-down horse
+to give him, for the other brothers had taken all
+the fine horses from the stables, for their own
+riding, and to bring back their brides upon. But
+Boots set forth right merrily on the old horse,
+often stopping to let him rest, for he could not
+go fast, as could a younger steed.</p>
+
+<p>As they journeyed through the woods a Raven
+fell almost at the horse&#8217;s feet, and Boots pulled
+him back quickly, that the bird might not be
+stamped upon.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I thank you, good master,&rdquo; said the Raven.
+&ldquo;I am so hungry that I was faint, and fell from
+the tree. Will you give me something to eat, and
+I will serve you faithfully?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;As for that,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;I see not how you
+can serve me, and I have but scant food. But
+if you are so hungry that you fell from a tree,
+you must need food badly, so I will give you a
+share of my own.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Boots gave the Raven some food, and went
+on through the forest. At last he came to a
+stream, and saw a Salmon swimming feebly about
+near the shore. &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; cried the Salmon, as Boots
+stopped to give his horse a drink, &ldquo;will you give
+me food? I am so hungry that I can scarce
+swim about in the stream.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;everybody seems to be hungry
+to-day, and for the matter of that, so am I. And
+how can you serve me, I would like to know?
+Nevertheless, since you are so hungry I will give
+you food, for it is not pleasant to be hungry, as
+I well know.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he gave the Salmon some of his food, and
+went on through the forest.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by he came to a Wolf, looking so gaunt
+and lean that he was almost afraid to pass by
+where the animal stood. But the Wolf stopped
+him and said: &ldquo;Will you give me something to
+eat? I am so hungry that I can scarce follow
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span>
+a trail.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, now,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;this is getting a little
+thick. First a Raven, and then a Salmon, and
+now a Wolf.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is so,&rdquo; said the Wolf, &ldquo;but there is little
+food in the forest. Nevertheless, with but a morsel
+I could follow the trail, and find plenty, and
+I would serve you at any time that I could.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now have I many servants,&rdquo; laughed Boots&mdash;&ldquo;a
+Raven, and a Salmon, and a Wolf. I will give
+you food, however, for you look as if you needed
+it sorely!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he gave the Wolf food, and when he had
+eaten, the Wolf said: &ldquo;Do you follow the trail
+which I make, and I will lead you where you
+would go.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Boots laughed merrily, for since he did not
+know which way to go himself it hardly seemed
+as if the Wolf could lead him in that way.
+Nevertheless, since all ways were alike, he
+thought, he might as well follow the Wolf, so
+he turned his horse&#8217;s head in that direction.</p>
+
+<p>The Wolf trotted along before, and at last he
+turned and said: &ldquo;This is the Giant&#8217;s castle, and
+the pillars yonder are your brothers and their
+wives which the Giant has turned to stone. It is
+for you to go into the castle and find a way to set
+them free.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That will I,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;but how will I prevent
+the Giant&#8217;s making a stone pillar out of me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Climb up on my back,&rdquo; said the Wolf, &ldquo;and
+I will take you into the castle, but once there
+you must look out for yourself. But if you need
+me, whistle, and I will be beside you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That will I,&rdquo; said Boots, &ldquo;and you, mind that
+you are not far, for I think I shall need you
+right speedily.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Wolf trotted out and left Boots standing
+in the hall of the castle. And Boots turned about
+and looked toward the inner room, and there
+he saw a Princess which he knew at once was
+the fairest Princess in all the seven kingdoms;
+and he said to himself: &ldquo;When I have set my
+brothers free I shall not need to seek far for
+my own bride.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Princess greeted him, and told him that
+it was true that the Giant had turned his brothers,
+and their brides, and their retainers into stone,
+and that he would turn them back again, one by
+one, when he wanted to eat them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what will he do with me?&rdquo; exclaimed
+Boots.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you hide under the bed there,&rdquo; said the
+Princess, &ldquo;and I will take care of you. For you
+must know that no matter how brave and strong
+you may be you cannot kill this Giant, for he
+does not keep his heart in his body. It is hidden
+away somewhere, for he is afraid that some one
+will kill him, so he keeps it no one knows where.
+But to-night I will ask him where it is, and do
+you listen, and it may be that we can find it and
+kill him, and you can set your brothers and their
+brides and me free.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That will I,&rdquo; said Boots, looking at her with
+eyes that told what he would do when he had set
+them all free.</p>
+
+<p>So at last the Giant came home, and after he
+had eaten and was feeling very good-natured, the
+Princess said to him: &ldquo;I have always wondered
+where it is that you keep your heart, for it is
+evident that it is not in your body.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, and it is not,&rdquo; said the Giant, &ldquo;for if
+it were I should have been dead long ago. But
+I will tell you where it is&mdash;it is under the great
+doorstep at the entrance of the castle.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next morning, after the Giant had gone
+out, Boots and the Princess dug and tugged, and
+tugged and dug, until at last they lifted the great
+doorstep at the entrance of the castle. But there
+was no heart under it. Then the Princess piled
+flowers about, that it might not show where she
+had been digging, and when the Giant came back
+he laughed loudly, and said: &ldquo;What sort of
+nonsense is this? You thought my heart was
+there, you silly, and have piled flowers about it.
+But my heart is not there. It is in the back of
+the big cupboard in the deepest dungeon keep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next day after the Giant had gone Boots
+and the Princess went down to the deepest dungeon
+keep, and they dug and tugged, and tugged
+and dug, until at last they had moved the cupboard
+from the wall; but there was no heart there.
+So the Princess piled flowers about, as she had
+done before. That night when the Giant came
+home he went down into the dungeon and saw
+the flowers, and said: &ldquo;You did, indeed, wish
+to pay honor to my heart, you foolish child, but
+it is not there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then tears stood in the beautiful eyes of the
+Princess, and she said: &ldquo;Oh, then, tell me where
+it is, that I may place flowers about the place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is not possible,&rdquo; said the Giant, &ldquo;for it
+is too far away from here, and you could not get
+to it. On a great hill in the forest stands a
+church, and in the church is a well, and in the
+well there is a duck, swimming backward and
+forward on the water; and in the duck is an egg,
+and in the egg is my heart; so you had best give
+up your foolish notion.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Boots, under the bed, heard every word; and
+the next morning, after the Giant had set out, he,
+too, started, whistling to the Wolf, who came at
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span>
+once. Boots told him that he wished to go to the
+church that stood on the high hill in the forest;
+and the Wolf said: &ldquo;I know just where the place
+is. Jump on my back, and we will be there in no
+time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Boots jumped upon the Wolf&#8217;s back, and
+they set off through the forest, and soon came to
+the church on the high hill. But the great doors
+were locked, and it was not possible for Boots to
+break them down, though he tried hard enough.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the Wolf, &ldquo;we must call the
+Raven.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they called the Raven, and he came and
+flew up over the top of the church, and into the
+belfry, and down into the porter&#8217;s room, and
+caught up the keys of the church, and in a moment
+he was back with them. Then Boots opened
+the doors and he and the Wolf and the Raven
+entered; and in the church they found a well,
+as the Giant had said, and on the water in the
+well there was a duck swimming backward and
+forward. Then Boots caught up the duck in his
+hands, and thought that now he had the Giant&#8217;s
+heart, when suddenly the duck let the egg drop
+into the water.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the Wolf, &ldquo;we must call the Salmon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they called the Salmon, and he swam down
+into the water and brought up the egg in his
+mouth, and Boots caught up the egg in his hand
+and squeezed it hard, and at once the Giant far
+off in the forest cried out.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Squeeze it harder,&rdquo; cried the Salmon, &ldquo;and I
+shall be free.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Giant far off in the woods begged hard
+for his life, and the Wolf said: &ldquo;Tell him that
+if he would have you spare his life he must at
+once set free your brothers and their brides and
+their retainers,&rdquo; said the Wolf.</p>
+
+<p>So Boots cried aloud this message to the Giant,
+squeezing the heart which he held in his hand as
+he did so; and the Giant called to him from far
+off in the forest that he had already done this,
+even as Boots had asked him, and now would
+he please let his heart sink back into the water.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the Raven, &ldquo;squeeze it but a little
+harder, and I shall be free!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Boots squeezed the heart harder and harder,
+until at last it was squeezed quite in two, and
+what was his surprise to see standing beside him
+two young Princes, fair, almost, as the fair Princess
+in the Giant&#8217;s castle, who Boots knew was
+the most beautiful in all the seven kingdoms.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let us hasten back to the castle, now,&rdquo; said
+the Wolf, &ldquo;that we may tell the Princes and their
+brides and the Princess in the castle that the
+Giant is dead, and they have nothing more to
+fear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Wolf lifted up his voice and howled,
+and at once two other wolves stood beside them.
+&ldquo;Climb up, each one of you,&rdquo; said the first Wolf,
+&ldquo;and we will be back at the castle in no time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Boots and the two Princes climbed up each
+on the back of a wolf, and they were soon back
+at the castle; and Boots found his brothers, and
+their fair brides, and the Princess waiting for
+them. Then they all set out for the kingdom of
+their father, who was very glad to see them, to
+be sure. And Boots said: &ldquo;I have brought back
+your sons to you, but I have brought back the
+fairest Princess in the seven kingdoms to be my
+own bride.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Although the brides of the other Princes were
+very fair, yet all agreed that the bride of Boots
+was the most beautiful of all.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BEATE" id="BEATE"></a>VIGGO AND BEATE<a name="FNanchor_L_12" id="FNanchor_L_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_L_12" class="fnanchor">[L]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>Translated by Mrs. Gudrun Thorne-Thompson</em></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE DOLL UNDER THE BRIER ROSEBUSH</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>There was once a girl, and her name was
+Beate. On her birthday her father had given
+her a beautiful straw hat. Her mother had given
+her a pair of yellow shoes and the daintiest white
+dress. But her old aunt had given her the very
+best present of all; it was a doll, with a sweet
+face and dark brown curls.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, how Beate grew to love that doll, almost
+more than she loved Marie and Louise, and they
+were her best friends.</p>
+
+<p>One day Beate was walking in the yard with
+her doll in her arms. It had a name now, and
+they had become fast friends. She had called her
+Beate, her own name, and the name of her old
+aunt who had given her the present.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the early Spring. There was a green
+spot in one corner of the yard around the old
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span>
+well. There stood a big willow tree with a low
+trunk, and it was covered with the little yellow
+blossoms that children call &ldquo;goslings.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They look like goslings, too, for each little
+tassel has soft yellow down, and they can swim
+in the water.</p>
+
+<p>Now, Big Beate and Little Beate soon agreed
+that they would pick goslings from the tree and
+throw them into the well, so that these might
+have just as good a time as the big geese and
+goslings that were swimming about in the pond.
+It was really Big Beate who thought of this first,
+but Little Beate agreed immediately; you can&#8217;t
+imagine how good she always was.</p>
+
+<p>Now, Big Beate climbed up into the willow and
+picked many pretty yellow goslings into her little
+white apron, and when she counted them she said
+that now they had enough, and Little Beate
+thought so too.</p>
+
+<p>Both of them ran over to the well, and Big
+Beate helped her little friend to get her legs
+firmly fixed between the logs that were around the
+well, so that she might sit in comfort and watch
+the little goslings swim about on the water.
+Then gosling after gosling was dropped down,
+and as soon as each one reached the water it
+seemed to become alive and it moved about. Oh,
+what fun!</p>
+
+<p>But after awhile the little goslings would not
+swim any longer, but lay quite still. That was
+no fun at all, so Big Beate asked her namesake
+if she didn&#8217;t think she might lean a little over
+the edge of the well and blow on them, for then
+she thought they might come to life again. Little
+Beate didn&#8217;t answer, but she raised her left eye-brow,
+saying, &ldquo;Please don&#8217;t do that, dear Big
+Beate! Don&#8217;t you remember, Mother has told us
+how dark it is down there in the well? Think,
+if you should fall in!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, nonsense; just see how easy it is,&rdquo; said
+Big Beate. She leaned out over the wall and blew
+on the nearest ones. Yes, it helped&mdash;the goslings
+began to swim again. But those that were farthest
+away didn&#8217;t move at all.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What stupid little things!&rdquo; said Beate; and
+she leaned far, far out over the edge of the well.
+Then her little hands slipped on the smooth log&mdash;splash!
+Down she fell into the water. It was
+so cold, so icy cold, and it closed over her head,
+and took the straw hat, which she had got on
+her birthday, off her hair! She hadn&#8217;t time to
+hear whether Little Beate screamed, but I&#8217;m
+sure she did.</p>
+
+<p>When Beate&#8217;s head came up over the water
+again she grasped the round log with both her
+hands, but the hands were too small, and the log
+too wide and slippery, she couldn&#8217;t hold on. Then
+she saw her dear friend, Little Beate, standing
+stiff and dumb with fright, staring at her and
+with her right arm stretched out to her. Big
+Beate hurriedly caught hold of her and Little
+Beate made herself as stiff as she could, and stiffer
+still, and stood there between the logs holding her
+dear friend out of the water.</p>
+
+<p>Now Beate screamed so loudly that her father
+and mother heard her and came running as fast
+as they could, pale and frightened, and pulled her
+out. She was dripping wet, and so scared and
+cold that her teeth chattered.</p>
+
+<p>Now they put Beate to bed, and Little Beate
+had to sleep with her. When she had said her
+prayers she hugged her little friend and said:
+&ldquo;Never, never can I thank you enough, because
+you saved me from that horrible deep well, dear
+Little Beate. You shall be my very best friend,
+always, and when I grow up you shall be the
+godmother to my first daughter, and I shall call
+her Little Beate for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE FLOATING ISLAND</strong></p>
+
+<p>Beate was now a year older. During that year
+she had lost Little Beate, but she had never forgotten
+her.</p>
+
+<p>Big Beate had many dolls given to her, but not
+one was like Little Beate. No one was so sweet
+and good-natured, no one so pretty and graceful.</p>
+
+<p>It was a Saturday, and the next day, Sunday,
+she expected her friends, Marie and Louise, on
+a visit, for it was her birthday; therefore she
+wanted to decorate her doll-house as prettily as
+she could.</p>
+
+<p>Beate knew what to do. On the hillside by
+the Black Pond she remembered that she had seen
+the prettiest little snail shells anyone might wish
+for&mdash;round and fluted, with yellow and brown
+markings. They would be just the thing for her
+bureau. She ran off to search for them, slipping
+in and out through the hazel bushes, and picking
+empty shells by the dozen.</p>
+
+<p>But all of a sudden she heard a bird utter such
+a weird cry from the lake. She peeped out between
+the green branches and saw a big bird
+swimming about. It had a long blue neck and a
+white breast, but its back was shining black. It
+swam fast, and then suddenly dived and was gone.</p>
+
+<p>Beate stood there and stared at the water, hoping
+to see the bird come up again, but she waited
+and waited in vain. She was frightened, thinking
+it was drowned, when she saw it shoot up again
+far away, almost in the middle of the lake. Then
+it began to swim slowly toward a tiny green
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span>
+island which lay there, and crept into the high
+weeds and grasses that hung over the water.</p>
+
+<p>Beate could not get tired of looking at the
+pretty little island. Willow bushes grew out of
+the grass in some places, and in one end grew
+a little white-barked birch tree. Beate thought
+she had never seen anything half so lovely. It
+seemed just like a strange little land, all by itself.</p>
+
+<p>At last Beate remembered that she must hurry
+home. Again she peeped through the leaves and
+branches to say good-night to the island, when&mdash;think
+of it!&mdash;the little green island was gone.</p>
+
+<p>She thought of goblins and fairies, and ran up
+the path to the top of the hill as fast as she could.
+But when she got there she had to look again.
+And she became more astonished than ever, for
+now she saw the little green island again, but far
+from the place where she first saw it. It was
+sailing slowly toward the southern end of the lake,
+and the silver birch was its sail.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Beate reached home she found
+Anne, the nurse, and told her what she had seen.</p>
+
+<p>Anne knew all about the floating island: it
+had been on the lake for many years, she said.
+But there were many strange things about it.
+One thing she would tell, and that was, that if
+anyone stood on the floating island and took a
+loon&#8217;s egg out of the nest and wished for something,
+that wish would come true, if the egg was
+put safely back into the nest again. If you wished
+to become a Princess of England, your wish
+would indeed be fulfilled, said old Anne. But
+there was one more thing to notice: you must not
+talk about it to a living soul.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not even to Father and Mother?&rdquo; asked
+Beate.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Anne, &ldquo;not to a living soul.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Beate could think of nothing but the island
+all that evening, and when she had closed her
+eyes she could dream of nothing else all night.</p>
+
+<p>Just as soon as Beate got up in the morning she
+begged her father to row her and Marie and
+Louise out to the floating island, when they came
+to visit her in the afternoon, and that he promised.</p>
+
+<p>But he also asked how she had happened to
+think of that, and what she wanted there. Beate
+thought first that she would tell him everything,
+but then she remembered Anne&#8217;s words, and said
+only that she wished to go out there because the
+little green island was so pretty.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, indeed, it is pretty, and you shall see a
+loon&#8217;s nest too,&rdquo; said the father.</p>
+
+<p>Then Beate&#8217;s face grew red, and the tears
+came to her eyes, for she knew well enough
+about the loon&#8217;s nest and about the eggs.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon the father took the three little
+girls down to the lake. Beate&#8217;s friends thought
+this was the loveliest place they had ever seen,
+and they begged the father to stop and get some
+of the pretty water-lilies for them. But Beate
+was longing for the floating island.</p>
+
+<p>The father rowed close up to the island and
+around it, and when he came to the other side the
+loon plunged out of the reeds into the water and
+was gone.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is the loon&#8217;s nest,&rdquo; said the father.</p>
+
+<p>What joy! The loon&#8217;s nest was on the very
+edge of the little tiny island, hidden among the
+grasses, and in the nest were two big grayish-brown
+eggs, with black spots, larger than any
+goose eggs.</p>
+
+<p>Marie and Louise shouted and laughed, but
+Beate felt strangely frightened and was very
+quiet. She begged her father to let her stand
+on the island, only a minute, and would he let
+her take one of the eggs in her hand?</p>
+
+<p>The father told her she must be very careful
+just lift the egg gently between her two fingers,
+for if the bird noticed that the egg had been
+touched she would not hatch it.</p>
+
+<p>And now Beate stood on the green floating
+island. She was excited when she bent down to
+pick up the grayish-brown egg, but lifted it carefully
+between two fingers. Now she might wish
+for anything in the wide, wide world.</p>
+
+<p>And what do you think she wished for? To
+become a Princess of England? Oh, no, she knew
+something far better than that. Then her lips
+moved softly, and she whispered to herself: &ldquo;I
+wish that Little Beate was with me once more,
+and would never, never leave me.&rdquo; Carefully
+she put the egg back into the nest.</p>
+
+<p>What was the pink something her eye now
+caught sight of among the tall reeds close to the
+nest? It was her doll! Beate gave one shriek
+of joy. &ldquo;Little Beate, my own Little Beate,&rdquo; she
+sobbed, when she had her own dearest friend in
+her arms again. She covered her with tears and
+kisses, and held her tight in her arms as if she
+would never in the world let her go.</p>
+
+<p>Her father, Marie, and Louise stood by without
+saying a word. At last the father kissed his little
+girl, and lifted her on to the raft again.</p>
+
+<p>Such a birthday party as Beate had now!
+What did it matter that a year&#8217;s rains and snows
+had faded Little Beate&#8217;s cheeks and bleached
+her brown curls? She was the guest of honor,
+and sat on the prettiest chair. She had all the
+cookies and chocolate that she wanted. She was
+petted and loved; and at night, tired and happy,
+Big Beate slept with her little friend in her arms.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>HANS, THE OLD SOLDIER</strong></p>
+
+<p>Viggo was Beate&#8217;s brother. He was 10 years
+old. Hans was Viggo&#8217;s dearest friend. The
+servants on the farm called the old Grenadier
+&ldquo;Hans the Watchdog,&rdquo; for they said when he
+talked to anyone it sounded like a dog barking,
+and he looked as if he were ready to bite. But
+Viggo had once said that the Grenadier&#8217;s voice
+sounded like the rattle of a drum, and the old
+soldier thought that was well said. It was from
+that time on that Viggo and Hans were such
+good friends.</p>
+
+<p>Hans the Grenadier was six feet two, and a
+little more. He was straight as a stick. His hair
+was long and snowy white, and it hung in a
+braid down his red soldier&#8217;s coat.</p>
+
+<p>When he came walking up to the farm from
+his little cottage he always carried the ax on
+the left shoulder, like a gun, and marched stiff
+and straight, and kept step as if the sergeant were
+marching right at his heels, commanding &ldquo;Left,
+right! Left, right!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Viggo knew that sometimes Old Hans was
+willing to tell about the time he served in the
+army. He told of the battles, and first and last
+about the &ldquo;Prince of &#8217;Gustenberg.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That was a man!&rdquo; said Hans. &ldquo;When he looked
+at you it was as if he would eat you in one
+bite. And such a nose between the eyes! The
+Prince of &#8217;Gustenberg had a nose that shouted
+&lsquo;Get out of my way!&rsquo; And therefore they did
+get put of his way, too, wherever he showed
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know what the Prince of &#8217;Gustenberg
+said when he spoke in front of the troops? &lsquo;One
+thing is a shame,&rsquo; said he, &lsquo;and that is to turn
+your back before retreat is called.&rsquo; And now you
+know what is a shame, my boy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Viggo sat silent a little while.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have you never known a little boy to become
+a general?&rdquo; he asked at last.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, I haven&#8217;t, but I have known a drummer
+boy to become a sergeant. He was not much
+bigger than you. He could do everything you
+can think of. There was one thing, though, that
+was very hard for him to do, and that was to
+beat &lsquo;Retreat.&rsquo; &lsquo;Forward March&rsquo; he knew how to
+drum; he never forgot that, and sometimes he
+beat that instead of &lsquo;Retreat,&rsquo; and the captain got
+angry. Usually he wasn&#8217;t punished either, because
+he had once saved the captain&#8217;s life with
+a snowball.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;With a snowball?&rdquo; said Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I said snowball; he did not use greater
+means. We were rushing up a hill with the
+enemy in front of us. It was in Winter. The
+captain and the drummer boy led the march; but
+as soon as they came to the top of the hill there
+stood the enemy in line. &lsquo;Aim!&rsquo; commanded the
+enemy&#8217;s officer, and all the guns pointed right
+at the captain. Quick as lightning the drummer
+boy grabbed a handful of snow and made a snowball,
+and, just as the officer opened his mouth
+to say &lsquo;Fire!&rsquo; the drummer boy threw the snowball
+straight into the open mouth. He stood there,
+mouth wide open. Well, then the rest of us
+arrived and we had a hot fight.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then was he made a sergeant?&rdquo; asked Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, when the Prince had heard of it. He
+was given the rank of a sergeant, and something
+better even than that. The Prince called him
+&lsquo;my son.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It was too bad that they didn&#8217;t make him a
+general,&rdquo; said Viggo. He added half aloud:
+&ldquo;Do you think I might become a general, Hans?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, well, listen to the spring chicken!&rdquo; said
+Hans. &ldquo;So it is general you want to be? Never
+mind, don&#8217;t blush for that; it wasn&#8217;t a bad
+question. But it is very difficult, for you must
+learn much, oh, very much.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mathematics, you mean?&rdquo; said Viggo. &ldquo;I have
+learned some of that already, and languages
+too.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that is well enough, but you must learn
+much more; you must learn to drill so that you
+don&#8217;t make a mistake in a single movement.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then do you think I might become a general?&rdquo;
+continued Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who knows? But it is difficult. The eyes
+are not bad, you have the right expression. But
+the nose&mdash;no it has not the correct shape. But,
+of course, it may grow and curve in time,&rdquo; said
+Old Hans.</p>
+
+<p>After that Viggo learned to drill and march
+from his old friend; but he often looked in the
+mirror and wished with all his heart that the
+nose would curve a little more.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>ALLARM, THE DOG</strong></p>
+
+<p>One afternoon Viggo was walking home from
+school with a bag of books on his back. He
+marched straight as a stick, with a soldiery step.
+Old Hans was standing outside the cottage waiting
+for him, and when Viggo halted and saluted,
+the old man asked if he could guess what present
+there was for him at the house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How does it look?&rdquo; asked Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is brown,&rdquo; said Hans. &ldquo;Now guess.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I suppose it is nothing but a lump of
+brown sugar from Aunt Beate,&rdquo; said Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Try again!&rdquo; said Hans, and grinned. &ldquo;It is
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span>
+dark brown, it walks on four feet and laps milk.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is it the puppy the Captain has promised me?
+Is it?&rdquo; cried Viggo, and forgot all about standing
+straight and stiff before the Grenadier.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Right about! Of course that&#8217;s what it is,&rdquo;
+said Hans the Grenadier.</p>
+
+<p>But Viggo turned a somersault instead of
+&ldquo;Right about&rdquo; and ran to the house. On a piece
+of carpet close by the fireplace lay the little
+puppy, and he was beautiful. The body was dark
+brown, but the nose and paws were light brown,
+and he had a light brown spot over each eye.
+When Viggo sat down on the floor beside him
+and stroked the soft fur, he licked Viggo&#8217;s hand.
+Soon they had become acquainted, and from that
+time on Viggo watched, to see if the puppy
+grew, almost as carefully as he watched his own
+nose to see if it had the proper curve so that
+he might become a general.</p>
+
+<p>In the night, Allarm lay by Viggo&#8217;s bed, and
+in the daytime sat beside him when he was
+studying his lessons. The puppy was not allowed
+to go along to school, but he met Viggo every
+afternoon, and barked with joy and wagged his
+tail.</p>
+
+<p>One winter morning Hans the Grenadier and
+some of the farm hands were going to the woods
+to haul timber with seven horses. Viggo had a
+holiday that day, so he was allowed to go along.
+He put his rubber boots on, and whistled for
+Allarm. The puppy jumped and barked when he
+noticed that they were off for the woods. But
+Viggo&#8217;s father said it would be best to leave
+Allarm at home, for there were packs of wolves
+in the woods. Viggo did not like to leave Allarm
+behind, but when his father said so of course
+he must do it. He took the strap and tied Allarm
+to the leg of the sofa. Then he put his old coat
+on the floor beside the dog, so that he might be
+comfortable. But you can&#8217;t imagine how Allarm
+whined and howled when he understood that he
+was to be left tied up.</p>
+
+<p>Viggo told his father that he could not stand
+it to have Allarm so sad, happen what would,
+and he begged that he might take him along.</p>
+
+<p>The father smiled, and said if Viggo wanted
+to risk it he must take good care of the dog,
+and not let him out of his sight. Then they untied
+him, and you may imagine Allarm&#8217;s joy. He
+jumped and barked so that the mother had to put
+her fingers in her ears.</p>
+
+<p>The seven horses went in a line, one after the
+other, and Hans the Grenadier and Viggo and
+Allarm walked behind the last one. The forest
+was so still you could not hear the least sound
+except the horses&#8217; hoofs crunching in the snow.
+Here and there Viggo saw the foot-prints of a
+wolf beside the road. Then he always told Allarm
+to keep close by him, and that he did.</p>
+
+<p>But after awhile they left the road and turned
+into the thick forest. Hans the Grenadier waded
+in front, and the snow reached to his knees; then
+came the horses and the boys, one after the other,
+and at last Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>After a while they came to the logs and began
+to hitch them to the horses. Then suddenly Viggo
+remembered Allarm; he had forgotten all about
+the dog since they turned away from the road.
+He looked around him, and just then he heard
+Allarm whine and howl somewhere in the depths
+of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>As quick as lightning he grabbed an ax which
+Old Hans had driven into a stump, and rushed
+in through the trees in the direction from which
+the howling came. It was not easy; the snow
+reached far above his knees, but he noticed nothing:
+he only feared he would be too late. Once
+he had to stop a little to draw breath, then again
+he heard the pitiful wail of the dog, but now it
+sounded fainter. Off Viggo rushed again, and at
+last he espied something between the trees. He
+did not see his dog, but three wolves stood in a
+circle, heads turned toward the center; the fourth
+one lay inside the ring and bit something in the
+snow.</p>
+
+<p>Viggo shouted so that it thundered in the forest,
+and rushed against the wolves with lifted ax.
+When he came within seven or eight feet of them,
+the three grey-legs took fright and sneaked, tails
+between legs, far into the forest; but the fourth,
+who lay on top of Allarm, hated to give up his
+prey. It was a large yellow wolf, and it looked
+up at Viggo and showed sharp, bloody teeth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let go of Allarm! Let go of my dog, or I&#8217;ll
+teach you!&rdquo; he cried, and swung the ax high
+above his head. Then grey-legs sneaked slowly
+away after the others. He turned once and
+howled, and showed his teeth, and then disappeared
+among the bushes.</p>
+
+<p>Far down in a hole in the snow lay Allarm.
+He was so bitten that he could not jump to his
+feet; and, when Viggo lifted him, the blood
+dripped down on the snow. His whole body
+shivered, but he licked Viggo&#8217;s hand.</p>
+
+<p>Just then Old Hans the Grenadier stood by
+Viggo&#8217;s side. When he had gained his breath
+after his hurried run, the old man cried very
+angrily: &ldquo;If I did what you deserve I should
+have to whip you. Do you think it fit for a
+youngster like you to rush against a pack of
+wolves? If they had eaten you up alive before
+you had a chance to make a sound, what would
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span>
+you have said then?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then I would have said: &lsquo;One thing is a
+shame, and that is to turn your back before
+&ldquo;retreat&rdquo; is called,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Viggo, and looked
+sharply at the Grenadier.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well said, my boy! The nose has not quite
+the right curve yet, but the eyes are there, and
+I do believe the heart, too,&rdquo; said Old Hans. He
+took the dog from Viggo, and went home with
+both of them.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><strong>THE BLACK POND</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hurrah, the Black Pond is frozen! The ice
+is more than an inch thick, and there&#8217;s a crowd
+of boys down there!&rdquo; shouted one of Viggo&#8217;s
+classmates one morning, as he thrust his frost-covered
+head through the door and swung his
+skates. It didn&#8217;t take Viggo long before he
+got his skates down from the nail, and ran off
+with his friend. And he was so anxious to get
+down to the lake that he forgot to whistle for
+Allarm.</p>
+
+<p>But Allarm had a fine nose. Just as soon
+as he had swallowed his breakfast he understood
+that Viggo was gone. Then he ran out hunting
+through the yard for Viggo&#8217;s trail, and when
+he noticed that it didn&#8217;t lead to the school he
+knew he might follow. Then he rushed madly
+after him over the fields, and had caught up with
+him long before Viggo had reached the cottage
+of Hans the Grenadier, which lay close by the
+lake.</p>
+
+<p>One thing Viggo had promised his father before
+he got permission to go, and that was that
+he would be very careful and not skate far out
+from the shore. Near the middle of the lake
+there was an air hole through which warm air
+rose to the surface, and there the ice was never
+thick.</p>
+
+<p>And Viggo meant honestly to do what his
+father had told him, but now you shall hear
+what happened.</p>
+
+<p>When he came to the lake there was a crowd
+of boys there. There must have been twenty or
+more. Most of them had skates on, but some
+only slid on the ice. They shouted and laughed
+so that you could not hear yourself think.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Viggo had put on his skates he
+began to look around. Most of the boys he
+knew, for he had raced with them before, and he
+felt that he could beat every one of them. But
+there was one boy who skated by himself, and
+seemed not to care about the others. He was
+much bigger than Viggo, and Viggo saw immediately
+that it would not be easy to beat him in
+a race. The boys called him Peter Lightfoot, and
+the name fitted him. He could do the corkscrew,
+skate backward as easily as forward, and lie so
+low and near the ice that he might have kissed it.
+But all this Viggo could do, too.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can you write your initials?&rdquo; asked Viggo.
+Yes; Peter Lightfoot stood on one leg and wrote
+&ldquo;P. L.&rdquo; in the ice, but the letters hung together.
+Then Viggo started. He ran, turned himself
+around backward and wrote &ldquo;P. L.,&rdquo; and between
+the &ldquo;P.&rdquo; and the &ldquo;L.&rdquo; he made a short jump so
+that the letters stood apart.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hurrah for Viggo! He wrote Peter Lightfoot
+backward!&rdquo; shouted the boys, and threw up their
+caps. Then the big boy blushed crimson, but he
+said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Now they began to play &ldquo;Fox and Geese,&rdquo; and
+everybody wanted Viggo to be the fox. Peter
+wanted to play, too, for he was sure that Viggo
+could not catch him. The race-course was
+scratched in the ice, and Viggo called, &ldquo;Out, out,
+my geese,&rdquo; and off they ran. But Viggo didn&#8217;t
+care to run after the little goslings, it was the
+big gander, Peter Lightfoot, he wished to catch.
+And that was a game!</p>
+
+<p>Off they went, Peter in front and Viggo after
+him, back and forth in corners and circles, and
+all the other boys stopped and looked on. Every
+time Viggo was right at his heels, Peter jumped
+and was far ahead of the fox again. At last
+Viggo had him cornered, but just as he would
+have caught the goose, Peter stretched out his
+left leg and meant to trip Viggo, but his skate
+caught in a frozen twig and&mdash;thump! there lay
+Peter Lightfoot, the ice cracking all around him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A good thing he wasn&#8217;t made of glass,&rdquo;
+laughed the boys and crowded around Peter. He
+got up and looked angrily around the circle of
+boys.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now stand in a row, we&#8217;ll jump,&rdquo; said he,
+and the boys did. They piled hats and caps on
+top of each other first only three high. The
+whole row jumped that, then four, then five, then
+six, but each time fewer got over and those who
+pushed the top cap off with their skates had to
+stop playing and must stand aside and look on.
+At last there were eight hats and caps on top of
+each other, and now only Peter and Viggo were
+left to jump.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Put your cap on top!&rdquo; said Peter, and Viggo
+did. But all the boys shouted that no one could
+ever make that jump.</p>
+
+<p>Now, Peter came so fast that the air whistled
+about him, jumped&mdash;and whiff! he was over! He
+touched Viggo&#8217;s cap the least little bit, but it did
+not fall off the pile.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hurrah for Peter! That was a masterly
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span>
+jump!&rdquo; shouted the boys. &ldquo;Viggo can never do
+that, he is too small,&rdquo; said one.</p>
+
+<p>Viggo knew this was the test, and his heart
+beat fast. He ran with all his might. Viggo
+flew over like a bird, and there was at least four
+inches between his skates and the topmost cap.
+Then the boys crowded around him and shouted
+that Viggo was the champion. But Peter Lightfoot
+looked at him with a sly and evil eye, and
+you could see he was planning to play a trick
+on him. And, indeed, that&#8217;s what he did.</p>
+
+<p>After a little while Peter took an apple out
+of his pocket and rolled it over the ice toward
+the airhole. &ldquo;The one who dares to go for the
+apple may keep it!&rdquo; he called. And many dared
+to try that, for the apple had not rolled far and
+the ice was strong enough. Now Peter threw an
+apple farther out, someone got that too. But at
+last he rolled one that stopped right on the edge
+of the open water. One boy after the other ran
+out toward it, but when the ice began to crack
+they slowly turned around again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t do it, it is dangerous!&rdquo; shouted Viggo.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes, Viggo is great when things are easy,
+but if there is danger he turns pale as a ghost,&rdquo;
+said Peter, and laughed aloud.</p>
+
+<p>This was more than Viggo could bear. He
+thought of what the Prince of Augustenburg had
+said before the front, and he thought he must
+fetch the apple, come what might. But he forgot
+that &ldquo;retreat&rdquo; had been called, for his father had
+forbidden him to go near the hole. Allarm looked
+at him with grave eyes and wagged his tail
+slowly; he did not dare to whine. But that did
+not help. Viggo ran so that the wind whistled
+about his ears. The ice bent under his feet and
+cracked, but he glided on and on, and the ice did
+not break. Now he was close by the apple; he
+bent down to pick it up&mdash;crash! The ice broke,
+and Viggo, head first, fell in.</p>
+
+<p>In a minute his head appeared above the hole.
+He swam for the ice and seized the edge, but
+a piece broke off every time he tried to climb up.</p>
+
+<p>At first the boys stood there dumb with fright.
+Then they all called to him that he must try to
+hold on, but no one dared to help him, and no
+one thought of running for help. Peter Lightfoot
+had sneaked away when Viggo fell in.</p>
+
+<p>The best one of them all was Allarm. First
+he ran yelping around the hole, but when he saw
+Viggo appear again he snatched his wet cap between
+his teeth and as fast as an arrow he ran
+toward home. When he reached the cottage of
+Hans the Grenadier the old soldier was just standing
+in the open doorway. The dog put Viggo&#8217;s
+stiff frozen cap at his feet, whined and cried,
+jumped up on the old man, held on to his coat
+and dragged him toward the ice. Hans understood
+right away what was the matter, snatched
+a rope and ran toward the lake, and in no time
+he stood by the hole. He threw the rope to
+Viggo, who had begun to grow stiff from the icy
+bath, and pulled him out.</p>
+
+<p>Viggo ran as fast as he could to the cottage
+of Hans, and when he reached the door he had an
+armor of shining ice over his whole body. When
+the Grenadier pulled off the boy&#8217;s trousers they
+could stand by themselves on the floor; they were
+frozen stiff.</p>
+
+<p>Viggo, of course, had to change from top to
+toe, and what should he put on? Hans went to
+his old chest and came back with his uniform.
+Viggo looked rather queer; the yellow knee-trousers
+reached to his ankles, and the red coat
+with yellow cuffs and lapels hung on him like a
+bag.</p>
+
+<p>But he was wearing a real uniform! Hans
+looked at him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I won&#8217;t say much about the
+fit of the clothes, but who knows you may wear a
+better looking uniform some day. The heart is
+of the right kind, and the nose&mdash;well it is doing
+better.&rdquo;</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_L_12" id="Footnote_L_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_L_12"><span class="label">[L]</span></a> From &ldquo;The Bird and the Star,&rdquo; translated by
+Mrs. Gudrun Thorne-Thompson; used by special arrangement
+with the publishers, Row, Peterson &amp; Co.</p></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img278.jpg" width="500" height="112" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img279.jpg" width="500" height="117" alt="Stories From Ireland" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE FOUR WHITE SWANS</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the days of long ago there lived in the Green
+Isle of Erin a race of brave men and fair women&mdash;the
+race of the Dedannans. North, south,
+east, and west did this noble people dwell, doing
+homage to many chiefs.</p>
+
+<p>But one blue morning after a great battle the
+Dedannans met on a wide plain to choose a king.
+&ldquo;Let us,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;have one king over all. Let
+us no longer have many rulers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Forth from among the princes rose five well
+fitted to wield a scepter and to wear a crown, yet
+most royal stood Bove Derg and Lir. And forth
+did the five chiefs wander, that the Dedannan
+folk might freely say to whom they would most
+gladly do homage as king.</p>
+
+<p>Not far did they roam, for soon there arose
+a great cry, &ldquo;Bove Derg is King! Bove Derg
+is King!&rdquo; And all were glad, save Lir.</p>
+
+<p>But Lir was angry, and he left the plain where
+the Dedannan people were, taking leave of none,
+and doing Bove Derg no reverence. For jealousy
+filled the heart of Lir.</p>
+
+<p>Then were the Dedannans wroth, and a hundred
+swords were unsheathed and flashed in the
+sunlight on the plain. &ldquo;We go to slay Lir who
+doeth not homage to our King and regardeth not
+the choice of the people.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But wise and generous was Bove Derg, and
+he bade the warriors do no hurt to the offended
+prince.</p>
+
+<p>For long years did Lir live in discontent, yielding
+obedience to none. But at length a great sorrow
+fell upon him, for his wife, who was dear
+unto him, died, and she had been ill but three
+days. Loudly did he lament her death, and
+heavy was his heart with sorrow.</p>
+
+<p>When tidings of Lir&#8217;s grief reached Bove
+Derg, he was surrounded by his mightiest chiefs.
+&ldquo;Go forth,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;in fifty chariots go forth.
+Tell Lir I am his friend as ever, and ask that
+he come with you hither. Three fair foster-children
+are mine, and one may he yet have to wife,
+will he but bow to the will of the people, who
+have chosen me their King.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When these words were told to Lir, his heart
+was glad. Speedily he called around him his
+train, and in fifty chariots set forth. Nor did
+they slacken speed until they reached the palace
+of Bove Derg by the Great Lake. And there at
+the still close of day, as the setting rays of the
+sun fell athwart the silver waters, did Lir do
+homage to Bove Derg. And Bove Derg kissed
+Lir and vowed to be his friend forever.</p>
+
+<p>And when it was known throughout the
+Dedannan host that peace reigned between these
+mighty chiefs, brave men and fair women and
+little children rejoiced, and nowhere were there
+happier hearts than in the Green Isle of Erin.</p>
+
+<p>Time passed, and Lir still dwelt with Bove
+Derg in his palace by the Great Lake. One
+morning the King said: &ldquo;Full well thou knowest
+my three fair foster-daughters, nor have I forgotten
+my promise that one thou shouldst have
+to wife. Choose her whom thou wilt.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Lir answered: &ldquo;All are indeed fair, and
+choice is hard. But give unto me the eldest, if
+it be that she be willing to wed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Eve, the eldest of the fair maidens, was
+glad, and that day was she married to Lir, and
+after two weeks she left the palace by the Great
+Lake and drove with her husband to her new
+home.</p>
+
+<p>Happily dwelt Lir&#8217;s household and merrily
+sped the months. Then were born unto Lir twin
+babes. The girl they called Finola, and her
+brother did they name Aed.</p>
+
+<p>Yet another year passed and again twins were
+born, but before the infant boys knew their
+mother, she died. So sorely did Lir grieve for
+his beautiful wife that he would have died of
+sorrow, but for the great love he bore his
+motherless children.</p>
+
+<p>When news of Eve&#8217;s death reached the palace
+of Bove Derg by the Great Lake all mourned
+aloud, for love of Eve and sore pity for Lir and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span>
+his four babes. And Bove Derg said to his
+mighty chiefs: &ldquo;Great, indeed is our grief, but
+in this dark hour shall Lir know our friendship.
+Ride forth, make known to him that Eva, my
+second fair foster-child, shall in time become his
+wedded wife and shall cherish his lone babies.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So messengers rode forth to carry these tidings
+to Lir, and in time Lir came again to the
+palace of Bove Derg by the Great Lake, and
+he married the beautiful Eva and took her back
+with him to his little daughter, Finola, and to
+her three brothers, Aed and Fiacra and Conn.</p>
+
+<p>Four lovely and gentle children they were, and
+with tenderness did Eva care for the little ones
+who were their father&#8217;s joy and the pride of the
+Dedannans.</p>
+
+<p>As for Lir, so great was the love he bore them,
+that at early dawn he would rise, and, pulling
+aside the deerskin that separated his
+sleeping-room from theirs, would fondle and frolic with
+the children until morning broke.</p>
+
+<p>And Bove Derg loved them well-nigh as did
+Lir himself. Ofttimes would he come to see them
+and ofttimes were they brought to his palace by
+the Great Lake.</p>
+
+<p>And through all the Green Isle, where dwelt
+the Dedannan people, there also was spread the
+fame of the beauty of the children of Lir.</p>
+
+<p>Time crept on, and Finola was a maid of
+twelve summers. Then did a wicked jealousy
+find root in Eva&#8217;s heart, and so did it grow that
+it strangled the love which she had borne her
+sister&#8217;s children. In bitterness she cried: &ldquo;Lir
+careth not for me; to Finola and her brothers
+hath he given all his love.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And for weeks and months Eva lay in bed
+planning how she might do hurt to the children
+of Lir.</p>
+
+<p>At length, one midsummer morn, she ordered
+forth her chariot, that with the four children
+she might come to the palace of Bove Derg.</p>
+
+<p>When Finola heard it, her fair face grew pale,
+for in a dream had it been revealed unto her
+that Eva, her stepmother, should that day do a
+dark deed among those of her own household.
+Therefore was Finola sore afraid, but only her
+large eyes and pale cheeks spake her woe, as
+she and her brothers drove along with Eva and
+her train.</p>
+
+<p>On they drove, the boys laughing merrily,
+heedless alike of the black shadow resting on
+their stepmother&#8217;s brow, and of the pale, trembling
+lips of their sister. As they reached a
+gloomy pass, Eva whispered to her attendants:
+&ldquo;Kill, I pray you, these children of Lir, for their
+father careth not for me, because of his great
+love for them. Kill them, and great wealth shall
+be yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the attendants answered in horror: &ldquo;We
+will not kill them. Fearful, O Eva, were the deed,
+and great is the evil that will befall thee, for having
+it in thine heart to do this thing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Eva, filled with rage, drew forth her
+sword to slay them with her own hand, but too
+weak for the monstrous deed, she sank back in
+the chariot.</p>
+
+<p>Onward they drove, out of the gloomy pass
+into the bright sunlight of the white road.
+Daisies with wide-open eyes looked up into the
+blue sky overhead. Golden glistened the buttercups
+among the shamrock. From the ditches
+peeped forget-me-not. Honeysuckle scented the
+hedgerows. Around, above, and afar, caroled
+the linnet, the lark, and the thrush. All was
+color and sunshine, scent and song, as the children
+of Lir drove onward to their doom.</p>
+
+<p>Not until they reached a still lake were the
+horses unyoked for rest. There Eva bade the
+children undress and go bathe in the waters.
+And when the children of Lir reached the
+water&#8217;s edge, Eva was there behind them, holding
+in her hand a fairy wand. And with the wand
+she touched the shoulder of each. And, lo! as
+she touched Finola, the maiden was changed into
+a snow-white swan, and behold! as she touched
+Aed, Fiacra, and Conn, the three brothers were
+as the maid. Four snow-white swans floated on
+the blue lake, and to them the wicked Eva
+chanted a song of doom.</p>
+
+<p>As she finished, the swans turned toward her,
+and Finola spake:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Evil is the deed thy magic wand hath
+wrought, O Eva, on us the children of Lir, but
+greater evil shall befall thee, because of the
+hardness and jealousy of thine heart.&rdquo; And
+Finola&#8217;s white swan-breast heaved as she sang
+of their pitiless doom.</p>
+
+<p>The song ended, again spake the swan-maiden:
+&ldquo;Tell us, O Eva, when death shall set us free.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Eva made answer: &ldquo;Three hundred years
+shall your home be on the smooth waters of this
+lone lake. Three hundred years shall ye pass
+on the stormy waters of the sea betwixt Erin
+and Alba, and three hundred years shall ye be
+tempest-tossed on the wild Western Sea. Until
+Decca be the Queen of Largnen, and the good
+saint come to Erin, and ye hear the chime of the
+Christ-bell, neither your plaints nor prayers,
+neither the love of your father Lir, nor the might
+of your King, Bove Derg, shall have power to
+deliver you from your doom. But lone white
+swans though ye be, ye shall keep forever your
+own sweet Gaelic speech, and ye shall sing, with
+plaintive voices, songs so haunting that your
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span>
+music will bring peace to the souls of those who
+hear. And still beneath your snowy plumage
+shall beat the hearts of Finola, Aed, Fiacra and
+Conn, and still forever shall ye be the children
+of Lir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
+<img src="images/img281.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">four snow-white swans floated on the blue lake</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Then did Eva order the horses to be yoked to
+the chariot, and away westward did she drive.</p>
+
+<p>And swimming on the lone lake were four
+white swans.</p>
+
+<p>When Eva reached the palace of Bove Derg
+alone, greatly was he troubled lest evil had befallen
+the children of Lir.</p>
+
+<p>But the attendants, because of their great fear
+of Eva, dared not to tell the King of the magic
+spell she had wrought by the way. Therefore
+Bove Derg asked, &ldquo;Wherefore, O Eva, come not
+Finola and her brothers to the palace this day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Eva answered: &ldquo;Because, O King, Lir
+no longer trusteth thee, therefore would he not
+let the children come hither.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Bove Derg believed not his foster-daughter,
+and that night he secretly sent messengers
+across the hills to the dwelling of Lir.</p>
+
+<p>When the messengers came there, and told
+their errand, great was the grief of the father.
+And in the morning with a heavy heart he summoned
+a company of the Dedannans, and together
+they set out for the palace of Bove Derg.
+And it was not until sunset as they reached the
+lone shore of Lake Darvra, that they slackened
+speed.</p>
+
+<p>Lir alighted from his chariot and stood spellbound.
+What was that plaintive sound? The
+Gaelic words, his dear daughter&#8217;s voice more enchanting
+even than of old, and yet, before and
+around, only the lone blue lake. The haunting
+music rang clearer, and as the last words died
+away, four snow-white swans glided from behind
+the sedges, and with a wild flap of wings
+flew toward the eastern shore. There, stricken
+with wonder, stood Lir.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Know, O Lir,&rdquo; said Finola, &ldquo;that we are thy
+children, changed by the wicked magic of our
+stepmother into four white swans.&rdquo; When Lir
+and the Dedannan people heard these words,
+they wept aloud.</p>
+
+<p>Still spake the swan-maiden: &ldquo;Three hundred
+years must we float on this lone lake, three hundred
+years shall we be storm-tossed on the
+waters between Erin and Alba, and three hundred
+years on the wild Western Sea. Not until
+Decca be the Queen of Largnen, not until the
+good saint come to Erin and the chime of the
+Christ-bell be heard in the land, not until then
+shall we be saved from our doom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then great cries of sorrow went up from the
+Dedannans, and again Lir sobbed aloud. But
+at the last silence fell upon his grief, and Finola
+told how she and her brothers would keep forever
+their own sweet Gaelic speech, how they
+would sing songs so haunting that their music
+would bring peace to the souls of all who heard.
+She told how, beneath their snowy plumage, the
+human hearts of Finola, Aed, Fiacra, and Conn
+should still beat&mdash;the hearts of the children of
+Lir. &ldquo;Stay with us to-night by the lone lake,&rdquo;
+she ended, &ldquo;and our music will steal to you
+across its moonlit waters and lull you into peaceful
+slumber. Stay, stay with us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Lir and his people stayed on the shore
+that night and until the morning glimmered.
+Then, with the dim dawn, silence stole over the
+lake.</p>
+
+<p>Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid
+farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva
+and see her tremble before him.</p>
+
+<p>Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he
+came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by
+the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg
+meet him. &ldquo;Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children
+come not hither?&rdquo; And Eva stood by the
+King.</p>
+
+<p>Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir: &ldquo;Alas!
+Eva, your foster-child, hath by her wicked magic
+changed them into four snow-white swans. On
+the blue waters of Lake Darvra dwell Finola,
+Aed, Fiacra, and Conn, and thence come I that
+I may avenge their doom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A silence as the silence of death fell upon the
+three, and all was still save that Eva trembled
+greatly. But ere long Bove Derg spake. Fierce
+and angry did he look, as, high above his foster-daughter,
+he held his magic wand. Awful was
+his voice as he pronounced her doom: &ldquo;Wretched
+woman, henceforth shalt thou no longer darken
+this fair earth, but as a demon of the air shalt
+thou dwell in misery till the end of time.&rdquo; And
+of a sudden from out her shoulders grew black,
+shadowy wings, and, with a piercing scream, she
+swirled upward, until the awe-stricken Dedannans
+saw nought save a black speck vanish
+among the lowering clouds. And as a demon of
+the air do Eva&#8217;s black wings swirl her through
+space to this day.</p>
+
+<p>But great and good was Bove Derg. He laid
+aside his magic wand and so spake: &ldquo;Let us, my
+people, leave the Great Lake, and let us pitch
+our tents on the shores of Lake Darvra. Exceeding
+dear unto us are the children of Lir, and
+I, Bove Derg, and Lir, their father, have vowed
+henceforth to make our home forever by the
+lone waters where they dwell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And when it was told throughout the Green
+Island of Erin of the fate of the children of Lir
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span>
+and of the vow that Bove Derg had vowed, from
+north, south, east, and west did the Dedannans
+flock to the lake, until a mighty host dwelt by
+its shores.</p>
+
+<p>And by day Finola and her brothers knew not
+loneliness, for in the sweet Gaelic speech they
+told of their joys and fears; and by night the
+mighty Dedannans knew no sorrowful memories,
+for by haunting songs were they lulled to sleep,
+and the music brought peace to their souls.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly did the years go by, and upon the
+shoulders of Bove Derg and Lir fell the long
+white hair. Fearful grew the four swans, for
+the time was not far off when they must wing
+their flight north to the wild sea of Moyle.</p>
+
+<p>And when at length the sad day dawned,
+Finola told her brothers how their three hundred
+happy years on Lake Darvra were at an end,
+and how they must now leave the peace of its
+lone waters for evermore.</p>
+
+<p>Then, slowly and sadly, did the four swans
+glide to the margin of the lake. Never had the
+snowy whiteness of their plumage so dazzled the
+beholders, never had music so sweet and sorrowful
+floated to Lake Darvra&#8217;s sunlit shores. As
+the swans reached the water&#8217;s edge, silent were
+the three brothers, and alone Finola chanted a
+farewell song.</p>
+
+<p>With bowed white heads did the Dedannan
+host listen to Finola&#8217;s chant, and when the music
+ceased and only sobs broke the stillness, the four
+swans spread their wings, and, soaring high,
+paused but for one short moment to gaze on the
+kneeling forms of Lir and Bove Derg. Then,
+stretching their graceful necks toward the north,
+they winged their flight to the waters of the
+stormy sea that separates the blue Alba from
+the Green Island of Erin.</p>
+
+<p>And when it was known throughout the Green
+Isle that the four white swans had flown, so
+great was the sorrow of the people that they
+made a law that no swan should be killed in Erin
+from that day forth.</p>
+
+<p>With hearts that burned with longing for their
+father and their friends, did Finola and her
+brothers reach the sea of Moyle. Cold were its
+wintry waters, black and fearful were the steep
+rocks overhanging Alba&#8217;s far-stretching coasts.
+From hunger, too, the swans suffered. Dark
+indeed was all, and darker yet as the children of
+Lir remembered the still waters of Lake Darvra
+and the fond Dedannan host on its peaceful
+shores. Here the sighing of the wind among the
+reeds no longer soothed their sorrow, but the
+roar of the breaking surf struck fresh terror in
+their souls. In misery and terror did their days
+pass, until one night the black, lowering clouds
+overhead told that a great tempest was nigh.
+Then did Finola call to her Aed, Fiacra, and
+Conn. &ldquo;Beloved brothers, a great fear is at my
+heart, for, in the fury of the coming gale, we
+may be driven the one from the other. Therefore,
+let us say where we may hope to meet when
+the storm is spent.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Aed answered: &ldquo;Wise art thou, dear, gentle
+sister. If we be driven apart, may it be to
+meet again on the rocky isle that has ofttimes
+been our haven, for well known is it to us all,
+and from far can it be seen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Darker grew the night, louder raged the wind,
+as the four swans dived and rose again on the
+giant billows. Yet fiercer blew the gale, until
+at midnight loud bursts of thunder mingled with
+the roaring wind, but, in the glare of the blue
+lightning&#8217;s flashes, the children of Lir beheld
+each the snowy form of the other. The mad
+fury of the hurricane yet increased, and the
+force of it lifted one swan from its wild home
+on the billows, and swept it through the blackness
+of the night. Another blue lightning-flash,
+and each swan saw its loneliness, and uttered a
+great cry of desolation. Tossed hither and
+thither by wind and wave, the white birds were
+well-nigh dead when dawn broke. And with the
+dawn fell calm.</p>
+
+<p>Swift as her tired wings would bear her,
+Finola sailed to the rocky isle, where she hoped
+to find her brothers. But alas! no sign was there
+of one of them. Then to the highest summit of
+the rocks she flew. North, south, east, and west
+did she look, yet nought saw she save a watery
+wilderness. Now did her heart fail her, and she
+sang the saddest song she had yet sung.</p>
+
+<p>As the last notes died Finola raised her eyes,
+and lo! Conn came slowly swimming toward her
+with drenched plumage and head that drooped.
+And as she looked, behold! Fiacra appeared, but
+it was as though his strength failed. Then did
+Finola swim toward her fainting brother and
+lend him her aid, and soon the twins were safe
+on the sunlit rock, nestling for warmth beneath
+their sister&#8217;s wings.</p>
+
+<p>Yet Finola&#8217;s heart still beat with alarm as she
+sheltered her younger brothers, for Aed came
+not, and she feared lest he were lost forever.
+But, at noon, sailing he came over the breast of
+the blue waters, with head erect and plumage
+sunlit. And under the feathers of her breast
+did Finola draw him, for Conn and Fiacra still
+cradled beneath her wings. &ldquo;Rest here, while
+ye may, dear brothers,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>And she sang to them a lullaby so surpassing
+sweet that the sea-birds hushed their cries and
+flocked to listen to the sad, slow music. And
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span>
+when Aed and Fiacra and Conn were lulled to
+sleep, Finola&#8217;s notes grew more and more faint
+and her head drooped, and soon she, too, slept
+peacefully in the warm sunlight.</p>
+
+<p>But few were the sunny days on the sea of
+Moyle, and many were the tempests that ruffled
+its waters. Still keener grew the winter frosts,
+and the misery of the four white swans was
+greater than ever before. Even their most sorrowful
+Gaelic songs told not half their woe.
+From the fury of the storm they still sought
+shelter on that rocky isle where Finola had despaired
+of seeing her dear ones more.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly passed the years of doom, until one
+midwinter a frost more keen than any known
+before froze the sea into a floor of solid black
+ice. By night the swans crouched together on
+the rocky isle for warmth, but each morning they
+were frozen to the ground and could free themselves
+only with sore pain, for they left clinging
+to the ice-bound rock the soft down of their
+breasts, the quills from their white wings, and
+the skin of their poor feet.</p>
+
+<p>And when the sun melted the ice-bound surface
+of the waters, and the swans swam once
+more in the sea of Moyle, the salt water entered
+their wounds, and they well-nigh died of pain.
+But in time the down on their breasts and the
+feathers on their wings grew, and they were
+healed of their wounds.</p>
+
+<p>The years dragged on, and by day Finola and
+her brothers would fly toward the shores of the
+Green Island of Erin, or to the rocky blue headlands
+of Alba, or they would swim far out into
+a dim gray wilderness of waters. But ever as
+night fell it was their doom to return to the sea
+of Moyle.</p>
+
+<p>One day, as they looked toward the Green
+Isle, they saw coming to the coast a troop of
+horsemen mounted on snow-white steeds, and
+their armor glittered in the sun.</p>
+
+<p>A cry of great joy went up from the children
+of Lir, for they had seen no human form since
+they spread their wings above Lake Darvra, and
+flew to the stormy sea of Moyle.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Speak,&rdquo; said Finola to her brothers, &ldquo;speak,
+and say if these be not our own Dedannan folk.&rdquo;
+And Aed and Fiacra and Conn strained their
+eyes, and Aed answered, &ldquo;It seemeth, dear sister,
+to me, that it is indeed our own people.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As the horsemen drew nearer and saw the
+four swans, each man shouted in the Gaelic
+tongue, &ldquo;Behold the children of Lir!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And when Finola and her brothers heard once
+more the sweet Gaelic speech, and saw the faces
+of their own people, their happiness was greater
+than can be told. For long they were silent, but
+at length Finola spake.</p>
+
+<p>Of their life on the sea of Moyle she told, of
+the dreary rains and blustering winds, of the
+giant waves and the roaring thunder, of the black
+frost, and of their own poor battered and
+wounded bodies. Of their loneliness of soul, of
+that she could not speak. &ldquo;But tell us,&rdquo; she went
+on, &ldquo;tell us of our father, Lir. Lives he still,
+and Bove Derg, and our dear Dedannan
+friends?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Scarce could the Dedannans speak for the sorrow
+they had for Finola and her brothers, but
+they told how Lir and Bove Derg were alive and
+well, and were even now celebrating the Feast
+of Age at the house of Lir. &ldquo;But for their longing
+for you, your father and friends would be
+happy indeed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Glad then and of great comfort were the
+hearts of Finola and her brothers. But they
+could not hear more, for they must hasten to fly
+from the pleasant shores of Erin to the sea-stream
+of Moyle, which was their doom. And
+as they flew, Finola sang, and faint floated her
+voice over the kneeling host.</p>
+
+<p>As the sad song grew fainter and more faint,
+the Dedannans wept aloud. Then, as the snow-white
+birds faded from sight, the sorrowful company
+turned the heads of their white steeds from
+the shore, and rode southward to the home of
+Lir.</p>
+
+<p>And when it was told there of the sufferings
+of Finola and her brothers, great was the sorrow
+of the Dedannans. Yet was Lir glad that
+his children were alive, and he thought of the
+day when the magic spell would be broken, and
+those so dear to him would be freed from their
+bitter woe.</p>
+
+<p>Once more were ended three hundred years
+of doom, and glad were the four white swans to
+leave the cruel sea of Moyle. Yet might they
+fly only to the wild Western Sea, and tempest-tossed
+as before, here they in no way escaped
+the pitiless fury of wind and wave. Worse than
+aught they had before endured was a frost that
+drove the brothers to despair. Well-nigh frozen
+to a rock, they one night cried aloud to Finola
+that they longed for death. And she, too, would
+fain have died.</p>
+
+<p>But that same night did a dream come to the
+swan-maiden, and, when she awoke, she cried
+to her brothers to take heart. &ldquo;Believe, dear
+brothers, in the great God who hath created the
+earth with its fruits and the sea with its terrible
+wonders. Trust in him, and he will yet save
+you.&rdquo; And her brothers answered, &ldquo;We will
+trust.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Finola also put her trust in God, and they
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span>
+all fell into a deep slumber.</p>
+
+<p>When the children of Lir awoke, behold! the
+sun shone, and thereafter, until the three hundred
+years on the Western Sea were ended,
+neither wind nor wave nor rain nor frost did
+hurt the four swans.</p>
+
+<p>On a grassy isle they lived and sang their wondrous
+songs by day, and by night they nestled
+together on their soft couch, and awoke in the
+morning to sunshine and to peace. And there
+on the grassy island was their home, until the
+three hundred years were at an end. Then
+Finola called to her brothers, and tremblingly
+she told, and tremblingly they heard, that they
+might now fly eastward to seek their own old
+home.</p>
+
+<p>Lightly did they rise on outstretched wings,
+and swiftly did they fly until they reached land.
+There they alighted and gazed each at the other,
+but too great for speech was their joy. Then
+again did they spread their wings and fly above
+the green grass on and on, until they reached the
+hills and trees that surrounded their old home.
+But, alas! only the ruins of Lir&#8217;s dwelling were
+left. Around was a wilderness overgrown with
+rank grass, nettles, and weeds.</p>
+
+<p>Too downhearted to stir, the swans slept that
+night within the ruined walls of their old home,
+but, when day broke, each could no longer bear
+the loneliness, and again they flew westward.
+And it was not until they came to Inis Glora
+that they alighted. On a small lake in the heart
+of the island they made their home, and, by their
+enchanting music, they drew to its shores all the
+birds of the west, until the lake came to be called
+&ldquo;The Lake of the Bird-flocks.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Slowly passed the years, but a great longing
+filled the hearts of the children of Lir. When
+would the good saint come to Erin? When
+would the chime of the Christ-bell peal over land
+and sea?</p>
+
+<p>One rosy dawn the swans awoke among the
+rushes of the Lake of the Bird-flocks, and
+strange and faint was the sound that floated to
+them from afar. Trembling, they nestled close
+the one to the other, until the brothers stretched
+their wings and fluttered hither and thither in
+great fear. Yet trembling they flew back to their
+sister, who had remained silent among the sedges.
+Crouching by her side they asked, &ldquo;What, dear
+sister, can be the strange, faint sound that steals
+across our island?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With quiet, deep joy Finola answered: &ldquo;Dear
+brothers, it is the chime of the Christ-bell that
+ye hear, the Christ-bell of which we have
+dreamed through thrice three hundred years.
+Soon the spell will be broken, soon our sufferings
+will end.&rdquo; Then did Finola glide from the
+shelter of the sedges across the rose-lit lake, and
+there by the shore of the Western Sea she
+chanted a song of hope.</p>
+
+<p>Calm crept into the hearts of the brothers as
+Finola sang, and, as she ended, once more the
+chime stole across the isle. No longer did it
+strike terror into the hearts of the children of
+Lir, rather as a note of peace did it sink into
+their souls.</p>
+
+<p>Then, when the last chime died, Finola said,
+&ldquo;Let us sing to the great King of Heaven and
+Earth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Far stole the sweet strains of the white swans,
+far across Inis Glora, until they reached the
+good Saint Kemoc, for whose early prayers the
+Christ-bell had chimed.</p>
+
+<p>And he, filled with wonder at the surpassing
+sweetness of the music, stood mute, but when it
+was revealed unto him that the voices he heard
+were the voices of Finola and Aed and Fiacra
+and Conn, who thanked the High God for the
+chime of the Christ-bell, he knelt and also gave
+thanks, for it was to seek the children of Lir
+that the saint had come to Inis Glora.</p>
+
+<p>In the glory of noon, Kemoc reached the shore
+of the little lake, and saw four white swans gliding
+on its waters. And no need had the saint to
+ask whether these indeed were the children of
+Lir. Rather did he give thanks to the High God
+who had brought him hither.</p>
+
+<p>Then gravely the good Kemoc said to the
+swans: &ldquo;Come ye now to land, and put your
+trust in me, for it is in this place that ye shall
+be freed from your enchantment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>These words the four white swans heard with
+great joy, and coming to the shore they placed
+themselves under the care of the saint. And he
+led them to his cell, and there they dwelt with
+him. And Kemoc sent to Erin for a skilful
+workman, and ordered that two slender chains
+of shining silver be made. Betwixt Finola and
+Aed did he clasp one silver chain, and with the
+other did he bind Fiacra and Conn.</p>
+
+<p>Then did the children of Lir dwell with the
+holy Kemoc, and he taught them the wonderful
+story of Christ that he and Saint Patrick had
+brought to the Green Isle. And the story so
+gladdened their hearts that the misery of their
+past sufferings was well-nigh forgotten, and they
+lived in great happiness with the saint. Dear to
+him were they, dear as though they had been his
+own children.</p>
+
+<p>Thrice three hundred years had gone since
+Eva had chanted the fate of the children of Lir.
+&ldquo;Until Decca be the Queen of Largnen, until
+the good saint come to Erin, and ye hear the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span>
+chime of the Christ-bell, shall ye not be delivered
+from your doom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The good saint had indeed come, and the sweet
+chimes of the Christ-bell had been heard, and
+the fair Decca was now the Queen of King
+Largnen.</p>
+
+<p>Soon were tidings brought to Decca of the
+swan-maiden and her three swan-brothers.
+Strange tales did she hear of their haunting
+songs. It was told her, too, of their cruel miseries.
+Then begged she her husband, the King,
+that he would go to Kemoc and bring to her
+these human birds.</p>
+
+<p>But Largnen did not wish to ask Kemoc to
+part with the swans, and therefore he did not
+go.</p>
+
+<p>Then was Decca angry, and swore she would
+live no longer with Largnen, until he brought
+the singing swans to the palace. And that same
+night she set out for her father&#8217;s kingdom in the
+south.</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless Largnen loved Decca, and great
+was his grief when he heard that she had fled.
+And he commanded messengers to go after her,
+saying he would send for the white swans if she
+would but come back. Therefore Decca returned
+to the palace, and Largnen sent to Kemoc to beg
+of him the four white swans. But the messenger
+returned without the birds.</p>
+
+<p>Then was Largnen wroth, and set out himself
+for the cell of Kemoc. But he found the saint
+in the little church, and before the altar were
+the four white swans.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is it truly told me that you refused these
+birds to Queen Decca?&rdquo; asked the King.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is truly told,&rdquo; replied Kemoc.</p>
+
+<p>Then Largnen was more wroth than before,
+and seizing the silver chain of Finola and Aed
+in the one hand, and the chain of Fiacra and
+Conn in the other, he dragged the birds from
+the altar and down the aisle, and it seemed as
+though he would leave the church. And in great
+fear did the saint follow.</p>
+
+<p>But lo! as they reached the door, the snow-white
+feathers of the four swans fell to the
+ground, and the children of Lir were delivered
+from their doom. For was not Decca the bride
+of Largnen, and the good saint had he not come,
+and the chime of the Christ-bell was it not heard
+in the land?</p>
+
+<p>But aged and feeble were the children of Lir.
+Wrinkled were their once fair faces, and bent
+their little white bodies.</p>
+
+<p>At the sight Largnen, affrighted, fled from
+the church, and the good Kemoc cried aloud,
+&ldquo;Woe to thee, O King!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then did the children of Lir turn toward the
+saint, and thus Finola spake: &ldquo;Baptize us now,
+we pray thee, for death is nigh. Heavy with
+sorrow are our hearts that we must part from
+thee, thou holy one, and that in loneliness must
+thy days on earth be spent. But such is the will
+of the high God. Here let our graves be digged,
+and here bury our four bodies, Conn standing at
+my right side, Fiacra at my left, and Aed before
+my face, for thus did I shelter my dear brothers
+for thrice three hundred years &#8217;neath wing and
+breast.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then did the good Kemoc baptize the children
+of Lir, and thereafter the saint looked up, and
+lo! he saw a vision of four lovely children with
+silvery wings, and faces radiant as the sun; and
+as he gazed they floated ever upward, until they
+were lost in a mist of blue. Then was the good
+Kemoc glad, for he knew that they had gone to
+heaven.</p>
+
+<p>But, when he looked downward, four worn
+bodies lay at the church door, and Kemoc wept
+sore.</p>
+
+<p>And the saint ordered a wide grave to
+be digged close by the little church, and there
+were the children of Lir buried, Conn
+standing at Finola&#8217;s right hand, and Fiacra
+at her left, and before her face her twin brother
+Aed.</p>
+
+<p>And the grass grew green above them, and a
+white tombstone bore their names, and across
+the grave floated morning and evening the chime
+of the sweet Christ-bell.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="ANDY" id="ANDY"></a>THE MISHAPS OF HANDY ANDY</h2>
+
+
+<p>Andy Rooney was a fellow who had the most
+singularly ingenious knack of doing everything
+the wrong way. He grew up in his humble Irish
+home full of mischief to the eyes of every one
+save his admiring mother. But, to do him justice,
+he never meant harm in the course of his
+life, and he was most anxious to offer his services
+on every occasion to all who would accept
+them. Here is the account of how Andy first
+went into service:</p>
+
+<p>When Andy grew up to be what in country
+parlance is called &ldquo;a brave lump of a boy,&rdquo; and
+his mother thought he was old enough to do
+something for himself, she took him one day
+along with her to the squire&#8217;s, and waited outside
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span>
+the door, loitering up and down the yard
+behind the house, among a crowd of beggars and
+great lazy dogs that were thrusting their heads
+into every iron pot that stood outside the kitchen
+door, until chance might give her &ldquo;a sight of the
+squire afore he wint out, or afore he wint in&rdquo;;
+and, after spending her entire day in this idle
+way, at last the squire made his appearance, and
+Judy presented her son, who kept scraping his
+foot, and pulling his forelock, that stuck out like
+a piece of ragged thatch from his forehead, making
+his obeisance to the squire, while his mother
+was sounding his praises for being the &ldquo;handiest
+craythur alive, and so willin&#8217;&mdash;nothin&#8217; comes
+wrong to him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose the English of all this is, you want
+me to take him?&rdquo; said the squire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Throth, an&#8217; your honor, that&#8217;s just it&mdash;if your
+honor would be plazed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What can he do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Anything, your honor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That means <em>nothing</em>, I suppose,&rdquo; said the
+squire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no, sir! Everything, I mane, that you
+would desire him to do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>To every one of these assurances on his
+mother&#8217;s part Andy made a bow and a scrape.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can he take care of horses?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The best of care, sir,&rdquo; said the mother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let him come, then, and help in the stables,
+and we&#8217;ll see what we can do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next day found Andy duly installed in the
+office of stable-helper; and, as he was a good
+rider, he was soon made whipper-in to the
+hounds, and became a favorite with the squire,
+who was one of those rollicking &ldquo;boys&rdquo; of the
+old school, who let any one that chance threw
+in his way bring him his boots, or his hot water
+for shaving, or brush his coat, whenever it was
+brushed. The squire, you see, scorned the attentions
+of a regular valet. But Andy knew a
+great deal more about horses than about the
+duties of a valet. One morning he came to his
+master&#8217;s room with hot water and tapped at the
+door.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who&#8217;s that?&rdquo; said the squire, who had just
+risen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s me, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Andy! Come in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here&#8217;s the hot water, sir,&rdquo; said Andy, bearing
+an enormous tin can.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, what brings that enormous tin can
+here? You might as well bring the stable-bucket.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I beg your pardon, sir,&rdquo; said Andy, retreating.
+In two minutes more Andy came back,
+and, tapping at the door, put in his head
+cautiously.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>HOW ANDY BROUGHT HIS MASTER&#8217;S<br />
+HOT WATER IN THE MORNING</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The maids in the kitchen, your honor, say
+there&#8217;s not so much hot water ready.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did I not see it a moment since in your
+hand?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir; but that&#8217;s not nigh the full o&#8217; the
+stable-bucket.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go along, you stupid thief, and get me some
+hot water directly.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will the can do, sir?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ay, anything, so you make haste.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Off posted Andy, and back he came with the
+can.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where&#8217;ll I put it, sir?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Throw this out,&rdquo; said the squire, handing
+Andy a jug containing some cold water, meaning
+the jug to be replenished with the hot.</p>
+
+<p>Andy took the jug, and the window of the
+room being open, he very deliberately threw the
+jug out. The squire stared with wonder, and at
+last said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What did you do that for?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sure, you <em>towld</em> me to throw it out, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go out of this, you thick-headed villain,&rdquo; said
+the squire, throwing his boots at Andy&#8217;s head;
+whereupon Andy retreated, and, like all stupid
+people, thought himself a very ill-used person.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>WHAT HAPPENED WHEN ANDY OPENED<br />
+A BOTTLE OF SODA AT THE DINNER</strong></p>
+
+<p>Andy was soon the laughing-stock of the household.
+When, for example, he first saw silver
+forks he declared that &ldquo;he had never seen a silver
+spoon split that way before.&rdquo; When told to
+&ldquo;cut the cord&rdquo; of a soda-water bottle on one occasion
+when the squire was entertaining a number
+of guests at dinner, he &ldquo;did as he was desired.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He happened at that time to hold the bottle
+on the level with the candles that shed light over
+the festive board from a large silver branch, and
+the moment he made the incision, bang went the
+bottle of soda, knocking out two of the lights
+with the projected cork, which struck the squire
+himself in the eye at the foot of the table; while
+the hostess, at the head, had a cold bath down
+her back. Andy, when he saw the soda-water
+jumping out of the bottle, held it from him at
+arm&#8217;s length, at every fizz it made, exclaiming:
+&ldquo;Ow! Ow! Ow!&rdquo; and at last, when the bottle
+was empty, he roared out: &ldquo;Oh, oh, it&#8217;s all
+gone!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Great was the commotion. Few could resist
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span>
+laughter, except the ladies, who all looked at
+their gowns, not liking the mixture of satin and
+soda-water. The extinguished candles were relighted,
+the squire got his eyes open again, and
+the next time he perceived the butler sufficiently
+near to speak to him, he said, in a low and hurried
+tone of deep anger, while he knit his brow:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Send that fellow out of the room.&rdquo; Suspended
+from indoor service, Andy was not long
+before he distinguished himself out of doors in
+such a way as to involve his master in a coil of
+trouble, and, incidentally, to retard the good fortune
+that came to himself in the end.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>THE SQUIRE SENDS ANDY TO THE<br />
+POST-OFFICE FOR A LETTER</strong></p>
+
+<p>The squire said to him one day:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ride into the town and see if there&#8217;s a letter
+for me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; said Andy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know where to go?&rdquo; inquired his
+master.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To the town, sir,&rdquo; was the reply.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But do you know where to go in the town?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And why don&#8217;t you ask, you stupid thief?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sure, I&#8217;d find out, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Didn&#8217;t I often tell you to ask what you&#8217;re
+to do when you don&#8217;t know?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And why don&#8217;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t like to be troublesome, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Confound you!&rdquo; said the squire, though he
+could not help laughing at Andy&#8217;s excuse for remaining
+in ignorance. &ldquo;Well, go to the post-office.
+You know the post-office, I suppose?&rdquo;
+continued his master in sarcastic tones.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir; where they sell gunpowder.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;re right for once,&rdquo; said the squire&mdash;for
+his Majesty&#8217;s postmaster was the person who had
+the privilege of dealing in the aforesaid combustible.
+&ldquo;Go, then, to the post-office, and ask
+for a letter for me. Remember, not gunpowder,
+but a letter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; said Andy, who got astride of his
+hack, and trotted away to the post-office.</p>
+
+<p>On arriving at the shop of the postmaster (for
+that person carried on a brisk trade in groceries,
+gimlets, broadcloth, and linen-drapery), Andy
+presented himself at the counter, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I want a letther, sir, if you plaze.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who do you want it for?&rdquo; said the postmaster,
+in a tone which Andy considered an aggression
+upon the sacredness of private life. So
+Andy, in his ignorance and pride, thought the
+coolest contempt he could throw upon the prying
+impertinence of the postmaster was to repeat his
+question.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>ANDY HAS A VERY FOOLISH QUARREL<br />
+WITH THE POSTMASTER</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I want a letther, sir, if you plaze.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And who do you want it for?&rdquo; repeated the
+postmaster.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s that to you?&rdquo; said Andy.</p>
+
+<p>The postmaster, laughing at his simplicity, told
+him he could not tell what letter to give him unless
+he told him the direction.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The directions I got was to get a letther here&mdash;that&#8217;s
+the directions.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who gave you those directions?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The master.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And who&#8217;s your master?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What consarn is that of yours?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, you stupid rascal, if you don&#8217;t tell me
+his name, how can I give you a letter?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You could give it if you liked; but you&#8217;re
+fond of axin&#8217; impident questions, bekase you
+think I&#8217;m simple.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go along out o&#8217; this! Your master must be
+as great a goose as yourself, to send such a
+messenger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Bad luck to your impidence!&rdquo; said Andy. &ldquo;Is
+it Squire Egan you dare to say goose to?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Squire Egan&#8217;s your master, then?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. Have you anything to say agin it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Only that I never saw you before.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Faith, then, you&#8217;ll never see me agin if I
+have my own consint.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I won&#8217;t give you any letter for the squire unless
+I know you&#8217;re his servant. Is there any
+one in the town knows you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Plenty,&rdquo; said Andy. &ldquo;It&#8217;s not every one is
+as ignorant as you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>WHY ANDY WOULD NOT PAY<br />
+ELEVEN PENCE FOR A LETTER</strong></p>
+
+<p>Just at this moment a person to whom Andy was
+known entered the house, who vouched to the
+postmaster that he might give Andy the squire&#8217;s
+letter. &ldquo;Have you one for me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; said the postmaster, producing one.
+&ldquo;Fourpence.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The gentleman paid the fourpence postage
+(the story, it must be remembered, belongs to
+the earlier half of the last century, before the
+days of the penny post), and left the shop with
+his letter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here&#8217;s a letter for the squire,&rdquo; said the postmaster.
+&ldquo;You&#8217;ve to pay me elevenpence postage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What &#8217;ud I pay elevenpence for?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;For postage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Get out wid you! Didn&#8217;t I see you give Mr.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span>
+Durfy a letther for fourpence this minit, and
+a bigger letther than this? And now you want
+me to pay elevenpence for this scrap of a thing?
+Do you think I&#8217;m a fool?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No; but I&#8217;m sure of it,&rdquo; said the postmaster.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you&#8217;re welkum, to be sure; but don&#8217;t
+be delayin&#8217; me now. Here&#8217;s fourpence for you,
+and gi&#8217; me the letther.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go along, you stupid thief!&rdquo; (the word
+&ldquo;thief&rdquo; was often used in Ireland in the humorous
+way we sometimes use the word &ldquo;rascal&rdquo;)
+said the postmaster, taking up the letter, and
+going to serve a customer with a mouse-trap.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>WHY ANDY WENT BACK TO THE<br />
+SQUIRE WITHOUT HIS LETTER</strong></p>
+
+<p>While this person and many others were served,
+Andy lounged up and down the shop, every now
+and then putting in his head in the middle of the
+customers and saying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you gi&#8217; me the letther?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He waited for above half an hour, and at last
+left, when he found it impossible to get common
+justice for his master, which he thought he deserved
+as well as another man; for, under this
+impression, Andy determined to give no more
+than the fourpence. The squire, in the meantime,
+was getting impatient for his return, and
+when Andy made his appearance, asked if there
+was a letter for him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is, sir,&rdquo; said Andy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then give it to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I haven&#8217;t it, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He wouldn&#8217;t give it to me, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who wouldn&#8217;t give it to you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>ANDY IS SENT BACK TO THE POST-OFFICE<br />
+BY HIS ANGRY MASTER</strong></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That owld chate beyant in the town&mdash;wanting
+to charge double for it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe it&#8217;s a double letter. Why didn&#8217;t you
+pay what he asked, sir?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Arrah, sir, why would I let you be chated?
+It&#8217;s not a double letther at all; not above half
+the size o&#8217; one Mr. Durfy got before my face for
+fourpence.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ll provoke me to break your neck some
+day, you vagabond! Ride back for your life,
+and pay whatever he asks, and get me the letter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, sir, I tell you he was sellin&#8217; them before
+my face for fourpence apiece.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go back, you scoundrel, or I&#8217;ll horsewhip
+you; and if you&#8217;re longer than an hour, I&#8217;ll
+have you ducked in the horsepond!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Andy vanished, and made a second visit to
+the post-office. When he arrived two other persons
+were getting letters, and the postmaster was
+selecting the epistles for each from a large parcel
+that lay before him on the counter. At the
+same time many shop customers were waiting to
+be served.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve come for that letther,&rdquo; said Andy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll attend to you by and by.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The masther&#8217;s in a hurry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let him wait till his hurry&#8217;s over.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He&#8217;ll murther me if I&#8217;m not back soon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m glad to hear it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>CALLED A &ldquo;THIEF&rdquo; IN JEST, ANDY DOES<br />
+A LITTLE THIEVING IN EARNEST</strong></p>
+
+<p>While the postmaster went on with such provoking
+answers to these appeals for despatch,
+Andy&#8217;s eye caught the heap of letters which lay
+on the counter. So, while certain weighing of
+soap and tobacco was going forward, he contrived
+to become possessed of two letters from
+the heap, and, having effected that, waited patiently
+enough until it was the great man&#8217;s pleasure
+to give him the missive directed to his master.</p>
+
+<p>Then did Andy bestride his hack, and, in triumph
+at his trick on the postmaster, rattled along
+the road homeward as fast as the beast could
+carry him. He came into the squire&#8217;s presence;
+his face beaming with delight, and an air of self-satisfied
+superiority in his manner, quite unaccountable
+to his master, until he pulled forth his
+hand, which had been grubbing up his prizes
+from the bottom of his pocket, and, holding three
+letters over his head while he said: &ldquo;Look at
+that!&rdquo; he next slapped them down under his
+broad fist on the table before the squire, saying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, if he did make me pay elevenpence, I
+brought your honor the worth o&#8217; your money,
+anyhow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, the letter addressed to the squire was
+from his law-agent, and concerned an approaching
+election in the county. His old friend, Mr.
+Gustavus O&#8217;Grady, the master of Neck-or-Nothing
+Hall, was, it appeared, working in the interest
+of the honorable Sackville Scatterbrain,
+and against Squire Egan.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>THE TROUBLE THAT CAME OF ANDY&#8217;S<br />
+FAMOUS VISITS TO THE POST-OFFICE</strong></p>
+
+<p>This unexpected information threw him into a
+great rage, in the midst of which his eye caught
+sight of one of the letters Andy had taken from
+the post-office. This was addressed to Mr.
+O&#8217;Grady, and as it bore the Dublin postmark,
+Mr. Egan yielded to the temptation of making
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span>
+the letter gape at its extremities&mdash;this was before
+the days of the envelope&mdash;and so read its contents,
+which were highly uncomplimentary to the
+reader. As Mr. O&#8217;Grady was much in debt
+financially to Mr. Egan, the latter decided to put
+all the pressure of the law upon his one-time
+friend, and, to save trouble with the authorities,
+destroyed both of the stolen letters and pledged
+Andy to secrecy.</p>
+
+<p>Neck-or-Nothing Hall was carefully guarded
+from intruders, and Mr. Egan&#8217;s agent, Mr. Murphy,
+greatly doubted if it would be possible to
+serve its master with a writ. Our friend Andy,
+however, unconsciously solved the difficulty.</p>
+
+<p>Being sent over to the law-agent&#8217;s for the writ,
+and at the same time bidden to call at the apothecary&#8217;s
+for a prescription, he managed to mix
+up the two documents, leaving the writ, without
+its accompanying letter, at the apothecary&#8217;s,
+whence it was duly forwarded to Neck-or-Nothing
+Hall with certain medicines for Mr. O&#8217;Grady,
+who was then lying ill in bed. The law-agent&#8217;s
+letter, in its turn, was brought to Squire Egan
+by Andy, together with a blister which was
+meant for Mr. O&#8217;Grady. Imagine the recipient&#8217;s
+anger when he read the following missive and,
+on opening the package it was with, found a real
+and not a figurative blister:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<span class="smcap">My dear Squire</span>: I send you the blister for
+O&#8217;Grady as you insist on it; but I think you won&#8217;t
+find it easy to serve him with it.<br />
+      <span style="margin-left: 5em;">&ldquo;Your obedient and obliged,</span><br />
+                  <span style="margin-left: 10em;">&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Murtough Murphy</span>.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>The result in his case was a hurried ride to
+the law-agent&#8217;s and the administration to that
+devoted personage of a severe hiding. This was
+followed by a duel, in which, happily, neither
+combatant was hurt. Then, after the firing,
+satisfactory explanations were made. On Mr.
+O&#8217;Grady&#8217;s part, there was an almost simultaneous
+descent upon the unsuspecting apothecary,
+and the administration to the man of drugs and
+blisters of a terrible drubbing. Next a duel was
+arranged between the two old friends. Andy
+again distinguished himself.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>HOW ANDY WAS FINALLY DISCHARGED<br />
+FROM THE SERVICE OF SQUIRE EGAN</strong></p>
+
+<p>When his employer&#8217;s second was not looking,
+Andy thought he would do Squire Egan a good
+turn by inserting bullets in his pistols before they
+were loaded. The intention of Andy was to
+give Mr. Egan the advantage of double bullets,
+but the result was that, when the weapons were
+loaded, Andy&#8217;s bullets lay between the powder
+and the touch-hole. Mr. O&#8217;Grady missed his
+aim twice, and Mr. Egan missed his fire. The
+cause being discovered, Andy was unmercifully
+chased and punished by the second, and ignominiously
+dismissed from Mr. Egan&#8217;s service.</p>
+
+<p>By an accident, Andy shortly afterward was
+the means of driving a Mr. Furlong to Squire
+Egan&#8217;s place instead of to Squire O&#8217;Grady&#8217;s.
+Mr. Furlong was an agent from Dublin Castle,
+whose commission it was to aid the cause of the
+Honorable Mr. Scatterbrain. Of course, Andy,
+when he was told, on taking the place of the
+driver of the vehicle in which Mr. Furlong was
+traveling, to drive this important personage to
+&ldquo;the squire&#8217;s,&rdquo; at once jumped to the conclusion
+that by &ldquo;the squire&#8217;s&rdquo; was meant Mr. Egan&#8217;s.
+Here, before the mistake was found out by the
+victim, Mr. Furlong was unburdened of much
+important information. While this process was
+going on at Mr. Egan&#8217;s, a hue and cry was on
+foot at Mr. O&#8217;Grady&#8217;s, for the lost Mr. Furlong,
+and poor, blundering Andy was arrested and
+charged with murdering him.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>ANOTHER OF ANDY&#8217;S BLUNDERS HAS<br />
+A HAPPY RESULT FOR HIS OLD MASTER</strong></p>
+
+<p>He was soon set free and taken into Mr.
+O&#8217;Grady&#8217;s service when Mr. Furlong had made
+his appearance before the owner of Neck-or-Nothing
+Hall. But a clever rascal named Larry
+Hogan divined by accident and the help of his
+native wit the secret of the stolen letters, and
+Andy was forced by terror to flee from Neck-or-Nothing
+Hall.</p>
+
+<p>His subsequent adventures took him through
+the heat of the election, at which his ingenuity
+was displayed in unwittingly stopping up the
+mouth of the trumpet on which the Honorable
+Mr. Scatterbrain&#8217;s supporters relied to drown
+Mr. Egan&#8217;s speeches and those of his men. He
+thus did a good turn to his old master without
+knowing it, having merely imitated the action
+of the trumpeter, who had pretended to cork up
+the instrument before momentarily laying it
+aside.</p>
+
+<p>When his fortunes seemed to be at their lowest
+ebb, Andy was discovered to be the rightful heir
+to the Scatterbrain title and estates, his claims to
+which were set forth in the second of the two
+letters stolen from the post-office, which had been
+destroyed by the squire without his reading it.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<strong>ANDY TURNS OUT TO BE OF GENTLE<br />
+BIRTH AND COMES INTO HIS OWN</strong></p>
+
+<p>Soon afterward, through his old master&#8217;s influence,
+Andy was taken to London, and by dint of
+much effort remedied many of the defects of his
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span>
+early education. Then, marrying his cousin,
+Onoah, who had shared his mother&#8217;s cabin in the
+old days, and to save whom from a desperado
+Andy had, this time knowingly, braved great
+personal danger, our hero settled down to the
+enjoyment of a life such as he had never
+dreamed of in his humble days.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GREEDY" id="GREEDY"></a>THE GREEDY SHEPHERD</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived in the South Country
+two brothers, whose business it was to keep
+sheep. No one lived on that plain but shepherds,
+who watched their sheep so carefully that no
+lamb was ever lost.</p>
+
+<p>There was none among them more careful
+than these two brothers, one of whom was called
+Clutch, and the other Kind. Though brothers,
+no two men could be more unlike in disposition.
+Clutch thought of nothing but how to make some
+profit for himself, while Kind would have shared
+his last morsel with a hungry dog. This covetous
+mind made Clutch keep all his father&#8217;s sheep
+when the old man was dead, because he was the
+eldest brother, allowing Kind nothing but the
+place of a servant to help him in looking after
+them.</p>
+
+<p>For some time the brothers lived peaceably in
+their father&#8217;s cottage, and kept their flock on the
+grassy plain, till new troubles arose through
+Clutch&#8217;s covetousness.</p>
+
+<p>One midsummer it so happened that the traders
+praised the wool of Clutch&#8217;s flock more than
+all they found on the plain, and gave him the
+highest price for it. That was an unlucky thing
+for the sheep, for after that Clutch thought he
+could never get enough wool off them. At shearing
+time nobody clipped so close as Clutch, and,
+in spite of all Kind could do or say, he left the
+poor sheep as bare as if they had been shaven.
+Kind didn&#8217;t like these doings, but Clutch always
+tried to persuade him that close clipping was
+good for the sheep, and Kind always tried to
+make him think he had got all the wool. Still
+Clutch sold the wool, and stored up his profits,
+and one midsummer after another passed. The
+shepherds began to think him a rich man, and
+close clipping might have become the fashion but
+for a strange thing which happened to his flock.</p>
+
+<p>The wool had grown well that summer. He
+had taken two crops off the sheep, and was thinking
+of a third, when first the lambs, and then
+the ewes, began to stray away; and, search as
+the brothers would, none of them was ever found
+again. The flocks grew smaller every day, and
+all the brothers could find out was that the closest
+clipped were the first to go.</p>
+
+<p>Kind grew tired of watching, and Clutch lost
+his sleep with vexation. The other shepherds,
+to whom he had boasted of his wool and his
+profits, were not sorry to see pride having a
+fall. Still the flock melted away as the months
+wore on, and when the spring came back nothing
+remained with Clutch and Kind but three old
+ewes. The two brothers were watching these
+ewes one evening when Clutch said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Brother, there is wool to be had on their
+backs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is too little to keep them warm,&rdquo; said Kind.
+&ldquo;The east wind still blows sometimes.&rdquo; But
+Clutch was off to the cottage for the bag and
+shears.</p>
+
+<p>Kind was grieved to see his brother so covetous,
+and to divert his mind he looked up at the
+great hills. As he looked, three creatures like
+sheep scoured up a cleft in one of the hills, as
+fleet as any deer; and when Kind turned he saw
+his brother coming with the bag and shears, but
+not a single ewe was to be seen. Clutch&#8217;s first
+question was, what had become of them; and
+when Kind told him what he saw, the eldest
+brother scolded him for not watching better.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now we have not a single sheep,&rdquo; said he,
+&ldquo;and the other shepherds will hardly give us
+room among them at shearing time or harvest.
+If you like to come with me, we shall get service
+somewhere. I have heard my father say that
+there were great shepherds living in old times
+beyond the hills; let us go and see if they will
+take us for sheep-boys.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, next morning Clutch took his bag
+and shears, Kind took his crook and pipe, and
+away they went over the plain and up the hills.
+All who saw them thought that they had lost
+their senses, for no shepherd had gone there for
+a hundred years, and nothing was to be seen but
+wide moorlands, full of rugged rocks, and sloping
+up, it seemed, to the very sky.</p>
+
+<p>By noon they came to the stony cleft up which
+the three old ewes had scoured like deer; but
+both were tired, and sat down to rest. As they
+sat there, there came a sound of music down the
+hills as if a thousand shepherds had been playing
+on their pipes. Clutch and Kind had never
+heard such music before, and, getting up, they
+followed the sound up the cleft, and over a wide
+heath, till at sunset they came to the hill-top,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span>
+where they saw a flock of thousands of snow-white
+sheep feeding, while an old man sat in the
+midst of them playing merrily on his pipe.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good father,&rdquo; said Kind, for his eldest
+brother hung back and was afraid, &ldquo;tell us what
+land is this, and where we can find service; for
+my brother and I are shepherds, and can keep
+flocks from straying, though we have lost our
+own.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;These are the hill pastures,&rdquo; said the old man,
+&ldquo;and I am the ancient shepherd. My flocks never
+stray, but I have employment for you. Which of
+you can shear best?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good father,&rdquo; said Clutch, taking courage, &ldquo;I
+am the closest shearer in all the plain country;
+you would not find enough wool to make a thread
+on a sheep when I have done with it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are the man for my business,&rdquo; said the
+old shepherd. &ldquo;When the moon rises, I will call
+the flock you have to shear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The sun went down and the moon rose, and all
+the snow-white sheep laid themselves down behind
+him. Then up the hills came a troop of
+shaggy wolves, with hair so long that their eyes
+could scarcely be seen. Clutch would have fled
+for fear, but the wolves stopped, and the old
+man said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Rise and shear&mdash;this flock of mine have too
+much wool on them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Clutch had never shorn wolves before, yet he
+went forward bravely; but the first of the wolves
+showed its teeth, and all the rest raised such a
+howl that Clutch was glad to throw down his
+shears and run behind the old man for safety.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good father,&rdquo; cried he, &ldquo;I will shear sheep,
+but not wolves!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They must be shorn,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;or
+you go back to the plains, and them after you;
+but whichever of you can shear them will get
+the whole flock.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On hearing this, Kind caught up the shears
+Clutch had thrown away in his fright, and went
+boldly up to the nearest wolf. To his great surprise,
+the wild creature seemed to know him, and
+stood quietly to be shorn. Kind clipped neatly,
+but not too closely, and when he had done with
+one, another came forward, till the whole flock
+were shorn. Then the man said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have done well; take the wool and the
+flock for your wages, return with them to the
+plain, and take this brother of yours for a boy
+to keep them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kind did not much like keeping wolves, but before
+he could answer they had all changed into
+the very sheep which had strayed away, and the
+hair he had cut off was now a heap of fine and
+soft wool.</p>
+
+<p>Clutch gathered it up in his bag, and went back
+to the plain with his brother. They keep the
+sheep together till this day, but Clutch has grown
+less greedy, and Kind alone uses the shears.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CUCKOO" id="CUCKOO"></a>THE COBBLERS AND THE CUCKOO</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a
+bleak moor, in the North Country, a certain village;
+all its inhabitants were poor, for their
+fields were barren, and they had little trade. But
+the poorest of them all were two brothers called
+Scrub and Spare, who followed the cobbler&#8217;s
+craft, and had but one stall between them. It
+was a hut built of clay and wattles. There they
+worked in most brotherly friendship, though with
+little encouragement.</p>
+
+<p>The people of that village were not extravagant
+in shoes, and better cobblers than Scrub and
+Spare might be found. Nevertheless, Scrub and
+Spare managed to live between their own trade,
+a small barley-field, and a cottage-garden, till
+one unlucky day when a new cobbler arrived in
+the village. He had lived in the capital city of
+the kingdom, and, by his own account, cobbled
+for the queen and the princesses. His awls were
+sharp, his lasts were new; he set up his stall in
+a neat cottage with two windows.</p>
+
+<p>The villagers soon found out that one patch of
+his would outwear two of the brothers&#8217;. In short,
+all the mending left Scrub and Spare, and went
+to the new cobbler. So the brothers were poor
+that winter, and when Christmas came they had
+nothing to feast on but a barley loaf, a piece of
+musty bacon, and some small beer of their own
+brewing. But they made a great fire of logs,
+which crackled and blazed with red embers, and
+in high glee the cobblers sat down to their beer
+and bacon. The door was shut, for there was
+nothing but cold moonlight and snow outside;
+but the hut, strewn with fir boughs, and ornamented
+with holly, looked cheerful as the ruddy
+blaze flared up and rejoiced their hearts.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Long life and good fortune to ourselves,
+brother!&rdquo; said Spare. &ldquo;I hope you will drink
+that toast, and may we never have a worse fire
+on Christmas&mdash;but what is that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Spare set down the drinking-horn, and the
+brothers listened astonished, for out of the blazing
+root they heard &ldquo;Cuckoo! cuckoo!&rdquo; as plain
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span>
+as ever the spring bird&#8217;s voice came over the
+moor on a May morning.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is something bad,&rdquo; said Scrub, terribly
+frightened.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;May be not,&rdquo; said Spare.</p>
+
+<p>And out of the deep hole at the side which
+the fire had not reached flew a large gray cuckoo,
+and lit on the table before them. Much as the
+cobblers had been surprised, they were still more
+so when the bird began to speak.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good gentlemen,&rdquo; it said slowly, &ldquo;can you
+tell me what season this is?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s Christmas,&rdquo; answered Spare.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then a merry Christmas to you!&rdquo; said the
+cuckoo. &ldquo;I went to sleep in the hollow of that
+old root one evening last summer, and never
+woke till the heat of your fire made me think it
+was summer again; but now, since you have
+burned my lodging, let me stay in your hut till
+the spring comes round&mdash;I only want a hole to
+sleep in&mdash;and when I go on my travels next summer
+be assured that I will bring you some present
+for your trouble.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stay, and welcome,&rdquo; said Spare.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll make you a good warm hole in the
+thatch. But you must be hungry after that long
+sleep. Here is a slice of barley bread. Come,
+help us to keep Christmas!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The cuckoo ate up the slice, drank water from
+the brown jug&mdash;for he would take no beer&mdash;and
+flew into a snug hole which Spare scooped for
+him in the thatch of the hut. So the snow melted,
+the heavy rains came, the cold grew less, the
+days lengthened, and one sunny morning the
+brothers were awakened by the cuckoo shouting
+its own cry to let them know that at last the
+spring had come.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the bird, &ldquo;I am going on my travels
+over the world to tell men of the spring.
+There is no country where trees bud or flowers
+bloom that I will not cry in before the year goes
+round. Give me another slice of barley bread
+to keep me on my journey, and tell me what present
+I shall bring you at the end of the twelve
+months.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good Master Cuckoo,&rdquo; said Scrub, &ldquo;a diamond
+or pearl would help such poor men as my
+brother and I to provide something better than
+barley bread for your next entertainment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know nothing of diamonds or pearls,&rdquo; said
+the cuckoo; &ldquo;they are in the hearts of rocks and
+the sands of rivers. My knowledge is only of
+that which grows on the earth. But there are
+two trees hard by the well that lies at the world&#8217;s
+end. One of them is called the golden tree, for
+its leaves are all of beaten gold. As for the
+other, it is always green, like a laurel. Some
+call it the wise, and some the merry tree. Its
+leaves never fall, but they that get one of them
+keep a blithe heart in spite of all misfortunes,
+and can make themselves as merry in a poor hut
+as in a handsome palace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good Master Cuckoo, bring me a leaf off that
+tree!&rdquo; cried Spare.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, brother, don&#8217;t be foolish!&rdquo; said Scrub.
+&ldquo;Think of the leaves of beaten gold! Dear Master
+Cuckoo, bring me one of them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before another word could be spoken, the
+cuckoo had flown.</p>
+
+<p>The brothers were poorer than ever that year;
+nobody would send them a single shoe to mend.
+The new cobbler said, in scorn, they should come
+to be his apprentices; and Scrub and Spare would
+have left the village but for their barley field,
+their cabbage garden, and a maid called Fairfeather,
+whom both the cobblers had courted for
+more than seven years.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of the winter Scrub and Spare had
+grown so poor and ragged that Fairfeather
+thought them beneath her notice. Old neighbors
+forgot to invite them to wedding feasts or merry-makings;
+and they thought the cuckoo had forgotten
+them, too, when at daybreak, on the first
+of April, they heard a hard beak knocking at
+their door, and a voice crying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Cuckoo! cuckoo! Let me in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Spare ran to open the door, and in came the
+cuckoo, carrying on one side of his bill a golden
+leaf, larger than that of any tree in the North
+Country; and in the other, one like that of the
+common laurel, only it had a fresher green.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here!&rdquo; it said, giving the gold to Scrub and
+the green to Spare.</p>
+
+<p>So much gold had never been in the cobbler&#8217;s
+hands before, and he could not help exulting
+over his brother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See the wisdom of my choice,&rdquo; he said, holding
+up the large leaf of gold. &ldquo;As for yours, as
+good might be plucked from any hedge. I wonder
+a sensible bird should carry the like so far.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good Master Cobbler,&rdquo; cried the cuckoo, finishing
+the slice, &ldquo;your conclusions are more hasty
+than courteous. If your brother be disappointed
+this time, I go on the same journey every year,
+and, for your hospitable entertainment, will think
+it no trouble to bring each of you whichever leaf
+you desire.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Darling cuckoo,&rdquo; cried Scrub, &ldquo;bring me a
+golden one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Spare, looking up from the green leaf on
+which he gazed, said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Be sure to bring me one from the merry tree.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And away flew the cuckoo once again.</p>
+
+<p>Scrub vowed that his brother was not fit to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span>
+live with a respectable man; and taking his lasts,
+his awls, and his golden leaf, he left the wattle
+hut, and went to tell the villagers.</p>
+
+<p>They were astonished at the folly of Spare,
+and charmed with Scrub&#8217;s good sense, particularly
+when he showed them the golden leaf, and
+told them that the cuckoo would bring him one
+every spring. The new cobbler immediately took
+him into partnership; the greatest people sent
+him their shoes to mend; Fairfeather smiled graciously
+upon him, and in the course of that summer
+they were married, with a grand wedding
+feast, at which the whole village danced, except
+Spare, who was not invited.</p>
+
+<p>As for Scrub, he established himself with Fairfeather
+in a cottage close by that of the new
+cobbler, and quite as fine. There he mended
+shoes to everybody&#8217;s satisfaction, had a scarlet
+coat for holidays, and a fat goose for dinner
+every wedding-day anniversary. Spare lived on
+in the old hut and worked in the cabbage garden.
+Every day his coat grew more ragged, and the
+hut more weather-beaten; but people remarked
+that he never looked sad or sour; and the wonder
+was that, from the time they began to keep
+his company the tinker grew kinder to the poor
+ass with which he traveled the country, the beggar-boy
+kept out of mischief, and the old woman
+was never cross to her cat or angry with the
+children.</p>
+
+<p>I know not how many years passed in this
+manner, when a certain great lord, who owned
+that village, came to the neighborhood. His castle
+was ancient and strong, with high towers and
+a deep moat. All the country, as far as one could
+see from the highest turret, belonged to this
+lord; but he had not been there for twenty years,
+and would not have come then, only he was melancholy.</p>
+
+<p>The cause of his grief and sorrow was that
+he had been prime minister at court, and in
+high favor, till somebody told the Crown Prince
+that he had spoken disrespectfully concerning
+the turning out of his Royal Highness&#8217;s toes,
+whereon the North Country lord was turned out
+of office, and banished to his own estate. There
+he lived for some weeks in very bad temper; but
+one day in the harvest time his lordship chanced
+to meet Spare gathering watercresses at a
+meadow stream, and fell into talk.</p>
+
+<p>How it was nobody could tell, but from the
+hour of that discourse the great lord cast away
+his melancholy, and went about with a noble
+train, making merry in his hall, where all travelers
+were entertained and all the poor were
+welcome.</p>
+
+<p>This strange story soon spread through the
+North Country, and a great company came to the
+cobbler&#8217;s hut&mdash;rich men who had lost their
+money, poor men who had lost their friends,
+beauties who had grown old, wits who had gone
+out of fashion&mdash;all came to talk with Spare, and,
+whatever their troubles, all went home merry.
+The rich gave him presents, the poor gave him
+thanks.</p>
+
+<p>By this time his fame had reached the Court.
+There were a great many discontented people
+there besides the King, who had lately fallen into
+ill humor because a neighboring princess, with
+seven islands for her dowry, would not marry
+his eldest son. So a royal messenger was sent
+to Spare, with a command that he should go to
+court.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To-morrow is the first of April,&rdquo; said Spare,
+&ldquo;and I will go with you two hours after sunrise.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The messenger lodged all night at the castle,
+and the cuckoo came at sunrise with the merry
+leaf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Court is a fine place,&rdquo; he said, when the cobbler
+told him he was going; &ldquo;but I cannot go
+there&mdash;they would lay snares and catch me. So
+be careful of the leaves I have brought you, and
+give me a farewell slice of barley bread.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Spare was sorry to part with the cuckoo, but
+he gave him a thick slice, and, having sewed up
+the leaves in the lining of his leather doublet, he
+set out with the messenger on his way to the
+royal court.</p>
+
+<p>His coming caused great surprise; but scarce
+had his Majesty conversed with him half an hour
+when the princess and her seven islands were
+forgotten, and orders given that a feast for all
+comers should be spread in the banquet-hall.
+The princes of the blood, the great lords and
+ladies, ministers of state, and judges of the land,
+after that discoursed with Spare, and the more
+they talked the lighter grew their hearts, so that
+such changes had never been seen.</p>
+
+<p>As for Spare, he had a chamber assigned him
+in the palace, and a seat at the King&#8217;s table; one
+sent him rich robes and another costly jewels;
+but in the midst of all his grandeur he still wore
+the leathern doublet, which the palace servants
+thought remarkably mean. One day the King&#8217;s
+attention being drawn to it by the chief page, his
+Majesty inquired why Spare didn&#8217;t give it to a
+beggar. But the cobbler said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;High and mighty monarch, this doublet was
+with me before silk and velvet came&mdash;I find it
+easier to wear than the court cut; moreover, it
+serves to keep me humble, by recalling the days
+when it was my holiday garment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King thought this a wise speech, and commanded
+that no one should find fault with the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span>
+leathern doublet. So things went, and Spare
+prospered at court until the day when he lost his
+doublet, of which we read in the next story.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 358px;">
+<img src="images/img295.jpg" width="358" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;good gentlemen, can you tell me<br />
+what season this is?&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="COAT" id="COAT"></a>THE MERRY COBBLER AND HIS COAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>Spare, the merry cobbler, of whom we read in
+the last story, was treated like a prince at the
+King&#8217;s court; and the news of his good fortune
+reached his brother Scrub in the moorland cottage
+one first of April, when the cuckoo came
+again with two golden leaves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Think of that!&rdquo; said Fairfeather. &ldquo;Here we
+are spending our lives in this humdrum place,
+and Spare making his fortune at court with two
+or three paltry green leaves! What would they
+say to our golden ones? Let us make our way
+to the King&#8217;s palace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Scrub thought this excellent reasoning. So,
+putting on their holiday clothes, Fairfeather took
+her looking-glass and Scrub his drinking-horn,
+which happened to have a very thin rim of silver,
+and, each carrying a golden leaf carefully
+wrapped up that none might see it till they
+reached the palace, the pair set out in great expectation.</p>
+
+<p>How far Scrub and Fairfeather journeyed
+we cannot say, but when the sun was high and
+warm at noon they came into a wood feeling both
+tired and hungry.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let us rest ourselves under this tree,&rdquo; said
+Fairfeather, &ldquo;and look at our golden leaves to
+see if they are quite safe.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In looking at the leaves, and talking of their
+fine prospects, Scrub and Fairfeather did not perceive
+that a very thin old woman had slipped
+from behind the tree, with a long staff in her
+hand and a great wallet by her side.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Noble lord and lady,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;will ye condescend
+to tell me where I may find some water
+to mix a bottle of mead which I carry in my
+wallet, because it is too strong for me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As the old woman spoke, she pulled out a large
+wooden bottle such as shepherds used in the ancient
+times, corked with leaves rolled together,
+and having a small wooden cup hanging from
+its handle.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps ye will do me the favor to taste,&rdquo; she
+said. &ldquo;It is only made of the best honey. I
+have also cream cheese and a wheaten loaf here,
+if such honorable persons as you would not think
+it beneath you to eat the like.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Scrub and Fairfeather became very condescending
+after this speech. They were now sure that
+there must be some appearance of nobility about
+them; besides, they were very hungry, and, having
+hastily wrapped up the golden leaves, they
+assured the old woman they were not at all
+proud, notwithstanding the lands and castles they
+had left behind them in the North Country, and
+would willingly help to lighten the wallet.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman was a wood-witch; her name
+was Buttertongue; and all her time was spent in
+making mead, which, being boiled with curious
+herbs and spells, had the power of making all
+who drank it fall asleep and dream with their
+eyes open. She had two dwarfs of sons; one
+was named Spy, and the other Pounce. Wherever
+their mother went, they were not far behind;
+and whoever tasted her mead was sure to
+be robbed by the dwarfs.</p>
+
+<p>Scrub and Fairfeather sat leaning against the
+old tree. The cobbler had a lump of cheese in
+his hand; his wife held fast a hunch of bread.
+Their eyes and mouths were both open, but they
+were dreaming of great grandeur at court, when
+the old woman raised her shrill voice:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What ho, my sons! Come here, and carry
+home the harvest!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had she spoken than the two little
+dwarfs darted out of the neighboring thicket.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Idle boys!&rdquo; cried the mother. &ldquo;What have
+ye done to-day to help our living?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have been to the city,&rdquo; said Spy, &ldquo;and could
+see nothing. These are hard times for us&mdash;everybody
+minds his business so contentedly since that
+cobbler came. But here is a leathern doublet
+which his page threw out of the window; it&#8217;s
+of no use, but I brought it to let you see I was
+not idle.&rdquo; And he tossed down Spare&#8217;s doublet,
+with the merry leaves in it, which he had been
+carrying like a bundle on his little back.</p>
+
+<p>To explain how Spy came by it, it must be said
+that the forest was not far from the great city
+where Spare lived in such high esteem. All
+things had gone well with the cobbler till the
+King thought that it was quite unbecoming to see
+such a worthy man without a servant. His Majesty
+therefore appointed one of his own pages to
+wait upon him. The name of this youth was
+Tinseltoes, and nobody in all the court had
+grander notions. Nothing could please him that
+had not gold or silver about it, and his grandmother
+feared he would hang himself for being
+appointed page to a cobbler. As for Spare, the
+honest man had been so used to serve himself
+that the page was always in the way, but his
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span>
+merry leaves came to his assistance.</p>
+
+<p>Tinseltoes took wonderfully to the new service.
+Some said it was because Spare gave him
+nothing to do but play at bowls all day on the
+palace green. Yet one thing grieved the heart
+of Tinseltoes, and that was his master&#8217;s leathern
+doublet, and at last, finding nothing better would
+do, the page got up one fine morning earlier than
+his master, and tossed the leathern doublet out
+of the window into a lane, where Spy found it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That nasty thing!&rdquo; said the old woman.
+&ldquo;Where is the good in it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>By this time Pounce had taken everything of
+value from Scrub and Fairfeather&mdash;the looking-glass,
+the silver-rimmed horn, the husband&#8217;s
+scarlet coat, the wife&#8217;s gay mantle, and, above
+all, the golden leaves, which so rejoiced old Buttertongue
+and her sons that they threw the
+leathern doublet over the sleeping cobbler for a
+jest, and went off to their hut in the heart of the
+forest.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was going down when Scrub and
+Fairfeather awoke from dreaming that they had
+been made a lord and a lady, and sat clothed in
+silk and velvet, feasting with the King in his
+palace hall. It was a great disappointment to
+find their golden leaves and all their best things
+gone. Scrub tore his hair, and vowed to take the
+old woman&#8217;s life; while Fairfeather lamented
+sore. But Scrub, feeling cold for want of his
+coat, put on the leathern doublet without asking
+whence it came.</p>
+
+<p>Scarcely was it buttoned on when a change
+came over him. He addressed such merry discourse
+to Fairfeather that, instead of lamentations,
+she made the wood ring with laughter.
+Both busied themselves in setting up a hut of
+boughs, in which Scrub kindled a fire with a flint
+of steel, which, together with his pipe, he had
+brought unknown to Fairfeather, who had told
+him the like was never heard of at court. Then
+they found a pheasant&#8217;s nest at the root of an old
+oak, made a meal of roasted eggs, and went to
+sleep on a heap of long green grass which they
+had gathered, with nightingales singing all night
+long in the old trees about them.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Spare had got up and missed
+his doublet. Tinseltoes, of course, said he knew
+nothing about it. The whole palace was
+searched, and every servant questioned, till all
+the court wondered why such a fuss was made
+about an old leathern doublet. That very day
+things came back to their old fashion. Quarrels
+began among the lords, and jealousies among the
+ladies. The King said his subjects did not pay
+him half enough taxes, the Queen wanted more
+jewels, the servants took to their old bickerings
+and got up some new ones. Spare found himself
+getting wonderfully dull, and very much out of
+place, and nobles began to ask what business a
+cobbler had at the King&#8217;s table; till at last his
+Majesty issued a decree banishing the cobbler
+forever from court, and confiscating all his goods
+in favor of Tinseltoes.</p>
+
+<p>That royal edict was scarcely published before
+the page was in full possession of his rich chamber,
+his costly garments, and all the presents the
+courtiers had given him; while Spare was glad
+to make his escape out of the back window, for
+fear of the angry people.</p>
+
+<p>The window from which Spare let himself
+down with a strong rope was that from which
+Tinseltoes had tossed the doublet, and as the
+cobbler came down late in the twilight, a poor
+woodman, with a heavy load of fagots, stopped
+and stared in astonishment.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s the matter, friend?&rdquo; said Spare. &ldquo;Did
+you never see a man coming down from a back
+window before?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why,&rdquo; said the woodman, &ldquo;the last morning
+I passed here a leathern doublet came out of that
+window, and I&#8217;ll be bound you are the owner of
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That I am, friend,&rdquo; said the cobbler with great
+eagerness. &ldquo;Can you tell me which way that
+doublet went?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;As I walked on,&rdquo; the woodman said, &ldquo;a dwarf
+called Spy, bundled it up and ran off into the
+forest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Determined to find his doublet, Spare went on
+his way, and was soon among the tall trees; but
+neither hut nor dwarf could he see. At last the
+red light of a fire, gleaming through a thicket,
+led him to the door of a low hut. It stood half
+open, as if there was nothing to fear, and within
+he saw his brother Scrub snoring loudly on a
+bed of grass, at the foot of which lay his own
+leathern doublet; while Fairfeather, in a kirtle
+made of plaited rushes, sat roasting pheasants&#8217;
+eggs by the fire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening, mistress!&rdquo; said Spare.</p>
+
+<p>The blaze shone on him, but so changed was
+her brother-in-law with his court life that Fairfeather
+did not know him, and she answered far
+more courteously than was her wont.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening, master! Whence come ye so
+late? But speak low, for my good man has
+sorely tired himself cleaving wood, and is taking
+a sleep, as you see, before supper.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A good rest to him,&rdquo; said Spare, perceiving he
+was not known. &ldquo;I come from the court for a
+day&#8217;s hunting, and have lost my way in the
+forest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sit down and have a share of our supper,&rdquo;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span>
+said Fairfeather; &ldquo;I will put some more eggs in
+the ashes; and tell me the news of court.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you never go there?&rdquo; said the cobbler.
+&ldquo;So fair a dame as you would make the ladies
+marvel.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are pleased to flatter,&rdquo; said Fairfeather;
+&ldquo;but my husband has a brother there, and we
+left our moorland village to try our fortune also.
+An old woman enticed us with fair words and
+strong drink at the entrance of this forest, where
+we fell asleep and dreamt of great things; but
+when we woke everything had been robbed from
+us, and, in place of all, the robbers left him that
+old leathern doublet, which he has worn ever
+since, and never was so merry in all his life,
+though we live in this poor hut.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is a shabby doublet, that,&rdquo; said Spare, taking
+up the garment, and seeing that it was his
+own, for the merry leaves were still sewed in
+its lining. &ldquo;It would be good for hunting in,
+however. Your husband would be glad to part
+with it, I dare say, in exchange for this handsome
+cloak.&rdquo; And he pulled off the green mantle
+and buttoned on the doublet, much to Fairfeather&#8217;s
+delight, for she shook Scrub, crying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Husband, husband, rise and see what a good
+bargain I have made!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Scrub rubbed his eyes, gazed up at his brother,
+and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Spare, is that really you? How did you like
+the court, and have you made your fortune?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That I have, brother,&rdquo; said Spare, &ldquo;in getting
+back my own good leathern doublet. Come, let us
+eat eggs, and rest ourselves here this night. In
+the morning we will return to our own old hut,
+at the end of the moorland village, where the
+Christmas cuckoo will come and bring us leaves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Scrub and Fairfeather agreed. So in the morning
+they all returned, and found the old hut little
+the worse for wear and weather. The neighbors
+came about them to ask the news of court,
+and see if they had made their fortune. Everybody
+was astonished to find the three poorer than ever,
+but somehow they liked to be back to the hut.
+Spare brought out the lasts and awls he had hidden
+in a corner; Scrub and he began their old
+trade, and the whole North Country found out
+that there never were such cobblers. Everybody
+wondered why the brothers had not been more
+appreciated before they went away to the court
+of the King, but, from the highest to the lowest,
+all were glad to have Spare and Scrub back
+again.</p>
+
+<p>They mended the shoes of lords and ladies as
+well as the common people; everybody was satisfied.
+Their custom increased from day to day,
+and all that were disappointed, discontented, or
+unlucky, came to the hut as in old times, before
+Spare went to court.</p>
+
+<p>The hut itself changed, no one knew how.
+Flowering honeysuckle grew over its roof; red
+and white roses grew thick about its door. Moreover,
+the Christmas cuckoo always came on the
+first of April, bringing three leaves of the merry
+tree&mdash;for Scrub and Fairfeather would have no
+more golden ones. So it was with them when
+the last news came from the North Country.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 461px;">
+<img src="images/img299.jpg" width="461" height="600" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHARITY" id="CHARITY"></a>THE STORY OF CHILD CHARITY</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY FRANCES BROWNE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived a little girl who
+had neither father nor mother: they both died
+when she was very young, and left their daughter
+to the care of her uncle, who was the richest
+farmer in all that country. He had houses and
+lands, flocks and herds, many servants to work
+about his house and fields, a wife who had brought
+him a great dowry, and two fair daughters.</p>
+
+<p>Now, it happened that though she was their
+near relation, they despised the orphan girl, partly
+because she had no fortune, and partly because
+of her humble, kindly disposition. It was said
+that the more needy and despised any creature
+was, the more ready was she to befriend it; on
+which account the people of the West Country
+called her Child Charity. Her uncle would not
+own her for his niece, her cousins would not keep
+her company, and her aunt sent her to work in
+the dairy, and to sleep in the back garret. All
+the day she scoured pails, scrubbed dishes, and
+washed crockery-ware; but every night she slept
+in the back garret as sound as a princess could
+sleep in her palace.</p>
+
+<p>One day during the harvest season, when this
+rich farmer&#8217;s corn had been all cut down and
+housed, he invited the neighbors to a harvest
+supper. The West Country people came in their
+holiday clothes, and they were making merry,
+when a poor old woman came to the back door,
+begging for broken victuals and a night&#8217;s lodging.
+Her clothes were coarse and ragged; her hair was
+scanty and gray; her back was bent; her teeth
+were gone. In short she was the poorest and
+ugliest old woman that ever came begging. The
+first who saw her was the kitchen-maid, and she
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span>
+ordered her off; but Child Charity, hearing the
+noise, came out from her seat at the foot of the
+lowest table, and asked the old woman to take
+her share of the supper, and sleep that night in
+her bed in the back garret. The old woman sat
+down without a word of thanks. Child Charity
+scraped the pots for her supper that night, and
+slept on a sack among the lumber, while the old
+woman rested in her warm bed; and next morning,
+before the little girl awoke, she was up and
+gone, without so much as saying thank you.</p>
+
+<p>Next day, at supper-time, who should come to
+the back door but the old woman, again asking
+for broken victuals and a night&#8217;s lodging. No one
+would listen to her, till Child Charity rose from
+her seat and kindly asked her to take her supper,
+and sleep in her bed. Again the old woman sat
+down without a word. Child Charity scraped
+the pots for her supper, and slept on the sack.
+In the morning the old woman was gone; but for
+six nights after, as sure as the supper was spread,
+there was she at the door, and the little girl
+regularly asked her in.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes the old woman said, &ldquo;Child, why
+don&#8217;t you make this bed softer? and why are
+your blankets so thin?&rdquo; But she never gave her
+a word of thanks nor a civil good-morning. At
+last, on the ninth night from her first coming,
+her accustomed knock came to the door, and there
+she stood with an ugly dog that no herd-boy
+would keep.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good-evening, my little girl,&rdquo; she said, when
+Child Charity opened the door. &ldquo;I will not have
+your supper and bed to-night&mdash;I am going on a
+long journey to see a friend; but here is a dog
+of mine, whom nobody in all the West Country
+will keep for me. He is a little cross, and not
+very handsome; but I leave him to your care till
+the shortest day in all the year.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the old woman had said the last word,
+she set off with such speed that Child Charity
+lost sight of her in a minute. The ugly dog
+began to fawn upon her, but he snarled at everybody
+else. It was with great trouble that Child
+Charity got leave to keep him in an old ruined
+cow-house. The little girl gave him part of all
+her meals; and when the hard frost came, took
+him to her own back garret, because the cow-house
+was damp and cold in the long nights.
+The dog lay quietly on some straw in a corner.
+Child Charity slept soundly, but every morning
+the servants said to her:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What great light and fine talking was that
+in your back garret?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There was no light but the moon shining
+in through the shutterless window, and no talk
+that I heard,&rdquo; said Child Charity, and she thought
+they must have been dreaming. But night after
+night, when any of them awoke in the dark,
+they saw a light brighter and clearer than the
+Christmas fire, and heard voices like those of
+lords and ladies in the back garret.</p>
+
+<p>At length, when the nights were longest, the
+little parlor-maid crept out of bed when all the
+rest were sleeping, and set herself to watch at
+the keyhole. She saw the dog lying quietly in
+the corner, Child Charity sleeping soundly in her
+bed, and the moon shining through the shutterless
+window; but an hour before daybreak the window
+opened, and in marched a troop of little men
+clothed in crimson and gold. They marched up
+with great reverence to the dog, where he lay
+on the straw, and the most richly clothed among
+them said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Royal Prince, we have prepared the banquet
+hall. What will your Highness please that we
+do next?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have done well,&rdquo; said the dog. &ldquo;Now
+prepare the feast, and see that all things are in
+the best style, for the Princess and I mean to
+bring a stranger, who never feasted in our halls
+before.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your Highness&#8217;s commands shall be obeyed,&rdquo;
+said the little man, making another reverence;
+and he and his company passed out of the window.
+By-and-by there came in a company of
+little ladies clad in rose-colored velvet, and each
+carrying a crystal lamp. They also walked with
+great reverence up to the dog, and the gayest
+among them said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Royal Prince, we have prepared the tapestry.
+What will your Highness please that we do
+next?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have done well,&rdquo; said the dog. &ldquo;Now
+prepare the robes, and let all things be in the
+first fashion, for the Princess and I will bring
+with us a stranger, who never feasted in our
+halls before.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your Highness&#8217;s commands shall be obeyed,&rdquo;
+said the little lady, making a low curtsey; and
+she and her company passed out through the
+window, which closed quietly behind them. The
+dog stretched himself out upon the straw, the
+little girl turned in her sleep, and the moon
+shone in on the back garret. The parlor-maid
+was much amazed, and told the story to her mistress;
+but her mistress called her a silly girl to
+have such foolish dreams, and scolded her.</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless, Child Charity&#8217;s aunt thought
+there might be something in it worth knowing;
+so next night, when all the house was asleep she
+crept out of bed, and watched at the back garret
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span>
+door. There she saw exactly what the maid had
+told her.</p>
+
+<p>The mistress could not close her eyes any more
+than the maid, from eagerness to tell the story.
+She woke up Child Charity&#8217;s rich uncle before
+daybreak; but when he heard it he laughed at
+her for a foolish woman. But that night the
+master thought he would like to see what went
+on in the back garret; so when all the house was
+asleep he set himself to watch at the crevice in
+the door. The same thing happened that the
+maid and the mistress saw.</p>
+
+<p>The master could not close his eyes any more
+than the maid or the mistress for thinking of
+this strange sight. He remembered having heard
+his grandfather say that somewhere near his
+meadows there lay a path, which led to the
+fairies&#8217; country, and he concluded that the doings
+in his back garret must be fairy business, and the
+ugly dog a person of very great account.</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, he made it his first business that
+morning to get ready a fine breakfast of roast
+mutton for the ugly dog, and carry it to him in
+the old cow-house; but not a morsel would the
+dog taste. On the contrary, he snarled at the
+master, and would have bitten him if he had not
+run away with his mutton.</p>
+
+<p>Just as the family were sitting down to supper
+that night, the ugly dog began to bark, and the
+old woman&#8217;s knock was heard at the back door.
+Child Charity opened it, when the old woman
+said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This is the shortest day in all the year, and
+I am going home to hold a feast after my travels.
+I see you have taken good care of my dog, and
+now, if you will come with me to my house, he
+and I will do our best to entertain you. Here
+is our company.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As the old woman spoke, there was a sound of
+far-off flutes and bugles, then a glare of lights;
+and a great company, clad so grandly that they
+shone with gold and jewels, came in open chariots,
+covered with gilding and drawn by snow-white
+horses. The first and finest of the chariots was
+empty. The old woman led Child Charity to it
+by the hand, and the ugly dog jumped in before
+her. No sooner were the old woman and her
+dog within the chariot than a marvelous change
+passed over them, for the ugly old woman turned
+at once to a beautiful young Princess, while the
+ugly dog at her side started up a fair young
+Prince, with nut-brown hair and a robe of purple
+and silver.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We are,&rdquo; said they, as the chariots drove on,
+and the little girl sat astonished, &ldquo;a Prince and
+Princess of Fairy-land; and there was a wager
+between us whether or not there were good people
+still to be found in these false and greedy times.
+One said &lsquo;Yes,&rsquo; and the other said &lsquo;No&rsquo;; and I
+have lost,&rdquo; said the Prince, &ldquo;and must pay for the
+feast and presents.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Child Charity went with that noble company
+into a country such as she had never seen. They
+took her to a royal palace, where there was
+nothing but feasting and dancing for seven days.
+She had robes of pale-green velvet to wear, and
+slept in a chamber inlaid with ivory. When the
+feast was done, the Prince and Princess gave her
+such heaps of gold and jewels that she could not
+carry them, but they gave her a chariot to go
+home in, drawn by six white horses, and on the
+seventh night, when the farmer&#8217;s family had
+settled in their own minds that she would never
+come back, and were sitting down to supper, they
+heard the sound of her coachman&#8217;s bugle, and
+saw her alight with all the jewels and gold at
+the very back door where she had brought in the
+ugly old woman. The fairy chariot drove away,
+and never came back to that farmhouse after.
+But Child Charity scrubbed and scoured no more,
+for she became a great lady even in the eyes of
+her proud cousins, who were now eager to pay
+her homage.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GIANT" id="GIANT"></a>THE SELFISH GIANT</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY OSCAR WILDE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Every afternoon, as they were coming from
+school, the children used to go and play in the
+Giant&#8217;s garden.</p>
+
+<p>It was a large, lovely garden, with soft green
+grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful
+flower-like stars; and there were twelve
+peach-trees that in the Springtime broke out into
+delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the
+Autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the
+trees and sang so sweetly that the children used
+to stop their games in order to listen to them.
+&ldquo;How happy we are here!&rdquo; they cried to each
+other.</p>
+
+<p>One day the Giant came back. He had been
+to visit his friend the Cornish Ogre, and had
+stayed with him for seven years. After the
+seven years were over he had said all that he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span>
+had to say, and he determined to return to his
+own castle. When he arrived, he saw the children
+playing in the garden.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing there?&rdquo; he cried in a
+gruff voice, and the children ran away.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My own garden is my own garden,&rdquo; said the
+Giant; &ldquo;anyone can understand that, and I will
+allow nobody to play in it but myself.&rdquo; So he
+built a high wall all around it, and put up a notice
+board:</p>
+
+<p class="center" style="font-variant: small-caps;">
+               trespassers<br />
+                 will be<br />
+               prosecuted</p>
+
+<p>He was a very selfish Giant.</p>
+
+<p>The poor children had now nowhere to play.
+They tried to play on the road, but the road was
+very dusty, and full of hard stones, and they did
+not like it. They used to wander round the high
+wall when their lessons were over, and talk about
+the beautiful garden inside. &ldquo;How happy we
+were there,&rdquo; they said to one another.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Spring came, and all over the country
+there were little blossoms and little birds. Only
+in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still
+Winter. The birds did not care to sing in it,
+as there were no children; and the trees forgot
+to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head
+out from the grass, but when it saw the notice
+board it was so sorry for the children that it
+slipped back into the ground again, and went off
+to sleep. The only people who were pleased were
+the Snow and the Frost. &ldquo;Spring has forgotten
+this garden,&rdquo; they cried &ldquo;so we will live here all
+the year round.&rdquo; The Snow covered up the grass
+with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted
+all the trees silver. Then they invited the North
+Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was
+wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about
+the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down.
+&ldquo;This is a delightful spot,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we must
+ask the Hail on a visit.&rdquo; So the Hail came.
+Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof
+of the castle till he broke most of the slates,
+and then he ran round the garden as fast as he
+could go. He was dressed in gray, and his
+breath was like ice.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I cannot understand why the Spring is so late
+in coming,&rdquo; said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at
+the window and looked out at his cold, white
+garden; &ldquo;I hope there will be a change in the
+weather.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Spring never came, nor the Summer.
+The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden,
+but to the Giant&#8217;s garden she gave none. &ldquo;He is
+too selfish,&rdquo; she said. So it was always Winter
+there, and the North Wind, and the Hail, and
+the Frost, and the Snow danced about through
+the trees.</p>
+
+<p>One morning the Giant was lying awake in
+bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded
+so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be
+the King&#8217;s musicians passing by. It was really
+only a little linnet singing outside his window,
+but it was so long since he had heard a bird
+sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be
+the most beautiful music in the world. Then the
+Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the
+North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume
+came to him through the open casement. &ldquo;I
+believe the Spring has come at last,&rdquo; said the
+Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.</p>
+
+<p>What did he see?</p>
+
+<p>He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a
+little hole in the wall the children had crept in
+and they were sitting in the branches of trees.
+In every tree that he could see there was a little
+child. And the trees were so glad to have the
+children back again that they had covered themselves
+with blossoms, and were waving their arms
+gently above the children&#8217;s heads. The birds were
+flying about and twittering with delight, and the
+flowers were looking up through the green grass
+and laughing. It was a lovely scene, only in one
+corner it was still Winter. It was the farthest
+corner of the garden, and in it was standing a
+little boy. He was so small that he could not
+reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was
+wandering all around it, crying bitterly. The
+poor tree was still quite covered with frost and
+snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring
+above it. &ldquo;Climb up! little boy,&rdquo; said the
+tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it
+could; but the boy was too tiny.</p>
+
+<p>And the Giant&#8217;s heart melted as he looked out.
+&ldquo;How selfish I have been!&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;now I
+know why the Spring would not come here. I will
+put that poor little boy on the top of the tree,
+and then I will knock down the wall, and my
+garden shall be the children&#8217;s playground for
+ever and ever.&rdquo; He was really very sorry for
+what he had done.</p>
+
+<p>So he crept downstairs and opened the front
+door quite softly, and went out into the garden.
+But when the children saw him they all ran away.
+Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were
+so full of tears that he did not see the Giant
+coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and
+took him gently in his hand, and put him up into
+the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom,
+and the birds came and sang on it, and the
+little boy stretched out his two arms and flung
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span>
+them round the Giant&#8217;s neck, and kissed him. And
+the other children, when they saw that the Giant
+was not wicked any longer, came running back,
+and with them came the Spring. &ldquo;It is your garden
+now, little children,&rdquo; said the Giant, and he
+took a great ax and knocked down the wall. And
+when the people were going to market at 12
+o&#8217;clock they found the Giant playing with the
+children in the most beautiful garden they had
+ever seen.</p>
+
+<p>All day long they played, and in the evening
+they came to the Giant to bid him good-by.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where is your little companion?&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;the boy I put into the tree.&rdquo; The Giant loved
+him the best because he had kissed him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We don&#8217;t know,&rdquo; answered the children; &ldquo;he
+has gone away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must tell him to be sure and come here
+to-morrow,&rdquo; said the Giant. But the children
+said that they did not know where he lived, and
+had never seen him before; and the Giant felt
+very sad.</p>
+
+<p>Every afternoon, when school was over, the
+children came and played with the Giant. But
+the little boy whom the Giant loved was never
+seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the
+children, yet he longed for his first little friend,
+and often spoke of him. &ldquo;How I would like to
+see him!&rdquo; he used to say.</p>
+
+<p>Years went over, and the Giant grew very old
+and feeble. He could not play about any more,
+so he sat in a huge, armchair, and watched the
+children at their games, and admired his garden.
+&ldquo;I have many beautiful flowers,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but
+the children are the most beautiful of all.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>One winter morning he looked out of his window
+as he was dressing. He did not hate the
+Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the
+Spring asleep, and that the pretty flowers were
+resting.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and
+looked and looked. It certainly was a marvelous
+sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was
+a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms.
+Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung
+down from them, and underneath it stood the
+little boy he had loved.</p>
+
+<p>Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out
+into the garden. He hastened across the grass,
+and came near to the child. And when he came
+quite close his face grew red with anger, and he
+said: &ldquo;Who hath dared to wound thee?&rdquo; For on
+the palms of the child&#8217;s hands were the prints of
+two nails, and the prints of two nails were on
+the little feet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who hath dared to wound thee?&rdquo; cried the
+Giant; &ldquo;tell me, that I may take my big sword
+and slay him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay!&rdquo; answered the child; &ldquo;but these are the
+wounds of Love.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who art thou?&rdquo; said the Giant, and a strange
+awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little
+child.</p>
+
+<p>And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to
+him:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You let me play once in your garden, to-day
+you shall come with me to my garden, which is
+Paradise.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And when the children ran in that afternoon
+they found the Giant lying dead under the tree,
+all covered with white blossoms.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img304.jpg" width="500" height="175" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img305.jpg" width="500" height="119" alt="Stories From Great Britain" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDS,<br />
+OR, THE GRATEFUL RAVEN AND THE PRINCE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Scotch Tale</em></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time a great contest took place
+between every wild creature. The son of the
+King of Tethertown went to see the battle; but
+he arrived late, and saw only one fight. This was
+between a huge Raven and a Snake. The King&#8217;s
+son ran to aid the Raven, and with one blow took
+the head off the Snake. The Raven was very
+grateful, and said: &ldquo;Now, I will give thee a
+sight; come upon my wings.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They flew over seven mountains, seven glens,
+and seven moors. That night, at the Raven&#8217;s
+request, the King&#8217;s son slept in the house of one
+of the Raven&#8217;s sisters. He was to meet the
+Raven next morning for another trip; and for
+three days they journeyed. On the third morning
+a handsome boy, who was carrying a bundle,
+came to meet the King&#8217;s son.</p>
+
+<p>This boy told how he had been under a spell;
+and he was at once released from it by the power
+of the King&#8217;s son. In return, he gave him the
+bundle which he carried, and cautioned him not
+to open it until he found the place where he
+desired to dwell.</p>
+
+<p>On the homeward trip the bundle became very
+heavy, and the King&#8217;s son stopped in a grove to
+open it. Immediately a beautiful castle sprang
+up before him. He was very sorry, for he wanted
+to live in the glen opposite his father&#8217;s palace.
+Just then a Giant appeared and offered to put the
+castle back in the bundle on condition that the
+Prince give him his first son when he was seven
+years old. The Prince promised, and soon he
+had his castle in the right place. At the palace
+door there was a beautiful maiden, who asked
+him to marry her. The wedding took place at
+once, and all were happy.</p>
+
+<p>Before many years they had a son; and then
+the Prince, who was now King, remembered his
+promise to the Giant. When the boy was seven
+years old the Giant came to claim him. The
+Queen said she would save her child. She dressed
+the cook&#8217;s son in fine clothes, and gave him to
+the Giant. But the Giant feared some treachery,
+and said to the boy: &ldquo;If thy father had a rod
+what would he do with it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He would beat the dogs if they went near
+the King&#8217;s meat,&rdquo; answered the boy.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Giant knew he had been deceived, and
+he went again to the palace. Again the Queen
+tried to trick him by giving him the butler&#8217;s son.
+When the Giant found he had been fooled a second
+time, he stalked back to the castle, and made
+a terrible scene. The castle shook under the soles
+of his feet as he cried: &ldquo;Out here with thy son,
+or the stone that is highest in thy dwelling shall
+be the lowest.&rdquo; So, in great fear, the Queen
+gave her son to the Giant.</p>
+
+<p>The lad lived many years in the Giant&#8217;s home.
+On a certain holiday, when the Giant was away,
+the boy heard sweet music. Looking up the stairs
+he saw a beautiful little maiden. She beckoned to
+him to come to her, then said: &ldquo;To-morrow
+you may choose between my two sisters for your
+bride; but, I pray you, say you will take only
+me. My father is forcing me to marry a Prince
+whom I hate.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the morrow the Giant said: &ldquo;Now, Prince,
+you may go home to-morrow, and take with you
+either of my two eldest daughters as your wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Giant was very angry when the Prince
+said: &ldquo;I want only the pretty little one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Giant in a great rage imposed three tasks
+upon the King&#8217;s son. He had to clean a byre,
+or cow-shed, which had not been cleaned for
+seven years. Secondly, he was to thatch the byre
+with bird&#8217;s down; and lastly, he must climb a tall
+fir-tree and bring five eggs, unbroken, from the
+magpie&#8217;s nest for the Giant&#8217;s breakfast. These
+tasks were too great for any mortal to accomplish,
+but the youth was willing to try.</p>
+
+<p>He worked all morning on the dirty byre, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span>
+accomplished practically nothing. At noon, while
+he was resting under a tree, the Giant&#8217;s daughter
+came and talked to him. In utter dejection he
+showed her the impossibility of completing the
+task by nightfall. With words of sympathy and
+encouragement, she left him and went on her
+way. After she had gone, the Prince in great
+weariness fell asleep under the tree.</p>
+
+<p>It was evening before he awoke. His first
+thought was of the unfinished task, and he jumped
+to his feet, though only half awake. He looked
+at the byre, and then he rubbed his eyes; and
+then he looked at the byre again, for, lo! it was
+clean. Some one had come to his aid while he
+slept. When the Giant came home, he knew the
+King&#8217;s son had not cleaned the byre, but he could
+not prove it, so he had to keep his word.</p>
+
+<p>The second and third tasks were done in much
+the same way. The Prince would try very hard
+to do the work alone, and when he was just about
+to fail the Giant&#8217;s daughter would come and encourage
+the youth.</p>
+
+<p>In getting the eggs from the magpie&#8217;s nest, the
+Giant&#8217;s daughter was in a great hurry, because
+she felt her father&#8217;s breath on the back of her
+neck. In her haste she left her little finger in
+the magpie&#8217;s nest, but there was no time to go
+back and get it.</p>
+
+<p>When the third task was finished, the Giant
+ordered them to get ready for the wedding.</p>
+
+<p>The Giant tried to deceive the King&#8217;s son at
+the very last. The three daughters were dressed
+alike, and brought before him, and he was to
+choose which one was his promised bride. But
+the Prince knew her by the hand on which the
+little finger was missing; so all was well.</p>
+
+<p>After the wedding the bride and bridegroom
+went to their chamber. The Giant&#8217;s daughter said:
+&ldquo;Quick! quick! We must fly. My father plans
+to kill you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she took an apple and cut it into four
+parts, two of which she put on the bed; one piece
+was placed by the door, and the other outside.
+After that was done, they hurried out to the
+stables, mounted the blue-gray filly, and were off.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime the Giant was waiting for them
+to go to sleep. At last he could wait no longer,
+so he called out: &ldquo;Are you asleep yet?&rdquo; And
+the apple at the head of the bed answered: &ldquo;No,
+we are not asleep.&rdquo; He called out the same thing
+three more times, and the three other pieces of
+apple answered him the same way. When the
+piece outside the door replied, the Giant knew
+he had been fooled, and that the couple had fled.
+He started after them in hot pursuit.</p>
+
+<p>Just at dawn the Giant&#8217;s daughter said: &ldquo;My
+father is close behind us, because his breath is
+burning my neck. Put thy hand in the filly&#8217;s ear
+and throw behind thee whatever thou findest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince did so, and at once a thick forest
+of blackthorn sprang up behind them.</p>
+
+<p>At noon the Giant&#8217;s daughter again said: &ldquo;I
+feel my father&#8217;s breath on my neck.&rdquo; So the
+Prince reached into the filly&#8217;s ear and took a piece
+of stone, which he threw behind him. At once
+a huge rock was between them and the Giant.</p>
+
+<p>By evening the Giant was close upon them for
+the third time. Out of the filly&#8217;s ear the King&#8217;s
+son took a bladder of water, and threw it behind
+him. A fresh-water lake then stretched twenty
+miles behind them. By this time the Giant was
+coming so fast that he could not stop, but plunged
+headlong into the lake and was drowned.</p>
+
+<p>When they approached the Prince&#8217;s home, the
+maiden said she would wait for him by the well.
+&ldquo;Go thou and greet thy father, then come back
+for me. But let neither man nor creature kiss
+thee, or thou wilt forget me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The youth was welcomed by all his family, but
+he kissed none of them. As misfortune would
+have it, however, an old grayhound jumped upon
+him and licked his face, and then he did not remember
+the Giant&#8217;s daughter.</p>
+
+<p>She waited a long time for his return. After a
+while she wandered to an old Shoemaker&#8217;s cottage
+and asked him to take her to the palace, that she
+might see the newly returned Prince. The Shoemaker,
+greatly awed by her unusual beauty, said:
+&ldquo;Come with me. I am well acquainted with the
+servants at the castle, and will arrange for you to
+see the company.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The pretty woman attracted much attention at
+the feast. The gentlefolk took her to the banquet
+hall and gave her a glass of cordial. Just as she
+was going to drink, a flame appeared in the
+glass, and a golden pigeon and a silver pigeon
+sprang out of the flame. At the same time, three
+grains of barley fell upon the floor.</p>
+
+<p>The two pigeons flew down and ate the barley
+grains. As they ate, the golden pigeon said: &ldquo;Do
+you remember how I cleaned the byre?&rdquo; Three
+more grains of barley fell to the ground, and
+the golden pigeon again spoke: &ldquo;Do you remember
+how I thatched the byre?&rdquo; Still three more
+grains fell to the ground, and the golden pigeon
+once more spoke: &ldquo;Do you remember how I
+robbed the magpie&#8217;s nest? I lost my little finger,
+and I lack it still.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the King&#8217;s son remembered, and he sprang
+and claimed the Giant&#8217;s little daughter as his
+bride.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span></p>
+<h2>JACK AND THE BEANSTALK</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD BY MARY LENA WILSON</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>A long, long time ago there was a boy named
+Jack. He and his mother were very poor, and
+lived in a tiny cottage. Jack&#8217;s mother loved him
+so much that she could never say no to anything
+he asked. So whenever he wanted money she
+gave it to him, until at last all they had was
+gone. There was nothing left with which to buy
+supper. Then the poor woman began to cry, and
+said to her son:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Jack, there is nothing in the house to
+eat; and there is no money to buy food. You will
+have to take the old cow to town and sell her.
+She is all we have left.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack felt very bad when he saw his mother
+crying; so he quickly got the cow and started
+off to town. As he was walking along he passed
+the butcher, who stopped him and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, Jack! what are you driving your cow
+away from home for?&rdquo; And Jack replied sadly:
+&ldquo;I am taking her to town to sell her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he noticed that the butcher held in his
+hand some colored beans. They were so beautiful
+he could not keep from staring at them.</p>
+
+<p>Now, the butcher was a very mean man. He
+knew the cow was worth more than the beans,
+but he did not believe Jack knew it, so he said:
+&ldquo;You let me have your cow, and I will give you
+a whole bag of these beans.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack was so delighted that he could hardly wait
+to get the bag in his hand. He ran off home as
+fast as he could.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, mother, mother!&rdquo; he shouted, as he
+reached the house; &ldquo;see what I have got for the
+old cow!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The good lady came hurrying out of the house,
+but when she saw only a bagful of colored beans
+she was so disappointed to think he had sold
+her cow &ldquo;for nothing&rdquo; that she flung the beans
+as far as she could. They fell everywhere&mdash;on
+the steps, down the road, and in the garden.</p>
+
+<p>That night Jack and his mother had to go to
+bed without anything to eat.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning, when Jack looked out of his
+window, he could hardly believe his eyes. In
+the garden where his mother had thrown some
+of the beans there were great beanstalks. They
+were twisted together so that they made a ladder.
+When Jack ran out to the garden to look
+more closely he found the ladder reached up,
+up&mdash;&#8217;way up into the clouds! It was so high he
+could not see the top.</p>
+
+<p>Jack was very excited, and called to his mother:
+&ldquo;Mother, dear, come quickly! My beans have
+grown into a beautiful beanstalk ladder that
+reaches to the sky! I am going to climb up and
+see what is at the top.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hour after hour he climbed, until he was so
+tired he could hardly climb any more. At last
+he came to the end, and peered eagerly over the
+top to see what was there. Not a thing was to
+be seen but rocks and bare ground.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Jack to himself. &ldquo;This is a horrid
+place. I wish I had never come.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just then he saw, hobbling along, a wrinkled,
+ragged old woman. When she reached Jack she
+looked at him and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, my boy, where did you come from?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I came up the ladder,&rdquo; answered Jack.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 246px;">
+<img src="images/img307.jpg" width="246" height="223" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The old woman looked at him very sharply.
+&ldquo;Do you remember your father?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>Jack thought this a queer question, but he replied:
+&ldquo;No, I do not. Whenever I ask my mother
+about him she cries, and will not tell me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this, the old woman leaned her face very
+close to Jack&#8217;s and snapped her bright eyes. &ldquo;<em>I
+will tell you</em>,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;for <em>I am a Fairy</em>!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Fairy smiled. &ldquo;Do not be afraid, my
+dear, for I am a good, good Fairy. But before
+I tell you anything, you must promise to do exactly
+as I say.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack promised, and the Fairy began her story.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A long while ago, when you were only a tiny
+baby, your father and mother lived in a beautiful
+house, with plenty of money and servants
+and everything nice. They were very happy, because
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span>
+everyone loved your father for the kind
+things he did. He always helped people who
+were poor and in trouble.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, miles and miles away there was a wicked
+Giant. He was just as bad as your father was
+good. When he heard about your father he
+decided to do something very terrible. He went
+to your house and <em>killed him</em>. He would have
+killed you and your mother, too, but she fell down
+on her knees and begged: &lsquo;Oh, please do not
+hurt me and my little baby. Take all our treasures,
+but do not kill us.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now of course the money was what the Giant
+really wanted, so he said: &lsquo;If you promise that
+you will never tell your little boy who his father
+was, or anything about me, I will let you go.
+If you do tell him, I shall find out and kill
+you both.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your mother quickly promised, and ran out
+of the house as fast as she could. All day long
+she hurried over the rough roads with you in her
+arms. At last, when she could hardly walk a
+step further, she came to the little house where
+you live now.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, my dear Jack. I am your father&#8217;s good
+fairy. The reason I could not help him against
+the wicked Giant was because I had done something
+wrong. When a fairy does something
+wrong she loses her power. My power did not
+come back to me until the day when you went
+to sell your cow. Then <em>I</em> put it into your head
+to sell the cow for the pretty beans. <em>I</em> made
+the beanstalk grow. <em>I</em> made you climb up the
+beanstalk.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Jack, this is the country where the
+wicked Giant lives. I had you come here so you
+could get back your mother&#8217;s treasure.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Jack heard this he was very excited.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Follow the road,&rdquo; said the Fairy, &ldquo;and you
+will come to the Giant&#8217;s house. And do not forget
+that some day you are to punish the wicked
+Giant.&rdquo; And then she disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Jack had not gone far before he came to a
+great house. In front of it stood a little woman.
+Jack went up to her and said very piteously:
+&ldquo;Oh, please, good, kind lady, let me come in your
+beautiful house and have something to eat and
+a place to sleep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The woman looked surprised. &ldquo;Why, what are
+you doing here?&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Don&#8217;t you know
+this is where my husband, the terrible Giant,
+lives? No one dares to come near here. Every
+one my husband finds he has locked up in his
+house. Then when he is hungry he <em>eats them</em>!
+He walks fifty miles to find some one to eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Jack heard this he was very much afraid.
+But he remembered what the Fairy had told him,
+and once more he asked the woman to let him in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just let me sleep in the oven,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The
+Giant will never find me there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He seemed so tired and sad that the woman
+couldn&#8217;t say no, and she gave him a nice supper.</p>
+
+<p>Then they climbed a winding stair and reached
+a bright, cozy kitchen. Jack was just beginning
+to enjoy himself, when suddenly there was
+a great pounding at the front door.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Quick, quick!&rdquo; cried the Giant&#8217;s wife; &ldquo;jump
+into the oven.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack was no sooner safely hidden than he
+heard the Giant say, in tones of thunder:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Fee, fi, fo, fum,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">I smell the blood of an Englishman!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>When Jack heard this he thought surely the
+Giant knew that he was in the house, but the
+wife said calmly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, my dear, it is probably the people in the
+dungeon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they both came down to the kitchen.
+The Giant sat so close to the oven that by peeping
+through a hole, Jack could easily see him.
+He <em>was enormous</em>! And how much he did eat
+and drink for his supper! When at last he was
+through, he roared:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wife, bring me my hen!&rdquo; And the woman
+brought in a beautiful hen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lay!&rdquo; commanded the Giant; and what was
+Jack&#8217;s surprise when the hen laid a golden egg.
+Every time the Giant said: &ldquo;Lay!&rdquo;&mdash;and he said
+it many times&mdash;the hen obeyed.</p>
+
+<p>At last both the woman and her husband fell
+asleep. But Jack did not dare to sleep. He sat
+all cramped and tired in the oven, watching the
+Giant.</p>
+
+<p>When it began to get light he slowly pushed
+the oven door open and crawled out ever so
+softly. For a minute he hardly dared breathe
+for fear of waking the Giant. Then quick as
+a flash, he seized the hen and stole out of the
+house as fast as his feet could carry him.</p>
+
+<p>He did not stop running until he reached the
+beanstalk. All out of breath, he climbed down
+the ladder with the hen in his arms.</p>
+
+<p>Now, all this time, Jack&#8217;s poor mother thought
+her son was surely lost. When she saw him
+she said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Jack, why did you go off and leave me
+like that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But, mother,&rdquo; said Jack&mdash;and proudly he held
+out the hen&mdash;&ldquo;see what I have brought you this
+time: a hen that lays golden eggs. Now we can
+have everything we want. You need never be sad
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span>
+any more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack and his mother were very happy together
+for many months. Whenever they wanted anything,
+they just told the hen to lay a golden egg.</p>
+
+<p>But after a while Jack remembered his promise
+to the Fairy to punish the Giant. So he said
+to his mother:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mother dear, I think I will go back and get
+some more of our treasure from the Giant.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The poor woman felt very bad when her son
+said this. &ldquo;Oh, please do not go, Jack,&rdquo; she
+begged. &ldquo;This time the Giant will find you and
+kill you for stealing his hen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack decided he would not worry his mother,
+but he would find a way to fool the Giant. He
+got some paint to color his skin brown and had
+a queer suit of clothes made so that no one
+could discover who he was. Without telling anyone,
+he got up early one morning and climbed
+up the beanstalk.</p>
+
+<p>It was dark and cold before he reached the
+Giant&#8217;s house. There at the front door was the
+Giant&#8217;s wife; but she did not know Jack in his
+queer clothes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good evening, Lady,&rdquo; said Jack, very politely.
+&ldquo;Will you let me in for a night&#8217;s rest? I am
+very tired and hungry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the woman shook her head. &ldquo;I can&#8217;t let
+anyone in. One night I let in a poor boy like
+yourself, and he stole my husband&#8217;s favorite treasure.
+My husband is a cruel Giant, and since his
+hen was stolen he has been worse than ever.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, <em>please</em> let me come in just for to-night.
+If you don&#8217;t I shall have to lie here on the
+ground and die.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I can&#8217;t let you do that. But mind, I
+shall have to hide you in the lumber-closet, or
+my husband may find you and eat you up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Of course, Jack was very glad to agree to do
+this. As soon as he was safely hidden away he
+heard a tremendous noise, and knew that the Giant
+had come home. The big fellow walked so heavily
+that he shook the whole house.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Fe, fi, fo, fum,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">I smell the blood of an Englishman!&rdquo; he shouted.</span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no, my dear,&rdquo; she answered. &ldquo;It is an
+old piece of meat that a crow left on the roof.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said the Giant. &ldquo;Now, hurry and
+get my supper.&rdquo; And with that he tried to strike
+his poor wife. Jack could see from where he
+was hiding that the Giant was even uglier than
+before.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It was you who let in the boy that stole my
+hen,&rdquo; he kept saying to her. And when Jack
+heard this he shivered for fear.</p>
+
+<p>After his supper the Giant said in a very cross
+voice:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, wife, bring me my bags of gold and
+silver.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old woman brought in two huge bags
+and put them down on the table. The Giant
+opened each and poured out a great heap of silver
+and gold. For a long while he sat counting
+the money. But at last he began to get drowsy.
+So he put the gold carefully back and fell over
+in his chair asleep.</p>
+
+<p>Jack thought maybe the Giant was only pretending
+to be asleep, so that he could catch anyone
+who might try to take his gold. But when
+the Giant had been snoring some time, the boy
+carefully opened the door of the closet and tip-toed
+over to the table. Not a sound could be
+heard except the terrible snoring of the Giant.
+Slowly Jack reached out to take the bags of
+money.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Bow, wow, wow!&rdquo; And a little dog, which
+Jack had not seen before, jumped up from a
+corner by the fire, barking furiously. Jack had
+never been so frightened in his life as now.
+Surely the Giant would wake and kill him.</p>
+
+<p>But the Giant never woke at all. He had eaten
+so much that he couldn&#8217;t! So Jack snatched the
+bags, and dashed for the beanstalk.</p>
+
+<p>When at last he reached the bottom, he ran
+at once to the cottage to show his mother the
+treasure.</p>
+
+<p>For three years Jack and his mother lived very
+happily together. But all this time Jack could
+not forget his promise to the Fairy, and what
+might happen to him if he did not keep it.</p>
+
+<p>At last he felt that he must go and kill the
+wicked Giant. He got some yellow paint and
+another queer suit, so that he would not look
+like himself at all. Early one morning, when it
+was barely light, he crept softly out of the house
+and climbed up into the Giant&#8217;s country.</p>
+
+<p>This time he was bigger and older, and did not
+feel nearly so afraid as he had before. He met
+the Giant&#8217;s wife, just as he had the two other
+times; and after a great deal of coaxing she
+let him in, and hid him in the boiler.</p>
+
+<p>He had barely gotten in when he felt the
+whole house shake, and knew that the Giant had
+come home.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Fe, fi, fo, fum!<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">I smell the blood of an Englishman.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>He roared in a voice louder than ever. But now
+Jack was not at all scared. He remembered what
+had happened before, and thought he was quite
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>
+safe.</p>
+
+<p>But this time the Giant would not listen to
+anything his wife said. He jumped up and began
+stumping around the room, shouting: &ldquo;There
+is fresh meat here! I can smell it! Where is
+it?&rdquo; And he put his hand right on the boiler.</p>
+
+<p>Jack held his breath tight, and did not move
+a muscle. Just when he felt sure the Giant
+was going to lift off the lid and find him, he
+heard him say: &ldquo;Well, never mind now. Bring
+me my supper.&rdquo; And then he went over to the
+table and began to eat.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed to Jack that he ate more than ever.
+But suddenly he stopped and called out: &ldquo;Wife,
+bring me my harp.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The poor woman ran at once and brought back
+the most beautiful harp Jack had ever seen. She
+placed it beside her husband, and he commanded:
+&ldquo;Play!&rdquo; And the most surprising thing happened:
+The harp began to play the loveliest tunes
+without anyone touching it at all. Jack thought
+he had never seen anything so wonderful, and
+said to himself:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That harp really belongs to my mother. I
+shall get it away from the Giant and take it to
+her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Soon the Giant fell asleep. Jack crawled very
+quietly out of the boiler and up toward the
+table. He stretched out his hand to seize the
+harp; but just as his fingers touched it, it shouted:
+&ldquo;Master, master, wake up!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack was horrified, for he saw at once that
+the harp was the Giant&#8217;s fairy, and was trying
+to help him.</p>
+
+<p>The Giant opened his eyes, but before he
+could get to his feet Jack was running for his
+life. Down the winding stair and through the
+dark hall he went. He felt the floor tremble
+as the Giant came roaring after him. He was
+panting for breath when he reached the front
+door, but did not dare to stop. If he did, he
+knew the Giant would catch him, and that would
+be the end of him.</p>
+
+<p>And this is what surely would have happened,
+but the Giant had eaten so much for his supper
+that he could hardly run at all. Even so,
+he was close behind him all the way. And all
+the time he kept roaring and shouting, which
+frightened Jack all the more.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Jack reached the beanstalk he called
+out: &ldquo;Someone quick! get me a hatchet!&rdquo; Then
+he almost fell down the beanstalk in his hurry.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached the bottom the Giant had
+already started to come down. &ldquo;Oh, now,&rdquo;
+thought poor Jack, &ldquo;he will come and burn our
+house, and kill my mother and me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just then a neighbor ran up to Jack with a
+hatchet. Jack grabbed it and cut down the beanstalk!
+With a terrible crash it fell to the ground,
+bringing the Giant with it.</p>
+
+<p>Jack and his friends rushed up to where he
+fell.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, he is dead! He is dead!&rdquo; they shouted.</p>
+
+<p>When Jack&#8217;s mother heard this she came running
+out of the house and flung her arms around
+her son.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, mother, I am so sorry that I have been
+all this trouble to you. But I promise I shall
+never be any more.&rdquo; And just at this moment
+the Fairy appeared.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Your Jack is a good boy.
+He did all this only because I told him to.&rdquo; To
+Jack she said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, my dear, I hope you will always be
+good and kind to your mother. And I hope you
+will always be kind to the poor and unhappy
+people, just as your father was. If you are, I am
+sure that you will both be very happy as long
+as you live. Good-by, good-by, my dears!&rdquo; And
+before they could thank her the Fairy disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Jack remembered all she had told him, and he
+and his mother lived together very happily all
+the rest of their lives.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THUMB" id="THUMB"></a>TOM THUMB</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD BY LAURA CLARKE</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Have you ever heard about Little Thumb, or
+Tom Thumb as he was sometimes called? Such
+a queer little fellow, and such adventures, you
+surely must become acquainted with.</p>
+
+<p>&#8217;Way back in the days of the good King
+Arthur, there lived a poor man and his wife
+who had no children. They wanted a child more
+than anything else in the world; and one day the
+woman said to her husband:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Husband, if I had a son, even if he were no
+bigger than my thumb, I should be the happiest
+woman alive.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, Merlin, the King&#8217;s magician, overheard
+this wish; and I suspect he was fond of playing
+tricks, for it was not many days before the
+woman had a child given her. He was so tiny
+that his father burst out laughing when he saw
+him, and called him Tom Thumb. But the
+parents were as happy as if he had been a large
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span>
+boy.</p>
+
+<p>Tom Thumb had many exciting adventures and
+narrow escapes, because he was so small. He
+used to drive his father&#8217;s horse by standing in
+the horse&#8217;s ear and calling out &ldquo;Gee up!&rdquo; and
+&ldquo;Gee, whoa!&rdquo; just like his father. When people
+saw horse and cart going along at a brisk pace,
+and heard the voice but saw no driver, you may
+be sure they were surprised.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 216px;">
+<img src="images/img311a.jpg" width="216" height="231" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>One day two men saw him, and thought they
+might get rich if they could get Tom Thumb,
+take him to country fairs, and make him do
+funny things to amuse the crowds. They offered
+Little Thumb&#8217;s father a sum of gold for the tiny
+fellow, but the good man said: &ldquo;I would not take
+any sum of money for my dear son.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Tom whispered in his father&#8217;s ear:
+&ldquo;Dear father, take the money and let them have
+me. I can easily get away and return home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, if Tom&#8217;s father had known what dangers
+were before the little fellow he never would have
+consented; but it sounded so easy that he took the
+gold, and the men took Tom.</p>
+
+<p>Tom rode on the brim of his new master&#8217;s
+hat for a long time, thinking how he might escape.
+Finally he saw a field-mouse&#8217;s nest over
+a hedge, and he said: &ldquo;Master, I am cold and
+stiff; put me down that I may run about and get
+warm.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Not suspecting anything, the man put him on
+the ground. What was his surprise and anger
+when Little Tom darted off through the hedge.
+Calling to him to come back, the master with
+difficulty climbed over the bushes and started
+searching for his small runaway. He looked
+behind stones, under clumps of grass, in little
+furrows, but never thought of the nest of the
+field-mouse.</p>
+
+<p>Little Tom stayed very still long after the
+angry voice had died away in the distance. When
+he came forth it was dark, and he did not know
+which way to go. He was still trying to make
+up his mind, when he overheard two robbers on
+the other side of the hedge.</p>
+
+<p>The first robber said: &ldquo;There is plenty of gold
+and silver in the rector&#8217;s house, but his doors
+are locked and his windows barred.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the other one, &ldquo;and if we break in
+we shall wake up the servants.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This conversation gave Tom an idea. Stepping
+through the hedge he said in a loud voice: &ldquo;I
+can help you. I am so small I can get between
+the bars on the window. Then I&#8217;ll pass all the
+gold and silver out to you, and when I get out
+you can divide with me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 261px;">
+<img src="images/img311b.jpg" width="261" height="294" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The robbers were pleased with the idea. They
+decided between themselves that as soon as they
+got the money in their own hands they would
+make off and not divide it at all. They never
+suspected that Little Thumb was planning to give
+them away.</p>
+
+<p>Reaching the rector&#8217;s home they lifted Tom
+up, and he crawled between the bars and out
+of reach of the robbers.</p>
+
+<p>Then he called out in a very loud voice, so as
+to waken the servants: &ldquo;Will you have everything
+I can get?&rdquo; The servants came running calling,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Thief! Thief!&rdquo; and the two robbers escaped
+as fast as their feet would carry them.</p>
+
+<p>Now, the servants were so angry, and told in
+such loud voices what they should do if they
+caught anyone in the house, that Little Thumb
+was very much afraid. So he climbed out through
+the window and hid in the barn in the hay.</p>
+
+<p>It is best for little people to stay out of harm&#8217;s
+way; the queerest things may happen. While our
+small adventurer was peacefully sleeping, the
+milkmaid came to give the cattle their morning
+fodder. As bad luck would have it, she took
+the very truss of hay in which Tom lay; and he
+awoke with a start to find himself in the cow&#8217;s
+great mouth, in danger of being crushed at any
+minute by her tremendous teeth. He dodged back
+and forth in terror; and it was a relief when
+the cow gave one big swallow, and he slid down
+into her roomy stomach.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 238px;">
+<img src="images/img312.jpg" width="238" height="292" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>It was dark and moist down there, however,
+and more hay came down with every swallow; so
+Tom called out with all his might: &ldquo;No more
+hay, please! no more hay!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The milkmaid screamed, and ran to the house,
+telling everyone that the cow had been talking
+to her just like a man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; said the rector; &ldquo;cows do not
+talk.&rdquo; Nevertheless, he went to the cow-shed. No
+sooner had he stepped inside the door than the
+cow lifted her head, and a voice called in great
+distress: &ldquo;No more hay, please! no more hay!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas,&rdquo; cried the rector, &ldquo;my beautiful cow is
+bewitched! It is best to kill her before she makes
+mischief with the other cows.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the cow was slaughtered, and the stomach,
+with Little Thumb inside, was flung away.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, I will work my way out and run home,&rdquo;
+thought Tom. But he was to have another adventure
+first. He had just gotten his head free, when
+a hungry wolf, attracted by the smell of the
+freshly-killed meat, seized the stomach in its jaws
+and sprang away into the forest.</p>
+
+<p>Instead of losing courage, Little Thumb began
+to plan a way of escape. He decided on a bold
+scheme. In his loudest voice he called: &ldquo;Wolf,
+if you are hungry, I know where you can get
+a choice dinner.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where?&rdquo; asked the wolf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is a house not far away, and I know
+a hole through which you can crawl into the
+kitchen. Once there you can eat and drink to
+your heart&#8217;s content.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The wolf did not know that Tom meant his
+own home; but the mention of these good things
+to eat made him very hungry, and following Tom&#8217;s
+directions he quickly reached the house.</p>
+
+<p>Things were exactly as promised. Tom waited
+till he was sure the wolf had eaten so much that
+he could not get out through the hole he came
+in. Then he called from inside the wolf: &ldquo;Father,
+mother, help! I am here&mdash;in the wolf&#8217;s body.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It did not take long for the father to finish the
+wolf and rescue his dear boy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We shall never let you go again, for all the
+riches of the world,&rdquo; said the mother and father.
+But Tom was rather pleased with his adventures.</p>
+
+<p>One day, when walking beside the river, he
+slipped and fell in. Before he had a chance to
+swim out a fish came along and swallowed him.
+Tom had escaped so often from such dangers that
+he was not much afraid. After a time the fish
+saw a dainty worm, and, little thinking that it
+was on a hook, took it in its mouth. Before it
+realized what had happened it was pulled out of
+the water, with Little Thumb still inside.</p>
+
+<p>Now, as luck would have it, this fish was to
+be for the King&#8217;s dinner. When the cook opened
+the fish to clean it and make it ready for broiling,
+out stepped Little Thumb, much to the astonishment
+and delight of everyone. The King said
+he had never seen so tiny and merry a fellow.
+He knighted him, and had Sir Thomas Thumb
+and his father and mother live in the palace the
+rest of their lives.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img313.jpg" width="500" height="236" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the reign of the famous King Edward III
+there was a little boy called Dick Whittington,
+whose father and mother died when he was very
+young, so that he remembered nothing at all about
+them, and was left a ragged little fellow, running
+about a country village. As poor Dick was not
+old enough to work, he was very badly off; he
+got but little for his dinner, and sometimes nothing
+at all for his breakfast; for the people who
+lived in the village were very poor indeed, and
+could not spare him much more than the parings
+of potatoes, and now and then a hard crust of
+bread.</p>
+
+<p>For all this Dick Whittington was a very sharp
+boy, and was always listening to what everybody
+talked about. On Sunday he was sure to get
+near the farmers, as they sat talking on the
+tombstones in the churchyard, before the parson
+was come; and once a week you might see little
+Dick leaning against the sign-post of the village
+inn, where people stopped as they came from the
+next market town; and when the barber&#8217;s shop
+door was open, Dick listened to all the news that
+his customers told one another.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner Dick heard a great many very
+strange things about the great city called London;
+for the foolish country people at that time
+thought that folks in London were all fine gentlemen
+and ladies; and that there was singing and
+music there all day long; and that the streets
+were all paved with gold.</p>
+
+<p>One day a large wagon and eight horses, all
+with bells at their heads, drove through the village
+while Dick was standing by the sign-post.
+He thought that this wagon must be going to the
+fine town of London; so he took courage, and
+asked the wagoner to let him walk with him by
+the side of the wagon. As soon as the wagoner
+heard that poor Dick had no father or mother,
+and saw by his ragged clothes that he could not
+be worse off than he was, he told him he might
+go if he would, so they set off together.</p>
+
+<p>It has never been found out how little Dick
+contrived to get meat and drink on the road;
+nor how he could walk so far, for it was a long
+way; nor what he did at night for a place to lie
+down and sleep. Perhaps some good-natured people
+in the towns that he passed through, when
+they saw he was a poor little ragged boy, gave
+him something to eat; and perhaps the wagoner
+let him get into the wagon at night, and take a
+nap upon one of the boxes or large parcels in
+the wagon.</p>
+
+<p>Dick however got safe to London, and was in
+such a hurry to see the fine streets paved all over
+with gold, that he ran as fast as his legs would
+carry him, through many of the streets, thinking
+every moment to come to those that were paved
+with gold; for Dick had seen a guinea three times
+in his own little village, and remembered what
+a deal of money it brought in change; so he
+thought he had nothing to do but to take up
+some little bits of the pavement, and should then
+have as much money as he could wish for.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Dick ran till he was tired; but at last,
+finding it grew dark, and that every way he turned
+he saw nothing but dirt instead of gold, he sat
+down in a dark corner and cried himself to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Little Dick was all night in the streets; and
+next morning, being very hungry, he got up and
+walked about, and asked everybody he met to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span>
+give him a halfpenny to keep him from starving;
+but nobody stayed to answer him, and only two
+or three gave him a halfpenny; so that the poor
+boy was soon quite weak and faint for the want
+of food.</p>
+
+<p>At last a good-natured looking gentleman saw
+how hungry he looked. &ldquo;Why don&#8217;t you go to
+work, my lad?&rdquo; said he to Dick. &ldquo;That I would,
+but I do not know how to get any,&rdquo; answered
+Dick. &ldquo;If you are willing, come along with me,&rdquo;
+said the gentleman, and took him to a hay-field,
+where Dick worked briskly, and lived merrily till
+the hay was made.</p>
+
+<p>After this he found himself as badly off as
+before; and being almost starved again, he laid
+himself down at the door of Mr. Fitzwarren, a
+rich merchant. Here he was soon seen by the
+cook-maid, who was an ill-tempered creature,
+and happened just then to be very busy dressing
+dinner for her master and mistress; so she called
+out to poor Dick: &ldquo;What business have you there,
+you lazy rogue? there is nothing else but beggars;
+if you do not take yourself away, we will
+see how you will like a sousing of some dish-water;
+I have some here hot enough to make
+you jump.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just at that time, Mr. Fitzwarren himself came
+home to dinner; and when he saw a dirty ragged
+boy lying at the door, he said to him: &ldquo;Why do
+you lie there, my boy? You seem old enough
+to work; I am afraid you are inclined to be lazy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, indeed, sir,&rdquo; said Dick to him, &ldquo;that is
+not the case, for I would work with all my heart,
+but I do not know anybody, and I believe I am
+very sick for the want of food.&rdquo; &ldquo;Poor fellow,
+get up; let me see what ails you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dick now tried to rise, but was obliged to lie
+down again, being too weak to stand, for he had
+not eaten any food for three days, and was no
+longer able to run about and beg a halfpenny
+of people in the street. So the kind merchant
+ordered him to be taken into the house, and have
+a good dinner given him, and be kept to do what
+dirty work he was able for the cook.</p>
+
+<p>Little Dick would have lived very happy in this
+good family if it had not been for the ill-natured
+cook, who was finding fault and scolding him
+from morning to night, and besides, she was so
+fond of basting, that when she had no meat to
+baste, she would baste poor Dick&#8217;s head and
+shoulders with a broom, or anything else that
+happened to fall in her way. At last her ill-usage
+of him was told to Alice, Mr. Fitzwarren&#8217;s
+daughter, who told the cook she should be turned
+away if she did not treat him kinder.</p>
+
+<p>The ill-humor of the cook was now a little
+amended; but besides this Dick had another hardship
+to get over. His bed stood in a garret,
+where there were so many holes in the floor
+and the walls that every night he was tormented
+with rats and mice. A gentleman having given
+Dick a penny for cleaning his shoes, he thought
+he would buy a cat with it. The next day he
+saw a girl with a cat, and asked her if she would
+let him have it for a penny. The girl said she
+would, and at the same time told him the cat
+was an excellent mouser.</p>
+
+<p>Dick hid his cat in the garret, and always took
+care to carry a part of his dinner to her; and in
+a short time he had no more trouble with the
+rats and mice, but slept quite sound every night.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after this, his master had a ship ready to
+sail; and as he thought it right that all his servants
+should have some chance for good fortune
+as well as himself, he called them all into the
+parlor and asked them what they would send out.</p>
+
+<p>They all had something that they were willing
+to venture except poor Dick, who had neither
+money nor goods, and therefore could send
+nothing.</p>
+
+<p>For this reason he did not come into the parlor
+with the rest; but Miss Alice guessed what
+was the matter, and ordered him to be called in.
+She then said she would lay down some money
+for him, from her own purse; but the father
+told her this would not do, for it must be something
+of his own.</p>
+
+<p>When poor Dick heard this, he said he had
+nothing but a cat which he bought for a penny
+some time since of a little girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Fetch your cat then, my good boy,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Fitzwarren, &ldquo;and let her go.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dick went upstairs, and with tears in his eyes
+brought down poor puss, and gave her to the
+captain.</p>
+
+<p>All the company laughed at Dick&#8217;s odd venture;
+and Miss Alice, who felt pity for the poor
+boy, gave him some money to buy another cat.</p>
+
+<p>This, and many other marks of kindness shown
+him by Miss Alice, made the ill-tempered cook
+jealous of poor Dick, and she began to use him
+more cruelly than ever, and always made game
+of him for sending his cat to sea. She asked
+him if he thought his cat would sell for as much
+money as would buy a stick to beat him.</p>
+
+<p>At last poor Dick could not bear this usage
+any longer, and he thought he would run away
+from this place; so he packed up his few things,
+and started very early in the morning, on All-hallows
+Day, which is the first of November. He
+walked as far as Holloway; and there sat down
+on a stone, which to this day is called Whittington&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span>
+Stone, and began to think to himself which
+road he should take as he proceeded onward.</p>
+
+<p>While he was thinking what he should do, the
+Bells of Bow Church, which at that time had
+only six, began to ring, and he fancied their sound
+seemed to say to him:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Turn again, Whittington,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">Lord Mayor of London.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lord Mayor of London!&rdquo; said he to himself.
+&ldquo;Why, to be sure, I would put up with almost
+anything now, to be Lord Mayor of London, and
+ride in a fine coach, when I grow to be a man!
+Well, I will go back, and think nothing of the
+cuffing and scolding of the old cook, if I am to
+be Lord Mayor of London at last.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dick went back, and was lucky enough to get
+into the house, and set about his work, before
+the old cook came downstairs.</p>
+
+<p>The ship, with the cat on board, was a long
+time at sea; and was at last driven by the winds
+on a part of the coast of Barbary, where the
+only people were the Moors, that the English
+had never known before.</p>
+
+<p>The people then came in great numbers to see
+the sailors, who were of different color to themselves,
+and treated them very civilly; and, when
+they became better acquainted, were very eager
+to buy the fine things with which the ship was
+loaded.</p>
+
+<p>When the captain saw this, he sent patterns
+of the best things he had to the King of the country;
+who was so much pleased with them, that
+he ordered the captain to come to the palace.
+Here the guests were placed, as it is the custom
+of the country, on rich carpets marked with gold
+and silver flowers. The King and Queen were
+seated at the upper end of the room; and a number
+of dishes were brought in for dinner. They
+had not sat long, when a vast number of rats
+and mice rushed in, helping themselves from
+almost every dish. The captain wondered at this,
+and asked if these vermin were not very unpleasant.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;very offensive; and the
+King would give half his treasure to be freed
+of them, for they not only destroy his dinner,
+as you see, but they assault him in his chamber,
+and even in bed, so that he is obliged to be
+watched while he is sleeping for fear of them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The captain jumped for joy; he remembered
+poor Whittington and his cat, and told the King
+he had a creature on board the ship that would
+despatch all these vermin immediately. The
+King&#8217;s heart heaved so high at the joy which
+this news gave him that his turban dropped off
+his head. &ldquo;Bring this creature to me,&rdquo; says he;
+&ldquo;vermin are dreadful in a court, and if she will
+perform what you say, I will load your ship
+with gold and jewels in exchange for her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The captain, who knew his business, took this
+opportunity to set forth the merits of Miss Puss.
+He told his Majesty that it would be inconvenient
+to part with her, as, when she was gone, the rats
+and mice might destroy the goods in the ship;
+but to oblige his Majesty he would fetch her.
+&ldquo;Run, run!&rdquo; said the Queen; &ldquo;I am impatient
+to see the dear creature.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Away went the captain to the ship, while another
+dinner was got ready. He put puss under
+his arm, and arrived at the place soon enough
+to see the table full of rats.</p>
+
+<p>When the cat saw them, she did not wait for
+bidding, but jumped out of the captain&#8217;s arms,
+and in a few minutes laid almost all the rats and
+mice dead at her feet. The rest of them in their
+fright scampered away to their holes.</p>
+
+<p>The King and Queen were quite charmed to
+get so easily rid of such plagues, and desired
+that the creature who had done them so great
+a kindness might be brought to them for inspection.
+Upon which the captain called: &ldquo;Pussy,
+pussy, pussy!&rdquo; and she came to him. He then
+presented her to the Queen, who started back,
+and was afraid to touch a creature who had made
+such a havoc among the rats and mice. However,
+when the captain stroked the cat and called:
+&ldquo;Pussy, pussy,&rdquo; the Queen also touched her and
+cried, &ldquo;Putty, putty,&rdquo; for she had not learned
+English. He then put her down on the Queen&#8217;s
+lap, where she, purring, played with her Majesty&#8217;s
+hand, and then sung herself to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>The King, having seen the exploits of Mistress
+Puss, and being informed that some day she would
+have some little kitties, which in turn would have
+other little kitties, and thus stock the whole country,
+bargained with the captain for the ship&#8217;s
+entire cargo, and then gave him ten times as
+much for the cat as all the rest amounted to.</p>
+
+<p>The captain then took leave of the royal party,
+and set sail with a fair wind for England, and
+after a happy voyage arrived safe in London.</p>
+
+<p>One morning Mr. Fitzwarren had just come to
+his counting-house and seated himself at the desk,
+when somebody came tap, tap, at the door. &ldquo;Who&#8217;s
+there?&rdquo; asked Mr. Fitzwarren. &ldquo;A friend,&rdquo; answered
+the other; &ldquo;I come to bring you good
+news of your ship &lsquo;Unicorn.&rsquo;&rdquo; The merchant,
+bustling up instantly, opened the door, and who
+should be seen waiting but the captain and factor,
+with a cabinet of jewels, and a bill of lading,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span>
+for which the merchant lifted up his eyes and
+thanked heaven for sending him such a prosperous
+voyage.</p>
+
+<p>Then they told the story of the cat, and showed
+the rich present that the King and Queen had
+sent for her to poor Dick. As soon as the merchant
+heard this, he called out to his servants:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Go fetch him&mdash;we will tell him of the same;<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">Pray call him Mr. Whittington by name.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Mr. Fitzwarren now showed himself to be a
+good man; for when some of his servants said
+so great a treasure was too much for him, he
+answered: &ldquo;God forbid I should deprive him of
+the value of a single penny.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He then sent for Dick, who at that time was
+scouring pots for the cook, and was quite dirty.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Fitzwarren ordered a chair to be set for
+him, and so he began to think they were making
+game of him, at the same time begging them not
+to play tricks with a poor simple boy, but to let
+him go down again, if they pleased, to his work.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, Mr. Whittington,&rdquo; said the merchant,
+&ldquo;we are all quite in earnest with you, and I most
+heartily rejoice in the news these gentlemen have
+brought you; for the captain has sold your cat
+to the King of Barbary, and brought you in return
+for her more riches than I possess in the
+whole world; and I wish you may long enjoy
+them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Fitzwarren then told the men to open the
+great treasure they had brought with them; and
+said: &ldquo;Mr. Whittington has nothing to do but
+to put it in some place of safety.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Poor Dick hardly knew how to behave himself
+for joy. He begged his master to take
+what part of it he pleased, since he owed it
+all to his kindness. &ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; answered Mr.
+Fitzwarren, &ldquo;this is all your own; and I
+have no doubt but you will use it well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dick next asked his mistress, and then Miss
+Alice, to accept a part of his good fortune; but
+they would not, and at the same time told him
+they felt great joy at his good success. But this
+poor fellow was too kind-hearted to keep it all
+to himself; so he made a present to the captain,
+the mate, and the rest of Mr. Fitzwarren&#8217;s servants;
+and even to the ill-natured old cook.</p>
+
+<p>After this Mr. Fitzwarren advised him to send
+for a proper tradesman, and get himself dressed
+like a gentleman; and told him he was welcome
+to live in his house till he could provide himself
+with a better.</p>
+
+<p>When Whittington&#8217;s face was washed, his hair
+curled, his hat cocked, and he was dressed in a
+nice suit of clothes, he was as handsome and
+genteel as any young man who visited at Mr.
+Fitzwarren&#8217;s; so that Miss Alice, who had once
+been so kind to him, and thought of him with
+pity, now looked upon him as fit to be her sweetheart;
+and the more so, no doubt, because Whittington
+was now always thinking what he could
+do to oblige her, and making her the prettiest
+presents that could be.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Fitzwarren soon saw their love for each
+other, and proposed to join them in marriage;
+and to this they both readily agreed. A day for
+the wedding was soon fixed; and they were attended
+to church by the Lord Mayor, the court
+of aldermen, the sheriffs, and a great number of
+the richest merchants in London, to whom they
+afterward gave a very rich feast.</p>
+
+<p>History tells us that Mr. Whittington and his
+lady lived in great splendor, and were very happy.
+They had several children. He was Sheriff of
+London, also Mayor, and received the honor of
+knighthood by Henry V.</p>
+
+<p>The figure of Sir Richard Whittington
+with his cat in his arms, carved in stone,
+was to be seen till the year 1780 over the
+archway of the old prison of Newgate, that
+stood across Newgate Street.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 332px;">
+<img src="images/img316.jpg" width="332" height="232" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span></p>
+<h2>WILD ROBIN</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Scotch Fairy Tale</em></p>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD BY SOPHIE MAY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>In the green valley of the Yarrow, near the
+castle-keep of Norham, dwelt an honest little
+family, whose only grief was an unhappy son,
+named Robin.</p>
+
+<p>Janet, with jimp form, bonnie eyes, and cherry
+cheeks, was the best of daughters; the boys,
+Sandie and Davie, were swift-footed, brave,
+kind, and obedient; but Robin, the youngest, had
+a stormy temper, and when his will was crossed
+he became as reckless as a reeling hurricane.
+Once, in a passion, he drove two of his father&#8217;s
+&ldquo;kye,&rdquo; or cattle, down a steep hill to their death.
+He seemed not to care for home or kindred, and
+often pierced the tender heart of his mother
+with sharp words. When she came at night, and
+&ldquo;happed&rdquo; the bed-clothes carefully about his
+form, and then stooped to kiss his nut-brown
+cheeks, he turned away with a frown, muttering:
+&ldquo;Mither, let me be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was a sad case with Wild Robin, who seemed
+to have neither love nor conscience.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My heart is sair,&rdquo; sighed his mother, &ldquo;wi&#8217;
+greeting over sich a son.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He hates our auld cottage and our muckle
+wark,&rdquo; said the poor father. &ldquo;Ah, weel! I could
+a&#8217;maist wish the fairies had him for a season, to
+teach him better manners.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This the gudeman said heedlessly, little knowing
+there was any danger of Robin&#8217;s being carried
+away to Elf-land. Whether the fairies were
+at that instant listening under the eaves, will
+never be known; but it chanced, one day, that
+Wild Robin was sent across the moors to fetch
+the kye.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll rin away,&rdquo; thought the boy; &ldquo;&#8217;t is hard
+indeed if ilka day a great lad like me must mind
+the kye. I&#8217;ll gae aff; and they&#8217;ll think me
+dead.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he gaed, and he gaed, over round swelling
+hills, over old battle-fields, past the roofless ruins
+of houses whose walls were crowned with tall
+climbing grasses, till he came to a crystal sheet
+of water called St. Mary&#8217;s Loch. Here he
+paused to take breath. The sky was dull and
+lowering; but at his feet were yellow flowers,
+which shone, on that gray day, like streaks of
+sunshine.</p>
+
+<p>He threw himself wearily upon the grass, not
+heeding that he had chosen his couch within a
+little mossy circle known as a &ldquo;fairy&#8217;s ring.&rdquo;
+Wild Robin knew that the country people would
+say the fays had pressed that green circle with
+their light feet. He had heard all the Scottish
+lore of brownies, elves, will-o&#8217;-the-wisps and the
+strange water-kelpies, who shriek with eldritch
+laughter. He had been told that the Queen of
+the Fairies had coveted him from his birth, and
+would have stolen him away, only that, just as
+she was about to seize him from the cradle, he
+had <em>sneezed</em>; and from that instant the fairy-spell
+was over, and she had no more control of
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Yet, in spite of all these stories, the boy was
+not afraid; and if he had been informed that
+any of the uncanny people were, even now, haunting
+his footsteps, he would not have believed it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I see,&rdquo; said Wild Robin, &ldquo;the sun is drawing
+his nightcap over his eyes, and dropping asleep.
+I believe I&#8217;ll e&#8217;en take a nap mysel&#8217;, and see
+what comes o&#8217; it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In two minutes he had forgotten St. Mary&#8217;s
+Loch, the hills, the moors, the yellow flowers.
+He heard, or fancied he heard, his sister Janet
+calling him home.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what have ye for supper?&rdquo; he muttered
+between his teeth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Parritch and milk,&rdquo; answered the lassie gently.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Parritch and milk! Whist! say nae mair!
+Lang, lang may ye wait for Wild Robin: he&#8217;ll
+not gae back for oatmeal parritch!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Next a sad voice fell on his ear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mither&#8217;s; and she mourns me dead!&rdquo; thought
+he; but it was only the far-off village-bell, which
+sounded like the echo of music he had heard lang
+syne, but might never hear again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;D&#8217; ye think I&#8217;m not alive?&rdquo; tolled the bell.
+&ldquo;I sit all day in my little wooden temple, brooding
+over the sins of the parish.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A brazen lie!&rdquo; cried Robin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay, the truth, as I&#8217;m a living soul! Wae
+worth ye, Robin Telfer: ye think yersel&#8217; hardly
+used. Say, have your brithers softer beds than
+yours? Is your ain father served with larger
+potatoes or creamier buttermilk? Whose mither
+sae kind as yours, ungrateful chiel? Gae to Elf-land,
+Wild Robin; and dool and wae follow ye!
+dool and wae follow ye!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The round yellow sun had dropped behind the
+hills; the evening breezes began to blow; and now
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span>
+could be heard the faint trampling of small hoofs,
+and the tinkling of tiny bridle-bells: the fairies
+were trooping over the ground. First of all rode
+the Queen.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Her mantle o&#8217; the velvet fine;</span><br />
+ At ilka tress of her horse&#8217;s mane<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hung fifty silver bells and nine.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>But Wild Robin&#8217;s closed eyes saw nothing: his
+sleep-sealed ears heard nothing. The Queen of
+the fairies dismounted, stole up to him, and laid
+her soft fingers on his cheeks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here is a little man after my ain heart,&rdquo; said
+she: &ldquo;I like his knitted brow, and the downward
+curve of his lips. Knights, lift him gently, set
+him on a red-roan steed, and waft him away to
+Fairy-land.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Wild Robin was lifted as gently as a brown
+leaf borne by the wind; he rode as softly as if
+the red-roan steed had been saddled with satin,
+and shod with velvet. It even may be that the
+faint tinkling of the bridle-bells lulled him into
+a deeper slumber; for when he awoke it was
+morning in Fairy-land.</p>
+
+<p>Robin sprang from his mossy couch, and stared
+about him. Where was he? He rubbed his eyes,
+and looked again. Dreaming, no doubt; but
+what meant all these nimble little beings bustling
+hither and thither in hot haste? What meant
+these pearl-bedecked caves, scarcely larger than
+swallow&#8217;s nests? these green canopies, overgrown
+with moss? He pinched himself, and gazed
+again. Countless flowers nodded to him, and
+seemed, like himself, on tip-toe with curiosity,
+he thought. He beckoned one of the busy,
+dwarfish little brownies toward him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I ken I&#8217;m talking in my sleep,&rdquo; said the
+lad; &ldquo;but can ye tell me what dell is this, and
+how I chanced to be in it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The brownie might or might not have heard;
+but, at any rate, he deigned no reply, and went
+on with his task, which was pounding seeds in
+a stone mortar.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Am I Robin Telfer, of the Valley of Yarrow,
+and yet canna shake aff my silly dreams?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Weel, my lad,&rdquo; quoth the Queen of the Fairies,
+giving him a smart tap with her wand, &ldquo;stir
+yersel&#8217;, and be at work; for naebody idles in
+Elf-land.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Bewildered Robin ventured a look at the little
+Queen. By daylight she seemed somewhat sleepy
+and tired; and was withal so tiny, that he might
+almost have taken her between his thumb and
+finger, and twirled her above his head; yet she
+poised herself before him on a mullein-stalk and
+looked every inch a queen. Robin found her
+gaze oppressive; for her eyes were hard, and
+cold, and gray, as if they had been little orbs
+of granite.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Get ye to work, Wild Robin!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What to do?&rdquo; meekly asked the boy, hungrily
+glancing at a few kernels of rye which had rolled
+out of one of the brownie&#8217;s mortars.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are ye hungry, my laddie? Touch a grain of
+rye if ye dare! Shell these dry beans; and if
+so be ye&#8217;re starving, eat as many as ye can boil
+in an acorn-cup.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words she gave the boy a withered
+bean-pod, and, summoning a meek little brownie,
+bade him see that the lad did not over-fill the
+acorn-cup, and that he did not so much as peck
+at a grain of rye. Then glancing sternly at her
+prisoner, she withdrew, sweeping after her the
+long train of her green robe.</p>
+
+<p>The dull days crept by, and still there seemed
+no hope that Wild Robin would ever escape from
+his beautiful but detested prison. He had no
+wings, poor laddie; and he could neither become
+invisible nor draw himself through a keyhole
+bodily.</p>
+
+<p>It is true, he had mortal companions: many
+chubby babies; many bright-eyed boys and girls,
+whose distracted parents were still seeking them,
+far and wide, upon the earth. It would almost
+seem that the wonders of Fairy-land might make
+the little prisoners happy. There were countless
+treasures to be had for the taking, and the
+very dust in the little streets was precious with
+specks of gold: but the poor children shivered
+for the want of a mother&#8217;s love; they all pined
+for the dear home-people. If a certain task
+seemed to them particularly irksome, the heartless
+Queen was sure to find it out, and oblige them
+to perform it, day after day. If they disliked
+any article of food, that, and no other, were they
+forced to eat, or else starve.</p>
+
+<p>Wild Robin, loathing his withered beans and
+unsalted broths, longed intensely for one little
+breath of fragrant steam from the toothsome
+parritch on his father&#8217;s table, one glance at a
+roasted potato. He was homesick for the gentle
+sister he had neglected, the rough brothers
+whose cheeks he had pelted black and blue; and
+yearned for the very chinks in the walls, the
+very thatch on the home-roof.</p>
+
+<p>Gladly would he have given every fairy flower,
+at the root of which clung a lump of gold ore,
+if he might have had his own coverlet &ldquo;happed&rdquo;
+about him once more by his gentle mother.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 376px;">
+<img src="images/img319.jpg" width="376" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;here is a little man after my ain heart,&rdquo;<br />
+said the queen of the fairies</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mither,&rdquo; he whispered in his dreams, &ldquo;my
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span>
+shoon are worn, and my feet bleed; but I&#8217;ll soon
+creep hame, if I can. Keep the parritch warm
+for me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Robin was as strong as a mountain-goat; and
+his strength was put to the task of threshing rye,
+grinding oats and corn, or drawing water from
+a brook.</p>
+
+<p>Every night, troops of gay fairies and plodding
+brownies stole off on a visit to the upper
+world, leaving Robin and his companions in ever-deeper
+despair. Poor Robin! he was fain to
+sing&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Oh, that my father had ne&#8217;er on me smiled!</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh, that my mother had ne&#8217;er to me sung!</span><br />
+ Oh, that my cradle had never been rocked,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">But that I had died when I was young.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Now, there was one good-natured brownie who
+pitied Robin. When he took a journey to earth
+with his fellow-brownies, he often threshed rye
+for the laddie&#8217;s father, or churned butter in his
+good mother&#8217;s dairy, unseen and unsuspected.
+If the little creature had been watched, and paid
+for these good offices, he would have left the
+farmhouse forever in sore displeasure.</p>
+
+<p>To homesick Robin he brought news of the
+family who mourned him as dead. He stole a
+silky tress of Janet&#8217;s fair hair, and wondered to
+see the boy weep over it; for brotherly affection
+is a sentiment which never yet penetrated the
+heart of a brownie. The dull little sprite would
+gladly have helped the poor lad to his freedom,
+but told him that only on one night of the year
+was there the least hope, and that was on Hallow-e&#8217;en,
+when the whole nation of fairies ride in procession
+through the streets of earth.</p>
+
+<p>So Robin was instructed to spin a dream,
+which the kind brownie would hum in Janet&#8217;s
+ear while she slept. By this means the lassie
+would not only learn that her brother was in
+the power of the elves, but would also learn how
+to release him.</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, the night before Hallow-e&#8217;en, the
+bonnie Janet dreamed that the long-lost Robin
+was living in Elf-land, and that he was to pass
+through the streets with a cavalcade of fairies.
+But, alas! how should even a sister know him
+in the dim starlight, among the passing troops
+of elfish and mortal riders? The dream assured
+her that she might let the first company go by,
+and the second; but Robin would be one of the
+third.</p>
+
+<p>The full directions as to how she should act
+were given in poetical form, as follows:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;First let pass the black, Janet,</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And syne let pass the brown;</span><br />
+ But grip ye to the milk-white steed,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And pull the rider down.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+ For <em>I</em> ride on the milk-white steed,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And aye nearest the town:</span><br />
+ Because I was a christened lad<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">They gave me that renown.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+ My right hand will be gloved, Janet;<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">My left hand will be bare;</span><br />
+ And these the tokens I give thee,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">No doubt I will be there.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+ They&#8217;ll shape me in your arms, Janet,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A toad, snake, and an eel;</span><br />
+ But hold me fast, nor let me gang,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">As you do love me weel.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+ They&#8217;ll shape me in your arms, Janet,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">A dove, bat, and a swan:</span><br />
+ Cast your green mantle over me,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">I&#8217;ll be myself again.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>The good sister Janet, far from remembering
+any of the old sins of her brother, wept for joy
+to know that he was yet among the living. She
+told no one of her strange dream; but hastened
+secretly to the Miles Cross, saw the strange
+cavalcade pricking through the greenwood, and
+pulled down the rider on the milk-white steed,
+holding him fast through all his changing shapes.
+But when she had thrown her green mantle over
+him, and clasped him in her arms as her own
+brother Robin, the angry voice of the Fairy Queen
+was heard.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Up then spake the Queen of Fairies,</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Out of a blush of rye:</span><br />
+ &lsquo;You&#8217;ve taken away the bonniest lad<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">In all my companie.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+ &lsquo;Had I but had the wit, yestreen,<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">That I have learned to-day,</span><br />
+ I&#8217;d pinned the sister to her bed<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ere he&#8217;d been won away!&rsquo;&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>However, it was too late now. Wild Robin
+was safe, and the elves had lost their power
+over him forever. His forgiving parents and his
+lead-hearted brothers welcomed him home with
+more than the old love.</p>
+
+<p>So grateful and happy was the poor laddie that
+he nevermore grumbled at his oatmeal parritch,
+or minded his kye with a scowling brow.</p>
+
+<p>But to the end of his days, when he heard
+mention of fairies and brownies, his mind wandered
+off in a mizmaze. He died in peace, and
+was buried on the banks of the Yarrow.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE STORY OF MERLIN</h2>
+
+<p>Merlin was a King in early Britain; he was
+also an Enchanter. No one knows who were
+his parents, or where he was born; but it is said
+that he was brought in by the white waves of the
+sea, and that, at the last, to the sea he returned.</p>
+
+<p>When Merlin was King of Britain, it was a
+delightful island of flowery meadows. His subjects
+were fairies, and they spent their lives in
+singing, playing, and enjoyment. The Prime
+Minister of Merlin was a tame wolf. Part of
+his kingdom was beneath the waves, and his subjects
+there were the mermaids. Here, too, everyone
+was happy, and the only want they ever felt
+was of the full light of the sun, which, coming
+to them through the water, was but faint and cast
+no shadow. Here was Merlin&#8217;s workshop, where
+he forged the enchanted sword Excalibur. This
+was given to King Arthur when he began to
+reign, and after his life was through it was flung
+into the ocean again, where it will remain until
+he returns to rule over a better kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>Merlin was King Arthur&#8217;s trusted counselor.
+He knew the past, present, and the future; he
+could foretell the result of a battle, and he had
+courage to rebuke even the bravest Knights for
+cowardice. On one occasion, when the battle
+seemed to be lost, he rode in among the enemy
+on a great white horse, carrying a banner with
+a golden dragon, which poured forth flaming fire
+from its throat. Because of this dragon, which
+became King Arthur&#8217;s emblem, Arthur was known
+as Pendragon, and always wore a golden dragon
+on the front of his helmet.</p>
+
+<p>Merlin was always fond of elfin tricks. He
+would disguise himself&mdash;now as a blind boy,
+again as an old witch, and once more as a dwarf.
+There was a song about him all over Britain,
+which began as follows:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Merlin, Merlin, where art thou going</span><br />
+ So early in the day, with thy black dog?<br />
+ Oi! oi! oi! oi! oi! oi! oi! oi! oi! oi!<br />
+ Oi! oi! oi! oi! oi!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This is the way the early British explained the
+gathering and arrangement of the vast stones
+of Stonehenge. After a famous battle had been
+won there, Merlin said: &ldquo;I will now cause a
+thing to be done that will endure to the world&#8217;s
+end.&rdquo; So he bade the King, who was the father
+of King Arthur, to send ships and men to Ireland.
+Here he showed him stones so great that
+no man could handle, but by his magic art he
+placed them upon the boats and they were borne
+to England. Again by his magic he showed how
+to transport them across the land; and after they
+were gathered he had them set on end, &ldquo;because,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;they would look fairer than as if they
+were lying down.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, strange to say, the greatest friend of
+Merlin was a little girl. Her name was Vivian;
+she was twelve years old, and she was the daughter
+of King Dionas. In order to make her acquaintance,
+Merlin changed himself into a young
+Squire, and when she asked him who was his
+master, he said: &ldquo;It is one who has taught me so
+much that I could here erect for you a castle,
+and I could make many people outside to attack
+it and inside to defend it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wish I could thus disport myself,&rdquo; answered
+Vivian. &ldquo;I would always love you if you could
+show me such wonders.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Merlin described a circle with his wand,
+and went back and sat down beside her. Within
+a few hours the castle was before her in the
+wood, Knights and ladies were singing in its
+courtyard, and an orchard in blossom grew about.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have I done what I promised?&rdquo; asked Merlin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Fair, sweet friend,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;you have done
+so much for me that I am always yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Vivian became like a daughter to the old magician,
+and he taught her many of the most wonderful
+things that any mortal heart could think
+of&mdash;things past, things that were done, and part
+of what was to come.</p>
+
+<p>You have been told in Tennyson that Vivian
+learned so many of Merlin&#8217;s enchantments that
+in his old age she took advantage of him and put
+him to sleep forever in the hollow of a tree. But
+the older legend gives us better news. He showed
+her how to make a tower without walls so they
+might dwell there together alone in peace. This
+tower was &ldquo;so strong that it may never be undone
+while the world endures.&rdquo; After it was
+finished he fell asleep with his head in her lap,
+and she wove a spell nine times around his head
+so that he might rest more peacefully.</p>
+
+<p>But the old enchanter does not sleep forever.
+Here in the forest of Broceliande, on a magic
+island, Merlin dwells with his nine bards, and
+only Vivian can come or go through the magic
+walls. It was toward this tower, so the legends
+say, that, after the passing of King Arthur, Merlin
+was last seen by some Irish monks, sailing
+away westward, with the maiden Vivian, in a
+boat of crystal, beneath the sunset sky.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 480px;">
+<img src="images/img322.jpg" width="480" height="483" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="sub1" style="margin-left: 30em;">Courtesy of A. Lofthouse</p>
+<p class="center"><span class="caption">the willow pattern</span></p>
+
+<p class="sub1">The plate of which this is a photograph was brought to America from
+England about 1875; it had at that time been
+in the possession of one family for a hundred years.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img323.jpg" width="500" height="119" alt="Japanese And Other Oriental Tales" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE CUB&#8217;S TRIUMPH</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived in a forest a badger
+and a mother fox with one little Cub.</p>
+
+<p>There were no other beasts in the wood, because
+the hunters had killed them all with bows
+and arrows, or by setting snares. The deer, and
+the wild boar, the hares, the weasels, and the
+stoats&mdash;even the bright little squirrels&mdash;had been
+shot, or had fallen into traps. At last, only the
+badger and the fox, with her young one, were
+left, and they were starving, for they dared not
+venture from their holes for fear of the traps.</p>
+
+<p>They did not know what to do, or where to
+turn for food. At last the badger said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have thought of a plan. I will pretend to be
+dead. You must change yourself into a man, and
+take me into the town and sell me. With the
+money you get for me, you must buy food and
+bring it into the forest. When I get a chance I
+will run away, and come back to you, and we will
+eat our dinner together. Mind you wait for me,
+and don&#8217;t eat any of it until I come. Next week
+it will be your turn to be dead, and my turn to
+sell&mdash;do you see?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The fox thought this plan would do very well;
+so, as soon as the badger had lain down and pretended
+to be dead, she said to her little Cub:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Be sure not to come out of the hole until I
+come back. Be very good and quiet, and I will
+soon bring you some nice dinner.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She then changed herself into a wood-cutter,
+took the badger by the heels and swung him over
+her shoulders, and trudged off into the town.
+There she sold the badger for a fair price, and
+with the money bought some fish, some <em>tofu</em>,<a name="FNanchor_M_13" id="FNanchor_M_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_M_13" class="fnanchor">[M]</a>
+and some vegetables. She then ran back to the
+forest as fast as she could, changed herself into
+a fox again, and crept into her hole to see if little
+Cub was all right. Little Cub was there, safe
+enough, but very hungry, and wanted to begin
+upon the <em>tofu</em> at once.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; said the mother fox. &ldquo;Fair play&#8217;s a
+jewel. We must wait for the badger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Soon the badger arrived, quite out of breath
+with running so fast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I hope you haven&#8217;t been eating any of the
+dinner,&rdquo; he panted. &ldquo;I could not get away sooner.
+The man you sold me to brought his wife to look
+at me, and boasted how cheap he had bought me.
+You should have asked twice as much. At last
+they left me alone, and then I jumped up and ran
+away as fast as I could.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The badger, the fox, and the Cub now sat down
+to dinner, and had a fine feast, the badger taking
+care to get the best bits for himself.</p>
+
+<p>Some days after, when all the food was finished,
+and they had begun to get hungry again,
+the badger said to the fox:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now it&#8217;s your turn to die.&rdquo; So the fox pretended
+to be dead, and the badger changed himself
+into a hunter, shouldered the fox, and went
+off to the town, where he made a good bargain,
+and sold her for a nice little sum of money.</p>
+
+<p>You have seen, already that the badger was
+greedy and selfish. What do you think he did
+now? He wished to have all the money, and all
+the food it would buy for himself, so he whispered
+to the man who had bought the fox:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That fox is only pretending to be dead; take
+care he doesn&#8217;t run away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&#8217;ll soon settle that,&rdquo; said the man, and he
+knocked the fox on the head with a big stick, and
+killed her.</p>
+
+<p>The badger next laid out the money in buying
+all the nice things he could think of. He carried
+them off to the forest, and there ate them all up
+himself, without giving one bit to the poor little
+Cub, who was all alone, crying for its mother,
+very sad, and very hungry.</p>
+
+<p>Poor little motherless Cub! But, being a clever
+little fox, he soon began to put two and two together,
+and at last felt quite sure that the badger
+had, in some way, caused the loss of his
+mother.</p>
+
+<p>He made up his mind that he would punish the
+badger; and, as he was not big enough or strong
+enough to do it by force, he was obliged to try
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span>
+another plan.</p>
+
+<p>He did not let the badger see how angry he
+was with him, but said in a friendly way:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let us have a game of changing ourselves
+into men. If you can change yourself so cleverly
+that I cannot find you out, you will have won the
+game; but, if I change myself so that you cannot
+find me out, then I shall have won the game. I
+will begin, if you like; and, you may be sure, I
+shall turn myself into somebody very grand while
+I am about it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The badger agreed. So then, instead of changing
+himself at all, the cunning little Cub just went
+and hid himself behind a tree, and watched to
+see what would happen. Presently there came
+along the bridge leading into the town a
+nobleman, seated in a sedan-chair, a great
+crowd of servants and men at arms following
+him.</p>
+
+<p>The badger was quite sure that this must be
+the fox, so he ran up to the sedan-chair, put in
+his head, and cried:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve found you out! I&#8217;ve won the game!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A badger! A badger! Off with his head,&rdquo; cried
+the nobleman.</p>
+
+<p>So one of the retainers cut off the badger&#8217;s
+head with one blow of his sharp sword, the little
+Cub all the time laughing unseen behind the
+tree.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_M_13" id="Footnote_M_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_M_13"><span class="label">[M]</span></a> Curd made from white beans.</p></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 377px;">
+<img src="images/img325.jpg" width="377" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the cub&#8217;s triumph</span>
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHIN" id="CHIN"></a>CHIN-CHIN KOBAKAMA</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once there was a little girl who was very pretty,
+but also very lazy. Her parents were rich, and
+had a great many servants; and these servants
+were very fond of the little girl, and did everything
+for her which she ought to have been able
+to do for herself. Perhaps this was what made
+her so lazy. When she grew up into a beautiful
+woman she still remained lazy; but as the servants
+always dressed and undressed her, and arranged
+her hair, she looked very charming, and
+nobody thought about her faults.</p>
+
+<p>At last she was married to a brave warrior, and
+went away with him to live in another house
+where there were but few servants. She was
+sorry not to have as many servants as she had
+had at home, because she was obliged to do several
+things for herself which other folks had always
+done for her, and it was a great deal of
+trouble to her to dress herself, and take care of
+her own clothes, and keep herself looking neat
+and pretty to please her husband. But as he was
+a warrior, and often had to be far away from
+home with the army, she could sometimes be just
+as lazy as she wished, and her husband&#8217;s parents
+were very old and good-natured, and never
+scolded her.</p>
+
+<p>Well, one night while her husband was away
+with the army, she was awakened by queer little
+noises in her room. By the light of a big paper
+lantern she could see very well, and she saw
+strange things.</p>
+
+<p>Hundreds of little men, dressed just like Japanese
+warriors, but only about one inch high,
+were dancing all around her pillow. They wore
+the same kind of dress her husband wore on holidays
+(<em>Kamishimo</em>, a long robe with square
+shoulders), and their hair was tied up in knots,
+and each wore two tiny swords. They all looked
+at her as they danced, and laughed, and they all
+sang the same song over and over again:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Chin-chin Kobakama,</span><br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Yomo fuk&eacute; s&#333;ro&mdash;</span><br />
+ Oshizumare, Hime-gimi!&mdash;<br />
+   <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ya ton ton!&mdash;&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Which meant: &ldquo;We are the Chin-chin Kobakama;
+the hour is late; sleep, honorable, noble
+darling!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The words seemed very polite, but she soon
+saw that the little men were only making cruel
+fun of her. They also made ugly faces at her.</p>
+
+<p>She tried to catch some of them, but they
+jumped about so quickly that she could not. Then
+she tried to drive them away, but they would
+not go, and they never stopped singing:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Chin-chin Kobakama....&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>and laughing at her. Then she knew they were
+little fairies, and became so frightened that she
+could not even cry out. They danced around her
+until morning; then they all vanished suddenly.</p>
+
+<p>She was ashamed to tell anybody what had
+happened, because, as she was the wife of a warrior,
+she did not wish anybody to know how
+frightened she had been.</p>
+
+<p>Next night, again, the little men came and
+danced; and they came also the night after that,
+and every night, always at the same hour, which
+the old Japanese used to call the &ldquo;hour of the
+ox&rdquo;; that is, about two o&#8217;clock in the morning by
+our time. At last she became very sick, through
+want of sleep and through fright. But the little
+men would not leave her alone.</p>
+
+<p>When her husband came back home he was
+very sorry to find her sick in bed. At first she
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span>
+was afraid to tell him what had made her ill, for
+fear that he would laugh at her. But he was so
+kind, and coaxed her so gently, that after a while
+she told him what happened every night.</p>
+
+<p>He did not laugh at her at all, but looked very
+serious for a time. Then he asked:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;At what time do they come?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She answered, &ldquo;Always at the same hour&mdash;the
+&lsquo;hour of the ox.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said her husband; &ldquo;to-night I
+shall hide, and watch for them. Do not be
+frightened.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So that night the warrior hid himself in a closet
+in the sleeping-room, and kept watch through a
+chink between the sliding doors.</p>
+
+<p>He waited and watched until the &ldquo;hour of the
+ox.&rdquo; Then, all at once, the little men came up
+through the mats, and began their dance and their
+song:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Chin-chin Kobakama,</span><br />
+ Yomo fuk&eacute; s&#333;ro....&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They looked so queer, and danced in such a
+funny way, that the warrior could scarcely keep
+from laughing. But he saw his young wife&#8217;s
+frightened face; and then, remembering that
+nearly all Japanese ghosts and goblins are afraid
+of a sword, he drew his blade and rushed out of
+the closet, and struck at the little dancers. Immediately
+they all turned into&mdash;what do you think?</p>
+
+<p class="center"><em>Toothpicks!</em></p>
+
+<p>There were no more little warriors&mdash;only a lot
+of old toothpicks scattered over the mats.</p>
+
+<p>The young wife had been too lazy to put her
+toothpicks away properly; and every day, after
+having used a new toothpick, she would stick it
+down between the mats on the floor, to get rid
+of it. So the little fairies who take care of the
+floor-mats became angry with her, and tormented
+her.</p>
+
+<p>Her husband scolded her, and she was so
+ashamed that she did not know what to do. A
+servant was called, and the toothpicks were taken
+away and burned, and after that the little men
+never came back again.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="MALLET" id="MALLET"></a>THE WONDERFUL MALLET</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there were two brothers. The
+elder was an honest and good man, but he was
+very poor, while the younger, who was dishonest
+and stingy, had managed to pile up a large fortune.
+The name of the elder was Kan&eacute;, and that
+of the younger was Ch&ocirc;.</p>
+
+<p>Now, one day Kan&eacute; went to Ch&ocirc;&#8217;s house, and
+begged for the loan of some seed-rice and some
+silkworms&#8217; eggs, for last season had been unfortunate,
+and he was in want of both.</p>
+
+<p>Ch&ocirc; had plenty of good rice and excellent silkworms&#8217;
+eggs, but he was such a miser that he did
+not want to lend them. At the same time, he felt
+ashamed to refuse his brother&#8217;s request, so he
+gave him some worm-eaten musty rice and some
+dead eggs, which he felt sure would never hatch.</p>
+
+<p>Kan&eacute;, never suspecting that his brother would
+play him such a shabby trick, put plenty of mulberry
+leaves with the eggs, to be food for the silkworms
+when they should appear. Appear they
+did, and throve and grew wonderfully, much better
+than those of the stingy brother, who was
+angry and jealous when he heard of it.</p>
+
+<p>Going to Kan&eacute;&#8217;s house one day, and finding his
+brother was out, Ch&ocirc; took a knife and killed all
+the silkworms, cutting each poor little creature in
+two; then he went home without having been
+seen by anybody.</p>
+
+<p>When Kan&eacute; came home he was dismayed to
+find his silkworms in this state, but he did not
+suspect who had done him this bad trick, and
+tried to feed them with mulberry leaves as before.
+The silkworms came to life again, and
+doubled the number, for now each half was a living
+worm. They grew and throve, and the silk
+they spun was twice as much as Kan&eacute; had expected.
+So now he began to prosper.</p>
+
+<p>The envious Ch&ocirc;, seeing this, cut all his own
+silkworms in half, but, alas! they did not come to
+life again, so he lost a great deal of money, and
+became more jealous than ever.</p>
+
+<p>Kan&eacute; also planted the rice-seed which he had
+borrowed from his brother, and it sprang up, and
+grew and flourished far better than Ch&ocirc;&#8217;s had
+done.</p>
+
+<p>The rice ripened well, and he was just intending
+to cut and harvest it when a flight of thousands
+upon thousands of swallows came and began
+to devour it. Kan&eacute; was much astonished, and
+shouted and made as much noise as he could in
+order to drive them away. They flew away, indeed,
+but came back immediately, so that he kept
+driving them away, and they kept flying back
+again.</p>
+
+<p>At last he pursued them into a distant field,
+where he lost sight of them. He was by this
+time so hot and tired that he sat down to rest.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span>
+By little and little his eyes closed, his head
+dropped upon a mossy bank, and he fell fast
+asleep.</p>
+
+<p>Then he dreamed that a merry band of children
+came into the field, laughing and shouting.
+They sat down upon the ground in a ring, and
+one who seemed the eldest, a boy of fourteen or
+fifteen, came close to the bank on which he lay
+asleep, and, raising a big stone near his head,
+drew from under it a small wooden Mallet.</p>
+
+<p>Then in his dream Kan&eacute; saw this big boy stand
+in the middle of the ring with the Mallet in his
+hand, and ask the children each in turn, &ldquo;What
+would you like the Mallet to bring you?&rdquo; The
+first child answered, &ldquo;A kite.&rdquo; The big boy shook
+the Mallet, upon which appeared immediately a
+fine kite with tail and string all complete. The
+next cried, &ldquo;A battledore.&rdquo; Out sprang a splendid
+battledore and a shower of shuttlecocks.
+Then a little girl shyly whispered, &ldquo;A doll.&rdquo; The
+Mallet was shaken, and there stood a beautifully
+dressed doll. &ldquo;I should like all the fairy-tale
+books that have ever been written in the whole
+world,&rdquo; said a bright-eyed intelligent maiden, and
+no sooner had she spoken than piles upon piles
+of beautiful books appeared. And so at last the
+wishes of all the children were granted, and they
+stayed a long time in the field with the things the
+Mallet had given them. At last they got tired,
+and prepared to go home; the big boy first carefully
+hiding the Mallet under the stone from
+whence he had taken it. Then all the children
+went away.</p>
+
+<p>Presently Kan&eacute; awoke, and gradually remembered
+his dream. In preparing to rise he turned
+round, and there, close to where his head had
+lain, was the big stone he had seen in his dream.
+&ldquo;How strange!&rdquo; he thought, expecting he hardly
+knew what; he raised the stone, and there lay the
+Mallet!</p>
+
+<p>He took it home with him, and, following the
+example of the children he had seen in his dream,
+shook it, at the same time calling out, &ldquo;Gold&rdquo; or
+&ldquo;Rice,&rdquo; &ldquo;Silk&rdquo; or &ldquo;Sak&eacute;.&rdquo; Whatever he called
+for flew immediately out of the Mallet, so that he
+could have everything he wanted, and as much of
+it as he liked.</p>
+
+<p>Kan&eacute; being now a rich and prosperous man,
+Ch&ocirc; was of course jealous of him, and determined
+to find a magic mallet which would do as
+much for him. He came, therefore, to Kan&eacute; and
+borrowed seed-rice, which he planted and tended
+with care, being impatient for it to grow and
+ripen soon.</p>
+
+<p>It grew well and ripened soon, and now Ch&ocirc;
+watched daily for the swallows to appear. And,
+to be sure, one day a flight of swallows came and
+began to eat up the rice.</p>
+
+<p>Ch&ocirc; was delighted at this, and drove them
+away, pursuing them to the distant field where
+Kan&eacute; had followed them before. There he lay
+down, intending to go to sleep as his brother had
+done, but the more he tried to go to sleep the
+wider awake he seemed.</p>
+
+<p>Presently the band of children came skipping
+and jumping, so he shut his eyes and pretended to
+be asleep, but all the time watched anxiously what
+the children would do. They sat down in a ring,
+as before, and the big boy came close to Ch&ocirc;&#8217;s
+head and lifted the stone. He put down his hand
+to lift the Mallet, but no mallet was there.</p>
+
+<p>One of the children said, &ldquo;Perhaps that lazy
+old farmer has taken our Mallet.&rdquo; So the big
+boy laid hold of Ch&ocirc;&#8217;s nose, which was rather
+long, and gave it a good pinch, and all the other
+children ran up and pinched and pulled his nose,
+and the nose itself got longer and longer; first it
+hung down to his chin, then over his chest, next
+down to his knees, and at last to his very feet.</p>
+
+<p>It was in vain that Ch&ocirc; protested his innocence;
+the children pinched and pummeled him to
+their hearts&#8217; content, then capered round him,
+shouting and laughing, and making game of him,
+and so at last went away.</p>
+
+<p>Now Ch&ocirc; was left alone, a sad and angry man.
+Holding his long nose painfully in both hands, he
+slowly took his way toward his brother Kan&eacute;&#8217;s
+house. Here he related all that had happened to
+him from the very day when he had behaved so
+badly about the seed-rice and silkworms&#8217; eggs.
+He humbly begged his brother to pardon him,
+and, if possible, do something to restore his unfortunate
+nose to its proper size.</p>
+
+<p>The kind-hearted Kan&eacute; pitied him, and said:
+&ldquo;You have been dishonest and mean, and selfish
+and envious, and that is why you have got this
+punishment. If you promise to behave better for
+the future, I will try what can be done.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So saying, he took the Mallet and rubbed Ch&ocirc;&#8217;s
+nose with it gently, and the nose gradually became
+shorter and shorter until at last it came back
+to its proper shape and size. But ever after, if
+at any time Ch&ocirc; felt inclined to be selfish and dishonest,
+as he did now and then, his nose began to
+smart and burn, and he fancied he felt it beginning
+to grow. So great was his terror of having
+a long nose again that these symptoms
+never failed to bring him back to his good behavior.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE SELFISH SPARROW<br />
+AND THE HOUSELESS CROWS</h2>
+
+
+<p>A Sparrow once built a nice little house for herself,
+and lined it well with wool and protected it
+with sticks, so that it resisted equally the summer
+sun and the winter rains. A Crow who lived
+close by had also built a house, but it was not
+such a good one, being only made of a few sticks
+laid one above another on the top of a prickly-pear
+hedge. The consequence was that one day,
+when there was an unusually heavy shower, the
+Crow&#8217;s nest was washed away, while the Sparrow&#8217;s
+was not at all injured.</p>
+
+<p>In this extremity the Crow and her mate went
+to the Sparrow, and said: &ldquo;Sparrow, Sparrow,
+have pity on us and give us shelter, for the wind
+blows and the rain beats, and the prickly-pear
+hedge-thorns stick into our eyes.&rdquo; But the Sparrow
+answered: &ldquo;I&#8217;m cooking the dinner; I cannot
+let you in now; come again presently.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In a little while the Crows returned and said:
+&ldquo;Sparrow, Sparrow, have pity on us and give us
+shelter, for the wind blows and the rain beats, and
+the prickly-pear hedge-thorns stick into our eyes.&rdquo;
+The Sparrow answered: &ldquo;I&#8217;m eating my dinner;
+I cannot let you in now; come again presently.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Crows flew away, but in a little while returned,
+and cried once more: &ldquo;Sparrow, Sparrow,
+have pity on us and give us shelter, for the wind
+blows and the rain beats, and the prickly-pear
+hedge-thorns stick into our eyes.&rdquo; The Sparrow
+replied: &ldquo;I&#8217;m washing my dishes; I cannot let
+you in now; come again presently.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Crows waited a while and then called out:
+&ldquo;Sparrow, Sparrow, have pity on us and give us
+shelter, for the wind blows and the rain beats,
+and the prickly-pear hedge-thorns stick into our
+eyes.&rdquo; But the Sparrow would not let them in;
+she only answered: &ldquo;I&#8217;m sweeping the floor; I
+cannot let you in now; come again presently.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Next time the Crows came and cried: &ldquo;Sparrow,
+Sparrow, have pity on us and give us shelter,
+for the wind blows and the rain beats, and
+the prickly-pear hedge-thorns stick into our eyes.&rdquo;
+She answered: &ldquo;I&#8217;m making the beds; I cannot
+let you in now; come again presently.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So, on one pretense or another she refused to
+help the poor birds. At last, when she and her
+children had had their dinner, and she had prepared
+and put away the dinner for next day, and
+had put all the children to bed and gone to bed
+herself, she cried to the Crows: &ldquo;You may come
+in now and take shelter for the night.&rdquo; The
+Crows came in, but they were much vexed at having
+been kept out so long in the wind and the
+rain, and when the Sparrow and all her family
+were asleep, the one said to the other: &ldquo;This
+selfish Sparrow had no pity on us; she gave us
+no dinner, and would not let us in till she and all
+her children were comfortably in bed; let us punish
+her.&rdquo; So the two Crows took all the nice dinner
+the Sparrow had prepared for herself and her
+children to eat the next day, and flew away with
+it.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 377px;">
+<img src="images/img329.jpg" width="377" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the selfish sparrow and the houseless crows</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="ZIRAC" id="ZIRAC"></a>THE STORY OF ZIRAC</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time a raven, a rat, and a tortoise,
+having agreed to be friends together, were having
+a pleasant chat when they saw a wild goat making
+its way toward them with surprising swiftness.
+They took it for granted by her speed that
+she was pursued by some hunter, and they at
+once without ceremony separated, every one to
+take care of himself. The tortoise slipped into
+the water, the rat crept into a hole, which he fortunately
+found near at hand, and the raven hid
+himself among the boughs of a very high tree.
+In the meantime the goat stopped quite suddenly,
+and stood to rest herself by the side of a fountain,
+when the raven, who had looked all round
+and perceived no one, called to the tortoise, who
+immediately peeped above the water, and seeing
+the goat afraid to drink, said: &ldquo;Drink boldly, my
+friend, for the water is very clear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After the goat had done so, the tortoise continued:
+&ldquo;Pray tell me what is the reason you appear
+in such distress?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Reason enough,&rdquo; said the goat; &ldquo;for I have
+just made my escape out of the hands of a
+hunter, who pursued me with an eager chase.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said the tortoise, &ldquo;I am glad you are
+safe. I have an offer to make you. If you like
+our company, stay here and be one of our friends;
+you will find our hearts honest and our company
+useful to you. The sages say that a number of
+friends lessens trouble.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After this short speech the raven and the rat
+joined in the invitation, so that the goat at once
+promised to become one of them, each promising
+the other to prove himself a real and true friend
+whatever might happen in days to come. After
+this agreement these four friends lived in perfect
+harmony for a very long time, and spent their
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span>
+time pleasantly together. But one day, as the tortoise,
+the rat, and the raven were met, as they
+used to do, by the side of the fountain, the goat
+was missing. This gave great trouble to them,
+as they knew not what had happened. They very
+soon came to a resolution, however, to seek for
+and assist the goat, so the raven at once mounted
+into the air to see what discoveries he could
+make; and looking round about him, at length, to
+his great sorrow, saw at a distance the poor goat
+entangled in a hunter&#8217;s net. He immediately
+dropped down in order to acquaint the rat and
+tortoise with what he had seen; and you may be
+sure that these ill tidings caused great grief.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What shall we do?&rdquo; said they.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We have promised firm friendship to one another
+and lived very happily together so long,&rdquo;
+said the tortoise, &ldquo;that it would be shameful to
+break the bond and not act up to all we said. We
+cannot leave our innocent and good-natured companion
+in this dire distress and great danger.
+No! we must find some way to deliver our poor
+friend goat out of captivity.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the raven to the rat, who was nicknamed
+Zirac: &ldquo;Remember, O excellent Zirac, there is
+none but thyself able to set our friend at liberty;
+and the business must be quickly done for fear
+the huntsman should lay his hands upon her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Doubt not,&rdquo; replied Zirac, &ldquo;but that I will do
+my best, so let us go at once that no time may be
+lost.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On this the raven took up Zirac in his bill and
+flew with him to the place where the poor goat
+was confined in the net. No sooner had he arrived
+than he at once commenced to gnaw the
+meshes of the net that held the goat&#8217;s foot and
+had almost set him at liberty when the tortoise
+arrived.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the goat saw the tortoise she cried
+out with a loud voice: &ldquo;Oh, why have you ventured
+to come hither, friend tortoise?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because I could no longer bear your absence,&rdquo;
+replied the tortoise.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear friend,&rdquo; said the goat, &ldquo;your coming to
+this place troubles me as much as the loss of my
+own liberty; for if the hunter should happen to
+come, what would you do to make your escape?
+For my part I am almost free, and my being able
+to run will prevent me from falling into his hands
+again; our friend the raven can find safety in
+flight, and Zirac can run into any hole. Only
+you, who are so slow of foot, will become the
+hunter&#8217;s prey.&rdquo; No sooner had the goat thus
+spoken, when sure enough the hunter appeared;
+but the goat, being free, swiftly ran away; the
+raven mounted into the air, and Zirac slipped
+into a hole, and true enough, as the goat had said,
+only the slow-paced tortoise remained without
+help.</p>
+
+<p>When the hunter arrived he was a little surprised
+to see his net broken and the goat missing.
+This was no small vexation to him, and caused
+him to look closely around, to see if he could discover
+who had done the mischief; and unfortunately,
+in thus searching, he spied the tortoise.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! oh!&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;Very good; I am glad
+to see you here. I find I shall not go home
+empty-handed after all; here is a plump tortoise,
+and that is worth something, I&#8217;m sure.&rdquo; Thus
+saying, he took up the tortoise, put it in a sack,
+threw the sack over his shoulder, and was soon
+trudging home.</p>
+
+<p>After he had gone the three friends came out
+from their several hiding-places, and met together,
+when, missing the tortoise, they at once
+judged what had become of him. Then, uttering
+bitter cries and lamentations, they shed torrents
+of tears. At length the raven broke the silence,
+and said: &ldquo;Dear friends, our moans and sorrow
+do not help the tortoise. We must, if it be at all
+possible, devise some means of saving his life.
+Our sages have often told us that there are three
+persons that are never well known but on special
+occasions&mdash;men of courage in fight, men of honesty
+in business, and a true friend in extreme
+necessity. We find, alas! our dear companion
+the tortoise is in a sad condition, and therefore we
+must, if possible, help him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is first-class advice,&rdquo; replied Zirac. &ldquo;Now
+I think I know how it can be done. Let our friend
+the goat go and show herself to the hunter, who
+will then be certain to lay down the sack to run
+after her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said the goat, &ldquo;I will pretend to
+be lame, and run limping at a little distance before
+him, which will encourage him to follow me,
+and thus draw him a good way from his sack,
+which will give Zirac time to set our friend at
+liberty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This plan appeared such a good one that it was
+at once approved of, and immediately the goat ran
+halting before the hunter, and appeared to be so
+feeble and faint that her pursuer thought he had
+her safe in his clutches again, and so, laying down
+his sack, ran after the goat with all his might.
+That cunning creature suffered him now and
+again almost to come up to her, and then led him
+another wild-goose chase till at last she had lured
+him out of sight; which Zirac seeing, began
+gnawing the string that tied the mouth of the
+sack, and soon set free the tortoise, who went at
+once and hid himself in a thick bush.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 378px;">
+<img src="images/img331.jpg" width="378" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;oh, why have you ventured to come?&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>At length the hunter, tired of running after
+his prey, gave up the chase, and returned to take
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span>
+up his sack.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I have something safe; thou
+art not quite so swift as that plaguing goat; and
+if thou wert, art too well confined here to find the
+way to make thy little legs any use to thee.&rdquo; So
+saying, he went to the bag, but not finding the
+tortoise he was amazed, and thought himself in
+a region of hobgoblins and spirits, since he had
+by some mysterious means lost two valuable objects,
+a goat and a tortoise! He did not know,
+you see, what wonders true friendship can work
+when all are pledged to help one another.</p>
+
+<p>The four friends soon met together again, congratulated
+one another on their escapes, made
+afresh their vows of friendship, and declared that
+they would never separate until death parted
+them.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="RICE" id="RICE"></a>MY LORD BAG OF RICE</h2>
+
+
+<p>Long, long ago there lived in Japan a brave warrior
+known to all as Tawara Toda, or &ldquo;My Lord
+Bag of Rice.&rdquo; His true name was Fujiwara
+Hidesato, and there is a very interesting story
+of how he came to change his name.</p>
+
+<p>One day he sallied forth in search of adventures,
+for he had the nature of a warrior and
+could not bear to be idle. So he buckled on his
+two swords, took his huge bow, much taller than
+himself, in his hand, and slinging his quiver on
+his back started out. He had not gone far when
+he came to the bridge of Seta-no-Karashi spanning
+one end of the beautiful Lake Biwa. No
+sooner had he set foot on the bridge than he saw
+lying right across his path a huge serpent-dragon.
+Its body was so big that it looked like
+the trunk of a large pine tree and it took up the
+whole width of the bridge. One of its huge
+claws rested on the parapet of one side of the
+bridge, while its tail lay right against the other.
+The monster seemed to be asleep, and as it
+breathed, fire and smoke came out of its nostrils.</p>
+
+<p>At first Hidesato could not help feeling
+alarmed at the sight of this horrible reptile lying
+in his path, for he must either turn back or walk
+right over its body. He was a brave man, however,
+and putting aside all fear went forward
+dauntlessly. Crunch, crunch; he stepped now on
+the dragon&#8217;s body, now between its coils, and
+without even one glance backward he went on
+his way.</p>
+
+<p>He had only gone a few steps when he heard
+some one calling him from behind. On turning
+back he was much surprised to see that the monster
+dragon had entirely disappeared and in its
+place was a strange-looking man, who was bowing
+most ceremoniously to the ground. His red
+hair streamed over his shoulders and was surmounted
+by a crown in the shape of a dragon&#8217;s
+head, and his sea-green dress was patterned with
+shells. Hidesato knew at once that this was no
+ordinary mortal and he wondered much at the
+strange occurrence. Where had the dragon gone
+in such a short space of time? Or had it transformed
+itself into this man, and what did the
+whole thing mean? While these thoughts passed
+through his mind he had come up to the man on
+the bridge and now addressed him:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Was it you that called me just now?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, it was I,&rdquo; answered the man; &ldquo;I have an
+earnest request to make to you. Do you think
+you can grant it to me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If it is in my power to do so I will,&rdquo; answered
+Hidesato, &ldquo;but first tell me who you are?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am the Dragon King of the Lake, and my
+home is in these waters just under this bridge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what is it you have to ask of me?&rdquo; said
+Hidesato.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I want you to kill my mortal enemy the centipede,
+who lives on the mountain beyond,&rdquo; and
+the Dragon King pointed to a high peak on the
+opposite shore of the lake.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have lived now for many years in this lake
+and I have a large family of children and grandchildren.
+For some time past we have lived in
+terror, for a monster centipede has discovered
+our home, and night after night it comes and
+carries off one of my family. I am powerless to
+save them. If it goes on much longer like this,
+not only shall I lose all my children, but I myself
+must fall a victim to the monster. I am,
+therefore, very unhappy, and in my extremity
+I determined to ask the help of a human being.
+For many days with this intention I have waited
+on the bridge in the shape of the horrible serpent-dragon
+that you saw, in the hope that some
+strong brave man would come along. But all
+who came this way, as soon as they saw me
+were terrified and ran away as fast as they
+could. You are the first man I have found able
+to look at me without fear, so I knew at once
+that you were a man of great courage. I beg
+you to have pity upon me. Will you not help
+me and kill my enemy the centipede?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hidesato felt very sorry for the Dragon King
+on hearing his story, and readily promised to
+do what he could to help him. The warrior
+asked where the centipede lived, so that he
+might attack the creature at once. The Dragon
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span>
+King replied that its home was on the mountain
+Mikami, but that as it came every night at
+a certain hour to the palace of the lake, it would
+be better to wait till then. So Hidesato was
+conducted to the palace of the Dragon King,
+under the bridge. Strange to say, as he followed
+his host downward the waters parted to
+let them pass, and his clothes did not even feel
+damp as he passed through the flood. Never
+had Hidesato seen anything so beautiful as this
+palace built of white marble beneath the lake.
+He had often heard of the Sea King&#8217;s Palace at
+the bottom of the sea, where all the servants
+and retainers were salt-water fishes, but here
+was a magnificent building in the heart of Lake
+Biwa. The dainty goldfishes, red carp, and silvery
+trout, waited upon the Dragon King and
+his guest.</p>
+
+<p>Hidesato was astonished at the feast that was
+spread for him. The dishes were crystallized
+lotus leaves and flowers, and the chopsticks were
+of the rarest ebony. As soon as they sat down,
+the sliding doors opened and ten lovely goldfish
+dancers came out, and behind them followed ten
+red-carp musicians with the koto and the samisen.
+Thus the hours flew by till midnight, and the
+beautiful music and dancing had banished all
+thoughts of the centipede. The Dragon King
+was about to pledge the warrior in a fresh cup
+of wine when the palace was suddenly shaken
+by a tramp, tramp! as if a mighty army had
+begun to march not far away.</p>
+
+<p>Hidesato and his host both rose to their feet
+and rushed to the balcony, and the warrior saw
+on the opposite mountain two great balls of
+glowing fire coming nearer and nearer. The
+Dragon King stood by the warrior&#8217;s side trembling
+with fear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The centipede! The centipede! Those two
+balls of fire are its eyes. It is coming for its
+prey! Now is the time to kill it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hidesato looked where his host pointed, and,
+in the dim light of the starlit evening, behind
+the two balls of fire he saw the long body of an
+enormous centipede winding round the mountains,
+and the light in its hundred feet glowed
+like so many distant lanterns moving slowly toward
+the shore.</p>
+
+<p>Hidesato showed not the least sign of fear.
+He tried to calm the Dragon King.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t be afraid. I shall surely kill the
+centipede. Just bring me my bow and arrows.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dragon King did as he was bid, and the
+warrior noticed that he had only three arrows
+left in his quiver. He took the bow, and fitting
+an arrow to the notch, took careful aim and let
+fly.</p>
+
+<p>The arrow hit the centipede right in the middle
+of its head, but instead of penetrating, it
+glanced off harmless and fell to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing daunted, Hidesato took another arrow,
+fitted it to the notch of the bow and let fly.
+Again the arrow hit the mark, it struck the
+centipede right in the middle of its head, only
+to glance off and fall to the ground. The centipede
+was invulnerable to weapons! When the
+Dragon King saw that even this brave warrior&#8217;s
+arrows were powerless to kill the centipede, he
+lost heart and began to tremble with fear.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior saw that he had now only one
+arrow left in his quiver, and if this one failed
+he could not kill the centipede. He looked
+across the waters. The huge reptile had wound
+its horrid body seven times round the mountain and
+would soon come down to the lake. Nearer
+and nearer gleamed the fire-balls of eyes, and
+the light of its hundred feet began to throw reflections
+in the still waters of the lake.</p>
+
+<p>Then suddenly the warrior remembered that
+he had heard that human saliva was deadly to
+centipedes. But this was no ordinary centipede.
+This was so monstrous that even to think of
+such a creature made one creep with horror.
+Hidesato determined to try his last chance. So
+taking his last arrow and first putting the end
+of it in his mouth, he fitted the notch to his bow,
+took careful aim once more and let fly.</p>
+
+<p>This time the arrow again hit the centipede
+right in the middle of its head, but instead of
+glancing off harmlessly as before it struck home
+to the creature&#8217;s brain. Then with a convulsive
+shudder the serpentine body stopped moving,
+and the fiery light of its great eyes and hundred
+feet darkened to a dull glare like the sunset of
+a stormy day, and then went out in blackness.
+A great darkness now overspread the heavens,
+the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and
+the wind roared in fury, and it seemed as if the
+world were coming to an end. The Dragon King
+and his children and retainers all crouched in
+different parts of the palace, frightened to death,
+for the building was shaken to its foundations.
+At last the dreadful night was over. Day
+dawned beautiful and clear. The centipede was
+gone from the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>Then Hidesato called to the Dragon King to
+come out with him on the balcony, for the centipede
+was dead and he had nothing more to fear.</p>
+
+<p>Then all the inhabitants of the palace came
+out with joy, and Hidesato pointed to the lake.
+There lay the body of the dead centipede floating
+on the water, which was dyed red with its
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span>
+blood.</p>
+
+<p>The gratitude of the Dragon King knew no
+bounds. The whole family came and bowed
+down before the warrior, calling him their preserver
+and the bravest warrior in all Japan.</p>
+
+<p>Another feast was prepared, more sumptuous
+than the first. All kinds of fish, prepared in
+every imaginable way, raw, stewed, boiled and
+roasted, served on coral trays and crystal dishes,
+were put before him, and the wine was the best
+that Hidesato had ever tasted in his life. To
+add to the beauty of everything the sun shone
+brightly, the lake glittered like a liquid diamond,
+and the palace was a thousand times more beautiful
+by day than by night.</p>
+
+<p>His host tried to persuade the warrior to stay
+a few days, but Hidesato insisted on going home,
+saying that he had now finished what he had
+come to do, and must return. The Dragon King
+and his family were all very sorry to have him
+leave so soon, but since he would go they begged
+him to accept a few small presents (so they
+said) in token of their gratitude to him for delivering
+them for ever from their horrible enemy
+the centipede.</p>
+
+<p>As the warrior stood in the porch taking leave,
+a train of fish was suddenly transformed into a
+retinue of men, all wearing ceremonial robes and
+dragon&#8217;s crowns on their heads to show that they
+were servants of the great Dragon King. The
+presents that they carried were as follows:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+  First, a large bronze bell.<br />
+  Second, a bag of rice.<br />
+  Third, a roll of silk.<br />
+  Fourth, a cooking pot.<br />
+  Fifth, a bell.</p>
+
+<p>Hidesato did not want to accept all these presents,
+but as the Dragon King insisted, he could
+not well refuse.</p>
+
+<p>The Dragon King himself accompanied the
+warrior as far as the bridge, and then took leave
+of him with many bows and good wishes, leaving
+the procession of servants to accompany
+Hidesato to his house with the presents.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior&#8217;s household and servants had
+been very much concerned when they found that
+he did not return the night before, but they
+finally concluded that he had been kept by the
+violent storm and had taken shelter somewhere.
+When the servants on the watch for his return
+caught sight of him they called to every one that
+he was approaching, and the whole household
+turned out to meet him, wondering much what
+the retinue of men, bearing presents and banners,
+that followed him, could mean.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the Dragon King&#8217;s retainers had
+put down the presents they vanished, and Hidesato
+told all that had happened to him.</p>
+
+<p>The presents which he had received from the
+grateful Dragon King were found to be of magic
+power. The bell only was ordinary, and as
+Hidesato had no use for it he presented it to
+the temple near by, where it was hung up, to
+boom out the hour of day over the surrounding
+neighborhood.</p>
+
+<p>The single bag of rice, however much was
+taken from it day after day for the meals of the
+knight and his whole family, never grew less&mdash;the
+supply in the bag was inexhaustible.</p>
+
+<p>The roll of silk, too, never grew shorter,
+though time after time long pieces were cut off
+to make the warrior a new suit of clothes to go
+to Court in at the New Year.</p>
+
+<p>The cooking pot was wonderful, too. No matter
+what was put into it, it cooked deliciously
+whatever was wanted without any firing&mdash;truly
+a very economical saucepan.</p>
+
+<p>The fame of Hidesato&#8217;s fortune spread far
+and wide, and as there was no need for him to
+spend money on rice or silk or firing, he became
+very rich and prosperous, and was henceforth
+known as <em>My Lord Bag of Rice</em>.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 175px;">
+<img src="images/img334.jpg" width="175" height="112" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img335.jpg" width="500" height="151" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE LITTLE HARE OF OKI</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Japanese Fairy Tale</em></p>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD BY B. M. BURRELL</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Alice lived in New York, but she still had the
+nurse who had taken care of her when she was
+a tiny baby in far-away Japan. Nurse wore the
+picturesque kimono and obi of her native land,
+and looked so different from other people that
+friends often wondered how Alice could feel at
+home with her. Love, however, is the same the
+world over, and no one loved Alice better than
+did her little Japanese nurse.</p>
+
+<p>When Papa and Mama were at dinner, and
+Alice and Nurse had the library all to themselves
+till bedtime, the little girl would often pull two
+chairs up to the fire and say coaxingly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is just time for a story!&rdquo; And Nurse
+would smile her funny Japanese smile and begin:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Long, long ago, when the great Japanese gods
+ruled from high heaven,&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This was the beginning Alice liked best, for it
+meant that a fairy tale would follow. And Nurse
+would perhaps continue:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&mdash;a little hare lived on the island of Oki. It
+was a beautiful island, but the hare was not satisfied:
+he wished to get to the mainland. He did
+not know how to manage this; but one day he
+thought of a plan. Hopping down to the shore,
+he waited till a crocodile came out to sun himself,
+then opened a conversation with him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;There are, I suppose, many crocodiles in the
+sea,&rsquo; he began.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Many, many!&rsquo; the crocodile answered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Not so many, however, as there are hares
+on the island of Oki,&rsquo; returned the little hare.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;The crocodiles in the sea outnumber the hares
+of Oki as the drops in the sea outnumber the
+trees of the island,&rsquo; declared the crocodile, in his
+deepest voice.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;It does not seem right for a little bit of a
+creature like myself to differ with your lordship,&rsquo;
+said the hare, politely, &lsquo;but I should like to see
+a proof of your statement.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;How can we prove it?&rsquo; the crocodile questioned.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;You can call all your friends and place them
+from here to the mainland, each with his nose on
+the tail of the neighbor before him; then I can
+easily jump from one to the other, counting as I
+go.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The crocodile agreed to this plan, thinking it
+a good one. &lsquo;But how can we count the hares?&rsquo;
+he asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;That we will decide after I have numbered
+the crocodiles,&rsquo; the hare suggested.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The crocodile was satisfied, and bade the hare
+come to the same place next morning to do the
+counting. Of course the little animal was on
+hand bright and early.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There stretched an unbroken line of crocodiles,
+a floating bridge to the mainland!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The little hare lost no time hopping across it,
+you may be sure. As he reached the last crocodile
+and prepared to jump to shore, his heart was
+so full of pride at the success of his ruse that he
+could not resist crying aloud:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;How I have fooled you big creatures! I
+wished for a bridge to the mainland, and you
+have served my need!&rsquo; Then he jumped.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The last crocodile opened his wide jaws and
+closed them again with a snap. The hare was
+too quick to be caught, but the monster&#8217;s teeth
+touched him and tore off most of his fur! As the
+poor thing limped away, a crocodile called after
+him:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;You see what happens when you trifle with
+creatures stronger than yourself!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The little hare did not know much, but he felt
+that he was learning. He had no heart to explore
+the beauties of the mainland now, but crawled
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span>
+under a bush by the roadside and wished that
+some one would tell him how to cure his wounds.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;After some time he heard the noise of many
+people on the road. He crept out to see what
+was coming, and beheld a crowd of young men,
+carrying burdens as if they were on a journey.
+They were all tall and handsome, and wore beautiful
+clothes fit for princes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;One of them spied the little hare and cried:
+&lsquo;Well, friend, why do you look so sad?&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The hare, proud of being called &lsquo;friend&rsquo; by
+this fine gentleman, told how he had deceived the
+crocodiles. The men laughed loudly, and one of
+them said: &lsquo;Since you are so clever, it is strange
+that you do not know the best way to cure your
+wounds. You should bathe in the salt sea, and
+then climb a hill so that the Wind Goddess can
+blow upon you with her cool breath.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img336.jpg" width="500" height="355" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the princess and the hare</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The little hare thanked the strangers for their
+advice, and then asked them where they were
+journeying. They replied that they were eighty-one
+princes, all wishing to marry the princess
+of that country. She was very rich, and the
+responsibility of managing her wealth and kingdom
+was too much for her; so she had given
+notice that she desired to marry a wise and noble
+prince whom she could trust to rule for her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;So wealth and power do not always bring
+content?&rsquo; the hare questioned.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;They would content us!&rsquo; the eighty princes
+answered. (The eighty-first was not present.
+He was of a kindly and gentle disposition, which
+caused his brothers to laugh at and impose upon
+him. To-day they had given him most of the
+luggage to carry, so he could not walk as fast as
+they.) As they started on the way, one of the
+princes called to the hare: &lsquo;Good-by! And don&#8217;t
+forget to bathe your wounds in the salt sea!&rsquo;
+And with loud laughter they continued their
+journey.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The little hare did not give himself time to
+forget. He hurried to the shore and let the waves
+roll over him, but instead of making him feel
+better, the biting salt water only increased his
+pain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I must hurry to the Wind Goddess,&rsquo; the
+poor hare thought.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He climbed the high hill with difficulty and lay
+down on the top, hoping for relief from his suffering.
+But the stiff grass pricked his wounds,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span>
+and the biting wind caused them to throb more
+painfully. At last he realized that the cruel
+princes had deceived him, and he crawled back to
+his bush by the roadside, where he lay with closed
+eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A gentle voice roused him. &lsquo;Who has wounded
+you, little hare?&rsquo; it asked.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img337.jpg" width="500" height="357" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the good-natured prince and the princess</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;The little hare looked up and saw a beautiful
+youth standing beside him. His experience with
+men made him think that it would be best to fly
+from the stranger; but the young man&#8217;s kind
+glance conquered his fear, and he answered: &lsquo;I
+left the island of Oki to see the wonders of the
+mainland, and I have fared badly from the exchange.&rsquo;
+Then he told once more how he had left
+the island, and also about the bad advice the
+eighty princes had given him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The young man sighed. &lsquo;They used you ill,
+little creature,&rsquo; he said. &lsquo;You learned that it is
+foolish to meddle with beings stronger than yourself;
+now you see how wicked it is to torment
+those weaker. My brother princes should have
+told you to bathe in the fresh water of the river
+and to lie on the soft rushes. Now, good-by, little
+friend. May good luck attend you!&rsquo; And he
+walked quietly away, bending beneath the large
+burden he carried.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The little hare knew that the stranger was the
+eighty-first of the princes, and so for a time,
+he feared to follow his advice. But he was in
+such pain that he decided to go to the river,
+which flowed like a silver ribbon through the
+fields toward the ocean. Into the cool water he
+plunged and immediately felt better, as the sand
+and bitter salt of the sea were washed from his
+wounds. Then he took a nap on the soft rushes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When he awoke he no longer was in pain, so
+he was filled with gratitude toward the young
+prince who had given him such kind and wise
+advice. He sat up, feeling quite strong again,
+and tried to think of a way in which he could
+repay his benefactor. In the distance he saw the
+roofs of the princess&#8217;s palace rising among the
+trees which surrounded it. This gave him an
+idea, and he lost no time in carrying it out.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Across the fields he hopped toward the palace,
+never stopping till he reached the garden wall.
+He crept in under the high gate, and there stood
+the princess under a cherry-tree covered with
+blossoms. The little hare went up to her and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span>
+said respectfully:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Gracious Princess, I bring to you advice, if
+you will accept it from so insignificant a person
+as I.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Speak, little hare,&rsquo; the beautiful princess answered,
+for she knew that the best things are
+often found in unexpected places, and things are
+not always what they seem to be.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Eighty princes are coming to-day as suitors
+for your hand. They are dressed in rich and
+beautiful robes, and their faces are gay and smiling;
+but all that is only to hide the cruelty of
+their hearts. Following them is a young man
+who is as wise as he is kind and gentle. Turn
+the eighty from your gate, but honor the youngest
+suitor as greater than they.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;How do you know all this?&rsquo; the princess
+questioned.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So the little hare told his story for the third
+time, speaking so earnestly that the princess
+could not fail to be impressed by it. She thanked
+him for his advice, and after giving him some
+tender leaves to eat, prepared to receive the
+eighty-one brothers. They came a few minutes
+later, resplendent in the magnificent clothes they
+had put on in the princess&#8217;s honor. Indeed, they
+all looked so handsome that she found it hard to
+believe the story of their cruelty. While they
+were talking of their journey to her kingdom, however,
+some of the princes told how they had made
+sport of a little hare too stupid to know that salt
+was not the best thing for open wounds, and she
+noticed that the youngest brother was the only
+one who did not enjoy the story. At this, rage
+filled her gentle heart.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Turn out the eighty princes!&rsquo; she cried to
+her attendants; &lsquo;no one who is cruel to so small a
+creature as a little hare is fit to rule over a kingdom.
+But with you,&rsquo; she added, turning to the
+youngest prince, &lsquo;will I share my throne, for you
+are a wise and merciful man.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You may be sure the youngest prince was
+happy to hear that, for, after once seeing the
+beautiful princess, the thought of parting from
+her was like lead in his breast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So the cruel brothers were drummed out of
+the palace with shouts of scorn; but the gentle
+prince and princess went into the garden to thank
+the little hare. They could not find him, however,
+search as they would; for as soon as he
+learned of the success of his plan, he had hopped
+away to see the world, wiser for his day&#8217;s experiences.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is that all?&rdquo; Alice asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is all,&rdquo; Nurse answered. &ldquo;And now it
+is time for you to go to bed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img338.jpg" width="500" height="169" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img339a.jpg" width="500" height="165" alt="The Little Brother Of Loo Lee Loo" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>By <span class="smcap">Margaret Johnson</span></strong></p>
+
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 141px; margin-left: -1em;">
+<img src="images/img339b.jpg" width="141" height="225" alt="I" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 0em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">N flowery, fair Cathay,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">That kingdom far away,</span><br />
+ Where, odd as it seems, &#8217;t is always night when here we are having day,<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In the time of the great Ching-Wang,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In the city of proud Shi-Bang,</span><br />
+ In the glorious golden days of old when sage and poet sang,</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 0em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">There lived a nobleman who</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Was known as the Prince Choo-Choo.</span><br />
+ (It was long before the Chinaman wore his beautiful silken queue.)<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A learned prince was he,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">As rich as a prince could be,</span><br />
+ And his house so gay had a grand gateway, and a wonderful roof, sky-blue.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 9em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">His garden was bright with tints</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Of blossoming peach and quince,</span><br />
+ And a million flowers whose like has not been seen before or since;<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And set &#8217;mid delicate odors</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Were cute little toy pagodas,</span><br />
+ That looked exactly as if you <em>might</em> go in for ice-cream sodas!</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 9em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A silver fountain played</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In a bowl of carven jade,</span><br />
+ And pink and white in a crystal pond the waterlilies swayed.<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">But never a flower that grew</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In the garden of Prince Choo-Choo</span><br />
+ Was half so fair as his daughter there, the Princess Loo-lee Loo.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 245px;">
+<img src="images/img339c.jpg" width="245" height="406" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">loo-lee loo</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 9em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Each day she came and sat</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Oh her queer little bamboo mat.</span><br />
+ (And I hope she carried a doll or two, but I can&#8217;t be sure of that!)<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span>
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She watched the fountain toss,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And she gazed the bridge across,</span><br />
+ And she worked a bit of embroidery fine with a thread of silken floss.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 171px;">
+<img src="images/img340a.jpg" width="171" height="317" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">loo-lee loo and<br />
+little fing-wee</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She touched her wee guitar,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The gift of her prince-papa,</span><br />
+ And she hummed a queer little Chinese tune with a Chinese tra-la-la!<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">It was all that she had to do</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">To keep her from feeling blue,</span><br />
+ For terribly lonely and dull sometimes was poor little Loo-lee Loo.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her father had kites to fly</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Far up in the free blue sky</span><br />
+ (For a Chinaman loves with this elegant sport his leisure to occupy);<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And what with his drums and gongs,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And his numerous loud ding-dongs,</span><br />
+ He could have any day, in a princely way, a regular Fourth of July.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her mother, the fair Su-See,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Was as busy as she could be,</span><br />
+ Though she never went out, except, perhaps, to a neighboring afternoon tea;<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She was young herself, as yet,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And the minutes that she could get</span><br />
+ She spent in studying up the rules of Elegant Etiquette.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">So the princess nibbled her plums,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And twirled her dear little thumbs,</span><br />
+ And lent sometimes a wistful ear to the beating of distant drums;<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Until one April day&mdash;</span><br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 2em;"><em>Tsing Ming</em>, as they would say&mdash;</span><br />
+ She saw at the gate a sight that straight took Loo-lee&#8217;s breath away.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 221px;">
+<img src="images/img340b.jpg" width="221" height="398" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">su-see</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Two dimples, soft and meek,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In a brown little baby cheek,</span><br />
+ Two dear little eyes that met her own in a ravishing glance oblique;<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A chubby hand thrust through</span><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span>
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The palings of bamboo&mdash;</span><br />
+ A little Celestial, dropped, it seemed, straight out of the shining blue.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A playmate, a friend, a toy,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A live little baby boy&mdash;</span><br />
+ Conceive, if you can, in her lonely state, the Princess Loo-lee&#8217;s joy!<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">How, as fast as her feet could toddle</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">(Her shoes were a Chinese model),</span><br />
+ She hurried him in, and almost turned his dear little wondering noddle.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;Oh, is it,&rdquo; she bent to say</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In her courteous Chinese way,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;In my very contemptible garden, dear, your illustrious wish to play?&rdquo;</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And when he nodded his head</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She knew that he would have said,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;My insignificant feet are proud your honored estate to tread!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Oh, then, but the garden rang</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">With laughter and joy&mdash;ting, tang!</span><br />
+ There was never a happier spot that day in the realm of the great<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 6em;">Ching-Wang!</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And oh, but it waned too soon,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">That golden afternoon,</span><br />
+ When the princess played with her Ray of the Sun, her darling<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 6em;">Beam of the Moon!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">For when the shadows crept</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Where the folded lilies slept,</span><br />
+ Out into the garden all at once the prince her father stepped,<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">With a dignified air benign,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And a smile on his features fine,</span><br />
+ And a perfectly gorgeous gown of silk embroidered with flower and vine.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A fan in his princely hand,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Which he waved with a gesture bland</span><br />
+ (Instead of a gentleman&#8217;s walking-stick it was carried, you understand),<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In splendor of girdle and shoe,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In a glitter of gold and of blue,</span><br />
+ With the fair Su-See at his side came he, the lordly Prince Choo-Choo.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The princess bent her brow</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In a truly celestial bow,</span><br />
+ Saluted her father with filial grace, and made him the grand kotow.<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">(For every child that&#8217;s bright</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Knows well the rule that&#8217;s right,</span><br />
+ That to knock your head on the ground nine times is the way to be polite.)</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;And, pray, what have we here?&rdquo;</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In language kind though queer</span><br />
+ The prince observed. &ldquo;It looks to me like a little boy, my dear!&rdquo;<br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;Why, that&#8217;s what it is!&rdquo; in glee</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The princess cried. &ldquo;Fing-Wee&mdash;</span><br />
+ Most Perfectly Peerless Prince-Papa, a dear little brother for me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 239px;">
+<img src="images/img341.jpg" width="239" height="359" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">prince choo-choo</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Loud laughed the Prince Choo-Choo,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And I fancy he said &ldquo;Pooh-pooh!&rdquo;</span><br />
+ (That sounds very much like a Chinese word, and expresses his feelings, too!)<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And the fair Su-See leaned low.</span><br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;My Bud of the Rose, you know</span><br />
+ If little Fing-Wee our son should be, your honors to him must go!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">But the princess&#8217;s eyes were wet,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">For her dear little heart was set</span><br />
+ On having her way till she quite forgot her daughterly etiquette.<br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;Oh, what do I care!&rdquo; she said.</span><br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;If he only may stay,&rdquo; she plead,</span><br />
+&ldquo;I will give him the half of my bowl of rice and all of my fish and bread!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;Dear, dear!&rdquo; said the Prince Choo-Choo,</span><br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;Now here is a how-do-you-do!</span><br />
+ Is there nothing, O Jasmine-Flower, instead? A parasol pink or blue?<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A beautiful big balloon?&rdquo;</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">But she wept to the same old tune,</span><br />
+&ldquo;I&#8217;d rather have little Fing-Wee, papa, than anything under the moon!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Then the prince he called for lights,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And he called for the Book of Rites,</span><br />
+ And all of the classical literature that he loved to read o&#8217; nights;<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And he read till the dawn of day</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In his very remarkable way,</span><br />
+ From end to beginning, from bottom to top, as only a Chinaman may.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img342.jpg" width="500" height="339" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the tortoise test</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;My father adopted a son,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">His father the same had done;</span><br />
+ Some thousands of years ago, it appears, the custom was thus begun.&rdquo;<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">He stopped for a pinch of snuff;</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">His logic was sound, though tough;</span><br />
+ You may rightfully follow what plan you please, if it&#8217;s only antique enough!</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;A son,&rdquo; he thoughtfully said,</span><br />
+    <span style="margin-left: 1.7em;">&ldquo;To serve me with rice and bread;</span><br />
+ To burn the paper above my grave and honor my aged head!<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Oh, try me the tortoise sign</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">With a tortoise of ancient line:</span><br />
+ If he turns his toes straight in as he goes, the boy is certainly mine!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Oho! but the garden rang</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">On that wonderful night&mdash;ting, tang!</span><br />
+ When a banquet meet was served the &eacute;lite of the city of proud Shi-Bang!<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And all who passed that way</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Might read in letters gay</span><br />
+ As long as your arm: &ldquo;The Prince Choo-Choo adopts a son to-day!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 8em;">
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">There was knocking of heads galore;</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">There were trumpets and drums a score;</span><br />
+ The gay pavilions were lit with millions of lamps from ceiling to floor.<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And oh, but the chop-sticks flew</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">In the palace of Prince Choo-Choo,</span><br />
+ And the gifts that were brought for the little Fing-Wee would fill me<br />
+               <span style="margin-left: 6em;">a chapter or two.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img343a.jpg" width="500" height="385" alt="Image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 278px; margin-top: -3em;">
+<img src="images/img343b.jpg" width="278" height="327" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 19em;"><span class="caption">&ldquo;and the gifts that were brought for the little
+fing-wee would fill me a chapter or two&rdquo;</span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">But with never a single toy,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The princess cried for joy,</span><br />
+ Nor cared she a jot that they all forgot it was she<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 5em;">who had found the boy!</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her dear little heart it sang</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Like a bird in her breast&mdash;ting, tang!</span><br />
+ There was never a happier child that night in the<br />
+              <span style="margin-left: 5em;">realm of the great Ching-Wang!</span></p>
+
+<p>
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And her mother, the fair Su-See,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She looked at the little Fing-Wee&mdash;</span><br />
+ There were mothers in China some thousands of years before you were born, trust me!<br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She looked at the children two,</span><br />
+     <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And down in the dusk and the dew,</span><br />
+ With a tender mist in her eyes she kissed the Princess Loo-lee Loo!</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 165px;">
+<img src="images/img343c.jpg" width="165" height="28" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 457px;">
+<img src="images/img344a.jpg" width="457" height="363" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>THE CURIOUS CASE OF AH-TOP</h2>
+
+<p class="center">(<em>A Chinese Legend</em>)</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 252px;">
+<img src="images/img344b.jpg" width="252" height="290" alt="image" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+The slant-eyed maidens, when they spied<br />
+The cue of Ah-Top, gaily cried,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">&ldquo;It is some mandarin!&rdquo;</span><br />
+The street-boys followed in a crowd;<br />
+No wonder that Ah-Top was proud<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And wore a conscious grin!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+But one day Ah-Top&#8217;s heart grew sad.<br />
+&ldquo;My fate,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;is quite too bad!<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">My cue will hang behind me.</span><br />
+While others may its beauty know,<br />
+To me there&#8217;s naught its grace to show,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">And nothing to remind me.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 362px; margin-left: 3em;">
+<img src="images/img345a.jpg" width="362" height="328" alt="image" title="" />
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-top: -20em; margin-left: 20em;">
+At length he hit upon a plan,<br />
+Exclaiming, &ldquo;I&#8217;m a clever man!<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">I know what I will do:</span><br />
+I&#8217;ll simply wheel myself around,<br />
+And then the pigtail will be found<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where I can see it, too.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 20em;">
+He spun himself upon his toes,<br />
+He almost fell upon his nose,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He grew red in the face.</span><br />
+But when Ah-Top could whirl no more,<br />
+He found the pigtail as before,<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Resolved to keep its place.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+&ldquo;A&#8217;ha!&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;I turned too slow.<br />
+Next time, you see, I&#8217;ll faster go.<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">Besides, I stopped too soon.</span><br />
+Now for a good one! Ah, but stay&mdash;<br />
+I&#8217;ll turn myself the other way!&rdquo;<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">He looked like a balloon!</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 13em;">
+So fast he whirled, his cue flew out<br />
+And carried Ah-Top round about.<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">An awful moment came&mdash;</span><br />
+The helpless spinner could not stop!<br />
+The poor man had become a top!<br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 1em;">This gave the toy its name.</span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 509px;">
+<img src="images/img345b.jpg" width="509" height="338" alt="How it turned out" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE JACKAL AND THE CAMEL</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Hindu Tale</em></p>
+
+
+<p>The Jackal stood looking across the river where
+the crabs lay in the sun on the sand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Jackal, &ldquo;if I could only swim,
+how good those crabs would be! I wish I had
+a boat or a canoe!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just then the Camel came out of the woods.
+&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the Jackal, &ldquo;if I can only get the
+Camel to take me across the river! I can ride
+high up on his hump, and it will be just as good
+as a boat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good morning, friend,&rdquo; said the Jackal to the
+Camel. &ldquo;Are you hungry? I know a place
+where the sugar cane grows higher and sweeter
+than anywhere else.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where? Where?&rdquo; cried the Camel. &ldquo;Tell
+me, and I will go there at once.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I could take you to the place,&rdquo; said the Jackal,
+&ldquo;but it is across the river, and I cannot swim.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Camel, &ldquo;that is all right. Get
+up on my back and I will take you across, and
+you can show me where the sugar cane is.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said the Jackal, &ldquo;and I will look
+along the bank of the river and see if I can find
+any fat crabs on that side.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jump up quickly,&rdquo; said the Camel, &ldquo;it makes
+me hungry just to think of sugar cane.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Jackal jumped up on the Camel&#8217;s back,
+and the Camel swam across the river, and the
+Jackal did not get the least bit wet, even the tip
+of his tail. (The Jackal does not like to get
+even the tip of his tail wet.)</p>
+
+<p>When they were across the river the Camel
+went off to the patch of sugar cane, and the
+Jackal ate the crabs which lay out in the sun
+on the sand. It was not long until he had eaten
+as many crabs as he could, and wanted to go back
+to the other side of the river. So he went to
+where the Camel stood in the cane patch.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, have you finished your crabs?&rdquo; asked
+the Camel.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. I cannot eat another one. Let us go
+back.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Camel, &ldquo;I have hardly begun to
+eat yet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the Jackal, &ldquo;I will go out
+to the edge of the patch and lie down and wait
+for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Jackal did not lie down. He was in
+a hurry to go home, now that he had eaten all
+the crabs he wanted. So he said: &ldquo;I do not want
+to wait here. I know a little song I can sing
+that will make that Camel hurry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he began to sing. Of course, the Camel
+did not pay any attention, but the farmer heard,
+as the Jackal knew he would, and came running
+out with sticks to chase the Jackal. But the
+Jackal hid in the high cane, and the farmer
+could not find him. He did find the Camel, however,
+and called to his boys, and they beat the
+Camel with sticks and drove him out of the
+cane.</p>
+
+<p>When the farmer and his boys had gone, the
+Jackal came out of the cane and found the Camel
+lying on the sand bruised with the beating he had
+gotten.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, friend,&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;where have you
+been? I have been hunting for you in the cane.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do not call me friend,&rdquo; said the Camel. &ldquo;Why
+did you sing that song that made the farmer come
+out and beat me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the Jackal, &ldquo;did the farmer come
+out and beat you? That is too bad. But I always
+sing a song after dinner.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, do you?&rdquo; said the Camel. &ldquo;I did not know
+that. Very well. Let us go home. Climb up
+while I am lying down.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Jackal climbed upon the Camel&#8217;s back,
+and he entered the water and began to swim across
+the river, the Jackal riding high on the hump of
+the camel so as not to get wet, even to the tip
+of his tail.</p>
+
+<p>When they were about the middle of the stream
+the Camel said: &ldquo;I believe that I shall roll over.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do not do that,&rdquo; exclaimed the Jackal, &ldquo;for I
+shall get wet and be drowned.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe you will,&rdquo; said the Camel; &ldquo;but you see
+I always roll over after dinner.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he rolled over in the water, and the Jackal
+got wet&mdash;first the tip of his tail, and then all
+over, and was drowned.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="HASHNU" id="HASHNU"></a>HASHNU THE STONECUTTER</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>A Japanese Story</em></p>
+
+
+<p>Hashnu the Stonecutter sat beside the highway
+cutting stone. It was hard work, and the
+sun shone hot upon him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah me!&rdquo; said Hashnu, &ldquo;if one only did not
+have to work all day. I would that I could sit
+and rest, and not have to ply this heavy mallet.</p>
+
+<p>Just then there was a great commotion, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span>
+Hashnu saw a crowd of people coming up the
+road. When they drew nearer he noticed that
+one of them was the King. On his right side
+rode soldiers, all arrayed in armor and ready to
+do his bidding, while on the left rode courtiers,
+seeking to serve him and win his favor.</p>
+
+<p>And Hashnu, watching, thought what a fine
+thing it would be to be a King, and to have soldiers
+to do his bidding, and courtiers to serve
+him, and he said:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Ah me, ah me,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">If Hashnu only a King could be.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>At once he heard a voice say: &ldquo;Be thou the
+King.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then in a moment Hashnu found that he was
+no longer the stonecutter, sitting beside the highway
+with a heavy mallet in his hand, but the
+King, dressed in armor, riding in the midst of
+soldiers and courtiers, and all about him doing
+homage.</p>
+
+<p>He rode very proudly for a while, and his subjects
+bowed low before him. But the armor was
+heavy, and the helmet pressed hard upon his
+brow, and his head throbbed with the weight of
+it. He was indeed weary and faint with the
+heat, because, though a King, the sun beat hot
+upon him!</p>
+
+<p>And he said to himself: &ldquo;Lo, I am the King,
+and yet the sun can make me faint and weary.
+I had thought that to be a King was to be
+stronger than anything else, but the sun is
+stronger than the King!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And as they rode further, and the sun still
+beat hard upon him, he said:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Ah me, ah me,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">If Hashnu only the sun could be!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Then he heard a voice say: &ldquo;Be thou the sun.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And in a moment he was no longer the King,
+riding among his courtiers, but the sun, blazing
+high in the heavens, shining hot upon the fields
+and the meadows. As he did not know how to
+shine, he allowed his rays to fall too fiercely upon
+the world, and grass and grain were dried up
+and withered, and men lamented because of the
+cruelty of the heat. But Hashnu thought he
+was doing great things, and was very proud,
+until a cloud came between him and the earth,
+so that his rays no longer fell upon the fields
+and the cities of men.</p>
+
+<p>And Hashnu said: &ldquo;Lo, I am the sun, and my
+rays fell upon the fields and the cities, and all
+acknowledge my power. But the cloud is
+stronger than the sun, for it shuts off my rays
+from the earth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, because the cloud would not go, but became
+heavier and blacker, Hashnu lamented, and
+said:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Ah me, ah me,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">If Hashnu only the cloud could be.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>And in a moment he was no longer the sun,
+shining fiercely upon the earth, but the cloud,
+riding in the sky, shutting off the rays of the
+sun, and pouring rain upon the fields and the
+meadows, filling the rivers and the streams to
+overflowing. But he did not know how to let
+down the rain wisely, and it fell too heavily, and
+the rivers rose high and destroyed the fields and
+the cities, and the meadows were turned into
+swamps, and the grain rotted in the ground, and
+the wind blew, and trees were uprooted, and
+houses fell before it. But Hashnu cared for none
+of these things, for he thought he was doing
+very finely indeed.</p>
+
+<p>But as he looked down upon the earth he saw
+that a rock beside the highway stood unmoved
+and firm, for all of his raining and blowing. And
+he said: &ldquo;For all I am strong, and can blow
+down trees and destroy cities, and can pour my
+waters upon the earth and flood the fields and the
+meadows, yet does that rock defy my power. I,
+Hashnu, would be stronger than the rock!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the rock was unchanged, and Hashnu, lamenting,
+said:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Ah me, ah me,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">If Hashnu only the rock could be!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>Then he heard a voice say: &ldquo;Be thou the
+rock.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And in a moment he was no longer the cloud,
+with the wind blowing hard, and pouring water
+upon the earth, but the rock, fixed and unmoved
+beside the highway. Now, at last, he felt that
+he was stronger than all. But even as he rejoiced,
+he felt the sharp point of a stonecutter&#8217;s
+chisel, and heard the sound of his heavy mallet
+striking upon its head. Then he knew that,
+though the water had fallen upon the rock and
+been unable to change it, and the wind had blown
+hard against it and had no effect, yet would the
+stonecutter change and alter it, and make it take
+whatever shape he desired. And he said:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Ah me, ah me,<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">If Hashnu only the stonecutter could be!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>And he heard a voice say: &ldquo;Be thou thyself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Hashnu found himself again sitting beside
+the highway with a chisel in his hand, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span>
+a mallet on the ground beside him, and the rock
+before him. And the King had gone by, and the
+rays of the sun were now shadowed by the
+cloud, from which no rain fell, but only a grateful
+shade. And Hashnu said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The sun was stronger than the King, the
+cloud was stronger than the sun, the rock was
+stronger than the cloud, but I, Hashnu, am
+stronger than all.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so he worked on, now well content to do
+each day his added task.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BRAHMAN" id="BRAHMAN"></a>THE TIGER, THE BRAHMAN, AND THE JACKAL<a name="FNanchor_N_14" id="FNanchor_N_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_N_14" class="fnanchor">[N]</a></h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time a Tiger was caught in a trap.
+He tried in vain to get out through the bars, and
+rolled and bit with rage and grief when he failed.</p>
+
+<p>By chance a poor Brahman came by. &ldquo;Let
+me out of this cage, oh, pious one!&rdquo; cried the
+Tiger.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay, my friend,&rdquo; replied the Brahman, mildly;
+&ldquo;you would probably eat me if I did.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not at all!&rdquo; declared the Tiger; &ldquo;on the contrary,
+I should be forever grateful, and serve you
+as a slave!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, when the Tiger sobbed, and sighed, and
+wept, and swore, the pious Brahman&#8217;s heart softened;
+and at last he consented to open the door
+of the cage. Out popped the Tiger, and, seizing
+the poor man, cried: &ldquo;What a fool you are!
+What is to prevent my eating you now, for after
+being cooped up so long I am just terribly
+hungry!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In vain the Brahman pleaded for his life; the
+most he could gain was a promise to abide by the
+decision of the first three things he chose to
+question as to the justice of the Tiger&#8217;s action.</p>
+
+<p>So the Brahman asked first a Pipal Tree what
+it thought of the matter; but the Pipal Tree replied
+coldly: &ldquo;What have you to complain about?
+Don&#8217;t I give shade and shelter to every one who
+passes by, and don&#8217;t they in return tear down my
+branches to feed their cattle? Don&#8217;t whimper&mdash;be
+a man!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Brahman, sad at heart, went farther
+afield till he saw a Buffalo turning a well-wheel;
+but he fared no better from it, for it answered:
+&ldquo;You are a fool to expect gratitude! Look at
+me! Whilst I gave milk they fed me on cotton-seed
+and oil-cake, but now I am dry they yoke
+me here, and give me refuse as fodder!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Brahman, still more sad, asked the Road
+to give him its opinion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My dear sir,&rdquo; said the Road, &ldquo;how foolish you
+are to expect anything else! Here am I, useful
+to everybody, yet all, rich and poor, great and
+small, trample on me as they go past, giving me
+nothing but the ashes of their pipes and the
+husks of their grain!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On this the Brahman turned back sorrowfully,
+and on the way he met a Jackal, who called out:
+&ldquo;Why, what&#8217;s the matter, Mr. Brahman? You
+look as miserable as a fish out of water!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Brahman told him all that had occurred.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How very confusing!&rdquo; said the Jackal, when
+the recital was ended; &ldquo;would you mind telling
+me again, for everything has got so mixed up?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Brahman told it all over again, but the
+Jackal shook his head in a distracted sort of
+way, and still could not understand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s very odd,&rdquo; said he, sadly, &ldquo;but it all seems
+to go in at one ear and out of the other! I will
+go to the place where it all happened, and then
+perhaps I shall be able to give a judgment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they returned to the cage, by which the
+Tiger was waiting for the Brahman, and sharpening
+his teeth and claws.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ve been away a long time!&rdquo; growled the
+savage beast, &ldquo;but now let us begin our dinner.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our dinner!&rdquo; thought the wretched Brahman,
+as his knees knocked together with fright; &ldquo;what
+a remarkably delicate way of putting it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Give me five minutes, my lord!&rdquo; he pleaded,
+&ldquo;in order that I may explain matters to the Jackal
+here, who is somewhat slow in his wits.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Tiger consented, and the Brahman began
+the whole story over again, not missing a single
+detail, and spinning as long a yarn as possible.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, my poor brain! oh, my poor brain!&rdquo; cried
+the Jackal, wringing its paws. &ldquo;Let me see!
+How did it all begin? You were in the cage,
+and the Tiger came walking by&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pooh!&rdquo; interrupted the Tiger, &ldquo;what a fool
+you are! I was in the cage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course!&rdquo; cried the Jackal, pretending to
+tremble with fright; &ldquo;yes! I was in the cage&mdash;no
+I wasn&#8217;t&mdash;dear! dear! where are my wits?
+Let me see&mdash;the Tiger was in the Brahman, and
+the cage came walking by&mdash;no, that&#8217;s not it,
+either! Well, don&#8217;t mind me, but begin your
+dinner, for I shall never understand!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, you shall!&rdquo; returned the Tiger, in a
+rage at the Jackal&#8217;s stupidity; &ldquo;I&#8217;ll make you
+understand! Look here! I am the Tiger&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my lord!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span>
+&ldquo;And that is the Brahman!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my lord!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And that is the cage!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my lord!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I was in the cage&mdash;do you understand?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes&mdash;no! Please, my lord&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; cried the Tiger, impatiently.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Please, my lord!&mdash;how did you get in?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How!&mdash;why in the usual way, of course!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, dear me!&mdash;my head is beginning to whirl
+again! Please don&#8217;t be angry, my lord, but what
+is the usual way?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this the Tiger lost patience, and, jumping
+into the cage, cried: &ldquo;This way! Now do you
+understand how it was?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Perfectly!&rdquo; grinned the Jackal, as he dexterously
+shut the door, &ldquo;and if you will permit me
+to say so, I think matters will remain as they
+were!&rdquo;</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_N_14" id="Footnote_N_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_N_14"><span class="label">[N]</span></a> From &ldquo;Indian Fairy Tales,&rdquo; edited by Joseph Jacobs;
+used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam&#8217;s Sons.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="WILLOW" id="WILLOW"></a>THE STORY OF THE WILLOW PATTERN PLATE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD BY M. ALSTON BUCKLEY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived in China a rich
+and haughty mandarin, who had great riches in
+lands, and horses, and priceless jewels. This great
+man had one lovely daughter with soft black eyes,
+and raven hair that scarcely could be told in
+texture from the silken robes she wore. The
+mandarin loved his daughter and showered dazzling
+jewels on her, and bought rich robes, heavy
+with choicest needlework, that she might wear
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Now the mandarin had a faithful secretary, a
+young man named Chang, whose every thought
+was given to the business of the man he served.
+But as he went about the house with downcast
+eyes, Chang saw the daughter of the mandarin
+trip lightly to her father&#8217;s side to whisper in the
+ear of her indulgent parent, or flash across the
+hall, or through the garden where she fed her
+goldfish in the lake, and when her mother called
+her name, Kong Lee, it seemed to him like sounds
+of liquid music. The mandarin talked always
+of his secretary, and said that he was honest
+and true and good, and told the truth and did his
+work as well as ever any man could do it.</p>
+
+<p>Kong Lee learned to think of him and love
+him.</p>
+
+<p>But the mandarin had a friend, a rich old man,
+who wished to marry Kong Lee, and take her
+far away to be the mistress of his castle. Kong
+Lee refused to marry this old man, and to punish
+her, her father shut her up in the top room
+of a lonely house that stood on the lake shore.
+From her windows she could see the lake, and
+she could see the willow tree that dipped its
+drooping branches in the smooth, still water and
+seemed to hang its head and weep for her. And
+when the Spring came on and she could hear
+the singing of the birds, she wished that she could
+go and walk about the garden where she could
+see the sweet blossoms that hung like a veil of
+pink over the peach trees. In her loneliness she
+wept, and wrote sad poetry, which she threw into
+the water.</p>
+
+<p>All this time Chang grieved for her, and sent
+her gifts to comfort her, and when his work
+was done, he walked along the shore and thought
+of her. But one day Kong Lee caught sight of
+him standing on the shore, and she thought,
+&ldquo;Chang will help me.&rdquo; So she took a cocoanut,
+and cut the shell in two and made a little boat
+of half of it. Then she made a little sail of fine,
+carved ivory, on the sail she wrote a message
+asking Chang to help her and threw the boat out
+of the window. The little skiff sailed out over
+the lake, then fell and splashed into the water,
+the wind caught the sail and the small craft sailed
+bravely on. Chang saw it, waded out, and caught
+it, read the message, and went to find Kong Lee.</p>
+
+<p>Kong Lee was waiting for him, and they fled
+in haste, taking her box of jewels with them.
+The mandarin saw them, and taking a whip he
+hastened after them to beat them back again, for
+he had great fear of his friend&#8217;s anger. But
+they were too swift for him, and reached the
+other side, where Chang&#8217;s boat was waiting to
+take them to his house.</p>
+
+<p>There they were married, and lived in happiness
+until the mandarin&#8217;s wicked friend found
+where they were, and secretly, at night, sailed
+down the lake and burned the house when they
+were sleeping. But their loving spirits became
+two doves that rested in the trees and flew about
+the places they had loved.</p>
+
+<p>And if you look at a blue china plate you will
+see there the house where Kong Lee was shut
+up, the willow tree she watched, Kong Lee and
+Chang running across the bridge followed by her
+father with his whip, the funny house-boat that
+carried them away to Chang&#8217;s little house that
+almost is hidden by the trees, and at the top, the
+pair of doves in which the Chinese poet believed
+the spirits of Kong Lee and Chang still lived.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 334px;">
+<img src="images/img350.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;ha, ha, ha!&rdquo; he said to himself.<br />
+&ldquo;how foolish brother fox is&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img351.jpg" width="500" height="125" alt="Brer Rabbit And His Neighbors" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="TAR" id="TAR"></a>BROTHER FOX&#8217;S TAR BABY<a name="FNanchor_O_15" id="FNanchor_O_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_O_15" class="fnanchor">[O]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>TRANSLATED BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time Brother Fox and Brother
+Rabbit lived near each other in the woods. But
+they had to go a long way each morning to get
+water from a spring.</p>
+
+<p>One day Brother Fox said to Brother Rabbit:
+&ldquo;What&#8217;s the use of taking a long walk every
+morning. Let us dig a well of our own.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I shall no longer go to the spring,&rdquo; said
+Brother Rabbit. &ldquo;From this time on I shall
+drink the dew from the grass and the flowers.
+Why should I work to dig a well?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Brother Rabbit knew by the way Brother Fox
+talked that he was going to dig the well anyway.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just as you please,&rdquo; said Brother Fox. &ldquo;Then
+I will dig the well myself. And I will drink the
+water all by myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next morning Brother Fox began to dig
+a well by a big tree. He worked, and worked,
+and worked. Brother Rabbit was hiding in a
+bush near by and watching Brother Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ha, ha, ha!&rdquo; he said to himself. &ldquo;How foolish
+Brother Fox is! I guess I shall soon have all
+the water I want. Ha, ha, ha!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>That night, while Brother Fox was asleep,
+Brother Rabbit stole quietly down to the well
+by the big tree, and drank and laughed, and drank
+and laughed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I guess I can have all the water I want,&rdquo; said
+Brother Rabbit. &ldquo;Brother Fox was foolish to
+do all the work.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The next day, when Brother Fox went to get
+some water, he saw rabbit tracks in the mud.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, ha! Brother Rabbit,&rdquo; said Brother Fox
+to himself, &ldquo;so that&#8217;s the way you drink the dew
+from the grass and the flowers! Well, well, I
+think I can catch you at your trick!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Brother Fox ran home as fast as he could and
+made a great big doll of wood, as big as a baby.
+He covered the wooden doll with black, sticky tar.
+Then he put a little cap on its head. At sunset,
+he put the tar baby out beside the well.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think I shall get Brother Rabbit this time,&rdquo;
+he said, as he went home laughing to himself all
+the way.</p>
+
+<p>Soon Brother Rabbit came hopping through
+the bushes. He looked first this way, then that.
+The least noise frightened him. When he saw
+the tar baby, he sat up straight and peeped at it
+through the leaves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hullo, there! Who are you?&rdquo; he said at last.</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you, I say?&rdquo; he asked in a louder tone.</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Then Brother Rabbit went right up close to
+the tar baby.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why don&#8217;t you answer me?&rdquo; he shouted.</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See here!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;Have you no tongue?
+Speak, or I&#8217;ll hit you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Brother Rabbit raised his right hand and&mdash;biff!
+his hand stuck fast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here! What&#8217;s this?&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Let me go,
+or I&#8217;ll hit you again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>At that&mdash;blip! he hit the tar baby with the
+other hand. That stuck fast, too.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Listen to me, you rascal!&rdquo; cried Brother Rabbit.
+&ldquo;If you don&#8217;t let me go, I&#8217;ll kick you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Bim! Brother Rabbit&#8217;s right foot stuck fast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See here, you imp!&rdquo; he shrieked. &ldquo;If I kick
+you with my left foot, you&#8217;ll think the world has
+come to an end!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Bom! the left foot stuck fast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look out, now!&rdquo; Brother Rabbit screamed.
+&ldquo;Let me loose, or I&#8217;ll butt you into the well with
+my head! Let me go, I say!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The tar baby said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Buff! Brother Rabbit&#8217;s head stuck fast.</p>
+
+<p>And there was Brother Rabbit with both hands,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span>
+and both feet, and his head stuck fast.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning Brother Fox came out to
+see how the tar baby was getting along. He saw
+Brother Rabbit, and he laughed to himself until
+his sides ached.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, Brother Rabbit!&rdquo; he called. &ldquo;What are
+you doing? How do you like my tar baby? I
+thought you drank dew from the grass and the
+flowers! I have you now, Brother Rabbit, I
+have you now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me go, Brother Fox!&rdquo; cried Brother Rabbit.
+&ldquo;Let me go! I am your friend. Don&#8217;t hurt me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Friend? You are a thief,&rdquo; said Brother Fox.
+&ldquo;Who wants a thief for a friend?&rdquo; Then he
+ran quickly to his home in the woods and built
+a big fire.</p>
+
+<p>Soon Brother Fox tore Brother Rabbit loose
+from the tar baby, threw him over his shoulder,
+and started for the fire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Roast rabbit is good,&rdquo; said Brother Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Roast me! Burn me! Anything!&rdquo; said
+Brother Rabbit, &ldquo;Only don&#8217;t throw me into the
+brier patch.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve a mind to throw you into the well,&rdquo; said
+Brother Fox, as he turned and looked back.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Drown me! Kill me! Anything! Only
+don&#8217;t throw me into the brier patch,&rdquo; said Brother
+Rabbit. &ldquo;The briers will tear my flesh and
+scratch my eyes out. Throw me into the fire!
+Throw me into the well!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, ha, Brother Rabbit!&rdquo; said Brother Fox.
+&ldquo;So you don&#8217;t like briers? Then here you go!&rdquo;
+and he threw Brother Rabbit away over into the
+brier patch.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Brother Rabbit touched the ground,
+he sat up and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ha, ha, ha! Brother Fox!&rdquo; said Brother
+Rabbit. &ldquo;Thank you, dear Brother Fox, thank
+you! I was born and reared in a brier patch.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Brother Rabbit ran off in great glee,
+chuckling over the trick he had played on Brother
+Fox.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_O_15" id="Footnote_O_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_O_15"><span class="label">[O]</span></a> From &ldquo;Evening Tales,&rdquo; by Frederic Ortoli;
+used by permission of the publishers, Charles Scribner&#8217;s Sons.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="PEAS" id="PEAS"></a>THE RABBIT AND THE PEAS</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY MRS. M. R. ALLEN</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>A long time ago there was a Bear that had a
+fine pea patch. He and his wife had to work in
+the field every day, so they left their little girl
+at home to keep house. One fine morning Br&#8217;er
+(which means &ldquo;Brother&rdquo;) Rabbit came up to the
+house and called the little girl: &ldquo;Mary, Mary,
+your father and mother told me to come up here
+and tell you to put me in the pea patch and let
+me have as many peas as I want.&rdquo; So Mary
+put him in, and he stayed there until nearly 12
+o&#8217;clock, and then he begun calling: &ldquo;Little girl,
+little girl, come and let me out; I&#8217;m full for this
+time!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she let him out, and he went home. At
+dinner when her father and mother came home
+and saw their pea patch they were angry, and
+said: &ldquo;Who has been in these peas?&rdquo; &ldquo;Why,
+didn&#8217;t you send Br&#8217;er Rabbit to get as many
+as he wanted?&rdquo; said Mary. &ldquo;No, I didn&#8217;t; no,
+I didn&#8217;t;&rdquo; said Mr. Bear. &ldquo;And the next time
+that rascal comes here with that sort of tale,
+you just keep him in there until I come home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the next morning Br&#8217;er Rabbit came back
+again, and called: &ldquo;Mary, Mary, your father
+told me to tell you to put me in the pea patch,
+and let me have all the peas I want.&rdquo; &ldquo;All
+right,&rdquo; said Mary; &ldquo;come on.&rdquo; So she put him
+in and fastened him up.</p>
+
+<p>As it began to grow late, Mr. Rabbit began
+to call: &ldquo;Little girl, little girl, come and let me
+out!&rdquo; &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Mary, &ldquo;when I put
+down my bread for supper.&rdquo; After a while he
+called again: &ldquo;Little girl, little girl, come let me
+out!&rdquo; &ldquo;When I milk my cow,&rdquo; said Mary.
+When she finished milking he called again, and
+she said: &ldquo;Wait till I turn my cow out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>By that time Mr. Bear came home and found
+him in his pea patch, and asked him what he was
+doing in there. &ldquo;Your little girl told me you
+said I might have some peas,&rdquo; said Br&#8217;er Rabbit.
+&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mr. Bear, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll put you in
+this box until I get rested and eat my supper,
+then I&#8217;ll show you a trick or two.&rdquo; So he locked
+him in the box and went to the house.</p>
+
+<p>After a while Br&#8217;er Fox came along the road,
+and Br&#8217;er Rabbit called him, and Br&#8217;er Fox said:
+&ldquo;What are you doing in there?&rdquo; &ldquo;They are
+going to have a ball here to-night and want me
+to play the fiddle for them, so they put me in
+here. I wouldn&#8217;t disappoint them,&rdquo; said Br&#8217;er
+Rabbit. &ldquo;But, Br&#8217;er Fox, you always could
+beat me playing the fiddle. Now, they offer to
+pay two dollars for every tune. Suppose you
+take my place; my wife is sick and I must go
+home&mdash;if I can get off.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Mr. Fox. &ldquo;I&#8217;m always willing
+to make money, and if you don&#8217;t want to
+stay I will take your place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;">
+<img src="images/img353.jpg" width="344" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;who are you, i say?&rdquo; he asked in a louder voice</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, look on top of the box and get the key.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span>
+I saw Mr. Bear put it there,&rdquo; said Br&#8217;er Rabbit.
+So Br&#8217;er Fox unlocked the door, and Br&#8217;er Rabbit
+hopped out and locked Br&#8217;er Fox in.</p>
+
+<p>So after supper they all came out, and the little
+girl ran up to the box and looked in, and said:
+&ldquo;Oh, mamma! just come and see how this Rabbit
+has growed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Fox said: &ldquo;I ain&#8217;t no Rabbit!&rdquo; &ldquo;Well,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Bear, &ldquo;how came you in there?&rdquo; &ldquo;Because
+Br&#8217;er Rabbit asked me to take his place,
+and play at your ball to-night,&rdquo; said Mr. Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Br&#8217;er Rabbit has fooled you badly, Fox.
+But I will have to whip you, anyway, for letting
+him out. I&#8217;ll help you find Br&#8217;er Rabbit.&rdquo; &ldquo;I&#8217;ll
+hunt him till I die, to pay him back for fooling
+me so,&rdquo; said Mr. Fox. So they all started out
+to find Br&#8217;er Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>And they soon came upon him, and he began
+to run, and all of them after him. And they got
+him in a tight place, and he ran up a hollow
+tree.</p>
+
+<p>And they had to go back for their axes. So
+they put a Frog at the tree to watch him to keep
+him from getting away. After they were gone,
+Mr. Frog looked up and saw Br&#8217;er Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img354.jpg" width="500" height="339" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">they had to go look for axes.<br />
+so they put a frog at the tree to watch</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s dat you chewing?&rdquo; said Mr. Frog.
+&ldquo;Tobacco,&rdquo; said Br&#8217;er Rabbit. &ldquo;Give me some,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Frog. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Br&#8217;er Rabbit, &ldquo;look
+up here and open your eyes and mouth wide.&rdquo;
+So he filled the Frog&#8217;s eyes full of trash. And
+while Mr. Frog was rubbing his eyes trying to
+get the trash out so he could see, Br&#8217;er Rabbit
+ran out and got away.</p>
+
+<p>When Mr. Bear and Mr. Fox got back with
+their axes, they asked Mr. Frog: &ldquo;Whar&#8217;s Mr.
+Rabbit?&rdquo; He said: &ldquo;He&#8217;s in dar.&rdquo; They cut
+down the tree and didn&#8217;t find him. Then they
+asked Mr. Frog again: &ldquo;Whar&#8217;s Mr. Rabbit?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;He&#8217;s in dar,&rdquo; said Mr. Frog. So they split
+the tree open, and still didn&#8217;t find him. And they
+asked Mr. Frog again, &ldquo;Whar&#8217;s Mr. Rabbit, I
+say?&rdquo; &ldquo;He&#8217;s in dar,&rdquo; said Mr. Frog.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Mr. Frog,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;you have let
+Mr. Rabbit get away, and we are going to kill
+you in his place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Mr. Frog said: &ldquo;Wait till I go to my praying
+ground, and say my prayers.&rdquo; So they told
+him he might have five minutes.</p>
+
+<p>And there was a pond near by, and a log on
+the edge of it. So when Frog got on the log he
+bowed his head and said: &ldquo;Ta-hoo! ta-hoo! ta-h-o-o!&rdquo;
+Splash! and he was gone! And the
+Bear and Fox were outwitted again.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img355.jpg" width="500" height="337" alt="image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">br&#8217;er rabbit&#8217;s fishing</span>
+</div>
+
+
+<h2>BR&#8217;ER RABBIT&#8217;S FISHING<a name="FNanchor_P_16" id="FNanchor_P_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_P_16" class="fnanchor">[P]</a></h2>
+
+
+<p>One day, Br&#8217;er Rabbit, and Br&#8217;er Fox, and
+Br&#8217;er Bear, and Br&#8217;er Coon, and all the rest of
+them were clearing up a new piece of ground
+to plant some corn.</p>
+
+<p>The sun got sort of hot, and Br&#8217;er Rabbit he
+got tired; but he didn&#8217;t say so, &#8217;cause he &#8217;fraid
+the others&#8217;d call him lazy, so he kept on clearing
+away the rubbish and piling it up, till by-and-by
+he holler out that he got a thorn in his hand.
+Then he took and slipped off, and hunted for a
+cool place to rest in.</p>
+
+<p>After a while Br&#8217;er Rabbit he see a well, with
+a bucket hanging in it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That looks cool,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Rabbit, says he,
+&ldquo;and cool I &#8217;spects it is. I&#8217;ll just about get in
+there and take a nap,&rdquo; says he. And with that
+in he jumped.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner was Br&#8217;er Rabbit in, than the bucket
+began to go down, and there was no wusser scared
+beast since the world began than this here Br&#8217;er
+Rabbit was <em>then</em>. He fairly shook with fright.
+He know where he come from, but he dunno
+where he going. Presently he feel the bucket hit
+the water, and there it sat. Br&#8217;er Rabbit he keep
+mighty still, &#8217;cause he dunno what be going to
+happen next. He just lay there, and shook and
+shivered.</p>
+
+<p>Now, Br&#8217;er Fox he always kep&#8217; one eye on
+Br&#8217;er Rabbit and, when Br&#8217;er Rabbit slipped off
+the new ground, Br&#8217;er Fox he sneaked after him.
+He knew Br&#8217;er Rabbit was after something or
+other, and he took and crept off to watch him.
+Br&#8217;er Fox see Br&#8217;er Rabbit come to the well
+and stop, and then he see him jump into the
+bucket, and then, lo and behold, he see him go
+down out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox was the most astonished fox that
+ever you set eyes on. He sat off there in the
+bushes, and he think and think, but he make no
+heads or tails of this kind of business. Then he
+says to himself, says he:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, if this don&#8217;t beat my times,&rdquo; says he,
+&ldquo;then Joe&#8217;s dead and Sal&#8217;s a widder,&rdquo; says he.
+&ldquo;Right down there in that well Br&#8217;er Rabbit keeps
+his money hid, and if it ain&#8217;t that, then he&#8217;s
+been and gone and discovered a gold mine; and
+if it ain&#8217;t that, then I&#8217;m a-going to see what
+<em>is</em> there,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox crept up a little nigher, he did, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span>
+he listen, but he hear nothing, and he kept on
+getting nigher, and yet he hear nothing. By-and-by
+he get up close. He peep down; he see nothing,
+and he hear nothing.</p>
+
+<p>All this while Br&#8217;er Rabbit was nearly scared
+out of his skin, and he &#8217;fraid to move, &#8217;cause the
+bucket might keel over and spill him out into
+the water.</p>
+
+<p>Then old Br&#8217;er Fox holler out:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hallo, Br&#8217;er Rabbit! Who you visiting down
+there?&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who? Me? Oh, I&#8217;m just a-fishing, Br&#8217;er
+Fox,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Rabbit, says he. &ldquo;I just said
+to myself that I&#8217;d sort of surprise you all with
+a lot of fishes for dinner; and so here I is, and
+here&#8217;s the fishes. I&#8217;m fishing, Br&#8217;er Fox,&rdquo; says
+Br&#8217;er Rabbit, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is there many of &#8217;em down there, Br&#8217;er Rabbit?&rdquo;
+says Br&#8217;er Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lots of &#8217;em, Br&#8217;er Fox. Scores and scores
+of &#8217;em. The water is just alive with &#8217;em. Come
+down, and help me haul &#8217;em up, Br&#8217;er Fox,&rdquo; says
+old Br&#8217;er Rabbit, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How &#8217;m I going to get down, Br&#8217;er Rabbit?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jump into the other bucket, Br&#8217;er Fox. It&#8217;ll
+fetch you down all safe and sound.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit he talk so happy and talk so sweet,
+that Br&#8217;er Fox he jump into the bucket, he did,
+and as he went down, of course his weight pulled
+Br&#8217;er Rabbit up. When they passed one another
+half-way down, Br&#8217;er Rabbit he sing out:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+<span style="margin-left: -.3em;">&ldquo;Good-by, Br&#8217;er Fox, take care of your clothes,</span><br />
+ For this is the way the world goes;<br />
+ Some goes up, and some goes down,<br />
+ You&#8217;ll get to the bottom all safe and soun&#8217;.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Br&#8217;er Rabbit get out, he gallop off and
+tell the folks what the well belong to that Br&#8217;er
+Fox was down in there muddying up the drinking
+water, and then he gallop back to the well and
+holler down to Br&#8217;er Fox:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Here comes a man with a great big gun;<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">When he hauls you up, you cut and run.&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>But in about half an hour both of them were
+back in the new ground, working as if they
+never heard of no well, &#8217;cept that every now and
+then Br&#8217;er Rabbit burst out and laugh, and old
+Br&#8217;er Fox he&#8217;d get a spell of the dry grins.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_P_16" id="Footnote_P_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_P_16"><span class="label">[P]</span></a> From &ldquo;More Funny Stories About Br&#8217;er Rabbit,&rdquo;
+published by Stead&#8217;s Publishing House, London, England, and
+used with their permission.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="PEACE" id="PEACE"></a>BR&#8217;ER POSSUM LOVES PEACE</h2>
+
+
+<p>One night Br&#8217;er Possum called for Br&#8217;er Coon,
+and they rambled forth to see how the others
+were getting along. Br&#8217;er Possum he ate his fill
+of fruit, and Br&#8217;er Coon he scooped up a lot of
+frogs and tadpoles. They ambled along, just as
+sociable as a basket of kittens, till by-and-by they
+heard Mr. Dog talking to himself off in the woods.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;S&#8217;pose he runs upon us, Br&#8217;er Possum, what
+you going to do?&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Coon.</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Possum sort of laugh round the corners
+of his mouth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, if he comes, Br&#8217;er Coon, I&#8217;m going to
+stand by you,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Possum. &ldquo;What are
+<em>you</em> going to do?&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who? Me?&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Coon. &ldquo;If he runs
+up on to me, I lay I&#8217;ll give him a twist,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Dog he came and he came. He didn&#8217;t
+wait to say How-d&#8217;ye-do. He just sailed into the
+two of them. The very first pass he made, Br&#8217;er
+Possum fetched a grin from ear to ear, and keeled
+over as if he was dead. Then Mr. Dog he
+sailed into Br&#8217;er Coon, but Br&#8217;er Coon was cut
+out for that kind of business, and he fairly
+wiped up the face of the earth with Mr. Dog.
+When Mr. Dog got a chance to make himself
+scarce, he took it, and what was left of him went
+skaddling through the woods as if it was shot
+out of a gun. Br&#8217;er Coon he sort of licked his
+clothes into shape, and racked off, and Br&#8217;er Possum
+he lay as if he was dead, till by-and-by he
+looked up, sort of careful-like, and when he found
+the coast clear he scrambled up and scampered
+off as if something was after him.</p>
+
+<p>Next time Br&#8217;er Possum met Br&#8217;er Coon, Br&#8217;er
+Coon refused to reply to his How-d&#8217;ye-do, and
+this made Br&#8217;er Possum feel mighty bad, &#8217;cause
+they used to make so many excursions together.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What makes you hold your head so high?&rdquo;
+says Br&#8217;er Possum, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I ain&#8217;t running with cowards these days,&rdquo; says
+Br&#8217;er Coon. &ldquo;When I wants you, I&#8217;ll send for
+you,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>Then Br&#8217;er Possum got very angry. &ldquo;Who&#8217;s
+a coward?&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You is,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Coon, &ldquo;that&#8217;s who. I
+ain&#8217;t associating with them what lies down on
+the ground and plays dead when there&#8217;s a free
+fight going on,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>Then Br&#8217;er Possum grin and laugh fit to kill
+hisself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lor&#8217;! Br&#8217;er Coon, you don&#8217;t think I done that
+&#8217;cause I was afraid, does you?&rdquo; says he. &ldquo;Why,
+I were no more afraid than you is this minute.
+What was there to be skeered at?&rdquo; says he. &ldquo;I
+knew you&#8217;d get away with Mr. Dog if I didn&#8217;t,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span>
+and I just lay there watching you shake him,
+waiting to put in when the time came,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img357.jpg" width="500" height="341" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">br&#8217;er possum lay as if he was dead</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Coon turn up his nose.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s a mighty likely tale,&rdquo; says he. &ldquo;When
+Mr. Dog no more than touched you before you
+keeled over and lay there stiff,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s just what I was going to tell you
+about,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Possum. &ldquo;I weren&#8217;t no more
+skeered &#8217;n you is now, and I was going to give
+Mr. Dog a sample of my jaw,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;but
+I&#8217;m the most ticklish chap that ever you set
+eyes on, and no sooner did Mr. Dog put his
+nose down among my ribs than I got to laughing,
+and I laugh till I hadn&#8217;t no more use of my
+limbs,&rdquo; says he; &ldquo;and it&#8217;s a mercy for Mr. Dog
+that I <em>was</em> ticklish, &#8217;cause a little more and I&#8217;d
+have ate him up,&rdquo; says he. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t mind fighting,
+Br&#8217;er Coon, any more than you does, but
+I&#8217;m blessed if I can stand tickling. Get me in
+a row where there ain&#8217;t no tickling allowed, and
+I&#8217;m your man,&rdquo; says he.</p>
+
+<p>And to this day Br&#8217;er Possum&#8217;s bound to surrender
+when you touch him in the short ribs,
+and he&#8217;ll laugh even if he knows he&#8217;s going to
+be smashed for it.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="TACKLES" id="TACKLES"></a>BR&#8217;ER FOX TACKLES OLD BR&#8217;ER TARRYPIN<a name="FNanchor_Q_17" id="FNanchor_Q_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_Q_17" class="fnanchor">[Q]</a></h2>
+
+
+<p>One day Br&#8217;er Fox struck up with Br&#8217;er Tarrypin
+right in the middle of the big road. Br&#8217;er
+Tarrypin he heard Br&#8217;er Fox coming, and he say
+to hisself that he&#8217;d sort of better keep one eye
+open; but Br&#8217;er Fox was monstrous polite, and
+he begin, he did, and say he hadn&#8217;t seen Br&#8217;er
+Tarrypin this ever so long.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hallo, Br&#8217;er Tarrypin, where you been this
+long-come-short?&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Fox, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lounging round,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Tarrypin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You don&#8217;t look sprucy, like you did, Br&#8217;er
+Tarrypin,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lounging round and suffering,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er
+Tarrypin, says he.</p>
+
+<p>Then the talk sort of run on like this:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span>
+&ldquo;What ails you, Br&#8217;er Tarrypin? Your eye
+look mighty red,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lor, Br&#8217;er Fox, you dunno what trouble is.
+<em>You</em> ain&#8217;t been lounging round and suffering,&rdquo;
+says Br&#8217;er Tarrypin, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>Both</em> eyes red, and you look like you is mighty
+weak, Br&#8217;er Tarrypin,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Fox, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lor, Br&#8217;er Fox, you dunno what trouble is,&rdquo;
+says Br&#8217;er Tarrypin, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What ails you now?&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Took a walk the other day, and Mr. Man
+come along and set the field on fire. Lor, Br&#8217;er
+Fox, you dunno what trouble is,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Tarrypin,
+says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How you get out of the fire, Br&#8217;er Tarrypin?&rdquo;
+says Br&#8217;er Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sat and took it, Br&#8217;er Fox,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er Tarrypin,
+says he, &ldquo;sat and took it; and the smoke
+got in my eye, and the fire scorched my back,&rdquo;
+says Br&#8217;er Tarrypin, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Likewise it burn your tail off,&rdquo; says Br&#8217;er
+Fox, says he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no, there&#8217;s my tail, Br&#8217;er Fox,&rdquo; says
+Br&#8217;er Tarrypin, and with that he uncurl his tail
+from under his shell, and no sooner did he do
+that than Br&#8217;er Fox grab at it and holler out:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes, Br&#8217;er Terrapin! Oh, yes! And so
+you&#8217;s the one what lam me on the head the
+other day, is you? You&#8217;s in with Br&#8217;er Rabbit,
+is you? Well, I&#8217;m going to out you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Tarrypin he beg and he beg, but it weren&#8217;t
+no use. Then he beg Br&#8217;er Fox not to drown
+him. Br&#8217;er Fox ain&#8217;t making no promise. Then
+he beg Br&#8217;er Fox to burn him, &#8217;cause now he used
+to fire. Br&#8217;er Fox he say nothing. By-and-by
+Br&#8217;er Fox drag Br&#8217;er Tarrypin off little ways
+below the spring, and he souse him under the
+water.</p>
+
+<p>Then Br&#8217;er Tarrypin he began to holler out:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Turn loose that stump-root and catch hold
+of me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox he holler back:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I ain&#8217;t got hold of no stump-root, and I is
+got hold of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Catch hold of me, I&#8217;m a-drowning&mdash;I&#8217;m
+a-drowning; turn loose that stump-root and catch
+hold of me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sure enough, Br&#8217;er Fox turned loose Br&#8217;er
+Tarrypin&#8217;s tail, and Br&#8217;er Tarrypin he went down
+to the bottom!</p>
+
+<p>Was Br&#8217;er Tarrypin drowned, then? Not a
+bit of it. Is <em>you</em> drowned when your mammy
+tucks you up in bed?</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Q_17" id="Footnote_Q_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_Q_17"><span class="label">[Q]</span></a> From &ldquo;More Funny Stories About Br&#8217;er Rabbit,&rdquo;
+published by Stead&#8217;s Publishing House, London, England, and
+used with their permission.</p></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img358.jpg" width="500" height="337" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">by-and-by br&#8217;er fox drag br&#8217;er tarrypin off</span>
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img359.jpg" width="500" height="340" alt="image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">how cousin wildcat served br&#8217;er fox</span>
+</div>
+
+
+<h2>HOW COUSIN WILDCAT SERVED BR&#8217;ER FOX<a name="FNanchor_R_18" id="FNanchor_R_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_R_18" class="fnanchor">[R]</a></h2>
+
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit and Br&#8217;er Fox had both been
+paying calls one evening at the same house. They
+sat there, and after a while Br&#8217;er Rabbit looked
+out, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now then, folks and friends, I must say good-by.
+Cloud coming up yonder, and before we know
+it, the rain&#8217;ll be a-pouring.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Br&#8217;er Fox he up and says he &#8217;spects <em>he</em>
+better be getting on, &#8217;cause he doesn&#8217;t want to
+get his Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes wet. So
+they set out.</p>
+
+<p>While they were going down the big road,
+talking at one another, Br&#8217;er Fox he took and
+stopped, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look here, Br&#8217;er Rabbit, look here! If my
+eyes don&#8217;t deceive, here&#8217;s the tracks where Mr.
+Dog&#8217;s been along, and they&#8217;re quite fresh!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit he sidle up and look. Then he
+say:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That there track ain&#8217;t never fit Mr. Dog&#8217;s
+foot. What&#8217;s more,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;I been acquainted
+with him what made that track too long ago to
+talk about.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Br&#8217;er Rabbit, please, sir, tell me his name.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit he laughs, as if he was making
+light of something or other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If I makes no mistakes, Br&#8217;er Fox, the poor
+creature what made that track is Cousin Wildcat;
+no more and no less.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How big is he, Br&#8217;er Rabbit?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just about your heft, Br&#8217;er Fox.&rdquo; Then Br&#8217;er
+Rabbit make like talking to himself. &ldquo;Tut, tut,
+tut! To be sure, to be sure! Many and many&#8217;s
+the times I see my old grand-daddy kick and cuff
+Cousin Wildcat. If you want some fun, Br&#8217;er
+Fox, now&#8217;s the time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox he up and axed how he&#8217;s going to
+have any fun.</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit he say: &ldquo;Easy enough. Just go
+and tackle old Cousin Wildcat, and lam him
+round.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox he sorter scratch his ear, and say:
+&ldquo;Eh, eh, Br&#8217;er Rabbit, I&#8217;m &#8217;fraid. His track too
+much like Mr. Dog.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit he sat flat down in the road, and
+holler, and laugh. &ldquo;Shoo, Br&#8217;er Fox!&rdquo; says he,
+&ldquo;who&#8217;d ha&#8217; thought you so skeery? Just come
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span>
+and look at these here tracks. Is there any sign
+of claw anywheres?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox was obliged to agree that there
+weren&#8217;t no sign of claw. Br&#8217;er Rabbit say: &ldquo;Well,
+then, if he ain&#8217;t got no claw, how&#8217;s he going
+to hurt you, Br&#8217;er Fox?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox took another good look at the track,
+and then he and Br&#8217;er Rabbit put out to follow
+it up.</p>
+
+<p>They kept on and on, till by-and-by they ran
+up with the creature. Br&#8217;er Rabbit he holler out
+mighty biggity: &ldquo;Hallo, there! what you doing?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The creature look round, but he ain&#8217;t saying
+nothing. Br&#8217;er Rabbit say: &ldquo;Oh, you needn&#8217;t
+look so sulky! We&#8217;ll make you talk before we&#8217;ve
+done with you! Come, now, what you doing
+there?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The creature rub hisself against a tree just as
+you see these here house cats rub against a chair,
+but he ain&#8217;t saying nothing. Br&#8217;er Rabbit holler:
+&ldquo;What you come bothering us for when we ain&#8217;t
+been bothering you? You thinks I don&#8217;t know
+who you is, but I does. I&#8217;ll let you know I got a
+better man here than what my grand-daddy been,
+and I&#8217;ll be bound he&#8217;ll make you talk.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The creature leaned harder against the tree,
+and sort of ruffled up his bristles, but he ain&#8217;t
+saying nothing. Br&#8217;er Rabbit he say: &ldquo;Go up,
+Br&#8217;er Fox, and if he refuse to speak, slap him
+down. That&#8217;s the way my grand-daddy did. If
+he dares to run, I&#8217;ll just whirl in and catch
+him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox he look sort of dubious, but he start
+toward the creature. Old Cousin Wildcat walk
+all round the tree rubbing hisself, but he ain&#8217;t
+saying nothing. Br&#8217;er Fox he went up a little
+nigher. Cousin Wildcat stop rubbing on the
+tree, and sat upon his behind legs with his front
+paws in the air, and balances hisself by leaning
+against the tree, but he ain&#8217;t saying nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Rabbit he squall out: &ldquo;Oh, you needn&#8217;t
+put up your hands, and try and beg off. That&#8217;s
+the way you fooled my old grand-daddy; but you
+can&#8217;t fool me. All your sitting up and begging
+ain&#8217;t going to help you. Hit him, Br&#8217;er Fox!
+If he runs, I&#8217;ll catch him!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Br&#8217;er Fox he sort of took heart. He sidled
+up toward him, and just as he was making ready
+to slap him, old Cousin Wildcat drew back, and
+fetched Br&#8217;er Fox a wipe across the stomach.</p>
+
+<p>That there Cousin Wildcat fetched him a wipe
+across the stomach, and you might have heard
+him squall for miles and miles. Little more and
+the creature would have torn Br&#8217;er Fox in two.
+Once the creature made a pass at him, Br&#8217;er
+Rabbit knew what was going to happen, yet all
+the same he took and hollered:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hit him again, Br&#8217;er Fox! hit him again!
+I&#8217;m a-backing you, Br&#8217;er Fox! Hit him again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>While Br&#8217;er Rabbit was going on in this way,
+Br&#8217;er Fox was squatting on the ground, holding
+his stomach with both hands and moaning:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m ruined, Br&#8217;er Rabbit! I&#8217;m ruined!
+Fetch the doctor! I&#8217;m teetotally ruined!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>About this time Cousin Wildcat took and went
+for a walk. Br&#8217;er Rabbit make like he astonished
+that Br&#8217;er Fox is hurted. He took and examine
+the place, and he up and say: &ldquo;It look to me,
+Br&#8217;er Fox, that that owdacious villain took and
+struck you with a reaping hook.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that Br&#8217;er Rabbit lit out for home, and
+when he got out of sight he took and shook his
+hands, just like a cat when she gets the water
+on her foots. Then he laugh and laugh till he
+can laugh no more.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_R_18" id="Footnote_R_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_R_18"><span class="label">[R]</span></a> From &ldquo;More Funny Stories About Br&#8217;er Rabbit,&rdquo;
+published by Stead&#8217;s Publishing House, London, England, and
+used with their permission.</p></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img360.jpg" width="500" height="99" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 349px;">
+<img src="images/img361.jpg" width="349" height="510" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;hello!&rsquo;&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span></p>
+<h2>PLANTATION STORIES</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><span class="smcap"><strong>BY GRACE MacGOWAN COOKE</strong></span></p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p class="center"><strong>I.&mdash;MRS. PRAIRIE-DOG&#8217;S BOARDERS</strong></p>
+
+<p>Texas is a near-by land to the dwellers in the
+Southern States. Many of the poorer white
+people go there to mend their fortunes; and not
+a few of them come back from its plains, homesick
+for the mountains, and with these fortunes
+unmended. Daddy Laban, the half-breed, son
+of an Indian father and a negro mother, who
+sometimes visited Broadlands plantation, had
+been a wanderer; and his travels had carried
+him as far afield as the plains of southwestern
+Texas. The Randolph children liked, almost
+better than any others, the stories he brought
+home from these extensive travels.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De prairie-dog a mighty cur&#8217;ous somebody,&rdquo;
+he began one day, when they asked him for a
+tale. &ldquo;Hit lives in de ground, more samer dan
+a ground-hog. But dey ain&#8217;t come out for wood
+nor water; an&#8217; some folks thinks dey goes plumb
+down to de springs what feeds wells. I has
+knowed dem what say dey go fur enough down
+to find a place to warm dey hands&mdash;but dat
+ain&#8217;t de tale I&#8217;m tellin&#8217;.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A long time ago, dey was a prairie-dog
+what was left a widder, an&#8217; she had a big fambly
+to keep up. &lsquo;Oh, landy!&rsquo; she say to dem dat
+come to visit her in her &#8217;fliction, &lsquo;what I gwine
+do to feed my chillen?&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De most o&#8217; de varmints tell Miz. Prairie-Dog
+dat de onliest way for her to git along was
+to keep boarders. &lsquo;You got a good home, an&#8217;
+you is a good manager,&rsquo; dey say; &lsquo;you bound
+to do well wid a boardin&#8217;-house.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Miz. Prairie-Dog done sent out de
+runners to run, de fliers to fly, de crawlers to
+crawl, an&#8217; tell each an&#8217; every dat she sot up a
+boardin&#8217;-house. She say she got room for one
+crawler and one flier, an&#8217; dat she could take in
+a whole passel o&#8217; runners.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, now you knows a flier &#8217;s a bird&mdash;or
+hit mought be a bat. Ef you was lookin&#8217; for
+little folks, hit mought be a butterfly. Miz.
+Prairie-Dog ain&#8217;t find no fliers what wants to
+live un&#8217;neath de ground. But crawlers&mdash;bugs
+an&#8217; worms an&#8217; sich-like&mdash;dey mostly does live
+un&#8217;neath de ground, anyhow, an&#8217; de fust pusson
+what come seekin&#8217; house-room with Miz.
+Prairie-Dog was Brother Rattlesnake.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I dest been flooded out o&#8217; my own house,&rsquo;
+Mr. Rattlesnake say; &lsquo;an&#8217; I like to look at your
+rooms an&#8217; see ef dey suits me.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I show you de rooms,&rsquo; Miz. Prairie-Dog
+tell &#8217;im. &lsquo;I bound you gwine like &#8217;em. I got
+room for one crawler, an&#8217; you could be him;
+but&mdash;&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Miz. Prairie-Dog look at her chillen. She
+ain&#8217;t say no more&mdash;dest look at dem prairie-dog
+gals an&#8217; boys, an&#8217; say no more.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Rattlesnake ain&#8217;t like bein&#8217; called a
+crawler so very well; but he looks at dem
+rooms, an&#8217; &#8217;low he&#8217;ll take &#8217;em. Miz. Prairie-Dog
+got somethin&#8217; on her mind, an&#8217; &#8217;fore de
+snake git away dat somethin&#8217; come out. &lsquo;I&#8217;s
+shore an&#8217; certain dat you an&#8217; me can git along,&rsquo;
+she say, &lsquo;ef&mdash;ef&mdash;ef you vow an&#8217; promish not
+to bite my chillen. I&#8217;ll have yo&#8217; meals reg&#8217;lar,
+so dat you won&#8217;t be tempted.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Old Mr. Rattlesnake&#8217; powerful high-tempered&mdash;yas,
+law, he sho&#8217; a mighty quick somebody
+on de trigger. Zip! he go off, dest like
+dat&mdash;zip! Br-r-r! &lsquo;Tempted!&rsquo; he hiss at de
+prairie-dog woman. He look at dem prairie-dog
+boys an&#8217; gals what been makin&#8217; mud cakes
+all mornin&#8217; (an&#8217; dest about as dirty as you-all
+is after you do de same). &lsquo;Tempted,&rsquo; he say.
+&lsquo;I should hope not.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;For, mind you, Brother Rattlesnake is a
+genterman, an&#8217; belongs to de quality. He feels
+hisself a heap too biggity to bite prairie-dogs.
+So <em>dat</em> turned out all right.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De next what come to Miz. Prairie-Dog
+was a flier.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A bird?&rdquo; asked Patricia Randolph.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, little mistis,&rdquo; returned the old Indian.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span>
+&ldquo;One dese-hyer little, round, brown squinch-owls,
+what allers quakes an&#8217; quivers in dey
+speech an&#8217; walk. &lsquo;I gits so dizzy&mdash;izzy&mdash;wizzy!
+up in de top o&#8217; de trees,&rsquo; de little brown
+owl say, as she swivel an&#8217; shake. &lsquo;An&#8217; I
+wanted to git me a home down on de ground,
+so dat I could be sure, an&#8217; double sure, dat I
+wouldn&#8217;t fall. But dey is dem dat says ef I
+was down on de ground I might fall down a
+hole. Dat make me want to live in yo&#8217; house.
+Hit&#8217;s down in de ground, ain&#8217;t hit? Ef I git
+down in yo&#8217; house dey hain&#8217;t no place for me to
+fall off of, an&#8217; fall down to, is dey?&rsquo; she ax.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img363.jpg" width="500" height="352" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;i wanted to git me a home down on de ground,
+so dat i could be sure, an&#8217; double sure,
+dat i wouldn&#8217;t fall,&rdquo; says miz. brown owl</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Miz. Prairie-Dog been in de way o&#8217; fallin&#8217;
+down-stairs all her life; dat de onliest way
+she ever go inter her house&mdash;she fling up her
+hands an&#8217; laugh as you pass her by, and she
+drap back in de hole. But she tell de little
+brown owl dat dey ain&#8217;t no place you could fall
+ef you go to de bottom eend o&#8217; her house. So,
+what wid a flier an&#8217; a crawler, an&#8217; de oldest
+prairie-dog boy workin&#8217; out, she manage to
+make tongue and buckle meet. I&#8217;s went by a
+many a prairie-dog hole an&#8217; seen de owl an&#8217; de
+rattlesnake what boards wid Miz. Prairie-Dog.
+Ef you was to go to Texas you&#8217;d see de same.
+But nobody in dat neck o&#8217; woods ever knowed
+how dese folks come to live in one house.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who told <em>you</em>, Daddy Laban?&rdquo; asked Pate
+Randolph.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My Injun gran&#8217;mammy,&rdquo; returned the old
+man. &ldquo;She told me a many a tale, when I
+lived wid my daddy&#8217;s people on de Cherokee
+Res&#8217;vation. Sometime I gwine tell you &#8217;bout
+de little fawn what her daddy ketched for
+her when she &#8217;s a little gal. But run home
+now, honey chillens, or yo&#8217; mammy done think
+Daddy Laban stole you an&#8217; carried you plumb
+away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span></p>
+<p class="center"><strong>II.&mdash;SONNY BUNNY RABBIT&#8217;S GRANNY</strong></p>
+
+<p>Of all the animal stories which America,
+the nurse-girl, told to the children of Broadlands
+plantation, they liked best those about Sonny
+Bunny Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You listen now, Marse Pate an&#8217; Miss Patty
+an&#8217; my baby child, an&#8217; I gwine tell you de best
+tale yit, &#8217;bout de rabbit,&rdquo; she said, one lazy
+summer afternoon when they were tired of playing
+marbles with china-berries.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You see, de fox he mighty hongry all de
+time for rabbit meat; yit, at de same time, he
+&#8217;fraid to buck up &#8217;gainst a old rabbit, an&#8217; he
+always pesterin&#8217; after de young ones.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sonny Bunny Rabbit&#8217; granny was sick, an&#8217;
+Sonny Bunny Rabbit&#8217; mammy want to send
+her a mess o&#8217; sallet. She put it in a poke, an&#8217;
+hang de poke round de little rabbit boy&#8217;s neck.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img364.jpg" width="500" height="418" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;whar you puttin&#8217; out for? an&#8217; who all is you<br />
+gwine see on t&#8217; other side de hill?&rsquo;&rdquo; ax mr. fox</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Now, my son,&rsquo; she says, &lsquo;you tote dis sallet
+to yo&#8217; granny, an&#8217; don&#8217;t stop to play wid none
+o&#8217; dey critters in de Big Woods.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Yassum, mammy,&rsquo; say Sonny Bunny Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Don&#8217;t you pass de time o&#8217; day wid no
+foxes,&rsquo; say Mammy Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Yassum, mammy,&rsquo; say Sonny Bunny Rabbit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dest as he was passin&#8217; some thick chinkapin
+bushes, up hop a big red fox an&#8217; told him
+howdy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Howdy,&rsquo; say Sonny Bunny Rabbit. He
+ain&#8217;t study &#8217;bout what his mammy tell him now.
+He &#8217;bleege to stop an&#8217; make a miration at bein&#8217;
+noticed by sech a fine pusson as Mr. Fox.
+&lsquo;Hit&#8217;s a fine day&mdash;an&#8217; mighty growin&#8217;
+weather, Mr. Fox.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Hit am dat,&rsquo; say de fox. &lsquo;Yaas, suh, hit
+sho&#8217;ly am dat. An&#8217; whar you puttin&#8217; out for,
+ef I mought ax?&rsquo; he say, mighty slick an&#8217; easy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now right dar,&rdquo; said America, impressively,
+&ldquo;am whar dat little rabbit boy fergit his teachin&#8217;.
+He act like he ain&#8217;t know nothin&#8217;&mdash;an
+ain&#8217;t know dat right good. &#8217;Stead o&#8217; sayin&#8217;,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span>
+&lsquo;I&#8217;s gwine whar I&#8217;s gwine&mdash;an&#8217; dat&#8217;s whar
+I&#8217;s gwine,&rsquo; he answer right back: &lsquo;Dest &#8217;cross
+de hill, suh. Won&#8217;t you walk wid me, suh?
+Proud to have yo&#8217; company, suh.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img365.jpg" width="500" height="297" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;come back hyer, you rabbit trash, an&#8217; he&#8217;p me<br />
+out o&#8217; dis trouble!&rsquo;&rdquo; he holler</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;An&#8217; who-all is you gwine see on t&#8217; other
+side de hill?&rsquo; ax Mr. Fox.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;My granny,&rsquo; answer Sonny Bunny Rabbit.
+&lsquo;I totin&#8217; dis sallet to her.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Is yo&#8217; granny big?&rsquo; ax de fox. &lsquo;Is yo&#8217;
+granny old?&rsquo; he say. &lsquo;Is yo&#8217; granny mighty
+pore? Is yo&#8217; granny tough?&rsquo; An&#8217; he ain&#8217;t
+been nigh so slick an&#8217; sof&#8217; an&#8217; easy any mo&#8217; by
+dis time&mdash;he gittin&#8217; mighty hongry an&#8217; greedy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Right den an dere Sonny Bunny Rabbit
+wake up. Yaas, law! He come to he senses.
+He know mighty well an&#8217; good dat a pusson
+de size o&#8217; Mr. Fox ain&#8217;t got no reason to ax ef
+he granny tough, less&#8217;n he want to git he teef in
+her. By dat he recomember what his mammy
+done told him. He look all &#8217;bout. He ain&#8217;t
+see no he&#8217;p nowhars. Den hit come in Sonny
+Bunny Rabbit&#8217; mind dat de boys on de farm
+done sot a trap down by de pastur&#8217; fence. Ef
+he kin git Mr. Fox to jump inter dat trap, his
+life done save.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Oh, my granny mighty big,&rsquo; he say; &lsquo;but
+dat &#8217;s &#8217;ca&#8217;se she so fat she cain&#8217;t run. She
+hain&#8217;t so mighty old, but she sleep all de time;
+an&#8217; I ain&#8217;t know is she tough or not&mdash;you
+dest better come on an&#8217; find out,&rsquo; he holler.
+Den he start off on er long, keen jump.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sonny Bunny Rabbit run as hard as he
+could. De fox run after, most nippin&#8217; his heels.
+Sonny Bunny Rabbit run by de place whar de
+fox-trap done sot, an&#8217; all kivered wid leaves
+an&#8217; trash, an&#8217; dar he le&#8217;p high in the air&mdash;an&#8217;
+over it. Mr. Fox ain&#8217;t know dey ary trap in
+de grass; an&#8217;, blam! he stuck he foot squar&#8217;
+in it!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Oh-ow-ow! Hi-hi-hi! Hi-yi! Yi-yi-yi!&rsquo;
+bark de fox. &lsquo;Come back hyer, you rabbit
+trash, an&#8217; he&#8217;p me out o&#8217; dis trouble!&rsquo; he
+holler.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Dat ain&#8217;t no trouble,&rsquo; say Sonny Bunny
+Rabbit, jumping high in de grass. &lsquo;Dat my
+granny, what I done told you &#8217;bout. Ain&#8217;t I
+say she so fat she cain&#8217;t run? She dest love
+company so powerful well, dat I &#8217;spect she
+holdin&#8217; on to you to hear you talk.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;An&#8217; de fox talk,&rdquo; America giggled, as she
+looked about on her small audience.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;">
+<img src="images/img366.jpg" width="339" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">mr. snowbird spends christmas day<br />
+with br&#8217;er rabbit</span>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img367.jpg" width="500" height="121" alt="American Indian Stories" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROBIN REDBREAST</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once a hunter who had only one son,
+and when his son grew up he said to him: &ldquo;My
+son, I am growing old, and you must hunt for
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well, father,&rdquo; said his son, and he took
+his father&#8217;s bow and arrows and went out into the
+woods. But he was a dreamy boy, and forgot
+what he had come for, and spent the morning
+wondering at the beautiful flowers, and trees, and
+mosses, and hills, and valleys that he saw. When
+he saw a bird on a tree, he forgot that he had
+come to shoot it, and lay listening to its song; and
+when he saw a deer come down to drink at the
+stream he put down his bow and arrows and began
+to talk to the deer in the deer&#8217;s own language.
+At last he saw that the sun was setting.
+Then he looked round for his bow and arrows,
+and they were gone!</p>
+
+<p>When he got home to the wigwam, his father
+met him at the door and said: &ldquo;My son, you have
+had a long day&#8217;s hunting. Have you killed so
+much that you had to leave it in the woods? Let
+us go and fetch it together.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The young man looked very much ashamed of
+himself, and said: &ldquo;Father, I forgot all about the
+hunting. The woods, and the sky, and the flowers,
+and the birds, and the beasts were so interesting
+that I forgot all about what you had sent
+me to do.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His father was in a terrible rage with him, and
+in the morning he sent him out again, with new
+bow and arrows, saying: &ldquo;Take care that you
+don&#8217;t forget this time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The son went along saying to himself: &ldquo;I
+mustn&#8217;t forget, I mustn&#8217;t forget, I mustn&#8217;t forget.&rdquo;
+But as soon as a bird flew across the path
+he forgot all about what his father had said, and
+called to the bird in the bird&#8217;s own language, and
+the bird came and sat on the tree above him, and
+sang to him so beautifully all day that the young
+man sat as if he was dreaming till sunset.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh dear!&rdquo; said the young man, &ldquo;what shall I
+do? My father will kill me if I go back without
+anything to eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; said the bird; &ldquo;if he kills you,
+we shall give you feathers and paint, and you can
+fly away and be a bird like ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the young man reached the village he
+scarcely dared to go near his father&#8217;s wigwam;
+but his father saw him coming, and ran to meet
+him, calling out in a hurry; &ldquo;What have you
+brought? What have you brought?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have brought nothing, father; nothing at
+all,&rdquo; said the boy.</p>
+
+<p>His father was angrier than ever, and in the
+morning he said: &ldquo;Come with me. No more bow
+and arrows for you, and not a bite to eat, till I
+have taught you to be a hunter like any other
+good Indian.&rdquo; So he took his son into the middle
+of the forest, and there built for him a little wigwam,
+with no door, only a little hole in the side.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There!&rdquo; said his father, when the young man
+was inside, and the wigwam was laced up tight.
+&ldquo;When you have lived and fasted in this wigwam
+for twelve days, the spirit of a hunter will come
+into you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Every day the young man&#8217;s father came to see
+him, and every day the young man begged for
+food, till at last, on the tenth day, he could only
+beg in a whisper.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No!&rdquo; said his father. &ldquo;In two days more you
+can both hunt and eat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the eleventh day, when the father came and
+spoke to his son, he got no answer. Looking
+through the hole, he saw the lad lying as if he
+was dead on the ground; but when he called out
+aloud his son awoke, and whispered: &ldquo;Father,
+bring me food! Give me some food!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said his father. &ldquo;You have only one day
+more to wait. To-morrow you will hunt and eat.&rdquo;
+And he went away home to the village.</p>
+
+<p>On the twelfth day the father came loaded
+with meal and meat. As he came near to the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span>
+wigwam he heard a curious chirping sound, and
+when he looked through the hole in the wigwam
+he saw his son standing up inside, and painting
+his breast with bright red paint.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, my son? Come and eat!
+Here is meal and meat for you. Come and eat
+and hunt like a good Indian.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the son could only reply in a chirping little
+voice: &ldquo;It is too late, father. You have killed me
+at last, and now I am becoming a bird.&rdquo; And as
+he spoke he turned into the o-pe-che&mdash;the robin
+redbreast&mdash;and flew out of the hole and away to
+join the other birds; but he never flew very far
+from where men live.</p>
+
+<p>The cruel father set out to go back to his wigwam;
+but he could never find the village again,
+and after he had wandered about a long time he
+lay down in the forest and died; and soon afterward
+the redbreast found him, and buried him
+under a heap of dry leaves. Every year after that,
+when the time of the hunter&#8217;s fast came round,
+the redbreast perched on his father&#8217;s empty wigwam
+and sang the song of the dead.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="WISHES" id="WISHES"></a>THE THREE WISHES</h2>
+
+
+<p>Once upon a time there were three brothers who
+set out on a visit to Goose-cap, the wise one, who
+said that any one might come and see him, and
+get a wish&mdash;just one wish, no more. The three
+brothers were seven years on the journey, climbing
+mountains that seemed to have no top, and
+scrambling through forests full of thorn-bushes,
+and wading through swamps where the mosquitoes
+tried to eat them up, and sailing down rivers
+where the rapids broke up their rafts and nearly
+drowned them.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of seven years they heard Goose-cap&#8217;s
+dogs barking, so then they knew they were
+on the right road; and they went on for three
+months more, and the barking got a little louder
+every day, till at last they came to the edge of
+the great lake. Then Goose-cap saw them, and
+sailed over in his big stone canoe and took them
+to his island.</p>
+
+<p>You never saw such a beautiful island as that
+was, it was so green and warm and bright; and
+Goose-cap feasted his visitors for three days and
+nights, with meats and fruits that they had never
+tasted before. Then he said: &ldquo;Tell me what you
+want, and why you have taken so much trouble
+to find me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The youngest brother said: &ldquo;I want to be always
+amusing, so that no one can listen to me without
+laughing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the great wise one stuck his finger in the
+ground, and pulled up a root of the laughing-plant
+and said: &ldquo;When you have eaten this you will be
+the funniest man in the tribe, and people will
+laugh as soon as you open your lips. But see that
+you don&#8217;t eat it till you get home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The youngest brother thanked him, and hurried
+away; and going home was so easy that it
+only took seven days instead of seven years. Yet
+the young man was so impatient to try his wish
+that on the sixth morning he ate the root. All of
+a sudden he felt so light-headed that he began to
+dance and shout with fun: and the ducks that he
+was going to shoot for breakfast flew away laughing
+into the reeds over the river, and the deer
+ran away laughing into the woods, and he got
+nothing to eat all day.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning he came to the village where he
+lived, and he wanted to tell his friends how hungry
+he was; but at the first word he spoke they
+all burst out laughing, and as he went on they
+laughed louder and louder&mdash;it seemed so funny,
+though they couldn&#8217;t hear a word he said, they
+made so much noise themselves. Then they got
+to laughing so hard that they rolled over and over
+on the ground, and squeezed their sides, and cried
+with laughing, till they had to run away into their
+houses and shut their doors, or they would have
+been killed with laughing. He called to them to
+come out and give him something to eat, but as
+soon as they heard him they began to laugh
+again; and at last they shouted that if he didn&#8217;t
+go away they would kill him. So he went away
+into the woods and lived by himself; and whenever
+he wanted to hunt he had to tie a strap over
+his mouth, or the mock-bird would hear him and
+begin to laugh, and all the other birds and beasts
+would hear the mock-bird and laugh and run
+away.</p>
+
+<p>The second brother said to Goose-cap; &ldquo;I want
+to be the greatest of hunters without the trouble
+of hunting. Why should I go after the animals
+if I could make them come to me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Goose-cap knew why; still, he gave the man a
+little flute, saying: &ldquo;Be sure you don&#8217;t use it till
+after you have got home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the hunter set off; but on the sixth day he
+was getting so near home that he said to himself:
+&ldquo;I&#8217;m sure Goose-cap couldn&#8217;t hear me now if I
+blew the flute <em>very</em> gently, just to try it.&rdquo; So he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span>
+pulled out the flute and breathed into it as gently
+as ever he could&mdash;but as soon as his lips touched
+it the flute whistled so long and loud that all the
+beasts in the country heard it and came rushing
+from north and south and east and west to see
+what the matter was. The deer got there first,
+and when they saw it was a man with bow and
+arrows they tried to run away again; but they
+couldn&#8217;t, for the bears were close behind, all
+round, and pushed and pushed till the deer were
+all jammed up together and the man was squeezed
+to death in the middle of them.</p>
+
+<p>The eldest brother, when the other two had set
+off for home, said to Goose-cap: &ldquo;Give me great
+wisdom, so that I can marry the Mohawk chief&#8217;s
+daughter without killing her father or getting
+killed myself.&rdquo; You see, the eldest brother was
+an Algonquin, and the Mohawks always hated
+the Algonquins.</p>
+
+<p>Goose-cap stooped down on the shore and
+picked up a hard clam-shell; and he ground it and
+ground it, all that day and all the next night, till
+he had made a beautiful wampum bead of it.
+&ldquo;Hang this round your neck by a thread of flax,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;and go and do whatever the chief asks
+you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The eldest brother thanked him, and left the
+beautiful island, and traveled seven days and
+seven nights till he came to the Mohawk town.
+He went straight to the chief&#8217;s house, and said to
+him, &ldquo;I want to marry your daughter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the chief, &ldquo;you can marry
+my daughter if you bring me the head of the
+great dragon that lives in the pit outside the
+gate.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The eldest brother promised he would, and
+went out and cut down a tree and laid it across
+the mouth of the pit. Then he danced round the
+pit, and sang as he danced a beautiful Algonquin
+song, something like this: &ldquo;Come and eat me,
+dragon, for I am fat and my flesh is sweet and
+there is plenty of marrow in my bones.&rdquo; The
+dragon was asleep, but the song gave him beautiful
+dreams, and he uncoiled himself and smacked
+his lips and stretched his head up into the air and
+laid his neck on the log. Then the eldest brother
+cut off the head; snick-snack, and carried it to the
+chief.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s right,&rdquo; said the chief; but he was
+angry in his heart, and next morning, when he
+should have given away his daughter, he said to
+the Algonquin: &ldquo;I will let you marry her if I see
+that you can dive as well as the wild duck in the
+lake.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When they got to the lake the wild duck dived
+and stayed under water for three minutes, but
+then it had to come up to breathe. Then the
+eldest brother dived, and turned into a frog, and
+stayed under water so long that they were sure
+he was drowned; but just as they were going
+home, singing for joy to be rid of him, he
+came running after them, and said: &ldquo;Now I
+have had my bath and we can go and get
+married.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wait till the evening,&rdquo; said the chief, &ldquo;and
+then you can get married.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the evening came, the Northern Lights
+were dancing and leaping in the sky, and the chief
+said: &ldquo;The Northern Lights would be angry if
+you got married without running them a race.
+Run your best and win, and there will be no more
+delay.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Northern Lights darted away at once to
+the west, and the eldest brother ran after them;
+and the chief said to his daughter: &ldquo;They will
+lead him right down to the other side of the
+world, and he will be an old man before he can
+get back, so he won&#8217;t trouble us any more.&rdquo; But
+just as the chief finished speaking, here came the
+Algonquin running up from the east. He had
+turned himself into lightning and gone right
+round the world; and the night was nearly gone
+before the Northern Lights came up after him,
+panting and sputtering.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my son,&rdquo; said the chief; &ldquo;you have won
+the race; so now we can go on with the wedding.
+The place where we have our weddings is down
+by the river at the bottom of the valley, and we
+will go there on our toboggans.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now the hillside was rough with rocks and
+trees, and the river flowed between steep precipices,
+so nobody could toboggan down there without
+being broken to pieces. But the eldest brother
+said he was ready, and asked the chief to come
+on the same toboggan.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the chief, &ldquo;but as soon as you have
+started I will.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Algonquin gave his toboggan a push,
+and jumped on, and didn&#8217;t even take the trouble
+to sit down. The chief waited to see him dashed
+to pieces; but the toboggan skimmed down the
+mountain side without touching a rock or a tree,
+and flew across the ravine at the bottom, and up
+the hillside opposite; and the Algonquin was
+standing straight up the whole time. When he
+got to the top of the mountain opposite he turned
+his toboggan round and coasted back as he had
+come. And when the chief saw him coming near
+and standing up on his toboggan, he lost his temper
+and let fly an arrow straight at the young
+man&#8217;s heart; but the arrow stuck in Goose-cap&#8217;s
+bead, and the Algonquin left it sticking there and
+took no notice. Only when he got to the top he
+said to the chief, &ldquo;Now it&#8217;s your turn,&rdquo; and put
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span>
+him on the toboggan and sent him spinning down
+into the valley. And whether the chief ever came
+up again we don&#8217;t know; but at any rate his
+daughter married the Algonquin without any
+more fuss, and went home with him.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="JOKER" id="JOKER"></a>THE JOKER</h2>
+
+
+<p>This story is about Lox. He called himself the
+joker, and he was very proud of his jokes; but
+nobody else could see anything in them to laugh
+at.</p>
+
+<p>One day he came to a wigwam where two old
+Indians were taking a nap beside the fire. He
+picked out a burning stick, held it against their
+bare feet, and then ran out and hid behind the
+tent. The old men sprang up, and one of them
+shouted to the other:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How dare you burn my feet?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How dare <em>you</em> burn <em>my</em> feet?&rdquo; roared the
+other, and sprang at his throat.</p>
+
+<p>When he heard them fighting Lox laughed out
+loud, and the old men ran out to catch the man
+who had tricked them. When they got round the
+tent they found nothing but a dead coon. They
+took off its skin, and put its body into the pot of
+soup that was boiling for dinner. As soon as they
+had sat down, out jumped Lox, kicking over the
+pot and putting out the fire with the soup. He
+jumped right into the coon&#8217;s skin and scurried
+away into the wood.</p>
+
+<p>In the middle of the forest Lox came upon a
+camp where a party of women were sitting round
+a fire making pouches.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear me,&rdquo; said Lox, looking very kind. (He
+had put on his own skin by this time.) &ldquo;That&#8217;s
+very slow work! Now, when I want to make a
+pouch I do it in two minutes, without sewing a
+stitch.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I should like to see you do it!&rdquo; said one of
+the women.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said he. So he took a piece of
+skin, and a needle and twine, and a handful of
+beads, and stuffed them in among the burning
+sticks. In two minutes he stooped down again
+and pulled a handsome pouch out of the fire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wonderful!&rdquo; said the women; and they all
+stuffed their pieces of buckskin and handfuls of
+beads into the fire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Be sure you pull the bags out in two minutes,&rdquo;
+said Lox. &ldquo;I will go and hunt for some more
+buckskin.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In two minutes the women raked out the fire,
+and found nothing but scraps of scorched leather
+and half-melted glass. Then they were very
+angry, and ran after the joker; but he had turned
+himself into a coon again and hidden in a hollow
+tree. When they had all gone back to their ruined
+work he came down and went on his mischievous
+way.</p>
+
+<p>When he came out of the wood he saw a village
+by the side of a river. Outside one of the wigwams
+a woman was nursing a baby, and scolding
+it because it cried.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What a lot of trouble children are,&rdquo; said Lox.
+&ldquo;What a pity that people don&#8217;t make men of
+them at once, instead of letting them take years
+to grow up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The woman stared. &ldquo;How can a baby be turned
+into a man?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, it&#8217;s easy enough,&rdquo; said he. So she lent
+him her baby, and he took it down to the river
+and held it under the water for a few minutes,
+saying magical words all the time; and then a
+full-grown Indian jumped out of the water, with
+a feather head-dress, and beaded blankets, and a
+bow and quiver slung over his back.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wonderful! Wonderful!&rdquo; said his mother,
+and she hurried back to the village to tell her
+friends the secret. The last thing Lox saw as he
+hurried away into the wood was a score of mothers
+drowning their children.</p>
+
+<p>On the path in front of him Lox spied a couple
+of maidens, and they were trying to reach the
+fruit that grew on a wild plum-tree. The joker
+stepped on one side and broke a twig off another
+plum-tree and stuck it in his hair. The twig
+sprouted fast, and grew into a little plum-tree
+with big plums hanging from its twigs. He went
+along the path, picking and eating the plums as
+he walked, till he came up with the girls.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wonderful!&rdquo; said they. &ldquo;Do you think we
+could get plums like that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Easily,&rdquo; said he and he broke off two little
+twigs. &ldquo;Stick these in your hair, and you will
+have head-dresses like mine.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the twigs were stuck in their hair
+the little plum-trees began to grow, and the maidens
+danced with joy, and picked the juicy plums
+and ate them. But the trees went on growing,
+and the roots twisted in among the maidens&#8217; hair
+and clutched their heads like iron fingers. The
+girls sat down, for they couldn&#8217;t carry all that
+weight standing. And still the trees grew, till
+the girls lay down on the ground and screamed
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span>
+for some one to come and rescue them. Presently
+their father came along, and he pulled his axe out
+of his belt and chopped off the trees, and tugged
+at the roots till they came off&mdash;but all the maidens&#8217;
+hair came off too. By this time Lox took
+care to be scampering away through the wood in
+the shape of a coon.</p>
+
+<p>When he came near the next village Lox put on
+a terrified face and began to run; and he rushed
+into the middle of the village, shouting: &ldquo;The
+plague is coming! The plague is coming!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All the people flocked out of their wigwams,
+crying: &ldquo;Where is it coming from? Which way
+shall we fly?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stay where you are and make your minds
+easy,&rdquo; said Lox. &ldquo;I have a charm that will keep
+off all the plagues under the sun. As soon as I
+have spoken the words, every man must kiss the
+girl nearest him.&rdquo; Then he stretched up his hands
+toward the sun and said some gibberish; and
+when he stopped and let his arms fall, each man
+made a rush and kissed the girl who happened to
+be nearest.</p>
+
+<p>But there were not quite as many girls as there
+were men, and one old bachelor was so slow and
+clumsy that every girl had been kissed before he
+could catch one.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; said Lox cheerfully. &ldquo;You go
+to the next village and try again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the old bachelor set out, plod, plod, plodding
+through the woods. But Lox turned himself into
+a coon again, and scampered from tree to tree,
+and got first to the village. When he told the
+people the plague was coming, and they asked
+how they could avoid it, he said: &ldquo;When I have
+spoken my charm, all the girls must set upon any
+stranger that comes to the village, and beat him.&rdquo;
+Then he flung his arms up and began talking his
+gibberish. Presently the old bachelor came up,
+hot and panting, and stood close to the handsomest
+girl he could see, all ready to kiss her as soon
+as the charm ended. But as soon as Lox finished,
+the maidens all set upon the stranger, and beat
+him till he ran away into the woods.</p>
+
+<p>Then the people made a great feast for Lox;
+and when he had eaten his fill of deer-meat and
+honey, he marched off to play his tricks somewhere
+else. He had not gone very far when he
+came to the Kulloo&#8217;s nest. Now the Kulloo was
+the biggest of the birds, and when he spread his
+wings he made night come at noonday; and he
+built his nest of the biggest pine-trees he could
+find, instead of straws. The Kulloo was away,
+but his wife was at home trying to hatch her
+eggs. Lox was not hungry; but he turned himself
+into a serpent, and crept into the nest and
+under Mrs. Kulloo&#8217;s wing, and bit a hole in every
+egg and ate up the little Kulloos. When he had
+done this, he was so heavy and stupid that he
+couldn&#8217;t walk very far before he had to lie down
+and go to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Presently the Kulloo came home.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How are you getting on, my dear?&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not very well, I&#8217;m afraid,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The
+eggs seem to get cold, no matter how close I
+sit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me take a turn while you go and stretch
+your wings,&rdquo; said the Kulloo. But when he sat
+down on the empty eggs they all broke with a
+great crash.</p>
+
+<p>The Kulloo flew off in a terrible rage to find
+the wretch who had eaten up the eggs, and very
+soon he spied Lox snoring on the grass.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now I&#8217;ve caught him,&rdquo; said the Kulloo; &ldquo;it&#8217;s
+Lox, the mischief-maker.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He pounced down, and caught hold of Lox by
+the hair and carried him a mile up into the sky,
+and then let go. Of course, Lox was broken into
+pieces when he struck the earth, but he just had
+time as he fell to say his strongest magic:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 5em;">
+&ldquo;Backbone! Backbone!<br />
+ <span style="margin-left: .3em;">Save my backbone!&rdquo;</span></p>
+
+<p>So as soon as the Kulloo was out of sight the
+arms and legs and head began to wriggle together
+round the backbone, and then in a twinkling Lox
+was whole again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I shouldn&#8217;t like that to happen very often,&rdquo; he
+said, looking himself over to see if every piece
+had joined in the right place. &ldquo;I think I&#8217;ll go
+home and take a rest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But he had traveled so far that he was six
+months&#8217; journey from his home; and he had made
+so many enemies, and done so much mischief, that
+whenever he came into a village and asked food
+and shelter the people hooted and pelted him out
+again. The birds and the beasts got to know
+when he was coming, and kept so far out of his
+way that he couldn&#8217;t get enough to eat, not even
+by his magic. Besides, he had wasted his magic
+so much that scarcely any was left. The winter
+came on, and he was cold as well as hungry, when
+at last he reached a solitary wigwam by a frozen
+river. The master of the wigwam didn&#8217;t know
+him, so he treated him kindly, and said, when they
+parted next morning:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have only three days more to go; but the
+frost-wind is blowing colder and colder, and if
+you don&#8217;t do as I say you will never get home.
+When night comes, break seven twigs from a
+maple-tree and stand them up against each other,
+like the poles of a wigwam, and jump over them.
+Do the same the next night, and the night after
+that if you are not quite home; but you can only
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span>
+do it thrice.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Away went the joker, swaggering through the
+woods as if nothing had happened to him, for now
+he was warm and full. But soon the wind began
+to rise, and it blew sharper and sharper, and bit
+his face, and pricked in through his blanket.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m not going to be cold while I know how to
+be warm,&rdquo; said he; and he built a little wigwam
+of sticks, and jumped over it. The sticks blazed
+up, and went on burning furiously for an hour.
+Then they died out suddenly. Lox groaned and
+went on his way. In the afternoon he stopped
+again, and lit another fire to warm himself by;
+but again the fire went out. When night came on
+he made his third fire wigwam; and that one
+burned all night long, and only went out when it
+was time for him to begin the day&#8217;s march.</p>
+
+<p>All day he tramped over the snow, never daring
+to stop for more than a few minutes at a time for
+fear of being frozen to death. At night he built
+another little wigwam; but the twigs wouldn&#8217;t
+light, however often he jumped over them. On
+he tramped, getting more and more tired and
+drowsy, till at last he fell in his tracks and froze.
+And that was the end of Lox and his jokes.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="RIDE" id="RIDE"></a>LITTLE MOCCASIN&#8217;S<br />
+RIDE ON THE THUNDER-HORSE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY COLONEL GUIDO ILGES</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>&ldquo;Little Moccasin&rdquo; was, at the time we speak of,
+fourteen years old, and about as mischievous a
+boy as could be found anywhere in the Big Horn
+mountains. Unlike his comrades of the same age,
+who had already killed buffaloes and stolen
+horses from the white men and the Crow Indians,
+with whom Moccasin&#8217;s tribe, the Uncapapas, were
+at war, he preferred to lie under a shady tree in
+the summer, or around the camp-fire in winter,
+listening to the conversation of the old men and
+women, instead of going upon expeditions with
+the warriors and the hunters.</p>
+
+<p>The Uncapapas were a very powerful and numerous
+tribe of the great Sioux Nation, and before
+Uncle Sam&#8217;s soldiers captured and removed them,
+and before the Northern Pacific Railroad entered
+the territory of Montana, they occupied the beautiful
+valleys of the Rosebud, Big and Little Horn,
+Powder and Redstone rivers, all of which empty
+into the grand Yellowstone Valley. In those days,
+before the white man had set foot upon these
+grounds, there was plenty of game, such as buffalo,
+elk, antelope, deer, and bear; and, as the
+Uncapapas were great hunters and good shots,
+the camp of Indians to which Little Moccasin belonged
+always had plenty of meat to eat and
+plenty of robes and hides to sell and trade for
+horses and guns, for powder and ball, for sugar
+and coffee, and for paint and flour. Little Moccasin
+showed more appetite than any other Indian
+in camp. In fact, he was always hungry, and
+used to eat at all hours, day and night. Buffalo
+meat he liked the best, particularly the part taken
+from the hump, which is so tender that it almost
+melts in the mouth.</p>
+
+<p>When Indian boys have had a hearty dinner of
+good meat, they generally feel very happy and
+very lively. When hungry, they are sad and dull.</p>
+
+<p>This was probably the reason why Little Moccasin
+was always so full of mischief, and always
+inventing tricks to play upon the other boys. He
+was a precocious and observing youngster, full of
+quaint and original ideas&mdash;never at a loss for expedients.</p>
+
+<p>But he was once made to feel very sorry for
+having played a trick, and I must tell my young
+readers how it happened.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Running Antelope,&rdquo; one of the great warriors
+and the most noted orator of the tribe, had returned
+from a hunt, and Mrs. Antelope was frying
+for him a nice buffalo steak&mdash;about as large
+as two big fists&mdash;over the coals. Little Moccasin,
+who lived in the next street of tents, smelled the
+feast, and concluded that he would have some of
+it. In the darkness of the night he slowly and
+carefully crawled toward the spot, where Mistress
+Antelope sat holding in one hand a long stick, at
+the end of which the steak was frying. Little
+Moccasin watched her closely, and seeing that
+she frequently placed her other hand upon the
+ground beside her and leaned upon it for support,
+he soon formed a plan for making her drop the
+steak.</p>
+
+<p>He had once or twice in his life seen a pin, but
+he had never owned one, and he could not have
+known what use is sometimes made of them by
+bad white boys. He had noticed, however, that
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span>
+some of the leaves of the larger varieties of the
+prickly-pear cactus-plant are covered with many
+thorns, as long and as sharp as an ordinary pin.</p>
+
+<p>So when Mrs. Antelope again sat down and
+looked at the meat to see if it was done, he slyly
+placed half-a-dozen of the cactus leaves upon the
+very spot of ground upon which Mrs. Antelope
+had before rested her left hand.</p>
+
+<p>Then the young mischief crawled noiselessly
+into the shade and waited for his opportunity,
+which came immediately.</p>
+
+<p>When the unsuspecting Mrs. Antelope again
+leaned upon the ground, and felt the sharp points
+of the cactus leaves, she uttered a scream, and
+dropped from her other hand the stick and the
+steak, thinking only of relief from the sharp pain.</p>
+
+<p>Then, on the instant, the young rascal seized
+the stick and tried to run away with it. But Running
+Antelope caught him by his long hair, and
+gave him a severe whipping, declaring that he
+was a good-for-nothing boy, and calling him a
+&ldquo;coffee-cooler&rdquo; and a &ldquo;squaw.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The other boys, hearing the rumpus, came running
+up to see the fun, and they laughed and
+danced over poor Little Moccasin&#8217;s distress.
+Often afterward they called him &ldquo;coffee-cooler&rdquo;;
+which meant that he was cowardly and faint-hearted,
+and that he preferred staying in camp
+around the fire, drinking coffee, to taking part in
+the manly sports of hunting and stealing expeditions.</p>
+
+<p>The night after the whipping, Little Moccasin
+could not sleep. The disgrace of the whipping
+and the name applied to him were too much for
+his vanity. He even lost his appetite, and refused
+some very nice prairie-dog stew which his mother
+offered him.</p>
+
+<p>He was thinking of something else. He must
+do something brave&mdash;perform some great deed
+which no other Indian had ever performed&mdash;in
+order to remove this stain upon his character.</p>
+
+<p>But what should it be? Should he go out alone
+and kill a bear? He had never fired a gun, and
+was afraid that the bear might eat him. Should
+he attack the Crow camp single-handed? No, no&mdash;not
+he; they would catch him and scalp him
+alive.</p>
+
+<p>All night long he was thinking and planning;
+but when daylight came, he had reached no conclusion.
+He must wait for the Great Spirit to
+give him some ideas.</p>
+
+<p>During the following day he refused all food
+and kept drawing his belt tighter and tighter
+around his waist every hour, till, by evening, he
+had reached the last notch. This method of appeasing
+the pangs of hunger, adopted by the Indians
+when they have nothing to eat, is said to be
+very effective.</p>
+
+<p>In a week&#8217;s time Little Moccasin had grown
+almost as thin as a bean-pole, but no inspiration
+had yet revealed what he could do to redeem himself.</p>
+
+<p>About this time a roving band of Cheyennes,
+who had been down to the mouth of the Little
+Missouri, and beyond, entered the camp upon a
+friendly visit. Feasting and dancing were kept up
+day and night, in honor of the guests; but Little
+Moccasin lay hidden in the woods nearly all the
+time.</p>
+
+<p>During the night of the second day of their
+stay, he quietly stole to the rear of the great council-tepee,
+to listen to the pow-wow then going on.
+Perhaps he would there learn some words of wisdom
+which would give him an idea how to carry
+out his great undertaking.</p>
+
+<p>After &ldquo;Black Catfish,&rdquo; the great Cheyenne
+warrior, had related in the flowery language of
+his tribe some reminiscences of his many fights
+and brave deeds, &ldquo;Strong Heart&rdquo; spoke. Then
+there was silence for many minutes, during which
+the pipe of peace made the rounds, each warrior
+taking two or three puffs, blowing the smoke
+through the nose, pointing toward heaven and
+then handing the pipe to his left-hand neighbor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Strong Heart,&rdquo; &ldquo;Crazy Dog,&rdquo; &ldquo;Bow-String,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Dog-Fox,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Smooth Elkhorn&rdquo; spoke of the
+country they had just passed through.</p>
+
+<p>Then again the pipe of peace was handed round,
+amid profound silence.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Black Pipe,&rdquo; who was bent and withered with
+the wear and exposure of seventy-nine winters,
+and who trembled like some leafless tree shaken
+by the wind, but who was sound in mind and
+memory, then told the Uncapapas, for the first
+time, of the approach of a great number of white
+men, who were measuring the ground with long
+chains, and who were being followed by &ldquo;Thundering
+Horses,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Houses on Wheels.&rdquo; (He
+was referring to the surveying parties of the
+Northern Pacific Railway Company, who were
+just then at work on the crossing of the Little
+Missouri.)</p>
+
+<p>With heart beating wildly, Little Moccasin listened
+to this strange story and then retired to his
+own blankets in his father&#8217;s tepee.</p>
+
+<p>Now he had found the opportunity he so long
+had sought! He would go across the mountains,
+all by himself, look at the thundering horses and
+the houses on wheels. He then would know more
+than any one in the tribe, and return to the camp,&mdash;a
+hero!</p>
+
+<p>At early morn, having provided himself with a
+bow and a quiver full of arrows, without informing
+any one of his plan he stole out of camp, and,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span>
+running at full speed, crossed the nearest mountain
+to the East.</p>
+
+<p>Allowing himself little time for rest, pushing
+forward by day and night, and after fording many
+of the smaller mountain-streams, on the evening
+of the third day of his travel he came upon what
+he believed to be a well-traveled road. But&mdash;how
+strange!&mdash;there were two endless iron rails lying
+side by side upon the ground. Such a curious sight
+he had never beheld. There were also large poles,
+with glass caps, and connected by wire, standing
+along the roadside. What could all this mean?</p>
+
+<p>Poor Little Moccasin&#8217;s brain became so bewildered
+that he hardly noticed the approach of a
+freight-train drawn by the &ldquo;Thundering Horse.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was a shrill, long-drawn whistle, and immense
+clouds of black smoke; and the Thundering
+Horse was sniffing and snorting at a great
+rate, emitting from its nostrils large streams of
+steaming vapor. Besides all this, the earth, in the
+neighborhood of where Little Moccasin stood,
+shook and trembled as if in great fear; and to him
+the terrible noises the horse made were perfectly
+appalling.</p>
+
+<p>Gradually the snorts, and the puffing, and the
+terrible noise lessened, until, all at once, they entirely
+ceased. The train had come to a stand-still
+at a watering tank, where the Thundering Horse
+was given its drink.</p>
+
+<p>The rear car, or &ldquo;House on Wheels,&rdquo; as old
+Black Pipe had called it, stood in close proximity
+to Little Moccasin,&mdash;who, in his bewilderment
+and fright at the sight of these strange moving
+houses, had been unable to move a step.</p>
+
+<p>But as no harm had come to him from the terrible
+monster, Moccasin&#8217;s heart, which had sunk
+down to the region of his toes, began to rise
+again; and the curiosity inherent in every Indian
+boy mastered fear.</p>
+
+<p>He moved up, and down, and around the great
+House on Wheels; then he touched it in many
+places, first with the tip-end of one finger, and
+finally with both hands. If he could only detach
+a small piece from the house to take back to camp
+with him as a trophy and as a proof of his daring
+achievement! But it was too solid, and all made
+of heavy wood and iron.</p>
+
+<p>At the rear end of the train there was a ladder,
+which the now brave Little Moccasin ascended
+with the quickness of a squirrel to see what there
+was on top.</p>
+
+<p>It was gradually growing dark, and suddenly
+he saw (as he really believed) the full moon approaching
+him. He did not know that it was the
+headlight of a locomotive coming from the opposite
+direction.</p>
+
+<p>Absorbed in this new and glorious sight, he did
+not notice the starting of his own car, until it was
+too late, for, while the car moved, he dared not
+let go his hold upon the brake-wheel.</p>
+
+<p>There he was, being carried with lightning
+speed into a far-off, unknown country, over
+bridges, by the sides of deep ravines, and along
+the slopes of steep mountains.</p>
+
+<p>But the Thundering Horse never tired nor grew
+thirsty again during the entire night.</p>
+
+<p>At last, soon after the break of day, there came
+the same shrill whistle which had frightened him
+so much on the previous day; and, soon after, the
+train stopped at Miles City.</p>
+
+<p>But, unfortunately for our little hero, there
+were a great many white people in sight; and he
+was compelled to lie flat upon the roof of his car,
+in order to escape notice. He had heard so much
+of the cruelty of the white men that he dared not
+trust himself among them.</p>
+
+<p>Soon they started again, and Little Moccasin
+was compelled to proceed on his involuntary journey,
+which took him away from home and into
+unknown dangers.</p>
+
+<p>At noon, the cars stopped on the open prairie to
+let Thundering Horse drink again. Quickly, and
+without being detected by any of the trainmen, he
+dropped to the ground from his high and perilous
+position. Then the train left him&mdash;all alone in
+an unknown country.</p>
+
+<p>Alone? Not exactly; for, within a few minutes,
+half-a-dozen Crow Indians, mounted on
+swift ponies, are by his side, and are lashing him
+with whips and lassoes.</p>
+
+<p>He has fallen into the hands of the deadliest
+enemies of his tribe, and has been recognized by
+the cut of his hair and the shape of his moccasins.</p>
+
+<p>When they tired of their sport in beating poor
+Little Moccasin so cruelly, they dismounted and
+tied his hands behind his back.</p>
+
+<p>Then they sat down upon the ground to have a
+smoke and to deliberate about the treatment of
+the captive.</p>
+
+<p>During the very severe whipping, and while
+they were tying his hands, though it gave him
+great pain, Little Moccasin never uttered a groan.
+Indian-like, he had made up his mind to &ldquo;die
+game,&rdquo; and not to give his enemies the satisfaction
+of gloating over his sufferings. This, as will
+be seen, saved his life.</p>
+
+<p>The leader of the Crows, &ldquo;Iron Bull,&rdquo; was in
+favor of burning the hated Uncapapa at a stake,
+then and there; but &ldquo;Spotted Eagle,&rdquo; &ldquo;Blind
+Owl,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Hungry Wolf&rdquo; called attention to the
+youth and bravery of the captive, who had endured
+the lashing without any sign of fear. Then
+the two other Crows took the same view. This
+decided poor Moccasin&#8217;s fate; and he understood
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span>
+it all, although he did not speak the Crow language,
+for he was a great sign-talker, and had
+watched them very closely during their council.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;">
+<img src="images/img375.jpg" width="404" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;when they had gone about five miles from camp,
+they came upon a pretty little mouse-colored pony&rdquo;</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Blind Owl, who seemed the most kind-hearted
+of the party, lifted the boy upon his pony, Blind
+Owl himself getting up in front, and they rode at
+full speed westward to their large encampment,
+where they arrived after sunset.</p>
+
+<p>Little Moccasin was then relieved of his bonds,
+which had benumbed his hands during the long
+ride, and a large dish of boiled meat was given
+to him. This, in his famished condition, he relished
+very much. An old squaw, one of the wives
+of Blind Owl, and a Sioux captive, took pity on
+him, and gave him a warm place with plenty of
+blankets in her own tepee, where he enjoyed a
+good rest.</p>
+
+<p>During his stay with the Crows, Little Moccasin
+was made to do the work which usually falls
+to the lot of the squaws; and which was imposed
+upon him as a punishment upon a brave enemy,
+designed to break his proud spirit. He was treated
+as a slave, made to haul wood and draw water, do
+the cooking, and clean game. Many of the Crow
+boys wanted to kill him, but his foster-mother,
+&ldquo;Old Looking-Glass,&rdquo; protected him; and, besides,
+they feared that the soldiers of Fort Custer might
+hear of it, if he was killed, and punish them.</p>
+
+<p>Many weeks thus passed, and the poor little
+captive grew more despondent and weaker in
+body every day. Often his foster-mother would
+talk to him in his own language, and tell him to
+be of good cheer; but he was terribly homesick
+and longed to get back to the mountains on the
+Rosebud, to tell the story of his daring and become
+the hero which he had started out to be.</p>
+
+<p>One night, after everybody had gone to sleep in
+camp, and the fires had gone out, Old Looking-Glass,
+who had seemed to be soundly sleeping,
+approached his bed and gently touched his face.
+Looking up, he saw that she held a forefinger
+pressed against her lips, intimating that he must
+keep silence, and that she was beckoning him to
+go outside.</p>
+
+<p>There she soon joined him; then, putting her
+arm around his neck, she hastened out of the
+camp and across the nearest hills.</p>
+
+<p>When they had gone about five miles away
+from camp, they came upon a pretty little mouse-colored
+pony, which Old Looking-Glass had hidden
+there for Little Moccasin on the previous
+day.</p>
+
+<p>She made him mount the pony, which she called
+&ldquo;Blue Wing,&rdquo; and bade him fly toward the rising
+sun, where he would find white people who would
+protect and take care of him.</p>
+
+<p>Old Looking-Glass then kissed Little Moccasin
+upon both cheeks and the forehead, while the
+tears ran down her wrinkled face; she also folded
+her hands upon her breast and looking up to the
+heavens, said a prayer, in which she asked the
+Great Spirit to protect and save the poor boy in
+his flight.</p>
+
+<p>After she had whispered some indistinct words
+into the ear of Blue Wing (who seemed to understand
+her, for he nodded his head approvingly),
+she bade Little Moccasin be off, and advised him
+not to rest this side of the white man&#8217;s settlement,
+as the Crows would soon discover his absence,
+and would follow him on their fleetest ponies.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But Blue Wing will save you! He can outrun
+them all!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>These were her parting words, as he galloped
+away.</p>
+
+<p>In a short time the sun rose over the nearest
+hill, and Little Moccasin then knew that he was
+going in the right direction. He felt very happy
+to be free again, although sorry to leave behind
+his kind-hearted foster-mother, Looking-Glass.
+He made up his mind that after a few years,
+when he had grown big and become a warrior, he
+would go and capture her from the hated Crows
+and take her to his own tepee.</p>
+
+<p>He was so happy in this thought that he had
+not noticed how swiftly time passed, and that
+already the sun stood over his head; neither had
+he urged Blue Wing to run his swiftest; but that
+good little animal kept up a steady dog-trot, without,
+as yet, showing the least sign of being tired.</p>
+
+<p>But what was the sudden noise which was
+heard behind him? Quickly he turned his head,
+and, to his horror, he beheld about fifty mounted
+Crows coming toward him at a run, and swinging
+in their hands guns, pistols, clubs, and knives!</p>
+
+<p>His old enemy, Iron Bull, was in advance, and
+under his right arm he carried a long lance, with
+which he intended to spear Little Moccasin, as
+a cruel boy spears a bug with a pin.</p>
+
+<p>Moccasin&#8217;s heart stood still for a moment with
+fear; he knew that this time they would surely
+kill him if caught. He seemed to have lost all
+power of action.</p>
+
+<p>Nearer and nearer came Iron Bull, shouting at
+the top of his voice.</p>
+
+<p>But Blue Wing now seemed to understand the
+danger of Moccasin&#8217;s situation; he pricked up his
+ears, snorted a few times, made several short
+jumps, to fully arouse Moccasin, who remained
+paralyzed with fear, and then, like a bird, fairly
+flew over the prairie, as if his little hoofs were
+not touching the ground.</p>
+
+<p>Little Moccasin, too, was now awakened to his
+peril, and he patted and encouraged Blue Wing;
+while, from time to time, he looked back over his
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span>
+shoulder to watch the approach of Iron Bull.</p>
+
+<p>Thus they went, on and on; over ditches and
+streams, rocks and hills, through gulches and valleys.
+Blue Wing was doing nobly, but the pace
+could not last forever.</p>
+
+<p>Iron Bull was now only about five hundred
+yards behind and gaining on him.</p>
+
+<p>Little Moccasin felt the cold sweat pouring
+down his face. He had no fire-arm, or he would
+have stopped to shoot at Iron Bull.</p>
+
+<p>Blue Wing&#8217;s whole body seemed to tremble beneath
+his young rider, as if the pony was making
+a last desperate effort, before giving up from
+exhaustion.</p>
+
+<p>Unfortunately, Little Moccasin did not know
+how to pray, or he might have found some comfort
+and help thereby; but in those moments,
+when a terrible death was so near to him, he did
+the next best thing: he thought of his mother and
+his father, of his little sisters and brothers, and
+also of Looking-Glass, his kind old foster-mother.</p>
+
+<p>Then he felt better and was imbued with fresh
+courage. He again looked back, gave one loud,
+defiant yell at Iron Bull, and then went out of
+sight over some high ground.</p>
+
+<p>Ki-yi-yi-yi! There is the railroad station just
+in front, only about three hundred yards away.
+He sees white men around the buildings, who will
+protect him.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment Blue Wing utters one deep
+groan, stumbles, and falls to the ground. Fortunately,
+though, Little Moccasin has received no
+hurt. He jumps up, and runs toward the station
+as fast as his weary legs can carry him.</p>
+
+<p>At this very moment Iron Bull with several of
+his braves came in sight again, and, realizing the
+helpless condition of the boy, they all gave a shout
+of joy, thinking that in a few minutes they would
+capture and kill him. But their shouting had been
+heard by some of the white men, who at once
+concluded to protect the boy, if he deserved aid.</p>
+
+<p>Little Moccasin and Iron Bull reached the door
+of the station-building at nearly the same moment;
+but the former had time enough to dart inside
+and hide under the table of the telegraph
+operator.</p>
+
+<p>When Iron Bull and several other Crows
+rushed in to pull the boy from underneath the
+table, the operator quickly took from the table-drawer
+a revolver, and with it drove the murderous
+Crows from the premises.</p>
+
+<p>Then the boy had to tell his story, and he was
+believed. All took pity upon his forlorn condition,
+and his brave flight made them his friends.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening Blue Wing came up to where
+Little Moccasin was resting and awaiting the arrival
+of the next train, which was to take him
+back to his own home.</p>
+
+<p>Little Moccasin threw his arms affectionately
+around Blue Wing&#8217;s neck, vowing that they never
+would part again in life.</p>
+
+<p>Then they both were put aboard a lightning
+express train, which look them to within a short
+distance of the old camp on the Rosebud.</p>
+
+<p>When Little Moccasin arrived at his father&#8217;s
+tepee, riding beautiful Blue Wing, now rested and
+frisky, the whole camp flocked around him; and
+when he told them of his great daring, of his capture
+and his escape, Running Antelope, the big
+warrior of the Uncapapas and the most noted
+orator of the tribe, proclaimed him a true hero,
+and then and there begged his pardon for having
+called him a &ldquo;coffee-cooler.&rdquo; In the evening Little
+Moccasin was honored by a great feast and
+the name of &ldquo;Rushing Lightning,&rdquo; <em>Wakee-watakeepee</em>,
+was bestowed upon him&mdash;and by that
+name he is known to this day.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img377.jpg" width="500" height="141" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">a young agassiz</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img378a.jpg" width="500" height="280" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2>WAUKEWA&#8217;S EAGLE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY JAMES BUCKHAM</strong></p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 129px; margin-top: -.5em; margin-right: .5em;">
+<img src="images/img378b.jpg" width="129" height="250" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>NE day, when the Indian boy Waukewa was hunting along
+the mountain-side, he found a young eagle with a broken
+wing, lying at the base of a cliff. The bird had
+fallen from an aerie on a ledge high above, and
+being too young to fly, had fluttered down the cliff
+and injured itself so severely that it was likely to
+die. When Waukewa saw it he was about to drive one
+of his sharp arrows through its body, for the passion
+of the hunter was strong in him, and the
+eagle plunders many a fine fish from the Indian&#8217;s
+drying-frame. But a gentler impulse came to him
+as he saw the young bird quivering with pain and
+fright at his feet, and he slowly unbent his bow,
+put the arrow in his quiver, and stooped over the
+panting eaglet. For fully a minute the wild eyes
+of the wounded bird and the eyes of the Indian
+boy, growing gentler and softer as he gazed,
+looked into one another. Then the struggling and
+panting of the young eagle ceased; the wild,
+frightened look passed out of its eyes, and it suffered
+Waukewa to pass his hand gently over its
+ruffled and draggled feathers. The fierce instinct
+to fight, to defend its threatened life, yielded to
+the charm of the tenderness and pity expressed in
+the boy&#8217;s eyes; and from that moment Waukewa
+and the eagle were friends.</p>
+
+<p>Waukewa went slowly home to his father&#8217;s
+lodge, bearing the wounded eaglet in his arms.
+He carried it so gently that the broken wing gave
+no twinge of pain, and the bird lay perfectly still,
+never offering to strike with its sharp beak the
+hands that clasped it.</p>
+
+<p>Warming some water over the fire at the lodge,
+Waukewa bathed the broken wing of the eagle
+and bound it up with soft strips of skin. Then he
+made a nest of ferns and grass inside the lodge,
+and laid the bird in it. The boy&#8217;s mother looked
+on with shining eyes. Her heart was very tender.
+From girlhood she had loved all the creatures of
+the woods, and it pleased her to see some of her
+own gentle spirit waking in the boy.</p>
+
+<p>When Waukewa&#8217;s father returned from hunting,
+he would have caught up the young eagle and
+wrung its neck. But the boy pleaded with him so
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span>
+eagerly, stooping over the captive and defending
+it with his small hands, that the stern warrior
+laughed and called him his &ldquo;little squaw-heart.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Keep it, then,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and nurse it until it is
+well. But then you must let it go, for we will
+not raise up a thief in the lodges.&rdquo; So Waukewa
+promised that when the eagle&#8217;s wing was healed
+and grown so that it could fly, he would carry it
+forth and give it its freedom.</p>
+
+<p>It was a month&mdash;or, as the Indians say, a moon&mdash;before
+the young eagle&#8217;s wing had fully mended
+and the bird was old enough and strong enough
+to fly. And in the meantime Waukewa cared for
+it and fed it daily, and the friendship between the
+boy and the bird grew very strong.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 221px;">
+<img src="images/img379a.jpg" width="221" height="400" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;he stooped over<br />
+the panting eaglet&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>But at last the time came when the willing captive
+must be freed. So Waukewa carried it far
+away from the Indian lodges, where none of the
+young braves might see it hovering over and be
+tempted to shoot their arrows at it, and there he
+let it go. The young eagle rose toward the sky
+in great circles, rejoicing in its freedom and its
+strange, new power of flight. But when Waukewa
+began to move away from the spot, it came swooping
+down again; and all day long it followed him
+through the woods as he hunted. At dusk, when
+Waukewa shaped his course for the Indian lodges,
+the eagle would have accompanied him. But the
+boy suddenly slipped into a hollow tree and hid,
+and after a long time the eagle stopped sweeping
+about in search of him and flew slowly and sadly
+away.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 216px;">
+<img src="images/img379b.jpg" width="216" height="400" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;the young eagle rose<br />
+toward the sky&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Summer passed, and then winter; and spring
+came again, with its flowers and birds and swarming
+fish in the lakes and streams. Then it was
+that all the Indians, old and young, braves and
+squaws, pushed their light canoes out from shore
+and with spear and hook waged pleasant war
+against the salmon and the red-spotted trout.
+After winter&#8217;s long imprisonment, it was such
+joy to toss in the sunshine and the warm wind
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span>
+and catch savory fish to take the place of dried
+meats and corn!</p>
+
+<p>Above the great falls of the Apahoqui the salmon
+sported in the cool, swinging current, darting
+under the lee of the rocks and leaping full
+length in the clear spring air. Nowhere else
+were such salmon to be speared as those which
+lay among the riffles at the head of the Apahoqui
+rapids. But only the most daring braves ventured
+to seek them there, for the current was strong,
+and should a light canoe once pass the danger-point
+and get caught in the rush of the rapids,
+nothing could save it from going over the roaring
+falls.</p>
+
+<p>Very early in the morning of a clear April day,
+just as the sun was rising splendidly over the
+mountains, Waukewa launched his canoe a half-mile
+above the rapids of the Apahoqui, and
+floated downward, spear in hand, among the salmon-riffles.
+He was the only one of the Indian
+lads who dared fish above the falls. But he had
+been there often, and never yet had his watchful
+eye and his strong paddle suffered the current to
+carry his canoe beyond the danger-point. This
+morning he was alone on the river, having risen
+long before daylight to be first at the sport.</p>
+
+<p>The riffles were full of salmon, big, lusty fellows,
+who glided about the canoe on every side in
+an endless silver stream. Waukewa plunged his
+spear right and left, and tossed one glittering victim
+after another into the bark canoe. So absorbed
+in the sport was he that for once he did
+not notice when the head of the rapids was
+reached and the canoe began to glide more swiftly
+among the rocks. But suddenly he looked up,
+caught his paddle, and dipped it wildly in the
+swirling water. The canoe swung sidewise, shivered,
+held its own against the torrent, and then
+slowly, inch by inch, began to creep upstream toward
+the shore. But suddenly there was a loud,
+cruel snap, and the paddle parted in the boy&#8217;s
+hands, broken just above the blade! Waukewa
+gave a cry of despairing agony. Then he bent to
+the gunwale of his canoe and with the shattered
+blade fought desperately against the current. But
+it was useless. The racing torrent swept him
+downward; the hungry falls roared tauntingly in
+his ears.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Indian boy knelt calmly upright in the
+canoe, facing the mist of the falls, and folded his
+arms. His young face was stern and lofty. He
+had lived like a brave hitherto&mdash;now he would
+die like one.</p>
+
+<p>Faster and faster sped the doomed canoe toward
+the great cataract. The black rocks glided
+away on either side like phantoms. The roar of
+the terrible waters became like thunder in the
+boy&#8217;s ears. But still he gazed calmly and sternly
+ahead, facing his fate as a brave Indian should.
+At last he began to chant the death-song, which
+he had learned from the older braves. In a few
+moments all would be over. But he would come
+before the Great Spirit with a fearless hymn
+upon his lips.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly a shadow fell across the canoe. Waukewa
+lifted his eyes and saw a great eagle hovering
+over, with dangling legs, and a spread of
+wings that blotted out the sun. Once more the
+eyes of the Indian boy and the eagle met; and
+now it was the eagle who was master!</p>
+
+<p>With a glad cry the Indian boy stood up in his
+canoe, and the eagle hovered lower. Now the
+canoe tossed up on that great swelling wave that
+climbs to the cataract&#8217;s edge, and the boy lifted
+his hands and caught the legs of the eagle. The
+next moment he looked down into the awful gulf
+of waters from its very verge. The canoe was
+snatched from beneath him and plunged down the
+black wall of the cataract; but he and the struggling
+eagle were floating outward and downward
+through the cloud of mist. The cataract roared
+terribly, like a wild beast robbed of its prey. The
+spray beat and blinded, the air rushed upward as
+they fell. But the eagle struggled on with his
+burden. He fought his way out of the mist and
+the flying spray. His great wings threshed the
+air with a whistling sound. Down, down they
+sank, the boy and the eagle, but ever farther from
+the precipice of water and the boiling whirlpool
+below. At length, with a fluttering plunge, the
+eagle dropped on a sand-bar below the whirlpool,
+and he and the Indian boy lay there a minute,
+breathless and exhausted. Then the eagle slowly
+lifted himself, took the air under his free wings,
+and soared away, while the Indian boy knelt on
+the sand, with shining eyes following the great
+bird till he faded into the gray of the cliffs.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 212px;">
+<img src="images/img380.jpg" width="212" height="88" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;">
+<img src="images/img381.jpg" width="348" height="550" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&ldquo;waukewa and the struggling eagle were<br />
+floating outward and downward<br />
+through the cloud of mist&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span></p>
+<h2>A HURON CINDERELLA</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY HOWARD ANGUS KENNEDY</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>Many years ago there was an Indian chief who
+had three daughters; and they lived in a lodge by
+the side of the Ottawa River&mdash;not in a wigwam,
+mind you, but a good old Huron lodge, like a
+tunnel, made of two rows of young trees bent
+into arches and tied together at the top, with
+walls of birch-bark. Oh! it was an honorable
+old lodge, with more cracks in the birch-bark
+than you could count, all patched and smeared
+with pitch.</p>
+
+<p>The chief had three sons too, but they were
+killed in a great fight with the Iroquois. When
+the brave Hurons used up all their arrows they
+threw down their bows and rushed on the Iroquois
+with their tomahawks. They screamed and
+howled like eagles and wolves, and the Iroquois
+were so frightened that they wanted to run away,
+but their own magic-man threw a spell upon
+them, so that they couldn&#8217;t turn round or run,
+and they had to stand and fight. The Iroquois
+were cousins of the Hurons, and came of a brave
+stock; and as the Hurons were few compared to
+the Iroquois, few as the thumbs compared to the
+fingers, the Hurons were beaten, and only twenty
+men of the tribe escaped down the river, and
+none of the women except the chief&#8217;s three
+daughters.</p>
+
+<p>Now the two eldest daughters were very proud,
+and loved to make a fine show before the young
+men of the tribe. One day a brave young man
+came to the lodge and asked the chief to give
+him a daughter for a wife.</p>
+
+<p>The chief said, &ldquo;It is not right for me to give
+my daughter to any but a chief&#8217;s son.&rdquo; However,
+he called his eldest daughter and said to her,
+&ldquo;This young man wants you for a wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The eldest daughter thought in her mind: &ldquo;I
+am very handsome, and one day a chief&#8217;s son
+will come and ask for me; but my clothes are old
+and common. I will deceive this young man.&rdquo;
+So she said to him: &ldquo;If you want me for your
+wife, get me a big piece of the fine red cloth that
+the white men bring to the fort far down the
+river.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The young man was brave, as we have said,
+and he took his birch-bark canoe and paddled
+down the river day after day for seven days, only
+stopping to paddle up the creeks where the
+beavers build their dams; and when he stopped
+at the foot of the great rapids, where the white
+men lay behind stone walls in fear of the Iroquois,
+his canoe was deep and heavy with the
+skins of the beavers. The white men were at
+war with the Indians, and, though he was no
+Iroquois, his heart grew cold in his breast. But
+he did not tremble; he marched in at the watergate,
+and the white men were glad to see his
+beaver skins, and gave him much red cloth for
+them; so his heart grew warm again, and he
+paddled up the river with his riches. Twelve
+days he paddled, for the current was strong
+against him; but at last he stood outside the old
+lodge, and called the chief&#8217;s eldest daughter to
+come out and be his wife. When she saw how
+red was his load, she was glad and sorry&mdash;glad
+because of the cloth, and sorry because of the
+man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where are the beads?&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You asked me for no beads,&rdquo; said he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Fool!&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;Was it ever heard that a
+chief&#8217;s daughter married in clothing of plain red
+cloth? If you want me for your wife, bring me
+a double handful of the glass beads that the
+Frenchmen bring from over the sea&mdash;red and
+white and blue and yellow beads!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the brave paddled off in his canoe down the
+river. When he came to the beavers&#8217; creeks he
+found the dams and the lodges; but the beavers
+were gone. He followed them up the creeks till
+the water got so shallow that the rocks tore holes
+in his canoe, and he had to stop and strip fresh
+birch-bark to mend the holes; but at last he
+found where the beavers were building their new
+dams; and he loaded his canoe with their skins,
+and paddled away and shot over the rapids, and
+came to the white man&#8217;s fort. The white men
+passed their hands over the skins and felt that
+they were good, and gave him a double handful
+of beads. Then he paddled up the river, paddling
+fast and hard, so that when he stood before the
+old chief&#8217;s lodge he was very thin.</p>
+
+<p>The eldest daughter came out when he called,
+and said: &ldquo;It is a shame for such an ugly man
+to have a chief&#8217;s daughter for his wife. You are
+not a man; you are only the bones of a man, like
+the poles of the lodge when the bark is stripped
+away. Come back when you are fat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he went away to his lodge, and ate and
+slept and ate and slept till he was fat, and he
+made his face beautiful with red clay and went
+and called to the chief&#8217;s daughter to come and
+marry him. But she called out to him, saying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A chief&#8217;s daughter must have time to embroider
+her clothes. Come back when I have
+made my cloth beautiful with a strip of beadwork
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span>
+a hand&#8217;s-breadth wide from end to end of
+the cloth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 353px;">
+<img src="images/img383.jpg" width="353" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">flute player<br />
+<span style="font-size: smaller;">from a painting by j. h. sharp</span></span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>But she was very lazy as well as proud, and
+she took the cloth to her youngest sister, and
+said: &ldquo;Embroider a beautiful strip, a hand&#8217;s-breadth
+wide, from end to end of the cloth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now the chief&#8217;s youngest daughter was very
+beautiful; so her sisters were jealous and made
+her live in the dark corner at the back of the
+lodge, where no man could see her; but her eyes
+were very bright, and by the light of her eyes she
+arranged the beads and sewed them on so that
+the pattern was like the flowers of the earth and
+the stars of heaven, it was so beautiful. But
+when the youngest daughter had fallen asleep at
+night her eldest sister came softly and took away
+the cloth and picked off the beads.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning she went to her youngest sister
+and said, &ldquo;Show me the work you did yesterday.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the youngest sister cried, and said, &ldquo;Truly
+I worked as well as I could, but some evil one
+has picked out the beads.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then her sister scolded her, and pricked her
+with the needle, and said, &ldquo;You are lazy! Embroider
+this cloth, and do it beautifully, or I shall
+beat you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This she did day after day, and whenever the
+young man came to see if she was dressed for the
+wedding she showed him the cloth, and it was
+not finished.</p>
+
+<p>Now there was another brave young man in
+that village, and he came and asked the chief for
+his second daughter.</p>
+
+<p>The second daughter was as proud as the first,
+and said to herself, &ldquo;One day a great chief&#8217;s son
+will come, and I will marry him.&rdquo; But she said
+to the young man, &ldquo;If you want me for your
+wife, you must build me a new lodge, and cover
+the door of it with a curtain of beaver-skins.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The young man smiled in his heart, for he said
+to himself, &ldquo;This is easy; this is child&#8217;s play.&rdquo; So
+he built a new lodge, and hung a curtain of
+beaver-skins over the door.</p>
+
+<p>But when the chief&#8217;s daughter saw the curtain,
+she said, &ldquo;I should be ashamed to live behind a
+curtain of plain beaver-skins like that! Go and
+hunt for porcupines, that the curtain may be embroidered
+with their quills.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he took his bow and his arrows and went
+away through the woods to hunt. Twelve days
+he marched, till he came to the porcupines&#8217; country.
+When the porcupines saw him coming; they
+ran to meet him, crying out, &ldquo;Don&#8217;t kill us! We
+will give you all the quills that you want.&rdquo; And
+while he stood doubting, the porcupines turned
+round, and shot their prickly quills out at him so
+that they stuck in his body. And the porcupines
+ran away into hiding before he could shoot.</p>
+
+<p>Then the young man, because he had been gone
+so long already, did not chase the porcupines, but
+left the quills sticking in his body and went back
+to the village, saying to himself, &ldquo;She will see
+how brave I am, that I care nothing for the pain
+of the porcupine quills.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But when the chief&#8217;s daughter saw him she
+only laughed and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You cannot deceive me! It was never heard
+that a chief&#8217;s daughter married a man who was
+not brave. If you were brave, you would have
+twenty Iroquois scalps hanging from your belt.
+It is easy to hunt porcupines; go and hunt the
+Iroquois, that I may embroider the curtain black
+and white with the porcupine-quills and the Iroquois
+hair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the young man&#8217;s heart grew cold; but he
+took his bow and arrows and went through the
+woods; and when he came near the Iroquois town
+he lay down on his face and slipped through the
+bushes like a snake. When an Iroquois came to
+hunt in the woods, he shot the Iroquois and took
+his scalp; and this he did till he had twenty scalps
+on his belt.</p>
+
+<p>Now all the time that he lay in the bushes by
+the Iroquois town he ate nothing but wild strawberries,
+for the blueberries were not yet ripe; so
+when he came to his own village and called to
+the chief&#8217;s second daughter, she said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are an ill-looking man for a chief&#8217;s
+daughter to marry. You are like a porcupine-quill
+yourself. Nevertheless, I am not like my
+sister, and I will marry you as soon as the curtain
+is embroidered.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she took the curtain of beaver-skin and
+gave it to her youngest sister, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Embroider this curtain with quills, black and
+white, and criss-cross, so that it shall be more
+beautiful than the red cloth and the beadwork.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the youngest sister, when she had done her
+day&#8217;s work on the cloth, and was tired and ready
+to sleep, took the quills and the hair and began
+to embroider the curtain, black and white, in
+beautiful patterns like the boughs of the trees
+against the sky, till she could work no longer,
+and fell asleep with her chin on her breast.</p>
+
+<p>Then her second sister came with her mischievous
+fingers and picked out all the embroidery
+of quills and hair, and in the morning
+came and shook her and waked her, and said,
+&ldquo;You are lazy! you are lazy! Embroider this
+curtain!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In this way the youngest sister&#8217;s task was
+doubled, and she grew thin for want of sleep;
+yet she was so beautiful, and her eyes shone so
+brightly, that her sisters hated her more and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span>
+more, for they said to themselves, &ldquo;If a great
+chief&#8217;s son comes this way, he will see her eyes
+shining even in the dark at the back of the
+lodge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>One day, when the chief looked out of his
+door, he saw a new lodge standing in the middle
+of the village, covered with buckskin, and painted
+round with pictures of wonderful beasts that had
+never been seen in that country before. There
+was a fire in front of the lodge, and the haunch
+of a deer was cooking on the fire. When the
+chief went and stood and looked in at the door,
+the lodge was empty, and he said, &ldquo;Whose can
+this lodge be?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then a voice close by him said, &ldquo;It is the lodge
+of a chief who is greater than any chief of the
+Hurons or any chief of the Iroquois.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where is he?&rdquo; asked the old chief.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am sitting beside my fire,&rdquo; said the voice;
+&ldquo;but you cannot see me, for your eyes are turned
+inward. No one can see me but the maiden I
+have come to marry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There are no maidens here,&rdquo; said the old
+chief, &ldquo;except my daughters.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he went back to his lodge, where his two
+elder daughters were idling in the sun, and told
+them:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is a great chief come to seek a wife
+in my tribe. His magic is so strong that no one
+can see him except the maiden whom he chooses
+to marry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the eldest daughter got up, snatched the
+red cloth out of her youngest sister&#8217;s hand,
+wrapped it round her, smeared red clay over her
+face, and ran to the new lodge and called to the
+great chief to come and look at her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am looking at you now,&rdquo; said a voice close
+beside her; &ldquo;and you are very ugly; you have
+been dipping your face in the mud. And you are
+very lazy, for your embroidery is not finished.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Great chief,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I will wash the clay
+from my face, and I will go and finish the embroidery
+and make a robe fit for a maiden who is
+to marry the great chief.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the voice said, &ldquo;How can you marry a
+man you cannot see?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I can see you as plainly as the
+lodge and the fire. I can see you quite plainly,
+sitting beside the fire.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then tell me what I am like,&rdquo; said he.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are the handsomest of men,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;straight of back and brown of skin.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go home,&rdquo; said the voice, &ldquo;and learn to speak
+truth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When she came back to the lodge, she flung
+the red cloth down on the ground without speaking.</p>
+
+<p>Then the old chief said to his second daughter,
+&ldquo;Your sister has failed; it must be you that the
+great chief will marry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the second daughter picked up the beaver
+curtain and flung it round her, and ran to the
+empty lodge; and, being crafty, she cried aloud
+as she came near, &ldquo;Oh! What a handsome chief
+you are!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How do you know I am handsome?&rdquo; said the
+voice. &ldquo;Tell me what clothes I wear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she guessed in her mind, and, looking on
+the painted lodge, she said, &ldquo;A robe of buckskin,
+with wonderful animals painted on it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Go home,&rdquo; said the voice, &ldquo;and learn to speak
+truth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she slunk away home, and squatted on
+the ground before the lodge, with her chin on her
+breast.</p>
+
+<p>Now, when the youngest daughter saw that
+both her sisters had failed, she said to herself,
+&ldquo;They tell me I am very thin and ugly, but I will
+go and try if I can see this great chief.&rdquo; So she
+pushed aside a corner of the birch-bark, slipped
+out at the back of the lodge, and stole away to
+the painted lodge; and there, sitting by his fire
+on the ground, she saw a wonderful great chief,
+with skin as white as midwinter snow, dressed in
+a long robe of red and blue and green and yellow
+stripes.</p>
+
+<p>He smiled on her as she stood humbly before
+him, and said, &ldquo;Tell me now, chief&#8217;s daughter,
+what I am like, and what I wear!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And she said, &ldquo;Your face is like a cloud in the
+north when the sun shines bright from the south;
+and your robe is like the arch in the sky when
+the sun shines on the rain.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he stood up and took her for his wife,
+and carried her away to live in his own country.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 176px;">
+<img src="images/img385.jpg" width="176" height="31" alt="page decoration" title="" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE FIRE BRINGER<a name="FNanchor_S_19" id="FNanchor_S_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_S_19" class="fnanchor">[S]</a></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>BY MARY AUSTIN</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>They ranged together by wood and open swale,
+the boy who was to be called Fire Bringer, and
+the keen, gray dog of the wilderness, and saw
+the tribesmen catching fish in the creeks with their
+hands, and the women digging roots with sharp
+stones. This they did in Summer, and fared
+well; but when Winter came they ran nakedly in
+the snow, or huddled in caves of the rocks, and
+were very miserable. When the boy saw this
+he was very unhappy, and brooded over it until
+the Coyote noticed it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is because my people suffer and have no
+way to escape the cold,&rdquo; said the boy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I do not feel it,&rdquo; said the Coyote.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is because of your coat of good fur,
+which my people have not, except they take it in
+the chase, and it is hard to come by.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let them run about, then,&rdquo; said the counselor,
+&ldquo;and keep warm.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They run till they are weary,&rdquo; said the boy;
+&ldquo;and there are the young children and the very
+old. Is there no way for them?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said the Coyote, &ldquo;let us go to the
+hunt.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will hunt no more,&rdquo; the boy answered him,
+&ldquo;until I have found a way to save my people from
+the cold. Help me, O counselor!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Coyote had run away. After a time
+he came back and found the boy still troubled in
+his mind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is a way, O Man Friend,&rdquo; said the
+Coyote, &ldquo;and you and I must take it together,
+but it is very hard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will not fail of my part,&rdquo; said the boy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will need a hundred men and women,
+strong, and swift runners.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will find them,&rdquo; the boy insisted, &ldquo;only tell
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We must go,&rdquo; said the Coyote, &ldquo;to the Burning
+Mountain by the Big Water and bring fire
+to our people.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the boy: &ldquo;What is fire?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Coyote considered a long time how
+he should tell the boy what fire is. &ldquo;It is,&rdquo; said
+he, &ldquo;red like a flower, yet it is no flower; neither
+is it a beast, though it runs in the grass and rages
+in the wood and devours all. It is very fierce
+and hurtful, and stays not for asking; yet if it is
+kept among stones and fed with small sticks, it
+will serve the people well and keep them warm.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How is it to be come at?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It has its lair in the Burning Mountain; and
+the Fire Spirits guard it night and day. It is a
+hundred days&#8217; journey from this place, and because
+of the jealousy of the Fire Spirits no man
+dare go near it. But I, because all beasts are
+known to fear it much, may approach it without
+hurt, and, it may be, bring you a brand from the
+burning. Then you must have strong runners
+for every one of the hundred days to bring it
+safely home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will go and get them,&rdquo; said the boy; but it
+was not so easily done as said. Many there were
+who were slothful, and many were afraid; but
+the most disbelieved it wholly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;For,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;how should this boy tell us
+of a thing of which we have never heard!&rdquo;
+But at last the boy and their own misery persuaded
+them.</p>
+
+<p>The Coyote advised them how the march should
+begin. The boy and the counselor went foremost;
+next to them the swiftest runners, with the others
+following in the order of their strength, and
+speed. They left the place of their home and
+went over the high mountains where great jagged
+peaks stand up above the snow, and down the
+way the streams led through a long stretch of
+giant wood where the somber shade and the
+sound of the wind in the branches made them
+afraid. At nightfall, where they rested, one
+stayed in that place, and the next night another
+dropped behind; and so it was at the end of each
+day&#8217;s journey. They crossed a great plain where
+waters of mirage rolled over a cracked and parching
+earth, and the rim of the world was hidden
+in a bluish mist. So they came at last to another
+range of hills, not so high, but tumbled thickly
+together; and beyond these, at the end of the hundred
+days, to the Big Water, quaking along the
+sand at the foot of the Burning Mountain.</p>
+
+<p>It stood up in a high and peaked cone, and the
+smoke of its burning rolled out and broke along
+the sky. By night the glare of it reddened the
+waves far out on the Big Water, when the Fire
+Spirits began their dance.</p>
+
+<p>Then said the counselor to the boy who was
+soon to be called the Fire Bringer: &ldquo;Do you stay
+here until I bring you a brand from the burning;
+be ready and right for running, and lose
+no time, for I shall be far spent when I come
+again, and the Fire Spirits will pursue me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 360px;">
+<img src="images/img387.jpg" width="360" height="500" alt="Image" title="" />
+<span class="caption">the coyote stole the fire and began to run away with it
+down the slope of the burning mountain</span>
+</div><p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Then he went up the mountain, and the Fire
+Spirits, when they saw him come, were laughing
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span>
+and very merry, for his appearance was much
+against him. Lean he was, and his coat much
+the worse for the long way he had come. Slinking
+he looked, inconsiderable, scurvy, and mean,
+as he has always looked, and it served him as
+well then as it serves him now. So the Fire
+Spirits only laughed, and paid him no further
+heed.</p>
+
+<p>Along in the night, when they came out to
+begin their dance about the mountain, the Coyote
+stole the fire and began to run away with it down
+the slope of the Burning Mountain. When the
+Fire Spirits saw what he had done, they streamed
+out after him red and angry in pursuit, with a
+sound like a swarm of bees.</p>
+
+<p>The boy saw them come, and stood up in his
+place clean-limbed and taut for running. He saw
+the sparks of the brand stream back along the
+Coyote&#8217;s flanks as he carried it in his mouth,
+and stretched forward on the trail, bright against
+the dark bulk of the mountain like a falling star.
+He heard the singing sound of the Fire Spirits
+behind, and the labored breath of the counselor
+nearing through the dark. Then the good beast
+panted down beside him, and the brand dropped
+from his jaws.</p>
+
+<p>The boy caught it up, standing bent for the running
+as a bow to speeding the arrow. Out he
+shot on the homeward path, and the Fire Spirits
+snapped and sung behind him. Fast as they pursued
+he fled faster, until he saw the next runner
+stand up in his place to receive the brand.</p>
+
+<p>So it passed from hand to hand, and the Fire
+Spirits tore after it through the scrub until they
+came to the mountains of the snows. These
+they could not pass; and the dark, sleek runners
+with the backward-streaming brand bore it forward,
+shining star-like in the night, glowing red
+through sultry noons, violet pale in twilight
+glooms, until they came in safety to their own
+land. Here they kept it among stones, and fed
+it with small sticks, as the Coyote had advised,
+until it warmed them and cooked their food.</p>
+
+<p>As for the boy by whom fire came to the tribes,
+he was called the Fire Bringer while he lived;
+and after that, since there was no other with so
+good a right to the name, it fell to the Coyote;
+and this is the sign that the tale is true, for all
+along his lean flanks the fur is singed and yellow
+as it was by the flames that blew backward
+from the brand when he brought it down from the
+Burning Mountain.</p>
+
+<p>As for the fire, that went on broadening and
+brightening, and giving out a cheery sound until
+it broadened into the light of day.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_S_19" id="Footnote_S_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_S_19"><span class="label">[S]</span></a> From &ldquo;The Basket Woman,&rdquo; by Mary Austin;
+used by permission of the publishers, Houghton, Mifflin Company.</p></div>
+
+
+<div class="box">
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="SCAR" id="SCAR"></a>SCAR FACE</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><em>An Indian Tale</em></p>
+
+
+<p>The mother of Scar Face the Youth was
+Feather Woman, who had fallen in love with
+Morning Star, and vowed that she would marry
+none other. To this she held true, despite the
+laughter and jibes of her friends. And one morning
+when she walked in the fields very, very
+early, that she might see Morning Star before the
+sun hid his brightness, she met a handsome youth
+who told her that he was Morning Star, and that
+he had come to earth for a day, impelled by
+her love.</p>
+
+<p>So Feather Woman went back to Skyland with
+Morning Star, and by-and-by a little son was born
+to her. At first she had been very happy in
+Skyland, but there were times when she was
+sad because of the camp of the Blackfeet, which
+she had left.</p>
+
+<p>Now, in Skyland Feather Woman often dug in
+the garden, and she had been cautioned not to
+uproot the turnip, lest evil befall. After she was
+given this charge she looked long at the turnip
+and wondered what evil might come from its
+uprooting. At last she took her flint and dug
+around the least bit, not wanting to uproot it;
+but hardly had she loosened the turnip when it
+came out of the ground, and she looked down
+through the hole which it had made in the sky
+and saw the camp of the Blackfeet spread before
+her.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly she began to weep for her friends;
+and when her father-in-law, the Sun, saw her
+weeping, he said: &ldquo;You have dug up the turnip
+and have looked down at the camp of the Blackfeet.
+Now must you return thither.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the star-weavers made a net, and Feather
+Woman and her child, the son of Morning Star,
+were let down into the camp of the Blackfeet.</p>
+
+<p>At first she was very happy, but soon she began
+to grieve for Morning Star, and at last she died
+of sorrow because she could not return to Skyland.
+Morning Star could not come to earth,
+for it had been given to him to come but that
+one time when impelled by her love.</p>
+
+<p>And so the little son of Feather Woman and
+Morning Star was left all alone. And across
+his face was a great scar, which had been made
+there when he had been let down from Skyland
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span>
+in the net woven by the star-weavers. Because
+of this scar he was named, and because of it he
+was very ugly, so that the children of the tribe
+were afraid of him, and the older folks hated
+him; they said that evil must be in his heart
+that he should have so ugly a face.</p>
+
+<p>But there was no evil in the heart of Scar
+Face, and he hunted and fished alone, and became
+a great hunter, bringing home much meat to the
+tribe.</p>
+
+<p>But he was not happy, because of the unfriendliness
+of the tribe. The Chief had a very
+beautiful daughter, and all the young men of the
+tribe loved her; and Scar Face, too, loved her,
+and longed to marry her.</p>
+
+<p>So at last he went to her and told her of his
+love, and asked her to marry him; and she, thinking
+to jest, said: &ldquo;I will marry you when you
+take that ugly scar from your face.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this Scar Face was more sad than he had
+been before, for he did not see how it was possible
+to get rid of the scar. But he loved the
+Chief&#8217;s daughter very much, and at last he went
+to the old Medicine Man of the tribe to ask
+him what he could do to get rid of the scar.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You can do nothing,&rdquo; replied the Medicine
+Man. &ldquo;The scar was put there by the Sun, and
+only the Sun can take it away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then I will go to the Sun and ask him to take
+away the scar,&rdquo; said Scar Face.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you will do that,&rdquo; replied the Medicine
+Man, &ldquo;you must journey far to the west, where
+the land ends and where the Big Water is. And
+when you come to the Big Water at sunset you
+will see a long trail, marked by a golden light,
+which leads to the home of the Sun. Follow
+the trail.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Scar Face set out and went to where the
+land ends and the Big Water is. And he sat by
+the Big Water until sunset, and he saw the
+trail as the Medicine Man had said. Then he
+followed the trail, and came at last to Skyland,
+where he was greeted by Morning Star, who knew
+him at once for his son.</p>
+
+<p>Morning Star was most glad at the coming of
+his son, and they hunted and fished together. And
+one day when they were hunting they came to
+a deep cavern in which was a dreadful serpent,
+which attacked Morning Star and would have
+killed him but that Scar Face quickly cut off
+its head.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Sun was grateful to Scar Face for
+saving the life of his son, Morning Star, and he
+removed the scar from the face of his grandson,
+which he had put there in anger at the child&#8217;s
+mother.</p>
+
+<p>Then Scar Face went back to the tribe of the
+Blackfeet, and he was the most handsome of all
+the youths; and the daughter of the Chief loved
+him, and he had no difficulty in persuading her to
+marry him. Because he loved his father, Morning
+Star, he took her with him and set out again
+for the place where the land ends and the Big
+Water begins; and together they followed the
+trail marked by golden light until they came at
+last to Skyland. There they lived and were
+happy; and Morning Star shone with especial
+brightness on the camp of the Blackfeet for their
+sake.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="BABY" id="BABY"></a>WHY THE BABY SAYS &ldquo;GOO&rdquo;</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><strong>RETOLD BY EHRMA G. FILER</strong></p>
+
+
+<p>On a sloping highland near the snow-capped
+mountains of the North was an Indian village.
+The Chief of the village was a very brave man,
+and he had done many wonderful things.</p>
+
+<p>These were the days of magic and witchery.
+The Ice Giants had attempted to raid the land;
+some wicked Witches had tried to cast an evil
+spell over the people; and once a neighboring
+colony of Dwarfs had tried to invade the village.</p>
+
+<p>But the brave Chief had fought and conquered
+all these forces of evil and magic. He was so
+successful and so good that the people loved him
+very much. They thought he could do anything.</p>
+
+<p>Then before long the Chief himself began to
+be proud and vain. He had conquered everyone;
+so he thought he was the greatest warrior in the
+world.</p>
+
+<p>One day he boastfully said: &ldquo;I can conquer
+anything or any person on this earth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, a certain Wise Old Woman lived in this
+village. She knew one whom the Chief could
+not conquer. She decided it was best for the
+Chief to know this, for he was getting too vain.
+So one day she went to the Chief and told him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Granny, who is this marvelous person?&rdquo; asked
+the Chief, half angrily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We call him Wasis,&rdquo; she solemnly answered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Show him to me,&rdquo; said the Chief. &ldquo;I will
+prove that I can conquer him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old grandmother led the way to her own
+wigwam. A great crowd followed to see what
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span>
+would happen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There he is,&rdquo; said the Wise Old Woman; and
+she pointed to a dear little Indian baby, who sat,
+round-eyed and solemn, sucking a piece of sugar.</p>
+
+<p>The Chief was astonished. He could not
+imagine what the old woman meant, for he was
+sure he could make a little baby obey him. This
+Chief had no wife, and knew nothing about babies.
+He stepped up closer to the baby, and
+looking seriously at him said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Baby, come here!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little Wasis merely smiled back at him and
+gurgled, &ldquo;Goo, Goo,&rdquo; in true baby fashion.</p>
+
+<p>The Chief felt very queer. No one had ever
+answered him so before. Then he thought, perhaps
+the baby did not understand; so he stepped
+nearer and said kindly: &ldquo;Baby, come here!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Goo, Goo!&rdquo; answered baby, and waved his little
+dimpled hand.</p>
+
+<p>This was an open insult, the Chief felt; so he
+called out loudly: &ldquo;Baby, come here at once!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This frightened little Wasis, and he opened his
+little mouth and began to cry. The Chief had
+never before heard such a noise. He drew back,
+and looked helplessly around.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You see, little Wasis shouts back war-cries,&rdquo;
+said the Wise Old Woman.</p>
+
+<p>This angered the Chief, and he said: &ldquo;I will
+overcome him with my magic power.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he began to mutter queer songs, and to
+dance around the baby.</p>
+
+<p>This pleased little Wasis, and he smiled and
+watched the Chief, never moving to go to him.
+He just sat and sucked his sugar.</p>
+
+<p>At last the Chief was tired out. His red paint
+was streaked with sweat; his feathers were falling,
+and his legs ached. He sat down and looked
+at the old woman.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did I not say that baby is mightier than you?&rdquo;
+said she. &ldquo;No one is mightier than he. A baby
+rules the wigwam, and everyone obeys him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is truly so,&rdquo; said the Chief, and went outside.</p>
+
+<p>The last sound he heard as he walked away was
+the &ldquo;Goo, Goo&rdquo; of little Wasis as he crowed in
+victory. It <em>was</em> his war-cry. All babies mean
+just that when they gurgle so at you.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/img390.jpg" width="500" height="307" alt="image" title="" />
+</div>
+<p class="center"><span style="font-size: smaller; margin-left: -23em;">Copyright by E. M. Newman</span><br />
+<span class="caption">indian group</span></p>
+
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17), by Various
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author	Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org>	2025-10-15 02:47:29 -0700
committer	Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org>	2025-10-15 02:47:29 -0700
commit	2f59e31bfc8beb6d1d48b6a18399c4dc8d22ba49 (patch)
tree	6d7893e216342f853b5f74c7578130241ad3ee96 /29386-h