So all he gained by his roguery was a burnt skin and nothing to show for it; and that has happened more than once to rogues whose wits are so sharp that they cut their own fingers with them. 88

Now in our town we do not make puddings without plums, or tell a story without rhyme or reason, but if you wish to find any meaning in these words, you must put on your spectacles and look for it for yourself, even though the tale stands all legs and no head, as the man-in-the-moon said about his grandmother's tongs.

once upon a time there was a lad who was a fisher- man, and every morning he shouldered his net, and went down to the river to catch fish to sell in the town.

One morning as he walked beside the edge of the water, he came upon a great tall stork caught in a trap that had been set for the water-rats.

It was a tender heart that the young fisherman

had under his jacket, so ,vhen he saw Father Longlegs in such a pickle he waded out into the water, among the reeds and arrowheads to where the other was, and loosened the noose from about his leg.

The storks bring good-luck to folks some people say, and that was what happened to the young fisherman.

" One good turn deserves another," says Father Longlegs; " cross your heart three times, cast your net into the water yonder, and see what you catch." So the lad did as he was told, and when he drew his net to the shore, there was just one fish in it.

Yes; just one fish, but that was worth the catching, I can tell you, for the scales were all of pure silver and gold, so that it glistened like the moon on smooth ice, and it was most wonderful to see.

" There," says the stork; "and now if you have your wits about you, it is your fortune that you have caught out of the water. Take the fish up to the king's castle and show it to nobody but the king. When he sees it

92

he will want to have it for his own and will be for buying it, but there is only one price you must ask for it, and that is to have the princess for your wife." That was what the stork said, and then he spread his wings and flew away over the house-tops.

So the lad wrapped the fish up in a clean white napkin and laid it in a wicker basket, and then off he marched to the king's castle to try his luck there, as the stork had said.

Rap! tap! tap! he knocked at the door. Well, and what did he want?

Oh, he had brought a fish that he had caught over at the river yonder, but he would show it to nobody but the king himself.

No, it did no good for them to ask and to question and to talk; what he had said he had said. So at last they had to take him up-stairs, and there was the king sitting upon a golden throne with a golden crown upon his head and a golden sceptre in his hand.

" Well, and why do you wish to see me?" That was what the king said. It was no word that the lad spoke with his tongue, but he just unfolded the napkin, and showed the king what he had brought in the wicker basket. When the king saw the gold-and-silver fish, he thought he had never seen anything so wonderful in all of his life before. Then it was just as

the stork had said. He must and would have the fish, no matter what it cost; and what would the lad take for it?

Why, the body over at the river yonder, who had put the lad up to catching the fish, had told him that there was only one price to be asked for it. Now, if the king would let him have the princess for his wife, he might have the fish and welcome; for that was the price, and the long and the short of it.

Well, the king hemmed and hawed, but he did not speak the little word " no;" and after a while he said he would send for the princess, and see what she had to say about it. So the princess came, and she was a beauty I can tell you, for the very sight of her was enough to make one's heart melt inside of one, like a lump of butter in the oven. And as for the wits of her, why, she was just as smart as she was pretty (which is saying much and a little over), and that is why the king had sent for her, for he wanted to get the gold-and-silver fish without paying the price for it.

" Yes," says the princess when the king had told her all. " I am ready enough to marry the lad, only he must promise to do one thing first."

Dear, dear, how the lad's heart jumped inside of him at that. He was 94

willing enough to promise whatever was asked, for he would do anything to marry the princess, now that he had seen how pretty she was.

"Very well, then," said the princess, "just bring me the key of wish- house and I will marry you."

" There," said the king, " that is a bargain; go and bring the key of wish-house and you shall marry the princess; and you may just leave the fish here until you come back again. And don't show your face about here without the key, if you wish to keep your head upon your shoulders."

So off Nvent the lad from the king's castle, with nothing at all in his pocket and ill-luck astride of his back. Down he went to the river as straight as he could walk, and there stood Father Stork gazing down into the water and looking as wise as our minister on Sunday. See now, thus and so and thus and so had happened, and the stork had gotten him into a pretty scrape over at the castle by putting him up to asking such a price for his herring; that was what the lad said.

" Prut !" says the stork, " break no bones over that furrow; ill-luck al- ways comes before good-luck, and rain before the little flowers; what is worth having is worth working for. Just get upon my back and I will carry you to where the queen of the birds lives; if anybody can put you in the way of finding the key= of wish-house she will be the one." So the stork bent his red legs and up the lad got upon his back. Then Father Long- legs spread his wings and away he flew, and on and on, over field and fallow, over valley and mountain, over forest and over stream.

After they had gone so far that the lad thought the end of the world could not be a great way off, they came to a grand house, all built of red brick, that stood on a high hill, and that was where the queen of the birds lived. The stork flew straight to the house, and there was the queen of the birds walking in the garden.

The stork told everything from first to last, and that now what they wanted to know was, whether the queen of the birds could tell them where the key of wish-house was to be found.

No, the queen did not know that herself, but she would call all of the birds of the heavens and of the earth, and perhaps there would be some one among them that could tell.

A little silver whistle hung about her neck; she put it to her lips and blew upon it so shrilly that it made a body's ear ring to listen to it, and the birds of the heavens and of the earth came flying from far and near until ',,e air was as full of them as a sunbeam is full of motes on sweeping-day. 95

The queen of the birds asked them one and all, from tom-tit to the wild swan, if they could tell where the key of wish-house was to be found; but not a single one of them knew.

After all the rest had spoken there came flying an old eagle, so old that he was as grey as the ashes upon the hearth, and he was six times as big as any of the rest. He had come from the other end of nowhere, and that is a long way off, as even simple Jack can tell you; that was what had kept him such a time in the coming.

And was it the key of wish-house that they were talking about? Oh, yes; the old eagle knew where the key of wish-house was as well as he knew his bread-and-butter, for the old Grey Master that lives on the iron mountain had it hanging back of the kitchen door, and the eagle had seen it there more than once.

"Very well," says the queen of the birds; " then here is a lad who has come out into the world hunting for that key, a good-hearted fellow who helped Father Stork out of a tight place over at the river yonder, where he had been caught in a trap set for the water-rats. Now can you not help him to find what he wants-,"

Well, the old eagle did not say no, for one good turn deserves another; so he took the lad on his back at the root of his wings and away he flew.

One would have thought that the red-legged stork had flown far, but it was nothing at all to the journey that the eagle tool.. On and on he flew for such a long way that 1, for one, could never find words to tell you how far away it was.

1111 the same, every journey must have an ending. And at last they came to a great iron mountain the sides of which were as smooth as the face of a looking-glass; so it was a good thing for the lad that he had a great grey eagle to carry him up to the top, and that is the truth.

There on the top of the mountain lay a green meadow, so wide that the eye could not see to the other end of it. And in the middle of the meadow stood a tall castle; that was where the Grey Master lived who kept the key of wish-house back of the kitchen door.

" This is all the farther I can carry you just now," says the eagle; " but here is a feather, when you are ready to come away just throw it up into the air, and I will not be long in coming."

The lad thanked the eagle for the help he had had, and then he put the feather in the lining of his hat. 96

After that the eagle went one way and the lad went the other, and that was towards the castle where the Grey 'Master lived.

Off he stepped right foot foremost, and by and by he came to a little stream of water that ran along through the meadow. But just in the mid- dle of the brook lay a great stone, that choked the stream so that it could hardly crawl around it.

" Here is a body in trouble as well as myself," said the lad, and he stooped and rolled away the great round stone so that the brook might flow smoothly and freely.

" One good turn deserves another," said the brook. " Look in the place where the great round stone lay and you will find a little red pebble; so long as you keep that pebble in your mouth you will be as strong as ten common men."

Well, the lad hunted until he found the pebble, and then he thanked the brook and jogged along the way he was going.

By and by he came to an apple-tree, and it was so loaded down with apples that the branches were bent to the very ground.

" Here is another body weighed down by the cares of the world," said the lad. So he shook some of the apples off and cut props to put under the branches, that they might not be broken by the load.

" One good turn deserves another," said the apple-tree. " Look under my roots and you will find a golden apple; while you keep that in your bosom neither fire nor water can harm you, for it is an apple from the tree of life."

Well, the lad found the apple under the roots of the tree, and then he said " thank you," and went on his way.

By and by he came to a place where he heard a great hubbub over the hedge; he looked and there he saw that it was a black cock and a red cock fighting for dear life, and the red cock was having the worst of it, for it was nearly dead already.

" Here is another who is having the worst of the fight," said the lad, and he jumped over the hedge, and drove away the black cock with the staff he held in his hand.

" One good turn deserves another," said the red cock. " I know what you have come hither to find, and I will give you a bit of advice that will be worth the having. When the Grey Master asks you what you want, tell him it is to watch his black cattle for one night. If you do that he must give you whatsoever you ask for. And listen; this is what 98

you must do to watch the cattle. When you open the stable door there will come out three-and-twenty black cows, and after them a black bull breathing fire and smoke. Him you must catch by the horns and must hold him fast until the cock crows in the morning. But you must have the strength of ten men to do that."

Well, the lad thanked the cock for the advice he had given, and then he went on his way and up to the castle where the Grey Master lived.

He knocked at the door, and it was the Grey Master himself who came and opened it. He was a head and shoulders taller than other men, was the Grey Master, and he had but one eye, which gleamed and glistened like the dog-star in January. Beside him flew two black ravens with eyes as red as coals of fire.

" And what is it that you want?" said the Grey Master.

" Oh!" said the lad, " I have come from over in the brown world yon- der, and I want to watch your black cattle for one night, that is all I am after."

When the Grey Master heard what the lad said, he frowned until his one eye shone like lightning. "Very well," said he, "you shall have a chance and a try at what you want, but if you fail your head shall be cut off and hung up over the gate yonder."

" That is not so pleasant to think of," said the lad; " all the same, I will have a try and see what I can do." So in he came, and he and the Grey Master sat down to supper together.

By and by, when the lad had eaten all that he wanted the Grey Master told him it was time to go about the business he had come for. So off went the lad to the stable where the four-and-twenty black cattle stood all in a row. He opened the door, and out they ran helter-skelter and as fast as they could push, and—whisk ! pop !-soon as they came out of the door each cow changed into a black crow and flew around and around the lad's head as though it would beat his eyes out. Last of all came the black bull, and the lad was read)- and waiting for him.

He clapped the red pebble into his mouth, and then he was as strong as ten common men. He caught the bull by the horns, and it might puff out fire and smoke, as it chose, for it could do him no harm because of the apple of life which he carried in his bosom.

How the bull did pitch and toss, and bellow and roar, to be sure, but it was all for no use, the lad held on like hunger, until by and by the bull stopped struggling and stood as quiet as a lamb. But the lad held fast to 99

the bull's horns, and all the time the black crows flew about his head, but never once so much as touched him.

At last a cock crew, and then they all changed again into cows, and the lad drove them back into the stable once more, and there they were.

By and by came the Grey Master. "Well," said he, "and did you watch the black cattle?"

Oh, yes, the lad had watched them, and it was no such hard task to do; there they were in the stable yonder, safe and sound.

Then you should have seen what a sour face the Master pulled over the business! All the same, he had to pay the lad; so what did he want for his wages?

"Oh !" said the lad, " it is little that I want. If you will let me have the key that hangs back of the kitchen door 1 will be satisfied." So the Grey Master had to go and get it for him, though he would rather have given him one of his eye-teeth.

Off marched the lad with what he had come for, and that is more than most of us get. But the Grey Master was not for letting him off so easy as all that, I can tell you, for the more he thought over the business the less he liked to give up the key of wish-house.

So after a while he took down the Sword of Sharpness which hung against the wall, slipped his feet into the Shoes of Speed that stood in the corner, took a peep into the Book of Knowledge which lay upon the shelf, to see which way the lad had gone, and then set off after him hot-foot, to get back what he had given away.

Just as the lad got to where the apple-tree stood he looked over his shoulder, and there he saw the Grey Master coming over the hills.

"And where shall I go now," says he.

"One good turn deserves another," said the apple-tree; "just come under my branches."

The lad did as he was told, and the apple-tree drooped its branches about him, until one could see neither hide nor hair of him.

By and by up came the Grey Master puffing and blowing. "Apple- tree," says he, " did you see the fisher-lad come by this way?"

No, the apple-tree had seen nobody go past that place. So back went the Master home again to have another look into his Book of Knowledge. There he saw as clear as day what sort of trick had been played upon him. Off he started again after the lad at such a rate that the ground smoked under his feet. 100

But the lad had lost no time either, so that when he looked over his shoulder and saw the Grey Master coming across the hills behind him, he had gone as far as the brook.

" One good turn deserves another," said the brook, and it made itself small and smaller, so that the lad stepped over without wetting so much as the sole of his foot. Then it spread itself out again three times as broad as before. Presently up came the Master, fuming like a pot on the fire.

" Brook," says 11e, " did you see the fisher-lad go by this way?"

"Yes," said the brook; "there he is just on the other side." And there he was sure enough.

The Grey Master never stopped to take off his shoes and stockings, but into the water he splashed as fast as he could go. just as he reached the middle of the stream the brook began to swell, and grew large and larger until it carried away the Grey Master like a cork in the gutter, and there was an end of him.

After that the lad went on without hurrying any more than he chose, until he came to the side of the mountain. He took the eagle's feather from out his cap and threw it up in the air, and there was the eagle before he had time to brow tired of waiting.

He sat him upon the ca-le's back, and away they flew, and on and on without stopping until they came to the house where the queen of the birds lived. There was Father Longlegs (the stork) waiting for them. He took his turn of carrying the lad, and when they stopped it was just over beyond the king's castle.

But the lad had been out into the world, and had learned a thing or two.

" See now." says he, " it was hasty cooking that burned the broth;" and so he would not go up to the castle with his key of wish-house without first trying what door he could unlock with it himself. He took it out of his pocket and struck it a rap or two upon the ground.

" I should like," says he, " to have golden clothes upon my back, and to have a golden horse and a golden greyhound that shall chase a golden hare." That was what he said, and he did not have to say it twice; for before he could wink there they were standing beside him just as he wanted. He leaped upon his horse and away he rode after the greyhound and the golden hare.

How the people in the castle did stare when they saw him riding past! The princess herself ran to the window to see the fine sight, and as for the 102

king, he sent six of his knights posting after the fisher-lad, for he thought that it was some great lord who had come into those parts.

By and by the lad came to a thicket, and there he jumped off of his horse and rapped upon the ground with his key.

" I wish to be as I was before," says he, and then he was the poor fisher-lad and nothing else. As for the golden clothes, the golden horse, the golden greyhound, and the golden hare, they went back to Nomans- land whither they had come; and when the king's people came riding up there was nobody but a lad in rags and tatters whistling into a key.

They hunted up and they hunted down, but they could find neither sign nor trace of the golden rider and the golden horse. So after a while they had to ride back to the castle without them.

" You should have brought the lad who blew upon the key," said the princess.

The next day the lad rapped upon the ground with his key again.

" I should like to have," says he, " a golden coach drawn by six milk- white horses, with coachman and footman and out-riders dressed in clothes of gold and silver."

That was what he said; and there they were just as he wanted. Into the coach he got, and off he rode down by the king's castle.

Dear, dear, how the folks did stare, to be sure! This time the king sent twelve knights after the golden coach, for he thought it must be a king or a prince for certain who rode by in such style.

Pretty soon the lad came to a woods, and there he jumped out of the coach and rapped upon the ground xvith his key.

" I want to be just as I was before," says he; and, sure enough, he was. Up clattered the twelve knights on their horses, and there sat the lad in rags and tatters whistling upon his key.

The twelve knights hunted high and hunted low, and not another soul could they find, and so they had to ride back to the castle again.

" See now," said the princess, " did I not say that you should have brought the lad who blew upon the key?"

The next day the lad went out and rapped upon the ground for the third time.

" I should like," said he, "to have a splendid castle all built of silver and gold, such as nobody ever saw before."

That was what he said, and before the words had left his tongue just such a great castle grew up out of nothing like a soap-bubble. 104

The king chanced to look out of the window just then, and there was the great splendid gold-and-silver castle. He took off his spectacles and rubbed them and rubbed them, but there was the castle just the same as ever.

He bade them saddle the horses, and he and the princess, and all of the court besides, rode away- to find out who it was that had built such a fine castle all in one night.

But the lad saw them coming, and rapped upon the ground with his key. " I should like," said he, " for things to be just as they were before;" and puff ! away went the castle like the light of a candle when one blows it out.

Up came the king and the princess and all the court, and not a speck of the grand castle could they, find, but only a lad in rags and "tatters who sat upon a great round stone and whistled upon a key.

But the princess was a lass who could see through a millstone with a hole in it. So soon as she set eyes upon him she knew the whole busi- ness from beginning to end. Up she marched to him, before them all, and took him by the hand. " Now I will marry- you," said she, "for I see that you have brought the key of wish-house with you;" and there she was as wise as ever. For there be many kings and princes in the world, but I have never yet heard of any oue except the fisher-lad who had the key of wish-house. Have you' NCE there was a king, who, as time went on, found himself waxing old in years and feeble in body, so he began to think of giving up the cares of government and of taking his ease for as much of life as was left him. But here was the trouble: there were three princes, and each one of them was just as clever as the other two, so that the old king could not tell which to choose as the right one to sit in his place.

He thought and thought and thought, until at last he plucked an apple off of his thinking-tree, as folks say. All three of the princes should go out into the world, and whichever of them should fetch back an apple from the Tree of Happiness should rule over all of the kingdom. And I speak the truth when I say that the apple was cheap enough even at that price.

So off went the three to seek for what they wanted. They travelled along without let or stay until towards evening they came to a place where two houses stood, the one on the one side of the road and the other on the other.

One of them was as fine a house as a body ever saw. Every window was lit up by the warm fires and the bright lights within, and even out on the high-road one could hear the merry times the folks were having; laugh ing and singing and clinking their glasses together. As for the good things cooking in the kitchen, why it was enough to make one hungry just to 108

smell the steam of them. Over the door was a sign, and on the sign was written,

" WHO ENTERS HERE SHALL HAVE WHAT HE LIKES AND PAY NOTHING FOR IT."

The other house was a poor, mean, little, tumble-down hut, as silent as death, and with never a spark of light or fire shining at the windows. There was also a sign over the door, and on the sign was written,

" WHO ENTERS HEIZE SHALL HAVE -WHAT HE SLEDS AND PAY WHAT HE CAN."

"Yonder is the place for us," said the older brothers, and they pointed with their thumbs to the grand house, where there was good company with plenty to eat and drink and nothing to pay.

"Yes," says the youngest of the three, "that is all very well, but I would rather pay for what I need than get what I like for nothing."

Dear, dear, how the two did laugh at the one to be sure ! but all the same, the one held to what he had said, and so at last the two flew into a huff. " Go your way," said they, " and we will go ours." And into the grand house they went. There they gave themselves up to ease and comfort, and it was a merry time they had of it, I can tell you.

But the youngest brother went over to the little dark house and knocked upon the door, and it was opened by a poor old man whose head and beard were as white as the snow, and whose clothes hung about him all in tags and tatters.

" Come in and `Welcome," said he, " for you are the first who has been here for twenty-seven ages;- and that is a long time, as anybody knows without the telling.

But in the little house there was no wood to make a fire, and there was no water to boil in the pot. So the prince took the axe and went out and chopped an armful of wood, and then he took the pot and filled it at the well.

Out in the stable stood a white cow with silver horns; but there was never a straw for it to lie upon, and never a bit of hay for it to eat. So the prince shook down a bed for it, and then he filled the rack with hay and left it munching away for dear life.

Out in the yard was a red cock and a white hen, but though they scratched and scratched it was never a grain that they found. So the prince threw them a handful of barley and left them pecking away at it, as though they had not seen the like for a week of Sundays. I10

After he had done all these things, he and the old man sat down to sup- per together, and, if it was not of the finest, why the prince had a good appetite, and one can have no better sauce to a crust than that.

The prince stayed all night, and the next morning he was for jogging on his way. But before he went he offered the old man what money he had, because anybody could read the sign over the door.

But the old man shook his head. "No, no," said he, "you have paid your score. You have given what you can, and you shall have what you need. Here is a little book, and in it you may read whatever you wish to know. Go out into the stable and you will find a barley straw back of

the white cow's ear. Take that with you, for you will need it. Look in the manger and you will find an egg that the white hen has laid-, take it with you also, for it is worth the having."

Then he said good-bye and shut the door, and that was the last the prbice saw of him.

The prince went to the stable, and there he found the barley straw and the egg, just as the old man had said, and off he marched with them.

He went to the grand house over the way and called his brothers, but they only came to the windows and laughed and jeered at him. " No, no," said they, " we are going no farther along the road, for we know very well when the world is smooth with us. The Fruit of Happiness can bring us nothing better than what we have at hand."

And so the young prince had to trudge away by himself. But what to do with the straw and the egg he knew no more than my grandmother's cat. So he opened his little book, and this was what it said between the leaves:

" JTount the straw and ride, it -,chitker at takes you."

" So," said the prince; `' that would be a strange thing to do for sure and certain. All the same, an easy task is worth the trying;" so lie just flung his leg over the straw and-whisk! pop !-there he was, astride of a great splendid horse with smooth hair as yellow as gold.

That straw was a straw worth having!

And the best part of the matter was that the prince had no need to draw the bridle-rein either to the right or to the left; for the yellow horse took the bit in his teeth and away he pounded so that the ground smoked under his hoofs, and the wind whistled back of the prince's ears. By and by they came to a great sandy desert-place where not a twig or a leaf was to be seen, but only white bones scattered here and there, for the prince was 112

not the first by many who had tried to cross that desert to the Tree of Happiness.

But he had better luck than the others, for the yellow horse carried him along like the wind, and on and on until at last he came within sight of the Tree of Happiness. There sat three terrible giants, an old giant and his two sons, and alongside of each lay a great iron club with sharp spikes in the end of it. But all three sat with their eyes shut, sleeping away as though they would never awaken. And that was a good thing for the prince, for he had never seen such terrible, wicked-looking creatures as the old giant and his two sons. Ile leaped from off the back of the yellow horse, and

there it was, nothing but a barley straw. He put it in his pocket and took

out his Book of Knowledge and opened it. This was what it said

Fair not the ga'rints, for they ~c~ill not ezzurihe; but loucb ncitker tire golrkit fruit nor the silver fruit, for they rise not for you."

When the prince read what the Book of Knowledge said, he knew that it was so. Up he marched to the Tree of Happiness as bold as bold could be, and the giants snored away so that the leaves shook.

There hung three apples; the first was of gleaming gold, the second was of shining silver, and the third was just a poor, weazened, shrivelled thing, that looked as though there were not three drops of juice in it.

" Prut !" says the prince, " it can never be that I have travelled all this way for nothing in the world but a dead apple. After all, it must be the golden fruit that I am to take, in spite of what the Book of Knowledge said; for if happiness is to be found in anything, it is to be found in such as it."

So he reached up his hand and plucked the ,olden apple, and then-hi ! what a hubbub, for the Tree of Happiness began to clamor and call as though every leaf on it had become a tongue to speak with.

" Help ! help !" it cried. " Here is one coming to rob us of our golden fruit !"

Up jumped the three giants, and each one snatched up his iron club and came at the prince as though to put an end to him without any more talk over the business. But the prince begged and prayed and prayed and begged that they would spare his life.

" Listen," said the old giant; " if you will promise to bring us the Sword of Brightness that shines in the darkness and cuts whatsoever the edge is turned against, we will not only spare your life, but give you the Fruit of Happiness into the bargain." That was what the old giant said, and the 113

others agreed to it; for if they could once lay hand upon such a sword as that they would be masters of all the world.

Well, the prince promised that he would get them the Sword of Bright- ness, for one will promise much before one will be knocked on the head with an iron club; and then the giant let him go, and glad enough he was to get away.

Off he went back of the hill. He drew out his barley straw and threw his leg over it, and there he sat astride of his yellow horse again.

" I should like," said he, " to be carried to where I can find the Sword of Brightness that shines in the darkness and cuts whatever its edge is turned against." That was all that he had to say, and away clattered the yellow horse over stock and stone so that the ground smoked beneath his hoofs. On they went and on they went for a great long while, until at last they came to a tall castle as black as your hat, and there was where the

' Sword of Brightness was to be found. In front of the castle gate lay two great fiery dragons, with smoke coming up out of their nostrils instead of the breath of life, and all over their bodies were brazen scales that shone like gold in the sunlight. But both dragons were sound asleep.

Inside of the court-yard were many and one fierce soldiers armed in shining armor and each with a battle-axe or a sword or an iron club lying beside him; but they too were as sound asleep as the dragon.

Down jumped the prince from the great yellow horse, and there was the barley straw again. He took out the Book of Knowledge from his pocket, and this was what it said

" Fear not the dragons nor the fierce soldiers, for they will not awaken,- but take only the old leathern scabbard with the sword."

So up walked the prince as bold as brass, and the soldiers and the dragons said never a word, but just snored away so that the windows rattled. Into the castle he walked, and nobody said " No " to him. There sat an old man, as wicked as sin and as grey as the ashes in the hearth. He never moved a hair, only his little red eyes turned here and there, and were never still for a wink. A great keen sword lay on the table in front of him, and the light on the blade was like the bright flash of lightning. The prince took the sword up from the table, and the little old man looked at him, but said never a word, good or bad.

On the wall hung three scabbards; one was of gold studded all over with precious stones; another of silver that gleamed like the light of the moon in frosty weather; and the third was of nothing but old, shabby, 114

worm-eaten leather that looked as though they had just fetched it down from the dusty garret.

" It would be a pity," said the prince, " to put such a fine sword into such a poor scabbard. I'll not choose the gold because of what happened to me over at the Tree of Happiness yonder, but surely silver is none too good for the Sword of Brightness."

So he took down the silver scabbard and thrust the sword into it, and therewith dipped his spoon into the wrong pot again; for, no sooner had he sheathed the sword in the silver scabbard than the old gray man began to thump on the table in front of him and to bawl at the top of his voice, " Help! help ! here is one come to steal our Sword of Brightness."

At this the soldiers outside woke up and began to clash and rattle with their battle-axes and swords and iron clubs, and the dragons began to roar and send up clouds of smoke like a chimney afire.

In ran the soldiers, and were for putting au end to the prince without another word being said, but he begged and prayed and prayed and begged that his life might lie spared, just as he had done with the giants over yon- der at the Tree of Happiness.

" Listen," says the old grey man at last; " if you will promise to bring me the White Bird from the black mountain, I will not only spare your life, but will give you the Sword of Brightness into the bargain."

Yes, the prince would get the White Bird if anybody in the world could get it. And thereupon they let him go, and glad enough he was to get away.

Back of the hedge lie threw his leg over the bat-Icy straw.

" I would like," said he, " to be taken to where I can find the White Bird that lives on the black mountain;" and away thundered the yellow horse, like a storm in June.

If it was far that they travelled before, it was farther that they travelled this time. But at last they came to the black mountain, and the prince jumped off the nag and thrust the straw into his pocket.

There was not a blade of grass nor a bit of green to be seen on the hill, but only a great lot of round, black stones scattered from top to bottom. That was all that was left of the lads who had come that way before to find the White Bird.

On the top of the mountain sat an old witch with golden hair, and in her hand was the White Bird. The prince opened his Book of Knowledge, and there he read that if one would gain the White Bird one would have 116

to catch the witch by her golden hair, for then she would be compelled to grant whatever was asked of her; only he would have to be very careful in his doings, for if the witch caught sight of him upon the black hill she would change him into a stone just as she had all the rest who had come that way.

But how was he to climb the hill without the witch seeing him? That was what the prince would like to know. So he turned over another leaf of the Book of Knowledge, and there it was all in plain black and white. This was what it said

" Crack the egv of the white hen and put on the cap."

The prince cracked the egg, and, sure enough, inside of it was a little cap of feathers. He put on the feather cap and-whisk !-as quick as a wink he was changed into a titmouse, which is the least of all the birds in that land.

He spread his wings and flew and flew and flew, until he was close behind the witch where she sat on the black mountain. He took off his cap and there he was in his own shape again. He caught the old witch by her golden hair and held her fast. And you should have heard how she screamed and scolded, and you should have seen how she twisted and turned!

But the prince just held fast, and she could make nothing of it for all her trying.

"And what do you want, that you come here to torment me?" said she at last.

" I want the White Bird," said the prince; "and I will be satisfied with nothing else." It was all to no purpose that the old witch stormed and scolded, for what he had said he had said, and he would be satisfied with nothing else. So at last, willy-nilly, she had to give him what he asked for.

The prince took it in his hands, and it was a white bird no longer, but the prettiest lass that ever a body's eyes looked upon, with cheeks as red as roses and a skin as white as snow.

But still the prince held tight to the old witch's hair, and now what else was it he was wanting.

Why, before he would let her go, she must change all the round stones back again into the lads of flesh and blood they had been before.

So the old witch had to do that also, and there stood so many good stout lads in the place of the hard, round stones. 117

But still the prince held fast to her golden hair. And what else was it he was «-anting?

Why, this! The old witch must promise to do no harm to him or to anybody else who should come that way. The old witch had to promise. And then he let go of her hair, and you can guess what a rage she was in.

But the prince cared nothing for that, for he had found what he came for. He took the barley straw out of his pocket and threw his leg over it. Then he took the princess up behind him on the great yellow horse, and away he clattered, leaving the witch scolding behind him.

After a while he came to the black castle; there he took out his Book of Knowledge, for now that he had the White Bird he could not bear to think of giving her up; and this was what the book said

" Take Me Ihhite Bird to the old grey man and he will give you the Sword of Brzglitness, turn the edge against hinn and against the fierce soldiers and agailast the two dragons, and then ride away with your IFIcite Bird."

So up he rode to the black castle, and the fiery dragons let him pass when they saw that the White Bird rode behind him. The old grey man gave the lad the Sword of Brightness quickly enough, for the White Bird was worth that and a great deal more, I can tell you.

As soon as the prince had hold of the Sword of Brightness, he turned the keen edge of the blade against the wicked old man and the soldiers and the dragons; off flew their heads, and there they lay- as dead as red herrings in a box.

Then he thrust the Sword of Brightness into the leathern scabbard, for he had learned a grain or two of wisdom by this time, and away he rode with the White Bird sitting behind him.

On they rode and on they rode until they came to the desert place and the Tree of Happiness. And then the prince took out his Book of Wisdom and turned over the leaves, for he was of no mind to give up the Sword of Brightness i f he could help doing so.

" Turn the edge of the blade against the three giants."

Thus said the book, and the lad did so, and there they lay all three of them as dead as stocks.

I know that this is true which I tell, because since then there have been no cruel giants to keep a body from getting a taste of the Fruit of Happiness now and then, if a body chooses to travel that far to find it. But that is neither here nor there, and what I have to tell is this

The young prince rode away towards home with the White Bird sitting 118

behind him, the Sword of Brightness hanging by his side, and the Fruit of Happiness in his pocket.

By and by he came to the place where the two houses stood, the one on the one side of the road, and the one on the other, and there he took out his Book of Knowledge to have a peep at it, and this was what it said "Buy no black sheep."

" Prut !" says the prince, " what should I want with black sheep I should like to know?"

By and by he met a great crowd, and in the midst of all the rest were his two brothers with their hands tied behind them with stout ropes.

And what were they going to do with the two? That was what the prince would like to know.

" Why," said those who held them, " they have spent all their money at the great house over yonder, and have run up a score for good things besides, and now they are packing off to prison because they cannot pay what they owe."

" Come, come," says the prince, " let them go and I will pay their reckoning;" and so he did, and that was what the Book of Wisdom meant by buying black sheep.

After that they all stepped away homeward, right foot foremost; for since the young prince had brought the Fruit of Happiness along with him, there was no need of the other brothers going to look for it.

By and by they felt weary and sat down by the roadside to rest, and as they sat there the youngest prince fell asleep. While he slept the elder brothers stole away the Sword of Brightness and the Fruit of Happiness. Then they wakened him and made him strip off his fine clothes, and gave him a parcel of rags and tatters fit for no one but a beggar, and he had to put them on or go without.

As for the White Bird, they made her vow and swear that she would say nothing of all this. Then off they marched with her and with the Sword of Brightness, and left the prince with never a stitch or a thread that was worth the having.

" See," said they, as soon as they came home, " not only have we brought the Fruit of Happiness, but the Sword of Brightness and the White Bird into the bargain."

As for the youngest brother, they told the king that he had stopped over at the tavern yonder, and had spent all his money in eating and drinking, just as they themselves had really done. 120

But the White Bird did nothing but weep and weep, and neither this brother nor that could draw the Sword of Brightness from its leathern scabbard. And when the king came to taste the Fruit of Happiness, it was as bitter as gall. So, after all, the two gained nothing by what they had done.

But the young prince was not for giving up all that he had lost, without trying to get what he could back again. Off he marched in his rags and tatters until he came to the castle where the king, his father, lived. Up he stepped to the door and knocked, but nobody would let him in because he looked like nothing but a beggar. So down he sat beside the gate of the castle garden, since he could not come into the house.

After a while the folks came out, one by one and two by two, to walk in the garden and take the air, and all the time the prince sat there and nobody knew him.

Last of all came the old king, and with him walked the White Bird. The king was for passing the lad by as all the rest had done. But as soon as the White Bird saw him, she knew who he was and ran to him and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

" Here is my own sweetheart," said she, " and he has come back to me again."

The prince told the king all that had happened from beginning to end, and how it really was he who had found the White Bird, the Sword of Brightness, and the Fruit of Happiness.

" Yes, yes," says the king, "that is all very well, but it is just the tale that your brothers tell; now can you draw the Sword of Brightness from the leathern scabbard?"

" Oh, yes," said the prince, " I can do that easily enough." So the sword was brought and-whisk'-he whipped the blade out of the scabbard so that the light of it dazzled the e)-es of everybody that looked upon it.

Then the king saw what had happened as plain as the nose on his face, and was for punishing the elder brothers as they deserved, but nobody could find them, for as soon as they heard that the youngest prince had come home again they packed off without waiting to learn more news.

And why do I call this the story of the White Bird? Listen: any Tom or Jake or Harry might have found the Sword of Brightness or the Fruit of Happiness; but you may depend upon it that nobody but a real prince could ever have found the White Bird.

HIS is the way that this story begins

Once upon a time there was a rich brother and a poor brother, and the one lived across the street from the other.

The rich brother had all of the world's gear that was good for him and more besides; as for the poor brother, why, he had hardly enough to keep soul and body together, yet he was contented with his lot,

and contentment did not sit back of the stove in the rich brother's house; wherefore in this the rich brother had less than the poor brother.

Now these things happened in the good old times when the saints used to be going hither and thither in the world upon this business and upon that. So one day, who should come travelling to the town where the rich brother and the poor brother lived, but Saint Nicholas himself.

Just beside the town gate stood the great house of the rich brother; thither went the saint and knocked at the door, and it was the rich brother himself who came and opened it to him.

Now, Saint Nicholas had had a long walk of it that day, so that he was Ia4

quite covered with dust, and looked no better than he should. Therefore he seemed to be only a common beggar; and when the rich brother heard him ask for a night's lodging at his fine, great house, he gaped like a toad in a rain-storm. What! Did the traveller think that he kept a free lodging house for beggars? If he did he was bringing his grist to the wrong mill there was no place for the likes of him in the house, and that was the truth. But yonder was a poor man's house across the street, if he went over there perhaps he could get a night's lodging and a crust of bread. That was what the rich brother said, and after he had said it he banged to the door, and left Saint Nicholas standing on the outside under the blessed sky.

So now there was nothing for good Saint Nicholas to do but to go across the street to the poor brother's house, as the other had told him to do. Rap ! tap ! tap! lie knocked at the door, and it was the poor brother who came and opened it for him.

" Come in, come in !" says he, " come in and welcome!"

So in came Saint Nicholas, and sat himself down behind the stove where it was good and warm, while the poor man's wife spread before him all that they had in the house-a loaf of brown bread and a crock of cold water from the town fountain.

" And is that all that you have to eat?" said Saint Nicholas. Yes; that was all that they had.

" Then, maybe, I can help you to better," said Saint Nicholas. " So bring me hither a bowl and a crock."

You may guess that the poor man's wife was not long in fetching what he wanted. When they were brought the saint blessed the one and passed his hand over the other.

Then he said, " Bowl be filled !" and straightway the bowl began to boil up with a good rich meat pottage until it was full to the brim. Then the saint said, " Bowl be stilled !" and it stopped making the broth, and there stood as good a feast as man could wish for.

Then Saint Nicholas said, " Crock be filled !" and the crock began to bubble Lip with the best of beer. Then he said, " Crock be stilled !" and there stood as good drink as man ever poured down his throat.

Down they all sat, the saint and the poor man and the poor man's wife, and ate and drank till they could eat and drink no more, and whenever the bowl and the crock grew empty, the one and the other became filled at the bidding.

The next morning the saint trudged off the way he was going, but he Ia4

quite covered with dust, and looked no better than he should. Therefore he seemed to be only a common beggar; and when the rich brother heard him ask for a night's lodging at his fine, great house, he gaped like a toad in a rain-storm. What! Did the traveller think that he kept a free lodging house for beggars? If he did he was bringing his grist to the wrong mill there was no place for the likes of him in the house, and that was the truth. But yonder was a poor man's house across the street, if he went over there perhaps he could get a night's lodging and a crust of bread. That was what the rich brother said, and after he had said it he banged to the door, and left Saint Nicholas standing on the outside under the blessed sky.

So now there was nothing for good Saint Nicholas to do but to go across the street to the poor brother's house, as the other had told him to do. Rap ! tap ! tap! lie knocked at the door, and it was the poor brother who came and opened it for him.

" Come in, come in !" says he, " come in and welcome!"

So in came Saint Nicholas, and sat himself down behind the stove where it was good and warm, while the poor man's wife spread before him all that they had in the house-a loaf of brown bread and a crock of cold water from the town fountain.

" And is that all that you have to eat?" said Saint Nicholas. Yes; that was all that they had.

" Then, maybe, I can help you to better," said Saint Nicholas. " So bring me hither a bowl and a crock."

You may guess that the poor man's wife was not long in fetching what he wanted. When they were brought the saint blessed the one and passed his hand over the other.

Then he said, " Bowl be filled !" and straightway the bowl began to boil up with a good rich meat pottage until it was full to the brim. Then the saint said, " Bowl be stilled !" and it stopped making the broth, and there stood as good a feast as man could wish for.

Then Saint Nicholas said, " Crock be filled !" and the crock began to bubble Lip with the best of beer. Then he said, " Crock be stilled !" and there stood as good drink as man ever poured down his throat.

Down they all sat, the saint and the poor man and the poor man's wife, and ate and drank till they could eat and drink no more, and whenever the bowl and the crock grew empty, the one and the other became filled at the bidding.

The next morning the saint trudged off the way he was going, but he 126

left behind him the bowl and the crock, so that there was no danger of hunger and thirst coming to that house.

Well, the world jogged along for a while, maybe a month or two, and life was as easy for the poor man and his wife as an old shoe. One day- the rich brother said to his wife. " See now, Luck seems to be stroking our brother over yonder the right way; I'll just go and see what it all mean."

So over the street he went, and found the poor man at home. Down lie sat back of the stove and began to chatter and talk and talk and chatter, and the upshot of the matter was that, bit by bit, he dragged out the whole story from the poor man. Then nothing would do but he must see the bowl and the crock at work. So the bowl and the crock were brought and set to work and-Hui !-how the rich brother opened his eyes when he saw them making good broth and beer of themselves.

And now lie must and would have that bowl and crock. At first the poor brother said " No," but the other bargained and bargained until, at last, the poor man consented to let him have the two for a hundred dollars. So the rich brother paid down his hundred dollars, and off he marched with what he wanted.

When the next day had come, the rich brother said to his wife, " Never you mind about the dinner to-day. Go you into the harvest-field, and I will see to the dinner." So off went the wife with the harvesters, and the husband stayed at kome and smoked his pipe all the morning, for lie knew that dinner would be ready at the bidding. So when noontide had come he took out the bowl and the crock, and, placing them on the table, said, " Bowl be filled ! crock be filled!" and straightway they began making broth and beer as fast as they could.

In a little while the bowl and the crock were filled, and then they could hold no more, so that the broth and beer ran down all over the table and the floor. Then the rich brother was in a pretty pickle, for he did not know how to bid the bowl and the crock to stop from making what they were making. Out he ran and across the street to the poor man's house, and meanwhile the broth and beer filled the whole room until it could hold no more, and then ran out into the gutters so that all the pigs and dogs in the town had a feast that day.

" Oh, dear brother !" cried the rich man to the poor man, " do tell me what to do or the whole town will soon be smothered in broth and beer." But, no; the poor brother was not to be stirred in such haste; they would have to strike a bit of a bargain first. So the upshot of the matter 128

was that the rich brother had to pay the poor brother another hundred dollars to take the crock and the bowl back again.

See, now, what comes of being covetous!

As for the poor man, he was well off in the world, for he had all that he could eat and drink, and a stockingful of money back of the stove besides.

Well, time went along as time does, and now it was Saint Christopher who was thinking about taking a little journey below. " See, brother," says Saint Nicholas to him, " if you chance to be jogging by yonder town, stop at the poor man's house, for there you will have a warm welcome and plenty to eat."

But when Saint Christopher came to the town, the rich man's house seemed so much larger and finer than the poor man's house, that he thought that he would ask for lodging there.

But it fared the same with him that it had with Saint Nicholas. Prut Did he think that the rich man kept free lodgings for beggars? And- bang!-the door was slammed in his face, and off packed the saint with a flea in his ear.

Over he went to the poor man's house, and there was a warm welcome for him, and good broth and beer from the bowl and the crock that Saint Nicholas had blessed. After lie had supped he went to bed, where he slept as snug and warm as a mouse in the nest.

Then the good wife said to the husband, " See, now, the poor fellow's shirt is none too good for him to be wearing. I'll just make him another while he is sleeping, so that he'll have a decent bit of linen to wear in the morning."

So she brought her best roll of linen out of the closet, and set to work stitching and sewing, and never stopped till she had made the new shirt to the last button. The next morning, when the saint awoke, there lay the nice, new, clean shirt, and he put it on and gave thanks for it.

Before he left the house the poor man took him aside, and emptied the stockingful of silver money on the table, and bade the saint take what he wanted, "for," says he, "a penny or two is never amiss in the great world."

After that it was time for the traveller to be jogging; but before he went he said, " See, now, because you have been so kind and so good to a poor wayfarer, I will give you a blessing; whatever you begin doing this morning, you shall continue doing till sunset." So saying, he took up his staff and went his way. I;G

After Saint Christopher had ,one the poor man and his wife began talking together as to what would be best for them to be doing all of the day, and one said one thing and the other said the other, but every plug was too small for the hole, as Nve say in our town, for nothing seemed to fit the case.

" Come, come," said the good woman, " here we are losing time that can never be handled again. While we are talking the matter over I will be folding the linen that is left from making the shirt."

" And I," said the good man, " will be putting the money away that the holy man left behind him."

So the wife began folding the linen into a bundle again, and the man began putting away the money that he had offered in charity. Thus they began doing, and thus they kept on doing; so that by the time that the evening had come the whole house was full of fine linen, and every tub and bucket and mug and jug about the place was brimming with silver money. As for the good couple, their fortune was made, and that is the heart of the whole matter in four words.

That night who should come over from across the street but the rich brother, with his pipe in his mouth and his hands in his pockets. But when he saw how very rich the poor man had become all of a sudden, and what

a store of fine linen and silver money he had, he was so wonder-struck that he did not know whither to look and what to think.

Dear heart's sake alive! Where did all these fine things come from? That was what he should like to know.

Oh ! there was nothing to hide in the matter, and the poor man told all about what had happened.

As for the rich brother, when he found how he had shut his door in the face of good-fortune, he rapped his head with his knuckles because he was so angry at his own foolishness. However, crying never mended a torn jacket, so lie made the poor brother promise that if either of the saints came that way again, they should be sent over to his house for a night's lodging, for it was only fair and just that he should have a share of the same cake his brother had eaten.

So the poor brother promised to do what the other wanted, and after that the rich brother vent back home again.

Well, a year and a day passed, and then, sure enough, who should come along that way but both the saints together, arm in arm. Rap ! tap ! tap ! they knocked at the poor man's door, for they thought that where they had had good lodging before they could get it again. And so they could and welcome, only, the poor brother told them that his rich brother across the street had asked that they should come and lodge at the fine house when they came that way again.

The saints were willing enough to go to the rich brother's house, though they would rather have stayed with the other. So over they went, and when the rich brother saw them coming lie ran out to meet them, and shook each of them by the hand, and bade them to come in and sit down back of the stove where it was warm.

But you should have seen the feast that was set for the two saints at the rich brother's house! I can only say that I never saw the like, and I only wish that I had been there with my legs under the table. After supper they were shown to a grand room, where each saint had a bed all to 132

his very own self, and before they were fairly asleep the rich man's wife came and took away their old shirts, and laid a shirt of fine cambric linen in the place of each. When the next morning came and the saints were about to take their leave, the rich brother brought out a great bag of golden money, and bade them to stuff what they would of it into their pockets.

Well, all this was as it should be, and before the two went on their way they said that they would give the same blessing to him and his wife that they had given to the other couple-that whatsoever they should begin doing that morning, that they should continue doing until sunset.

After that they put on their hats and took up their staffs, and off they plodded.

Now the rich brother was a very envious man, and was not contented to do only as well as his brother had done, no indeed! He would do some- thing that would make him even richer than counting out money for himself all day. So down he sat back of the stove and began turning the matter over in his mind, and rubbing up his ,vits to make them the brighter. In the meantime the wife said to herself, " See, now, I shall be folding fine cambric linen all day, and the pigs will have to go with nothing to eat. I have no time to waste in feeding them, but I'll just run out and fill their troughs with water at any rate."

So out she went with a bucketful of water which she began pouring into the troughs for the pigs. That was the first thing she did, and after that there was no leaving off, but pour water she must until sunset.

All this while the man sat back of the stove, warming his wits and saying to himself, " Shall I do this? shall I do that?" and answering " No " to himself every time. At last he began wondering what his wife was doing, so out he went to find her. Find her he did, for there she was

pouring out water to the pigs. Then if anybody was angry it was the rich man. "What!" cried he, " and is this the way that you waste the gifts of the blessed saints?"

So saying, he looked around, and there lay a bit of a switch on the ground near by. IIe picked up the bit of a switch and struck the woman across the shoulders with it, and that was the first thing that he began doing. After that he had to keep on doing the same.

So the woman poured water and poured `eater, and the man stood by and beat her with the little switch until there was nothing left of it, and that was what they did all day.

And what is more, they made such a hubbub that the neighbors came 133

to see what was going forward. They looked and laughed and went away again, and others came, and there stood the two-the woman pouring water and the man beating her with the bit of a switch.

When the evening came, and they left off their work, they were so weary that they could hardly stand; and nothing Nvas to show for it but a broken switch and a «•et sty, for even the blessed saints cannot give wisdom to those titi-ho will have none of it, and that is the truth.

And such is the end of this story, with only this to tell: Tommy Pfouce tells me that there are folks, even in these wise times, who, if they did all day what they began in the morning, would find themselves at sunset doing no better Nti-ork than pouring pure water to pigs. That is the small kernel to this great nut. NCE upon a time there was a king who was the wisest in all of the world. So Nvise was he that no one had ever befoolcd him, which is a rare thing, I can tell you. Now, this king had a daughter who was as pretty as a ripe apple, so that there was no end to the number of the lads who came asking to marry her. Every day there were t\~ o or three of them dawdling around the house, so that at last

the old kin; grew tired of having them always about.

So lie sent word far and near that whoever should befool him might have the princess and half of the kingdom to boot, for lie thought that it would be a `vise man indeed who could trick him. But the king also said, that whoever should try to befool him and should fail, should have a good whipping. This was to keep all foolish fellows away.

The princess was so pretty that there was no lack of lads who came to have a try for her and half of the kingdom, but every one of these went away with a sore back and no luck.

Now, there was a man who was well off in the world, and who had three sons; the first was named Peter, and the second was named Paul. Peter and Paul thought themselves as -,vise as anybody in all of the world, and their father thought as they, did. 138

As for the youngest son, he was named Boots. Nobody thought any- thing of him except that he was silly, for he did nothing but sit poking in the warm ashes all of the day.

One morning Peter spoke up and said that he was going to the town to have a try at befooling the king, for it would be a fine thing to have a princess in the family. His father did not say no, for if anybody was wise enough to befool the king, Peter was the lad.

So, after Peter had eaten a good breakfast, off he set for the town, right foot foremost. After a while he came to the king's house and-rap! tap ! tap!-he knocked at the door.

Well,' what did he want?

Oh! he would only like to have a try at befooling the king.

Very good; he should have his try. He was not the first one who had been there that morning, early as it was.

So Peter was shown in to the king.

" Oh, look!" said he, " yonder are three black geese out in the court- yard!"

But no, the king was not to be fooled so easily as all that. " One goose is enough to look at at a time," said lie; " take him away and give him a whipping!"

And so they did, and Peter went home bleating like a sheep.

One day Paul spoke up. " I should lice to go and have a try for the princess, too," said he.

Well, his father did not say no, for, after all, Paul was the more clever of the two.

So off Paul went as merrily as a. duck in the rain. By and by he came to the castle, and then he too was brought before the king just as Peter had been.

" Oh, look!" said he," yonder is a crow sitting in the tree with three white stripes on his back!"

But the king was not so silly as to be fooled in that way. " Here is a Jack," said he, " who will soon have more stripes on his back than he will like. Take him away and give him his whipping!"

Then it was done as the king had said, and Paul went away home bawling like a calf.

One day up spoke Boots. " I should like to go and have a try for the pretty princess, too," said he.

At this they all stared and sniggered. What! he go where his clever 140

brothers had failed, and had nothing to show for the trying but a good beating? What had come over the lout! Here was a pretty business, to be sure! That was what they all said.

But all of this rolled away from Boots like water from a duck's back. No matter, he would like to go and have a try like the others. So he begged and begged until his father was glad to let him go to be rid of his teasing, if nothing else.

Then Boots asked if he might have the old tattered hat that hung back of the chimney.

Oh, yes, he might have that if he wanted it, for nobody with good wits was likely to wear such a thing.

So Boots took the hat, and after he had brushed the ashes from his shoes set off for the town, whistling as he went.

The first body whom he met was an old woman with a great load of earthenware pots and crocks on her shoulders.

" Good-day, mother," said Boots. " Good-day, son," said she.

" What will you take for all of your pots and crocks?" said Boots. Three shillings," said she.

" I will give you five shillings if you will come and stand in front of the king's house, and do thus and so when I say this and that," said Boots.

Oh, yes! she would do that willingly enough.

So Boots and the old woman went on together, and presently came to the king's house. When they had come there, Boots sat down in front of the door and began bawling as loud as he could-" No, I will not! I will not do it, I say! No, I will not do it!"

So he kept on, bawling louder and louder until he made such a noise that, at last, the king himself came out to see what all of the hubbub was about. But when Boots saw him he only bawled out louder than ever. " No, I will not! I will not do it, I say!"

" Stop! stop!" cried the king, " what is all this about?"

"Why," said Boots, "everybody wants to buy my cap, but I will not sell it! I will not do it, I say!"

" But, why should anybody want to buy such a cap as that?" said the king.

" Because," said Boots, " it is a fooling cap and the only one in all of the world."

" A fooling cap!" said the king. For he did not like to hear of such 142

a cap as that coming into the town. " Hum-m-m-m ! I should like to see

you fool somebody with it. Could you fool that old body yonder with the pots and the crocks?"

" Oh, yes! that is easily enough done," said Boots, and without more ado he took off his tattered cap and bled- into it. Then he put it on his head again and bawled out, " Break pots! break pots!"

No sooner had he spoken these words than the old woman jumped up and began breaking and smashing her pots and crocks as though she had gone crazy. That was what Boots had paid her five shillings for doing, but of it the king knew nothing. " Hui !" said he to himself, " I must buy that hat from the fellow or he will fool the princess away from me for sure and certain." Then he began talking to Boots as sweetly as though he had honey in his mouth. Perhaps Boots would sell the hat to him?

Oh, no! Boots could not think of such a thing as selling his fooling cap. Come, come; the king wanted that hat, and sooner than miss buying it he would give a whole bag of gold money for it.

At this Boots looked up and looked down, scratching his head. Well, he supposed he would have to sell the hat some time, and the king might as well have it as anybody else. But for all that he did not like parting with it.

So the king gave Boots the bag of gold, and Boots gave the king the old tattered hat, and then he went his way.

After Boots had gone the king blew into the hat and blew into the hat, but though he blew enough breath into it to sail a big ship, he did not befool so much as a single titmouse. Then, at last, he began to see that the fooling cap was good on nobody else's head but Boots's; and he was none too pleased at that, you may be sure.

As for Boots, with his bag of gold he bought the finest clothes that were to be had in the town, and when the nest morning had come he started away bright and early for the king's house. " I have come," said he, " to marry the princess, if you please."

At this the king hemmed and hawed and scratched his head. Yes; Boots had befooled him sure enough, but, after all, he could not give up the princess for such a thing as that. Still, he would give Boots another chance. Now, there was the high-councillor, who was the wisest man in

all of the world. Did Boots think that he could fool him also? Oh, yes! Boots thought that it might be done. 144

Very well; if he could befool the high-councillor so as to bring him to the castle the next morning against his will, Boots should have the princess and the half of the kingdom; if he did not do so he should have his beating.

Then Boots went away, and the king thought that he was rid of him now for good and all.

As for the high-councillor, he was not pleased with the matter at all, for he did not like the thought of being fooled by a clever rogue, and taken here and there against his will. So when he had come home, he armed all of his servants with blunderbusses, and then waited to give Boots a welcome when he should come.

But Boots was not going to fall into any such trap as that! No in- deed ! not he ! The next morning he went quietly and bought a fine large meal-sack. Then he put a black wig over his beautiful red hair, so that no one might know him. After that he went to the place where the high-councillor lived, and when he had come there he crawled inside of the sack, and lay just beside the door of the house.

By and by came one of the maid servants to the door, and there lay the great meal-sack with somebody in it.

"Ach!" cried she, "who is there?" But Boots only said, " Sh-h-h-h-h !"

Then the serving maid went back into the house, and told the high- councillor that one lay outside in a great meal-sack, and that all that he said was, " Sh-h-h-h-h !"

So the councillor went himself to see what it was all about. " What do you want here?" said lie.

" Sh-h-h-h-li !" said Boots, " I am not to be talked to now. This is

a wisdom -sack, and I am learning \~ isdom as fast as a drake can eat peas."

" And what wisdom have you learned?" said the councillor.

Oh ! Boots had learned wisdom about everything in the world. He had learned that the clever scamp who had fooled the king yesterday was coming with seventeen tall men to take the high-councillor, willy-nilly, to the castle that morning.

When the high-councillor heard this he fell to trembling till his teeth rattled in his head. " And have you learned how I can get the better of this clever scamp?" said he.

Oh, yes! Boots had learned that easily enough. 146

So, good ! then if the wise man in the sack would tell the high-coun- cillor how to escape the clever rogue, the high-councillor would give the wise man twenty dollars.

But no, that was not to be done; wisdom was not bought so cheaply as the high-councillor seemed to think.

Well, the councillor would give him a hundred dollars then.

That was good ! A hundred dollars were a hundred dollars. If the councillor would jive him that much he might get into the sack himself, and then he could learn all the wisdom that he wanted, and more besides.

So Boots crawled out of the sack, and the councillor paid his hundred dollars and crawled in.

As soon as lie was in all snug and safe, Boots drew the mouth of the sack together and tied it tightly. Then he flung sack, councillor, and all over his shoulder, and started away to the king's house, and anybody who met them could see with half an eye that the councillor was going against his will.

When Boots came to the king's castle lie laid the councillor down in the goose-house, and then he went to the king.

When the king saw Boots again, lie bit his lips with vexation. " `Fell," said he, " have you fooled the councillor?-

" Oh, yes !" says Boots, " I have done that." And where was the councillor now?

Oli, Boots had just left him down in the;oosc-house. He was tied up safe and sound in a sack, waiting till the king should send for him.

So the councillor was sent for, and when he came the king saw at once that he had been brought against his will.

"And now may I marry the princess?" said Boots.

But the king was not willing for him to marry the princess yet; no ! no ! Boots must not go so fast. There was more to be done yet. If he would come to-morrow morning lie might have the princess and welcome, but he would have to pick her out from among fourscore other maids just like her; did he think that he could do that?

Oh, yes! Boots thought that that might be easy enough to do.

So, good! then come to-morrow; but he must understand that if lie failed he should have a good whipping, and be sent packing from the town. So off went Boots, and the king thought that he was rid of him now, for he had never seen the princess, and how could he pick her out from among eighty others? 147

But Boots was not going to give up so easily as all that ! No, not he! He made a little box, and then he hunted up and down until he had caught a live mouse to put into it.

When the next morning came he started away to the king's house, taking his mouse along with hiin in the box.

There was the king, standing in the doorway, looking out into the street. When lie saw Boots coming towards him lie made a wry face. " \Vhat !„ said lie, " are you back again?.'

Oh, yes! Boots was back again. And now if the princess was ready lie would like to go and find her, for lost time was not to be gathered again like fallen apples.

So off they marched to a great room, and there stood eighty-and-one maidens, all as much alike as peas in the same dish.

Boots looked here and there, but, even if he had known the princess, lie could not have told her from the others. But lie was ready for all that. Before any one knew what he was about, he opened the box, and out ran the little mouse among them all. Then what a screaming and a hubbub there

was'. Many looked as though they would have liked to swoon, but only

one of them did so. As soon as the others saw what lead happened, they forgot all about the mouse, and ran to her and fell to fanning her and slapping her hands and chafing her temples.

" This is the princess," said Boots. And so it was.

After that the king could think of nothing more to set Boots to do, so he let him marry the princess as lie had promised, and have half of the kingdom to boot.

That is all of this story.

Only this : It is not always the silliest one that sits kicking his feet in the ashes at home.

ICE upon a time there was a man who was well off in the Nvorld so far as good things were concerned; but all the flesh and blood that belonged to him was a daughter, for his wife was dead, and he lived alone.

One day lie went away from home and was gone for a long, long time, and when he came back again he brought a new wife with him, for that was the business that he had been about. As for the woman,

she was as wicked as she was handsome, and as handsome as she was wicked, and whichever of the two one said of her one spoke the truth; for, though she was the most beautiful woman in all of the land, she was as great a xvitch as ever turned over the leaves of the black book with the red letters in it.

At first things went as smoothly in the rich man's house as butter and eggs, for the Step-mother was forever petting and caressing the man's daughter, and could not make enough of her. But that was only for a while, for as the maid grew in years she grew prettier and prettier, until there was none like her in all of that land.

One day the Step-mother and the step-daughter walked together in the fields, for it was in the spring-time, the weather was pleasant, and the grass was fresh and green. Two crows sat on a flo,,vering thorn.

" Look," says one crow, " yonder go two beauties." 152

" Yes," says the other, " but when you talk of good looks, the old one is to the young one as a cabbage is to a rose."

Then, " Caw! caw!" they both cried, and flapped their wings and flew away.

That was what the two crows said; and though the maiden kne%i- nothing, the Step-mother could tell what passed between them as well as could be, for she had eaten a bite of the white snake, and knew all that the birds and the beasts said to one another. So her heart grew bitter with hatred and envy, and she began to cudgel her brains for some means to put the girl out of the way. That night she made a ball of hollow gold and wrote this and that upon it, which nobody but herself could read. The next day she and the girl walked in the fields again, and when nobody was near the wicked Step-mother took the golden ball out of her pocket.

" See," said she, " here is a new plaything for you." She threw it upon the ground, and it rolled and rolled and rolled, and, whether she liked it or not, the maiden had to follow wherever it went. On and on rolled the ball,

for no matter hoxv fast the girl ran she could not catch it. By and by she

came to a dark, lonesome place, where Nvas a great, deep pit. Into the pit

rolled the golden ball, and the poor girl had to follow. So into the pit she fell, and there she lay, for the sides xverc as smooth as glass, and one would have to have feet like a fly to climb from the bottom to the top.

As for the witch Step-mother, she \vas well content with what she had done, for the two crows sat on the thorn-tree. And-

" Look," said the first, " yonder goes the beauty.'

" It is the truth that you speak," said the second. " For the other followed the golden ball and fell into the deep pit !" And then they clapped their wings and away they, flew.

But the poor girl lay in the deep pit all alone, and cried and cried. Suddenly, a little door opened-click ! clack !-and there was a little grey man no higher than a body's knee, but Nvith a long white beard that touched the ground.

" Hi !" says he to the step-daughter, " and how came you here in the pit?"

The girl told him all from beginning to end, and the little man listened to every word.

" See, now," said he, when she had ended her story. " Since you are here in the deep pit and cannot get out, you shall be the queen of all the 154

little men like myself, and we shall serve you, for you are the most beautiful maiden that ever my eyes looked upon."

So there the maiden lived for many a long day, and the little man and others like him brought her rich food and wine, and covered all the inside of the pit with jewels and with gold, so that it was most splendid to see. And every day the maiden grew more and more beautiful.

One day the young king of that country went a-hunting, and all of his court with him, and four-and-twenty hounds besides. They came riding by the pit where the maiden sat, and there the hounds stopped and began to whimper and to howl, for they knew very well that human flesh and blood was down below.

" Listen to the hounds," says the king; " there is somebody fallen into the pit; now who will go down and bring the unfortunate up again?"

At this everybody looked at his neighbor, but nobody said, "I will go." " Very well," said the king, " then 1 myself will go down into the pit, if no one else dares to venture."

So the others lowered the king into the pit, and when he reached the bottom you can guess how he stared and how he wondered; but he had no eyes for the jewels and gold that covered the walls; lie had often seen the like of them, but never in all of his days had he beheld such a beauty as the maiden he found there.

Then the people above hauled them up together, and the king set her upon a milk-white horse, and then they all rode away to the palace, for that was where he was to take her. There they dressed her in splendid clothes and put a golden crown upon her head, and then she and the king were married. Around her neck he hung a golden chain and a locket, and in the locket was a picture of himself; on her finger he slipped a ring, and -,vithin were secret words which nobody but lie and she knew.

One day the wicked Step-mother was walking in the fields, and the two crows sat on the thorn-tree.

" Look," says the first crow, " yonder goes the beauty."

" Yes," says the second, " but she is only as a cabbage to a rose when compared to the lass who followed the golden ball down into the pit, and who has married the handsome young king over at the castle yonder."

Then," Caw! caw !" they cried, and flapped their wings and flew away. As for the Step-mother, her heart was ready to burst with anger and with spite. Home she went and began to think of what she should do to put her step-daughter out of the way again. 6

She took some dough and some feathers, and of them she made an old hen and six chicks. She put them in the oven and baked them, and when she drew them out again they were all of pure gold. But the strangest of all was, that when she set them upon the table the little golden hen strutted and clucked, and the chicks cried, " Peep ! peep !" and followed at her heels.

Then the woman clad herself in a strange dress, so that no one might know who she was. She hid a long, keen silver pin in her bosom, and off she set for the castle with the golden hen and the golden chickens in a basket wrapped up in a white napkin.

She set her basket on the ground under the palace window, and when the folks within saw the little clucking hen and her chicks, all made of pure gold that shone in the sunlight, they could not look enough.

Off ran one and told the queen, who came and looked and looked, and wondered and wondered, until by and by she longed for the golden hen and the golden chickens as she had never longed for anything in all of her life before. So she called one of her maids, and sent her down to ask the strange woman the price of her golden chickens.

" Prut !" says the wicked witch of a Step-mother, " who are you that you should come to talk with me? If the young queen would buy my wares she must come and bargain with me herself."

So down went the young queen to the wicked Step-mother; " And what is the price of your hen and chicks, m5- good woman," said she, for she did not know the other, because of the strange dress in which she was clad.

" Oh ! it is little or nothing I ask for my hen and chickens," said the wicked Step-mother to the beautiful queen. "If you will give me a kiss down in the garden back of the rose-tree yonder, you may have the chickens and welcome."

Oh, yes; the queen was willing enough to pay the price, if that was all the Nvoman wanted. So off they went back of the rose-tree, she and the Step-mother. There the witch drew out the silver pin from her bosom, and as she kissed the queen she thrust the pin deep into her head. Then quick as a wink the queen was changed into a white dove and flcNv away over the tree-tops.

Off went the Step-mother, and was as pleased with what she had done this time as with what she had done that time; for the two crows sat on the thorn-tree, and the first crow said to the second crow, "Yonder goes 158

the beauty." And the second crow said to the first, " Yes, there is none to compare with her now that the young queen has been changed to a white dove.

At the king's castle they hunted for the queen high, and they hunted for the queen low, but could find neither thread nor hair of her. As for the white dove, it had flown in at a window, and there the little cook-boy found it, and caught it and sold it to the cools for a penny. So the beautiful white dove sat over the kitchen window, and did nothing but mourn from the dawn to the gloaming.

One day the folk in the kitchen were talking together. The king was lying sick abed and dying of a broken heart because his beautiful young queen was nowhere to be found. That was what they said, and the white bird heard every word of it.

The next morning when they came to the kitchen there was a beautiful sweet cake: lying upon a white napkin, and on the cake were written these words

"Break this, my king, and ease thy sorrow."

They tools the sweet calve to the king where he lay, and he broke it as the words told him to. Within it he found the ring which he had given to the queen, inside of which were written words which no one but he and she knew.

" Where did this come from?" said he; but nobody- could tell him.

" Where the ring came from," said he, " there will the queen be found." And up he got from his bed and dressed himself, and ate his breakfast with a cheerful face.

They talked about what had happened down in the kitchen, and the white dove heard it all.

Next morning there, on a fine linen napkin, lay another cake like the first, and on it was written

" Break this, my king, and be comforted."

They took it up to the king as they had done the first. And the king matched it like a hungry man. He broke the cake, and there was the necklace and the locket that he had given the queen.

" Where did this come from?" said he.

But they could tell him no more about that than about the other.

All the same, they talked about it down in the kitchen, and the white dove heard what was said.

But that night the little cook-boy hid in the closet to watch, for he wanted to see who it was that brought the cakes that they took up-stairs to the king. So he watched and watched, and by and by the clock struck twelve. And when the last stroke sounded the dove flew down from over the window, and as soon as it lit upon the floor it was the white dove no longer, but the queen herself. She made a sweet cake of sugar and of flour, and in it she put a feather as white as silver. Then she became the white dove again, and flew back over the window where she had sat before.

The next morning they found the third cake lying upon a white napkin, and on the cake was written

" Break this, my king, for the time has come." I 60

They took it up to the king and he broke it, and there was the white feather.

Then the king called everybody that was in the castle, and asked each one in turn if he or she could tell where the sweet cake had come from. But no; nobody knew, until last of all they questioned the kitchen-boy.

" Oh, yes," said he, " I know who it was that brought the cake. Last night the white dove in the kitchen flew down from over the window and became the queen herself; she made the sweet cake and laid it upon the white napkin, for I saw her do it with my own eyes."

Up they brought the white dove from the kitchen, and the king took it in his own hands and held it up to his bosom, and stroked it and caressed it.

" If thou art my queen," said he, " why dost thou not speak to me?"

But the dove answered never a word, and the king stroked it and stroked it.

By and by he felt something, and when he came to look it was the head of the silver pin. He drew it forth, and there stood the young queen again in her own true shape.

She told everything that had happened to her from the first to the last, and how her Step-mother had treated her. Then, hui! but the king was angry ! He sent a great lot of soldiers off to the father's house to bring the Step-mother to the castle so that she might be punished for her ,wickedness. But she was not to be caught as easily as a sparrow in a rain-storm; she jumped upon a broom straw, and-puff !-away she flew up the chimney, and that was the last that anybody saw of her so far as ever I heard.

But they brought the father over to the king's castle, where he sat in the warmest corner and had the best that was to be had.

That is all of this story, and if you see a blind mouse run across tho floor throw your cap over it and catch it, for it is yours. NCE upon a time there was a man whose name was just Master Jacob and nothing more.

All that Master Jacob had in the world was a good fat pig, two black goats, a wife, and a merry temper-which was more than many a better man than he had, for the matter of that.

" See, now," says Master Jacob, " I will drive the fat pig to the market to-morrow; ,N-ho knows but

that I might strike a bit of a sale."

" Do," says Master Jacob's wife, for she was of the good sort, and always nodded when he said " yes," as the saying goes.

Now there were three rogues in the town over the hill, who lived in plenty; one was the priest, one was the provost, and one was the master mayor; and which was the greatest rogue of the three it would be a hard matter to tell, but perhaps it was the priest.

" See, now," says the priest to the other two, " Master Jacob, who lives over yonder way, is going to bring his fat pig to market to-morrow. If you have a mind for a trick, we will go snacks in what we win, and each of us will have a rib or two of bacon hanging in the pantry, and a string or so of sausages back in the chimney without paying so much as a brass button for them."

Well, of course that was a tune to which the others were willing to 164

dance. So the rogue of a priest told them to do thus and so, and to say this and that, and they would cheat Master Jacob out of his good fat pig as easily as a beggar eats buttered parsnips.

So the next morning off starts Master Jacob to the market, driving his fat pig before him with a bit of string around the leg of it. Down he comes into the town, and the first one whom he meets is the master priest.

" How do you find yourself, Master Jacob?" says the priest, " and where are you going with that fine, fat dog?"

" Dog!" says Master Jacob, opening his eyes till they were as big and as round as saucers. " Dog! Prut ! It is as fine a pig as ever came into this town, I would have you know."

"What!" says the priest. " Do you try to tell me that that is a pig, when I can see with both of my ears and all of my eyes that it is a great, fat dog?"

" I say it is a pig!" says Master Jacob. " I say it is a dog!" says the priest.

" I say it is a pig!" says Master Jacob. " I say it is a dog !" says the priest.

" I say it is a pig!" says Master Jacob.

Just then who should come along but the provost, with his hands in his pockets and his pipe in his mouth, looking as high and mighty as though he owned all of that town and the sun and the moon into the bargain.

" Look, friend," says the priest. " We have been saying so and so and

so and so, just now. Will you tell me, is that a pig, or i's it a dog?"

" Prut !" says the provost, " how you talk, neighbor! Do you take me

for a fool I should like to know? Why, it is as plain as the nose on your face that it is a great, fat dog."

" I say it is a pig!" bawled Master Jacob. "I say it is a dog!" says the provost.

" I say it is a pig!" says Master Jacob. " I say it is a dog!" says the provost. " I say it is a pig!" says Master Jacob.

" Come, come," says the priest, " let us have no high words over the matter. No, no; we will take it to the mayor. If he says that it is a pig we two will give you ten shillings; and if he says it is a dog, you will give the animal to us as a penance."

Well, Master Jacob was satisfied with that, for he was almost certain that it was a pig. So off they marched to the mayor's house. There the 166

priest told all about the matter, for he was used to talking. "And now," says he, " is it a pig, or is it a dog?"

Why," says the mayor, " I wish I may be choked to death with a string of sausages if it is not a dog, and a big dog and a fat dog into the bargain."

So there was an end of the matter, and Master Jacob had to march off home without his pig and with no more in his pockets than he had before. All the same, he saw what kind of trick had been played on him, and, says he to himself, "What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If one can pipe another can whistle; I'll just try a bit of a trick myself." So he went to his wife and told her that he had a mind to do thus and so, and that she must do this and that; for he thought of trying his hand at a little trickery as well as other folks.

Now, as I told you before, Master Jacob had two goats, both of them as black as the inside of your hat at midnight; moreover, they were as like as two spoons in the same dish; for no one could have told them apart unless he had lived with them year in and year out, rainy weather and clear, as Master Jacob had clone.

Well, the next day Master Jacob tied a rope around the neck of one of the goats, took down a basket from the wall, and started off to the town over the hill, leading his goat behind him. By and by he came to the mar- ket place and began buying many and one things, until his basket was as full as it could hold. After a while whom should he see coming along but the priest and the provost and the mayor, walking arm-in-arm as bold as you please.

" Halloa, Master Jacob," said they, " and what have you there?"

" The blessed saints only know that," said Master Jacob. " It may be a black cat for all that 1 know; it zcas a black goat when 1 left home this morning."

And what was Master Jacob going to do with his little black goat That was what they should like to know.

" Oh," said Master Jacob, " I am about to send my little black goat on an errand; if you will wait you shall see for yourselves."

Then what did he do but hang the basket around the goat's neck. ` Go home to your mistress," said he, "and tell her to boil the beef and cabbage for dinner to-day; and, stop ! tell her to go to Neighbor Nicho las's house and borrow a good big jug of beer, for I have a masterful thirst this morning." Then he gave the goat a slap on the back, and off it went as though the ground were hot under it. But whether it ever really went home or not, I never heard.

r s for the priest, the provost, and the mayor, you may guess how they grinned at all of this. Good land sake's alive ! And did Master Jacob really mean to say that the little black goat would tell the mistress all that

Oh, yes; that it would. It was a keen blade, that little black goat, and if they would only come home Nvith him, Master Jacob would show them.

So off they all went, Master Jacob and the priest and the provost and the mayor, and after a while they came to Master Jacob's house. Yes, sure enough, there was a black goat feeding in the front yard, and how should the priest and the provost and the mayor know that it was not the same 168

one that they had seen at the market-place! And just then out came Master Jacob's wife. " Come in, Jacob," says she, " the cabbage and the meat are all ready. As for the beer, Neighbor Nicholas had none to spare, so I just borrowed a jugful of Neighbor Frederick, and it is as good as the other for certain and sure."

Dear, dear! how the three cronies did open their eyes when they heard all of this! They would like to have such a goat as that, indeed they would. Now, if Master Jacob had a mind to sell his goat, they would give as much as twenty dollars for it.

Oh, no; Master Jacob could not think of selling his nice little, dear little black goat for twenty dollars.

For thirty, then.

No; Master Jacob would not sell his goat for thirty dollars, either. Well, they would give as much as forty.

No; forty dollars was not enough for such a goat as that.

So they bargained and bargained till the upshot of the matter was that they paid Master Jacob fifty dollars, and marched off with the goat as pleased as pleased could be.

Well, the three rogues were not long in finding out what a trick had been played upon them, 1 can tell you. So, in a day or two, whom should Master Jacob see coming down the road but the priest, the provost, and the master mayor, and anybody could see with half an cyc that they were in an awful fume.

" I-Ii !" says Master Jacob, " there will be hot water boiling presently." In he went to his good wife. " I lere," says he, " take this bladder of blood that Nve were going to make into pudding, and hide it under your apron, and then when I do this and that, you do thus and so."

Presently in came the priest, the provost, and the mayor, bubbling and sizzlin,, like water on slake liinc. " What kind of a;oat was that that you sold us?" bawled they, as soon as they could catch their breaths.

" My black goat," says Master Jacob.

Then look! He would run on no errands, and would do nothing that it was told. It was of no more use about the house than five wheels to a wagon. Now Master Jacob might just go and put his hat on and come along with them, for they were about to take him away- to prison.

" But stop a bit," says Master Jacob. " Did you say `by the great horn spoon,' when you told the goat to do this or that?" 169

No; the cronies had done nothing of the kind, for Master Jacob had said nothing about a great horn spoon when he sold them the goat.

" Why didn't you remind me?" says Master Jacob to his good wife. " I didn't think of it," says she.

" You didn't?" says he. " No," says she.

"Then take that!" says lie, and he out with a great sharp knife and jabbed it into the bladder under her apron, so that the blood ran out like everything.

"Ugh!" says the good wife, and then fell down and lay quite still, just for all the ,•; orld as though she were dead.

NVhen the three cronies saw this, they gaped like fish out of water. Just

look now ! Master Jacob had gone and killed his good wife, and all for nothing at all. Dear, dear'. what a hasty temper the man had. Now he lead gotten himself into a pretty scrape, and would have to go before the judge and settle the business with him.

Tut ! tut !" says Master Jacob, " the broth is not all in the ashes yet. Perhaps I am a bit hasty, but we will soon mend this stockirng."

So he went to the closet in the corner of the room, and brought out a little tin horn. He blew a turn or two over his wife, whereat she sneezed, and then sat up as good and as sound as ever.

As for the priest and the provost and the mayor, they thou,ht that they- had never seen anything so wonderful in all of their lives before. They inust and would have that tin horn if it was to be had; now, hmv much Would 1VIaster Jacob take for it, money down?

Oh, Master Jacob did not want to part with his horn : all the same, if he had to sell it, lie Would just as lief that they should buy it as anybody. So they bargained and bargained, and the end of the matter was that they paid down another fifty dollars and marched off with the little tin horn, blowing away at it for dear life.

13y and by they came home, and there stood the goat, nibbling at the grass in front of the house and thinking of no harm at all. " So !" says the provost, " was it you that would do nothing for us ,vitliout our saying,

` 13y the great horn spoon?' Take that then !" And he fetched the goat a thwack with his heavy walking-staff so that it fell down, and lay with no more motion than a stone. "There," says lie, "that business is done; and now lend me the horn a minute, brother, till I fetch him back again." 170

Well, he blew and he blew, and he blew and he blew, till he was as red in the face as a cherry, but the goat moved never so much as a single hair. Then the priest took a turn at the horn, but he had no better luck than the provost. Last of all the mayor had a try at it; but he might as well have blown the horn over a lump of dough for all the answer he had for his blowing.

Then it began to work into their heads that they had been befooled again. Phew! what a passion they were in. I can only say that I am glad that I was not in Master Jacob's shoes. " We'll put him in prison right away," said they, and off they went to do as they said.

But 'Master Jacob saw them coming down the road, and was ready for them this time too. He took two pots and filled them with pitch, and over the top of the pitch he spread gold and silver money, so that

if you had looked into the pots you would have thought that there was nothing in their but what )-on saw on the top. Then he took the pots off into the little woods back of the house. Now in the Nvoods was a great deep pit, and all around the pit ,rcw a row of bushes, so thick that nothing was to be seen of the mouth of the hole.

By and by came the priest and the mayor and the provost to'''aster Jacob's house, puffing and blowing and fuming.

Rap ! rap ! tap ! they knocked at the door, but nobody -kvas there but AI'laster Jacob's wife.

Was ''faster Jacob at home? That was what they wanted to know, for they had a score to settle with him.

Oh, 'faster Jacob's wife did not know just where he was, but she thought that he was in the little woods back of the house yonder, gather- ing money-.

Phew! and did money grow so near to the house as all that? This was a matter to be looked into, for if money was to be gathered they must have their share. So off they went to the woods, hot-foot.

Yes; there was ''laster Jacob, sure enough, and what was more, he was carrying two pots, one on each arm.

" Hi! Master Jacob, and what have you there?" said they. " Oh, nothing much," says 'iaster Jacob.

Yes; that was all very, good, but they would like to look into those pots that he was carrying;- that was what the three cronies said.

"Well," says Master Jacob, "you may look into the pots if you choose; 172

all the same, I will tell you that they are both full of pitch, and that there is only just a little money scattered over the top.

Yes, yes; that was all very well, but the three cronies knew the smell of money from the smell of pitch. See now, they had been fooled twice already, and were not to be caught again. Now, where did blaster Jacob get that money, that was what they wanted to kn ow.

" Oh," says Master Jacob, " I cannot tell you that; if you want to gather money you will have to look for it yourselves. But you must not go too near to those thick bushes yonder, for there is a deep pit hidden there, and you will be sure to fall into it."

When the priest and the provost and the mayor heard this, they nudged one another with their elbows and winked with one eye. They knew how much of that cheese to swallow. They would just take a look at this won- derful pit, for they thought that the money• was hidden in the bushes for sure and certain. So off they Nvent as fast as they could lay foot to the ground.

" Just you stay here," said the priest to the others, "while I go and see whether there really is a pit as he said." For he thought to himself that he would go and gather a pocketful of the money before it would be share and share with his comrades. So, into the thicket lie jumped, and- plump !-he fell into the (Treat, deep pit; and there was an end of number one.

By and by the others grew tired of tarrying. "I'll go and see -,what he

is waiting for," says the provost. For lie thought to himself, " He is filling

his pockets, and I might as well have my share." So, into the thicket he jumped, and-plump!-he fell into the great, deep pit; and there was an end of number two.

As for the mayor, he waited and waited. " What a fool am I," said he at last, " to sit here twiddling my thumbs while the two rogues yonder are filling their pockets Without mc. It is little or nothing but the scraps and the bones that I will come in for."

So the upshot of the matter was that lie too ran and jumped into the thicket, and heels over hcacl into the great, deep pit, and there was an end of number three. And if Master Jacob ever helped them out, you may depend upon it that he made them promise to behave themselves in time to come.

.'%nd this is true that I tell you : it would have been cheaper for them to 174

have bought their pork in the first place, for, as it was, they paid a pretty penny for it.

As for Master Jacob and his good wife, they had a hundred dollars in good hard money, and if they did not get along in the world with that, why I, for one, want nothing more to do with them.

there was a man who died and left behind him three sons, and nothing but two pennies to each. So, as there was little to be gained by scraping the dish at home, off they packed to the king's house, where they might find better faring. The two elder lads were smart fellows enough; as for Peterkin, lie was the youngest-why, nobody thought much of him.

So off they Nvent-tramp ! tramp ! tramp !-all three together. By and by they came to a great black forest where little was to be seen either before or behind them.

There old Father Hunger met them, and that was the worse for them, for there Avas nothing at all to eat. They looked here and there, and, after a while, Nvhat should they come across but a little grey hare caught in a snare.

Then, if anybody was glad, it was the two elder brothers. " Here is something to stay our stomachs," said they.

But Pctcrkin had a soft heart in his breast. " See, brothers," said he,

" look how the poor thing turns up its eyes. Sure it would be a pity to take its life, even though our stomachs do grumble a bit."

But the two elder brothers were deaf in that car. They had gone without their dinners long enough, and they were no such foolish fellows as to throw it away, now that it had come to them.

But Peterkin. begged and begged, until, at last, the two said that they 178

would let the Little Grey Hare go free if he would give them the two pennies that he had in his pocket.

Well, Peterkin let them have the pennies, and they let the hare go, and glad enough it was to get away, I can tell you.

" See, Peterkin," it said, speaking as plainly as a Christian, " you shall lose nothing by this. When you are in a tight place, whistle on your fingers-thus-and perhaps help will come to you."

Then it thumped its feet on the ground and away it scampered.

As for Peter's brothers, they laughed and laughed. A fool and his money were soon parted, said they. How could a little grey hare help him, they should like to know?

After a while they came to the town, where Peterkin's brothers took up their lodgings at a good inn. As for Peterkin, he had to go and sleep in the straw, for one cannot spend money and have it both. So while the brothers were eating broth with meat in it, Peterkin went with nothing.

I wonder," said lie, " if the Little Grcy Hare can help me now." So he whistled on his fingers, just as it had told him.

Then who should come hopping and skipping along but the Little Grey Hare itself. " What do you want, Peterkin?" it said.

" I should like," said Peterkin, " to have something to cat."

"Nothing easier than that," said the Little Grcy Hare; and before one could wink twice a fine feast, fit for a king, was spread out before him, and lie fell to as though he had not eaten a bite for seven years.

After that lie slept like a flat stone, for one can sleep well even in the straw, if one only has. a good supper within one.

When the next morning had come, the two elder brothers bought them each a good new coat with brass buttons. Peterkin they said would have to go as he was, for patches and tatters were good enough for such a spend- thrift.

But Peterkin knew a way out of that hole. Back of the house he `vent, and there he blew on his fingers.

"What will you have?" said the Little Grey Hare.

" I should like," said Peterkin, " to have a fine new suit of clothes, so that I can go to the king's house with my brothers and not be ashamed." " If that is all that you want," said the Hare, " it is little enough;" and there lay the finest suit of clothes that Peterkin had ever seen, for it was all of blue silk sewed with golden threads. So Peterkin dressed himself in his fine clothes, and you may -uess how his brothers stared when they saw him. 180

Off they all went to the king's house, and there was the king feeding his chickens; for that was all the work he had upon his hands, and an easy life he led of it. The king looked at Peterkin, and thought that he had never seen such fine clothes. Did they want service? Well, thf, king thought that he might give it to them. The oldest brother might tend the pigs, the second might look after the co-,vs. But as for Peterkin, he was so spruce and neat that he might stay in the house and open the door when folks knocked. That was what his fine clothes did for him.

So Peterkin had the soft feathers in that nest, for he sat in the warm chimney all day, and had the scraping of the pipkins when good things had been cooked.

Well, things went quietly enough for a while, but the elder brothers kept up a great buzzing in their heads, I can tell you; for one does not like to see another step in front of one, and that is the truth.

So, one day, who should come to the king but the two elder brothers. Perhaps, said they, the king did not know it, but there was a giant over yonder who had a grey goose that laid a golden egg every day of her life. Now Peterkin had said more than once, and over and over again, that he was man enough to get the grey goose for the king whenever the king wanted it. You can guess how this tickled the king's ears. Off he sent for Peterkin, and Peterkin came.

Hui ! how Peterkin opened his eyes when he heard what the king wanted. He had never said that he could get the giant's goose; he vowed and swore that he had not. But it was to no purpose that he talked, the king wanted the grey goose, and Peterkin would have to get it for him. He might have three days for the business, and that was all. Then, if he brought the grey goose, he should have two bags of gold money; if he did not bring it he should pack off to the prison.

So Peterkin left the king, and if anybody was down in the mouth in all of the world it was Peterkin.

" Perhaps," said he, " the Little Grey Hare can help me." So he blew a turn or two on his fingers, and the Little Grey Hare came hopping and skipping up to him.

What was Peterkin in the dumps about now? That was what it wanted to know.

Why, the king wanted him to get such and such a grey goose from over at the giant's house, and Peterkin knew no more about it than a red herring in a box; that was the trouble. 181

" Oh, well," says the Little Grey Hare, " maybe that can be cured; just go to the king and ask for this and that and the other thing, and we will see what can be done about the business."

So off went Peterkin to the king; perhaps he could get the grey goose after all, but he must have three barrels of soft pitch, and a bag of barley- corn, and a pot of good tallow.

The king let him have all that he wanted, and then the Little Grey Hare took Peterkin and the three barrels of soft pitch and the bag of barley-corn and the pot of good tallow on its back, and off it went till the wind whistled behind Peterkin's ears.

(Now that was a great load for a little grey hare; but I tell the story to you just as Time's Clock told it to me.)

After a while they came to a river, and then the Little Grey Hare said

" Brother Pike! Brother Pike ! Here are folks would like to cross the wide river."

Then up came a great river pike, and on his back he took Peterkin and the Little Grey Hare and the three barrels of pitch and the sack of barley- corn and the pot of good tallow, and away he swam till he had brought them from this side to that.

(Now that was a great load for a river pike to carry; but as Time's Clock told the story to me I tell it to you.)

Then the Little Grey Hare went on and on again until it came to a high hill, and on the top of the high hill was a great house; that was where the giant lived.

Then Petcrkin took the soft pitch and made a wide pathway of it. After that lie smeared his feet all over with the tallow, so that he stuck to the soft pitch no more than water sticks to a cabbage leaf. Then he shouldered his bag of barley-corn and went up to the giant's castle, and hunted around and hunted around until he lead found where the grey goose was; and it was in the kitchen and would not come out. But Petcrkin had a way to bring it; he scattered the barley-corn all about, and when the grey goose saw that, it came out quickly enough and began to cat the grains as fast as it could gobble. But Peterkin did not give it much time for this, for up he caught it, and off he went as fast as he could scamper.

Then the grey goose flapped its wings and began squalling. " 11laster !

master! Here I am ! licre I am ! It is Petcrkin who has me !"

Out ran the giant with his great iron club, and after Peterkin he came 182

as fast as he could lay foot to the ground. But Peterkin had the buttered side of the cake this time, for he ran over the pitch road as easily as though it were made of good stories; that was because his boots were smeared with tallow. As for the giant, he stuck to it as a fly sticks to the butter, so that it was very slow travelling that he made of it.

Then the hare took Peterkin up on its back, and away it scampered till the wind whistled behind his ears. When it had come to the river it said

" Brother Pike! Brother Pike! Here are folks would like to cross the wide river."

Then the pike took them on its back and away they went. But it Nvas a tight squeeze through that crack, I can tell you, for they had hardly left the shore when up came the giant, fuming and boiling like water in the pot. " Is that you, Peterkin?" said he.

Yes; it is I," said Peterkin.

,'And did you steal my grey goose?" said the giant. " Yes; I stole your grey goose," said Peterkin.

"And what would you do if you were me and I were you?" said the giant.

" I would do what I could," said Peterkin.

After that the giant went back home, shaking his head and talking to himself.

So the king got the grey goose, and was as glad as glad could be. And Peterkin got the bags of gold, and was glad also. Thus there were two in the world pleased at the same time.

And now the king could not make too much of Peterkin. It was Peterkin here and Peterkin there, till Peterkin's brothers were as sour as bad beer over the matter.

So, one day, they came buzzing in the king's ear again; perhaps the king did not know it, but that same giant had a silver bell, and every time that the bell was rung a good dinner Nvas spread ready for the eating. Now, Peterkin had been saying to everybody that he could get that bell for the king just as easily as lie had gotten the grey goose. At this the king pricked up his ears, for it tickled them to hear such talk. He sent for Peterkin to come to him, and Peterkin came. He vowed and swore that

he had said nothing about getting the giant's bell. But it was of no use;

he only wasted his breath. The king wanted the silver bell, and the king

must have it. Peterkin should have three days in which to get it. If he brought it at the. end of that time, he should have half of the kingdom to 184

rule over. If he did not bring it he should have his ears clipped; so there was an end of that talk.

It was a bad piece of business, but off Peterkin went and blew on his fingers, and up came the Little Grey Hare.

" Well," said the Little Grey Hare, " and what is the trouble with us now?"

Why, the king wanted a little silver bell that was over at the giant's house, and he had to go and get it for him; that was the trouble with Peterkin.

" Well," says the Little Grey Hare, " there is no telling what one can do till one tries; just get a little Nvad of tow and come along, and we will see what we can make of it."

So Peterkin got the Avad of tow, and then he sat him on the Little Grey Hare's back, and away they went till the wind whistled behind his ears. When they came to the river the Little Grey- Hare called on the pike, and up it came and carried them over as it had done before. By and by they came to the giant's house, and this time the giant was away from home, which was a lucky thing for Pcterkin.

Peterkin climbed into the window, and hunted here and there till lie had found the little silver bell. Then lie wrapped the tow around the clapper, but, in spite of all that lie could do, it made a jingle or two. Then away he scampered to the Little Grey Hare. He mounted on its back, and off they went.

But the giant heard the jingle of the little silver bell, and home he catric as fast as his legs could carry him.

He hunted here and there till he found the track of Peterkin, then after him he Avent, three miles at a step.

When he came to the river, there was Peterkin, just out of harm's way. " Is that you, Peterkin?" bawled the giant.

"Yes; it is I," said Peterkin.

" And have you stolen my silver bell?" said the giant. " Yes; I have stolen your silver bell," said Peterkin.

" And have you stolen my grey- goose too?" said the giant. Yes; Peterkin had stolen that too.

" And what would you do if you were me and I were you?" said the giant.

" I would do what I could," said Pcterkin.

At this the giant went back home, grumbling and muttering to himself, and if Peterkin had been by it would have been bad for Peterkin. 186

Dear, dear ! but the king was glad to get the silver bell; as for Peterkin, he was a great man now, for he ruled over half of the kingdom.

But now the two elder brothers were less pleased than ever before; they grumbled and talked together until the upshot of the matter was that they went to the king for the third time. Peterkin had been bragging and talk ing again. This time he had said that the giant over yonder had a sword of such a kind that it gave more light in the dark than fourteen candles, and that he could get the sword as easily as he had gotten the grey goose and the little silver bell.

After that nothing would satisfy the king but for Peterkin to go and get the sword. Peterkin.argued and talked, and talked and argued, but it was for no good;, he might have talked till the end of all things. The king wanted the sword, and the king must have it. If Peterkin could bring it to him in three days' time he might have the princess for his wife; if he came back empty-handed he should have a good thong of skin cut off of his back from top to bottom; that was what the king said.

So there was nothing for it but for Peterkin to whistle on his fingers for the Little Grey Hare once more.

" And what is it this time?" said the Little Grey Hare.

Why, the king wanted such and such a kind of sword, and Peterkin must go and get it for him; that was the trouble.

Well, well; there might be a hole in this hedge as well as another. But this time Peterkin must borrow one of the princess's dresses and her golden comb; then one might see what could be done.

So Peterkin went to the king and said that he must have the dress and the comb, and the king let him have them. Then he mounted on the Lit- tle Grey Hare and-whisk!-away they went as fast as before.

Well, they crossed the river and came to the giant's house once more. There Peterkin dressed himself in the princess's dress, and combed his hair with her golden comb; and as he combed his hair it grew longer and longer, and the end of the matter was that he looked for all the world like as fine and strapping a lass as ever a body saw. Then he went up to the giant's house, and-rap ! tap! tap !-he knocked at the door as bold as brass. The giant was in this time, and he came and opened the door himself. But when he saw what he thought was a fine lass, he smiled as though he had never eaten anything in all his life but soft butter.

Perhaps the pretty lass would come in and sit down for a bit; that was what he said to Peterkin. Oh, yes! that suited Peterkin; of course he would come in. So in he came, and then he and the giant sat down to supper together. After they had eaten as much as they could the giant laid his head in Peterkin's lap, and Peterkin combed his hair and combed his hair, until he fell fast asleep and began to snore so that he made the cinders fly up the chimney.

Then Peterkin rose up softly and took down the Sword of Light from the wall. After that he went out on tiptoes and mounted the Little Grey Hare, and away they went till the chips flew behind them.

By and by the giant opened his eyes and saw that Peterkin was gone, and, what was more, his Sword of Light was gone also. Then what a rage he was in ! Off he went after Peterkin and the Little Grey Hare, seven 188

miles at a step. But he was just a little too late, though there was no room to spare between Peterkin and him, and that is the truth.

" Is that you, Peterkin?" said he. "Yes; it is I," said Peterkin.

And have you stolen my Sword of Light?" said the giant. Oh, yes; Peterkin had done that.

" And what would you do if you were me and I were you?" said the giant. " I would drink the river dry and follow after," said Peterkin.

" That is good," said the giant. So he laid himself down and drank and drank and drank, until he drank so much that he burst with a great noise, and there was an end of him !

The king was so pleased with the Sword of Light that it seemed as though he could not look at it and talk about it enough. As for Peterkin, he got the princess for his wife, and that pleased him also, you may be sure. The princess was pleased too, for Peterkin was a good, smart, tight bit of a lad, and that is what the girls like. So it was that everybody, was pleased except the two elder brothers, who looked as sour as green gooseberries. But now Peterkin was an apple that hung too high for them to reach, and so the)- had to let him alone.

The nest day after the wedding, whom should Peterkin come across but the Little Grey Hare.

" See, Peterkin," it said, "I have done much for you; will you do a little for me?"

" Yes, indeed, that I will," said Peterkin.

" Then take the Sword of Light and cut off my head and feet," said the Little Grey Hare.

No, no; Peterkin could never do such a thing as that; that would be a pretty- way to treat a good friend.

But the Little Grey Hare begged and begged and begged, until at last Peterkin (lid as he asked; lie cut off his head and his feet. Then who should stand before him but a handsome young prince, with yellow hair and blue eyes. That was what the Little Grey Hare had been all the time, only the giant lead bewitched him.

As for Peterkin-well, this is the u•ay of it; the youngest will step ahead of the others sometimes. once upon a time there lived a king \\ho had an only daughter, and the princess was more handsome than I Call tell you. But the queen had been dead for so long that the king began to think about marrying

a second time. So the upshot of the matter was that by• and by there came a step-mother into the house, and a step -sister besides, for the new queen had a daughter of her oWn. And that was a sor,

rowful thing for the princess.

At first the new queen was kind enough to the poor girl; but before long there were other cakes baking in that oven, for the step-mother began saying to herself : " See, now, if this hussy were out of the way my own dear girl would be the first in the land, and might, in time, have the kingdom for her very own." So, in the end, the poor princess found but little peace in the same house with the woman and her daughter.

One day the step-mother, the step-sister, and the pretty princess sat together in the castle garden beside a deep cistern of water. By the cis- tern hung a silver cup for the use of those who wished to drink. And as they sat there the princess grew thirsty, and would have taken the cup to quench her thirst, but the step-mother stopped her. 192

"See, now," said she, "if you must drink you will have to stoop to the water, for the silver cup is too good for such as you."

"Alas!" said the poor princess, "the time was when a cup of gold was not too good for me!" And thereupon she began to weep as though her heart would break. But there was no help for it; if she would drink she must stoop for it; so down she knelt and began to drink from the deep water without any thought or fear of harm.

But as the princess thus stooped and drank, the wicked step-mother came behind her without her knowing it, and gave her a push so that she fell headlong into the cistern and sank to the bottom. After that the step-mother and the step-sister went back to the castle again, rejoicing and thinking that now they were rid of the princess for good and all, and that the step-sister would be the first in all of the land.

But in this they counted black chicks before they were atched; for

when the princess sank down to the bottom of the cistern, she , nd herself

in a great wide meadow, all covered over with bright flowers, many as there are stars in the sky at night.

Across this meadow she went on and on and on; but never a single soul did she see until at last she came to a great, fine house that stood all alone by itself, without another to be seen, near or afar. In the doorway of the house stood an old woman, whom the princess saw very plainly was not like common folk.

And she was right, for the old woman was none other than Mother Hildegardc, Avho is so wise that she knows almost as much as Father Time himself. Thus it was that she knew all about the princess, and who she was and whence she came, without the asking. " Listen," said she, " I will give you food and lodging, and will pay you well if you will serve me faith- fully for the space of a year and a day."

That the princess was willing enough to do, for she was both tired and hungry; so into the house she went to serve Mother Hildegarde for a year and a day.

But it was no common work that the princess did, I can tell you; for listen : When she blew the bellows that the fire might blaze the brighter, the wind swept over the great brown world so that every windmill turned around and around from Jacob Pfcnnigdrummel's to the shores of the great black sea at the north end of the earth; and when she sprinkled the clothes, the blessed rain came tumbling down till all the gutters ran with water so 194

that little folk had either to stay home from school or to go thither under great, wide umbrellas.

But of all this the pretty princess knew nothing whatever, but only thought that she blew the fire and sprinkled the clothes. And that is often the way of the world-at least, so Tommy Pfouce tells me.

Well, one day Mother Hildegarde said to the princess: "See, now; I am going off on a journey, and it may be a while before I am back again. Here are the keys of all of the house, and you are free to go wherever you choose. Only here is a black hey that unlocks a little room into which you must not go; for if you do I will be sure to know it, and ill-luck will be certain to happen to you." Then off she went, and the princess was left all alone.

The first day the lass went here, and the second day she went there, and the third day she had gone everywhere except into the little room ,v here Mother Hildegarde had told her not to go; and she never wanted anything in all of her life as much as she wanted just to peep into that lit- tle room.

" I wonder," said she to herself-" I wonder what harm there could be in it if I were only to take one little peep?" So the upshot of the matter was that she went there just to look at the outside of the door.

" I wonder," said she, "if the key will fit the lock?" Yes; it did fit it.

" I wonder," said she, " if the key will turn the bolt?" Yes; it did turn it.

~° I wonder," said she, " whether it would do any harm just to peep into the room?"

And she did peep into it.

Believe me or not, all the same I tell you the truth when I say that there was not one thing in the room but a covered jar, that stood in the middle of the floor. Of course the princess must have just one peep into the jar, for as she had gone as far as she had, there could be no more harm in this than in the other. So she went to the jar and took off the lid and peeped into it.

And what do you think was in it? Nothing but water!

But as the princess looked into the `eater she saw Mother Hildegarde as though she were a great way off, and the Mother Hildegarde whom she saw in the water was looking at nobody in all of the world but her. As soon as the princess saw what she saw, she clapped down the lid of the jar 196

again; but she clapped it down just a moment too late, for a lock of hair fell down over her face, and one single hair touched the water in the jar. Yes; only one single hair. But when the princess looked she saw that every lock upon her head was turned to pure gold. Then if anybody in all

of the world was frightened it was the poor princess. She twisted up the hair upon the top of her head and bound her kerchief about it so that it was all hidden; but all the same the hair was there, and could never be changed from the gold again.

Just then who should come walking into the house but Mother Hilde- garde herself. " Have you obeyed all that I have told you?" said she.

" Yes," said the princess, but all the same she was so frightened that her knees knocked together.

" Did you go into the little room?" said Mother Hildegarde.

" No," said the princess; but her heart beat so that she could hardly speak.

Then Mother Hildegarde snatched the kerchief off of the princess's head, and her golden hair came tumbling down all about her shoulders, glittering, so that it was the finest sight that you could see between here and Nomansland.

" Then how came your hair to be like that?" said Mother Hildegarde.

" I do not know," said the princess; and then she began crying and sob- bing as though her heart would break.

" See now," said Mother Hildegarde; " you have served me well for all of the time that you have been with me, therefore I will have pity upon you, only you must tell me the truth. Did you go into the little room while I was away?"

But for all_ that Mother Hildegarde spoke ever so kindly the princess could not bring herself to speak the truth.

" No," said she.

"Then how came your hair to be like that?" said Mother Hildegarde. I do not lmow," said the princess.

At this Mother Hildegarde frowned till her eyes burned like sparks of fire. She caught the princess by the arm and struck her staff upon the ground, and away they flew through the air till the wind whistled behind them. So by and by they came to a great forest, out of which there was no path to be found either to the cast or the west or the north or the south.

" See now," said Mother Hildegarde, " because you have been faithful in your labor with me I will give you still another chance. But if you do not 198

answer me truthfully this time, I will leave you alone here in the forest, and will take away your speech so that you will be as dumb as the beasts of the field. Did you go into the little room""

But still the princess hardened her heart and answered " No."

" Then how came your hair to be like that?" said Mother Hildegarde. " I do not know," said the princess.

Then Mother Hildegarde event away, and left the princess alone in the forest as she had promised to do; and not only that, but she took away the princess's speech, so that she was quite dumb. So in the forest the princess dwelt for a long, long time, and there she would have died of hunger, only that Mother Hildegarde still cared for her and sent the wood-pigeons to feed her, which they did from day to day and from week to week and from month to month. As for the princess, she lived in the branches of the trees, for she was afraid of the wild beasts that roamed through the wood.

By and by her clothes became nothing but rags and tatters, and then she had to weave her beautiful hair about her, so that she was clad all from head to foot in her golden tresses, and in them alone.

Well, one time it happened that a young king came riding into the forest to hunt the wild boars, and many of his people came along with him. Some of those who rode on before came suddenly to where a great flock of wood-pigeons flew about in the tree-tops above them. But when they looked up, you may guess how wonder-struck they were when they saw that the pigeons were feeding a beautiful maiden who sat in the branches above, clad all in her golden hair. Back they rode to the young king and told him

all that they had seen, and up he came as fast as he could ride. There he saw the maiden and how beautiful she was, and lie called to her to come down. But she only shook her head, for she could not speak, and she

was ashamed of being found where she was. Then the young king, seeing that she would not come down from the branches to him, climbed up himself and brought her.

He wrapped his cloak about her and set her on his horse in front of him, and then he and all that were with him rode away out of the dark forest and under the blue sky, until they had come to the king's castle. But all the time the princess did nothing but weep and weep, for she could not speak a single word. The young king gave her to his mother to care for, who was none too glad to have such a dumb maiden brought into the house, even though the lass was as pretty as milk and rose-leaves. But the young king cared nothing whatever for what his mother thought 200

about the matter, for the more he looked at the princess, the more beautiful she appeared in his eyes. So the end of the matter was that he married her, even though she had not a word to say for herself.

NVell, time went on and on, till one day the storks that lived on the castle roof brought a baby boy to the poor dumb princess, whereat every- body was as glad as glad could be.

But their gladness was soon changed to sadness, for that night, when every one in the king's house was fast and sound asleep, Mother Hilde- garde came softly into the princess's room. She gave her back her speech for the time being, and then she said. " I will still have pity upon you. If you will only tell me the truth you shall have your speech again, and all will go well with you. But if you tell me a falsehood once more, still. greater troubles will come upon you. Now tell me, did ,,on go into the little room?"

" No," said the princess, for still she could not bring herself to confess to Mother Hildegarde.

" Then how came your hair to be like that?" " I do not know," said the princess.

So Mother Hildegarde took away her speech once more.

After that she smeared the mouth of the princess with blood, and then, wrapping the baby in her mantle, she carried it away with her, leaving the mother weeping alone.

You can guess what a hubbub there was the next morning in the castle, when they came and found that the baby was ,one, and that the princess's mouth was smeared with blood. " See," said the king's mother, `' what did

I tell you from the very first. Do you not see that you have brought a wicked witch into the house, and that she has killed her own child?"

But the king would listen to no such words as these, for it seemed to. him that the princess was too beautiful and too good to do such a wicked thing.

After a time there came another baby to the princess, and once more Mother Hildegarde came to leer and said, " Did you go into the little room?"

" No," said the princess.

" Then how came your hair to be like that?" " I do not know," said the princess.

So Mother Hildegarde took this baby away as she had done the other, and left the princess with her lips smeared with blood. 201

And now every one of the king's household began to mutter and to whisper to his neighbor, and the king had nothing to say, but only left the room silently, for his heart was like heavy lead within his breast. Still he would not hear of harm coming to the princess, no matter what had happened.

In time there came a third baby, but still the princess could not soften her heart, and Mother Hildegarde took it away as she had done the others. This time the king could do nothing to save the princess, for every one cried out upon her that she was a wicked witch who killed her children, and that she should be burned at the stake, as was fitting for such a one. So a great pile of fagots was built out in the castle courtyard, and the princess ivas brought out and tied to a stake that stood in the midst. Then they lit the pile of fagots, and it began to crackle and burn around her where she stood.

Then suddenly Mother Hildegarde stood beside her in the midst of the fire. In her arms she held the princess's youngest baby, and the others stood, one upon one side and the other upon the other, and held on to her skirts.

She gave the princess her speech again, and then she said, " Now, tell me, did you go into the little room?"

Even yet the princess would have answered " No;" but when she saw her children standing in the midst of the fire with her, her heart melted away within her.

" Yes!" she cried, " I went in and I saw."

" And how came your hair to be like that?" said Mother Hildegarde.

" Alas !" said the princess, " I gazed upon that which I should not have gazed upon, and looked into that which I should not have looked into, and one hair touched the water and all was turned to gold."

Then Mother Hildegarde smiled till her face shone as white as the moon. " The truth is better late than not at all," said she: " and if you had but spoken in the first place, I would have freely forgiven you." As she spoke a shower of rain fell down from the sky, and the fire of the fagots was quenched.

And now you can guess what joy there was in the king's castle when every one knew all that had happened, and it was seen how the right thing had come about at last, though it was the toss of a farthing betwixt this and that. Even the king's mother was glad enough when she came to know that it was a real princess whom her son had married after all. 202

And now listen to what happened in the end.

They gave a great feast, and everybody was asked to come from far and near. Then -who should come travelling along Nvith the others, as grand as you please, but the wicked step-mother and step-sister of the princess.

Dear, dear, how they stared and goggled when they saw who the young queen really was, and that the poor princess had married the richest and greatest king in all of the land !

Their hearts were so filled with envy that they swelled and swelled until they burst within them, and they fell down dead, and there was an end of them.

Thus it is that everything turns out right in the long run-that is in fairy tales.

But, after all, if the princess had only told the truth in the first place, she would never have gotten in all this peck of trouble.

And then who knows what Mother Hildegarde would have done for her, for she is a strange woman, is Mother Hildegarde.

there was a rich man who lived on a hill, and a poor man who lived down in the valley, and they were brothers, the one was older and the other younger. The one lived in a grand house and the other in a little, rickety, tumbledown hut, and the one was covetous and greedy and the other was kind and merciful. 1111 the same, it was a merry life that the poor brother led of it, for each morning when lie took

a drink he said, " Thank Heaven for clear water;" and when the day was bright lie said, "Thank Heaven for the warm sun that shines on us all;" and when it was wet it was, " Thank Heaven for the gentle rain that makes the green grass grow."

One day the poor brother was riding in the forest, and there he met the rich brother, and they jogged along the way together. The one rode upon a poor, old, spavined, white horse, and the other rode upon a fine, prancing steed.

By and by they met an old woman, and it was all that she could do to hobble along the way she was going.

" Dear, good, kind gentlemen," said she, " do help a poor old body with a penny or two, for it is nothing I have in the world, and life sits heavy on old shoulders."

The rich brother was for passing along as though he heard never a word 206

of what she said, but the poor brother had a soft heart, and reined in his horse.

"It is only three farthings that I have in the world," said he; "but such as they are you are welcome to them," and he emptied his purse into her hand.

"You shall not have the worst of the bargain," said the old woman; "here is something that is worth the having," and she gave him a little black stone about as big as a bean. Then off she went with what he had given her.

" See, now," said the rich brother, " that is why you are so poor as hardly to be able to make both ends meet in the world."

" That may be so, or may not be so," said the poor brother; " all the same, mercy is better than greed."

How the elder did laugh at this, to be sure'. " Why, look," says he, " here I am riding upon a grand horse with my pockets full of gold and silver money, and there you are astride of a beast that can hardly hobble along the road, and with never a copper bit in your pocket to jingle against another."

Yes; that was all true enough; nevertheless, the younger brother stuck to it that mercy was better than greed, until, at last, the other flew into a mighty huff.

"Very well," says lie," I will wager my horse against yours that I am right, and we will leave it to the first body Nve meet to settle the point." Well, that suited the poor brother, and he was agreed to do as the other said.

So by and by they met a grand lord riding along the road with six servants behind him; and would lie tell whether mercy or greed were the best for a body in this world?

The rich lord laughed and laughed. " Why," said he, " greed is the best, for if it were otherwise, and I had only what belonged to me, I should never be jogging along through the world with sit servants behind me."

So off he rode, and the poor brother had to give up his horse to the other, who had no more use for it than I have for five more fingers. "fill the same," says the poor brother, " mercy is better than greed." Goodness! what a rage the rich brother fell into, to be sure! " There is no teaching a simpleton," said lie; " nevertheless, I will Nvager all the money in my purse against your left eye that greed is better than_ mercy, and we will leave it to the nest body we meet, since you are not content with the other." 208

That suited the younger brother well enough, and on they jogged until they met a rich merchant driving a donkey loaded with things to sell. And would he judge between them whether mercy or greed were the best for a body?

" Poof !" says the merchant, " what a question to ask! All the world knows that greed is the best. If it were not for taking the cool end of the bargain myself, and leaving the hot end for my neighbor to hold, it is little or nothing that I should have in the world to call my own." And off lie went whither he was going.

" There," says the rich brother, " now perhaps you will be satisfied;" and he put out the poor man's left eye.

But no, the other still held that mercy was better than greed; and so they made another wager of all the rich man had in the world against the poor man's right eye.

This time it was a poor ploughman whom they met, and would he tell whether mercy or greed were the best?

" Prut !" said he, " any simpleton can tell that greed is the best, for all the world rides on the poor man's shoulders, and he is able to bear the burden the least of all."

Then the rich man put out the poor man's right eye; " for," says he, " a body deserves to be blind who cannot see the truth when it is as plain as a pikestaff."

But still the poor man stuck to it that mercy was the best. So the rich man rode away and left him in his blindness.

As all was darkness to his eyes, he sat down beside the road at the first place he could find, and that was underneath the gallows where three wicked robbers had been hung. While he sat there two ravens came flying, and lit on the gallows above him. They began talking to one another, and the younger brother heard what they said, for he could understand the speech of the birds of the air and of the beasts of the field, just as little children can, because he was innocent.

And the first raven said to the second raven, " Yonder, below, sits a fellow in blindness, because he held that mercy was better than greed." And the second raven said to the first, " Yes, that is so, but he might have his sight again if he only knew enough to spread his handkerchief upon the grass, and bathe his eyes in the dew which falls upon it from the gallows above."

And the first raven said to the second, " That is as true as that one and one make two; but there is more to tell yet, for in his pocket he carries :t little black stone with which he may open every door that he touches. Back of the oak-tree yonder is a little door: if he would but enter thereat he would find somethin- below well worth the having."

That was what the two ravens said, and then they flapped their wings and flew away.

As for the younger brother, you can guess how his heart danced at what he heard. He spread his handkerchief on the grass, and by and by, 210

when night came, the dew fell upon it until it was as wet as clothes on the line. He wiped his eyes with it, and when the dew touched the lids they were cured, and he could see as well and better than ever.

By and by the day broke, and he lost no time in finding the door back of the oak-tree. He touched the lock with the little black stone, and the door opened as smoothly as though the hinges were greased. There he found a flight of steps that led down into a pit as dark as a beer vault. Down the steps he went, and on and on until, at last, he came to a great room, the like of which his eyes had never seen before. In the centre of the room was a statue as black as ink; in one hand it held a crystal globe which shone with a clear white light, so that it dazzled one's eyes to look upon it; in the other hand it held a great diamond as big as a hen's egg. Upon the breast of the statue were written these words in letters of gold

" WHAT TH()U DESERVEST THAT THOU SHALT HAVE,"

On three sides of the room sat three statues, and at the feet of each statue stood a heavy chest

The first statue was of gold, and over its head were written these words

"w110 CHOOSES HERE TAKES THE BEST THAT THE EARTH HAS TO GIVE."

The second statue was of silver, and over its head was written these words

" WHO CHOOSES HERE TAKES WHAT THE RICH MAN LOVES.'

The third statue Was of dull lead, and over its head was written " WHO CHOOSES HERE TAKES WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE."

The man touched the chest at the feet of the golden statue with the little black stone. And-click ! clad: !-up flew the lid, and the chest was full of all kinds of precious stones.

" Pugh !" says the younger brother; " and if this is the best that the world has to give, it is poor enough." And lie shut down the lid again. He touched the chest at the feet of the silver statue with his little black stone, and it was full of gold and silver money.

" Pish !" says he; " and if this is what the rich man loves, why, so do not I." And he shut down the lid again.

Last of all he touched the chest at the feet of the leaden statue. 212

In it was a book, and the letters on it said that whoever read within would know all that was worth the knowing. Beside the book was a pair of spectacles, and whoever set them astride of his nose might see the truth without having to rub the glasses with his pocket-handkerchief. But the best of all in the chest was an apple, and whoever ate of it would be cured of sorrow and sickness.

" Hi !" said the younger brother, " but these are worth the having, for sure and certain." And he put the spectacles upon his nose and the apple and the book in his pocket. Then off he went, and the spectacles showed him the way, although it was as crooked as sin and as black as night.

So by and by he came out into the blessed sunlight again, and at the same place where he had gone in.

Off he went to his own home as fast as his legs could carry him, and you can guess how the rich brother stared when he saw the poor brother back in that town again, with his eyesight as good as ever.

As for the poor brother, he just turned his hand to being a doctor; and there has never been one like him since that day, for not only could lie cure all sickness with his apple, but he could cure all sorrow as well. Money` and fame poured in on him; and whenever trouble lit on his shoulders he just put on his spectacles and looked into the business, and then opened the book of wisdom and found how to cure it. So his life was as happy as the day was long; and a body can ask for no more than that in this world here below.

One day the rich brother came and knocked at the other's door. " Well, brother," says he, " I am glad to see you getting along so well in the -,vorld. Let us let bygones be bygones and live together as we should, for I am sorry for what I did to you."

Well, that suited the younger brother well enough; he bore no malice against the other, for all that had been done had turned out for the best. All the same, he was more sure than ever now that mercy was better than greed.

The elder brother twisted up his face at this, as though the words were sour; all the same, he did not argue the question, for what he had come for was to find why the world had grown so easy with the other all of a sudden. So in he came, and they lit their pipes and sat down by the stove together. He was a keen blade, was the elder brother, and it was not long before he had screwed the whole story out of the other. 214

Dear, dear, dear!" said he, " I only wish I could find a black pebble like that one of yours."

" It would do you no good if you had it," said the younger brother, " for I have brought away all that is worth the having. All the same, if you Want my black pebble now you are welcome to it."

Did the elder brother want it! Why, of course he wanted it, and he could not find words enough to thank the younger.

Off he went, hot-foot, to find the door back of the oak-tree; " For," said he to himself, " I will bring something back better worth the having than a musty book, an old pair of spectacles, and a red apple."

He touched the door with the black stone, and it opened for him just as it had for the younger brother.

Down the steps he went, and on and on and on, until by and by he came to the room where the statues were. There was the black statue holding out the crystal ball and the diamond as big as a hen's egg, and there sat the golden statue and the silver statue and the leaden statue, just as they had sat when the younger brother had been there, only there was nothing in the chest at the feet of the leaden statue.

The rich brother touched the lock of the chest in front of the silver statue. Up flew the lid, and there lay all the gold and silver money.

" Yes," says he, " that is what the rich man loves, sure enough. Never-

theless, there may be something else that is better worth the having." So he let the money lay where it was.

He touched the chest in front of the golden statue. Up flew the lid, and he had to blink and wink his eyes because the precious stones dazzled them so.

" Yes," says he, " this is the best the world has to give, and there is no gainsaying that; all the same, there may be something better worth the having than these."

So he looked all about the room, until he saw the golden letters on the breast of the black statue that stood in the middle. First he read the words

" WHAT THOU DESERVEST THAT THOU SHALT HAVE."

And then he saw the great diamond that the statue held in its left hand.

" Why," said he, " it is as plain as daylight that I deserve this precious 215

stone, for not being so simple as my brother, and taking what I could find without looking for anything better."

So up he stepped and took the diamond out of the statue's hand.

Crash !-and all was darkness, darker than the darkest midnight; for, as quick as a wink, the black statue let the crystal globe of light fall from its right hand upon the stone floor, where it broke into ten thousand pieces.

And now the rich brother might wander up and wander down, but wander as he chose he could never find his way out of that place again, for the darkness shut him in like a blanket.

So, after all, mercy and temperance were better in the long run than greed and covetousness, in spite of what the great lord and the rich merchant and the poor ploughman had said.

Maybe I have got this story twisted awry in the telling; all the same, Tommy Pfouce says that it is a true-enough story, if you put on your spectacles and look at it from the right side.

HERE were three brothers left behind when the father died. The two elder, whose names were John and James, were as clever lads as ever ate pease with a fork.

As for the youngest, his name was Caspar, he had no more than enough sense to blow his potatoes when they were hot. Well, when they came to divide things up between themselves, John and

James contrived to share all of the good things between them. As for Caspar, " why, the little black hen is enough for him," says John and James, and that was all the butter he got from that churn.

" I'll take the little black hen to the fair," says Caspar, " and there

I'll sell her and buy me some eggs. I'll set the eggs under the minister's speckled hen, and then I'll have more chicks. Then I'll buy me more eggs and have more chicks, and then I'll buy me more eggs and have more chicks, and after that I'll be richer than Uncle Henry, who has two cows and a horse, and will marry my sweetheart into the bargain." So off he went to the fair with the black hen under his arm, as he had promised himself to do.

" There goes a goose to the plucking," says John and James, and then they turned no hairs grey by thinking any more about the case.

As for him, why, he went on and on until he came to the inn over the hill not far from the town, the host of which was no better than he should be, and that was the long and the short of it. 220

•` Where do you go with the little black hen, Caspar?" says he.

" Oh," says Caspar, " I take it to the fair to sell it and buy ine some eggs. I'll set the eggs under the minister's speckled hen, and then I'll have more chicks. Then I'll buy me more eggs and have more chicks, and then I'll buy me more eggs and have more chicks, and after that I'll be richer than Uncle Henry, who has two cows and a horse, and will marry my sweetheart into the bargain."

Prut ! And why should Caspar take his hen to the fair? That was what the landlord said. It was a silly thing to tramp to the river for water before the well was dry at home. Why, the landlord had a friend over yonder who would give ten pennies to one that he could get at the fair for his black hen. Now, had Caspar ever heard tell of the little old gentleman who lived in the old willow-tree over yonder?

No, Caspar had never heard tell of him in all of his life. And there was no wonder in that, for no more had anybody else, and the landlord was only up to a bit of a trick to get the little black hen for himself.

But the landlord sucked in his lips-" tsck "-so ! Well, that was a pity, for the little old gentleman had said, time and time again, that lie would give a whole bagful of gold and silver money for just such a little black hen as the one that Caspar carried under his arm.

Dear, dear! How Caspar's eyes did open at this, to be sure. Off he started for the willow-tree. " Here's the little black hen," said he, "and I'll sell her for a bagful of gold and silver money." But nobody answered him; and you may be sure of that, for there was nobody there.

" Well," says Caspar, " I'll just tie the hen to the tree here, and you may pay me to-morrow." So he did as he had said, and off he marched. Then came the landlord and took the hen off home and had it for his supper; and there was an end of that business.

An end of that business? No, no; stop a bit, for we will not drive too

fast down the hill. Listen : there was a wicked robber who had hidden a bag of gold and silver money in that very tree; but of that neither Caspar nor the landlord knew any more than the chick in the shell.

" Hi!" says Caspar, " it is the wise man who gets along in the world." But there he was wrong for once in his life, Tommy Pfouce tells me. "And did you sell your hen?" says John and James.

" Oh, yes; Caspar had done that. And what had he got for it?

Oh, just a bag of gold and silver money, that was all. He would show 222

it to them to-morrow, for he was to go and get it then from the old gentleman who lived in the willow-tree over yonder by the inn over the hill.

When John and James heard that they saw as plain as the nose on your face that Caspar had been bitten by the fool dog.

But Caspar never bothered his head about that; off he went the next day as grand as you please. Up lie marched to the willow-tree, but never a soul did he find there; for why, there was nobody.

Rap! tap ! tap ! He knocked upon the tree as civil as a beggar at the kitchen door, but nobody said, " Come in!"

" Look," says he, " we will have no dilly-dallying; I want my money and I will have it," and he fetched a kick at the tree that made the bark fly. But he might as well have kicked my grandfather's bedpost for all the good he had of it. " Oli, very well!" says he, and off lie marched and brought the axe that stood back of the stable door.

Hui ! how the chips flew! for Caspar was bound to get to the bottom of the business. So by and by the tree lay on the ground, and there was the bag of gold and silver money that the wicked robber had hidden.

" So !" says Caspar, " better late than never !" and off lie marched with it.

By and by whom should he meet but John and James. Bless me, how they stared! And did Caspar get all of that money for one little black hen?

Oh, yes; that he had. And where did lie get it? Oh! the little old man in the willow-tree had paid it to him.

So, good ! that was a fine thing, and it should be share and share alike among brothers; that was what John and James said, and Caspar did not say " No;" so down they all sat on the grass and began counting it out.

" This is mine," said John.

" And this is mine," said James. " And this is mine," said John. " And this is mine," said James.

" And where is mine?" says Caspar. But neither of the others thought of him because he was so simple.

Just then who should come along but the rogue of a landlord. " Hi! and where did you get all that?" says he. " Oh," says Caspar, " the little old man in the willow-tree paid it to me for my little black hen."

Yes, yes, the landlord knew how much of that calve to cat. He was not to have the wool pulled over his eyes so easily. Sec, now, he knew very, well that thieving had been done, and he would have them all up before the master mayor for it. So the upshot of the matter was that they had to take him in to share with them.

" This is mine," says the landlord. " And this is mine," says John.

" And this is mine," says James.

" And where do I come in?" says poor Caspar. But nobody, thought of him because he was so simple. 224

Just then came along a company of soldiers-tramp! tramp ! tramp!- and there they found them all sharing the money between them, except Caspar.

" Hi !" says the captain, " here are a lot of thieves, and no mistake!", and off he marched them to the king's house, which was finer than any in our town, and as big as a church into the bargain.

And how had they come by all that money? that was what the king would like to know.

As for the three rogues, they sang a different tune now than they had whistled before.

" It's none of mine, it's his," said the landlord, and he pointed to John. " It's none of mine, it's his," said John, and he pointed to James.

" It's none of mine, it's his," said James, and he pointed to Caspar. " And how did you get it?" says the king.

" Oh !" says Caspar, "the little old man in the willow-tree gave it to me for my little black hen;" and then he told the whole story without missing a single grain.

Beside the king sat the princess, wlio was so serious and solemn that she had never laughed once in all her life. So the king had said, time and time again, that whoever should make her laugh should have her for his wife. Now, when she heard Caspar's story, and how he came in behind all the rest, so that he always had the pinching, like the tail of our cat in the crack of the door, she laughed like everything, for she could not help it. So there was the fat in the fire, for Caspar was not much to

look at, and that was the truth. Dear, dear, what a stew the king was in, for he had no notion for Caspar as a son-in-law. So he began to think about striking a bargain. " Come," says he to Caspar, " how much will you take to give up the princess instead of marrying her?"

Well, Caspar did not know how much a princess was worth. So he scratched his head and scratched his head, and by and by he said that he would be willing to take ten dollars and let the princess go.

At this the king boiled over into a mighty fume, like water into the fire. What ! did Caspar think that ten dollars was a fit price for a princess !

Oh, Caspar had never done any business of this kind before. He had a sweetheart of his own at home, and if ten dollars was too much for the princess he would be willing to take five.

Sakes alive! what a rage the king was in! Why, I would not have stood in Caspar's shoes just then-no, not for a hundred dollars. The king would have had him whipped right away, only just then he had some other business on hand. So he paid Caspar his five dollars, and told him that if he would come back the nest day he should have all that his back could carry-meaning a whipping.

As for Caspar and his brothers and the rogue of a landlord, they thought that the king was talking about dollars. So when they had left the king's house and had come out into the road again, the three rogues began to talk as smooth and as soft as though their words were buttered.

See, now, what did Caspar want with all that the king had promised him; that was what they said. If he would let them have it, they would give him all of their share of the money he had found in the willow-tree.

" Ah, yes," says Caspar, " I am willing to do that. For," says he to 226

himself, " an apple in the pocket is worth three on the tree." And there he was right for once in his life.

Well, the next day back they all tramped to the king's house again to get what had been promised to Caspar.

So ! Caspar had come back for the rest, had he?

Oh, yes, he had come back again; but the lord king must know that he had sold all that had been promised to h`im to these three lads for their share of the money he had found in the -,villow-tree over yonder.

"Yes," says the landlord, "one part of what has been promised is mine." "And one part of it is mine," says John.

" Stop a bit, brother," says James; " remember, one part of it is mine too."

At this the king could not help laughing, and that broke the back of his anger.

First of all he sent the, landlord for his share, and if his back did not smart after he had it, -,vhy, it was not the fault of those who gave it to him. By and by he came back again, but he said nothing to the others of what had been given to him; but all the same he grinned as though he had been eating sour gooseberries. Then John went, and last of all James, and what they got satisfied them, I can tell you.

After that the king told Caspar that he might go into the other room and fill his pockets with money for what he had given up to the others: so he had the cool end of that bargain, and did not burn his fingers after all.

But the three rogues were not satisfied with this. No, indeed! Caspar should have his share of the smarting, see if he shouldn't ! So back they went to the king's house one fine day, and said that Caspar had been talking about the lord king, and had said that lie was no better than an old hunks. At this the king was awfully angry. And so off he sent the others to fetch Caspar along so'that he might settle the score with him.

When the three came home, there was Caspar lying on a bench in the sun, for he could take the world easy now, because he was so rich. "Come along, Caspar," said they, "the king wants to see you over at his house yonder."

Yes, yes, but there was too much hurrying in this business, for it was over-quick cooking that burned the broth. If Caspar was to go to the king's house he would go in fitting style, so they would just have to wait till he found a horse, for he was not going to jog it afoot; that was what Caspar said. 228

"Yes," says the landlord," but sooner than you should lose time in the waiting, I will lend you my fine dapple-grey."

But where was the bridle to come from? Caspar would have them know that he was not going to ride a horse to the king's house without a good bridle over the nag's ears.

Oh, John would lend him the new bridle 1

But how about the saddle?-that was what Caspar wanted to know- yes, how about the saddle? Did they think that he was going to ride up to the king's house with his heels thumping against the horse's ribs as though he were no better than a ploughman?

Oh, James would lend him a saddle if that was all he wanted. So off they went, all four of them, to the king's house.

There was the king, walking up and down, and fussing and fuming with anger till he was all of a heat.

" See, now," says he, as soon as he saw Caspar, "what did you call me an old hunks for?"

" I didn't call you an old hunks," said Caspar. " Yes, you did," said the king.

" No, I didn't," said Caspar.

" Yes, you did," said the king, " for these three lads told me so."

" Prut !" said Caspar, "who would believe what they say? Why, they would just as lief tell you that this horse and saddle and bridle belong to them."

" And so they do !" bawled the three rogues. " See there, now," said Caspar.

The king scratched his head, for here was a tangled knot, for certain. Yes, yes," said he, " these fellows are fooling either Caspar or me, and we are both in the same tub, for the matter of that. Take them away and whip them !" So it was done as he said, and that was all that they got for their trouble.

Wit and Luck are not always hatched in the same nest, says Tommy Pfouce, and maybe he is right about it, for Caspar married his sweetheart, and if she did not keep his money for him, and himself out of trouble, she would not have been worth speaking of, and I, for one, would never have told this story.

NCE there was a lain; who had a pear-tree which bore four-and-twenty Golden pears. Every day he went into the garden and counted them to see that none were missing.

But, one morning, he found that a pear had been taken during the night, and thereat lie was troubled and vexed to the heart, for the pear-tree was as dear to him as the apple of his eye. Now, the king had

three sons, and so he called the eldest prince to him.

'` See," said lie, " if you will watch my pear-tree to-night, and will find me the thief who stole the pear, you shall have Half of my kingdom now, and the whole of it when I am gone."

You can guess how the prince was tickled at this: oh, yes, he would Nvatch the tree, and if the thief should come he should not get away again as easily.

Well, that night he sat down beside the tree, with his gun across his knees, to wait for the coming of the thief.

He waited and waited, and still he saw not so much as a thread or a hair. But about the middle of the night there came the very prettiest music that his ears had ever heard, and before he knew what he was about he was asleep and snoring until the little leaves shook upon the tree. 232

When the morning came and he awoke, another pear was gone, and lie could tell no more about it than the man in the moon.

The next night the second son set out to watch the pear-tree. But he

fared no better than the first. About midnight came the music, and in a

little while he was snoring till the stones rattled. When the morning came another pear was gone, and he had no more to tell about it than his brother.

The third night it was the turn of the youngest son, and he was more clever than the others, for, when the evening came, he stuffed his ears full of wax, so that he was as deaf as a post. About midnight, when the music came, he heard nothing of it, and so he stayed wide awake. After the music had ended he took the wax out of his cars, so that he might listen for the coming of the thief. Presently- there was a loud clapping and rattling, and a white swan flew overhead and lit in the pear-tree above him. It began picking at one of the pears, and then the prince raised his gun to shoot at it. But when he looked along the barrel it was not a swan that he saw up in the pear-tree, but the prettiest girl that lie had ever looked upon.

" Don't shoot me, king's son ! Don't shoot me!" cried she.

But the prince had no thought of shooting her, for he had never seen such a beautiful maiden in all of his days. " Very well," said he, " I will not shoot, but, if I spare your life, will you promise to be my sweetheart and to marry me?"

" That may be as may be," said the Swan Maiden. " For listen! I serve

the witch with three eyes. She lives on the glass hill that lies beyond the seven high mountains, the seven deep valleys, and the seven wide rivers; are you man enough to go that far?"

" Oh, yes," said the prince, " I am man enough for that and more too." " That is good," said the Swan Maiden, and thereupon she jumped down from the pear-tree to the earth. Then she became a swan again, and bade the king's son to mount upon her back at the roots of her wings. When he had done as she had told him, she sprang into the air and flew away, bearing him with her.

On flew the swan, and on and on, until, by and by, she said, " What do you see, king's son?"

" I see the grey sky above me and the dark earth below me, but nothing else," said he.

After that they flew on and on again, until, at last, the Stivan Maiden said, " What do you see now, king's son?" 234

" I see the grey sky above me and the dark earth below me, but nothing else," said he.

So once more they f1cNv on until the Swan Maiden said, for the third time, " And what do you see by now, king's son?"

But this time the prince said, " I see the grey sky above me and the dark earth below me, and over yonder is a glass hill, and on the hill is a house that shines like fire."

" That is where the witch with three eyes lives," said the Swan Maiden; " and now listen : when she asks you what it is that you came for, ask her to give you the one who draws the water and builds the fire; for that is myself."

So, when they had come to the top of the hill of glass, the king's son stepped down to the ground, and the swan flew over the roof.

Rap! tap .' tap : he knocked at the door, and the old witch herself came and opened it.

" And what do you want here?" said she.

" I want the one who draws the water and builds the fire," said the prince.

At this the old witch scowled until her eyebrows met.

" Very well," said she, " you shall have what you want if you can clean my stables to-morrow between the rise and the set of the sun. But I tell you plainly, if you fail in the doing, you shall be torn to pieces body and bones."

But the prince was not to be scared away with empty words. So the nest morning the old witch came and took him to the stables where he was to do his task. There stood more than a hundred cattle, and the stable had not been cleaned for at least ten long years.

" There is your work," said the old witch, and then she left him.

Well, the king's son set to work with fork and broom and might and main, but-prut !-he might as well have tried to bale out the great ocean with a bucket.

At noontide who should come to the stable but the pretty Swan Maiden herself.

" When one is tired, one should rest for a while," said she; " come and lay your head in my lap."

The prince was glad enough to do as she said, for nothing was to be gained by working at that task. So he laid his head in her lap, and she combed his hair with a golden comb till he fell fast asleep. When he awoke the Swan Maiden was gone, the sun was setting, and the stable was as clean as a plate. Presently he heard the old witch coming, so up he 236

jumped and began clearing away a straw here and a speck there, just as though he were finishing the work.

"You never did this by yourself !" said the old witch, and her brows grew as black as a thunder-storm.

" That may be so, and that may not be so," said the king's son, " but you lent no hand to help; so now may I have the one who builds the fire and draws the water?"

At this the old witch shook her head. " No," said she, " there is more

to be done yet before you can have what you ask for. If you can thatch the roof of the stable with bird feathers, no two of which shall be of the same color, and can do it between the rise and the set of sun to-morrow, then you shall have your sweetheart and welcome. But if you fail your bones shall be ground as fine as malt in the mill."

Very well; that suited the king's son well enough. So at sunrise he arose and NN•ent into the fields with his gun; but if there were birds to be shot, it was few of them that he saw; for at noontide he had but two, and they were both of a color. At that time who should come to him but the Swan Maiden.

" One should not tramp and tramp all day with never a bit of rest," said she; " come hither and lay your head in my lap for a while."

The prince did as she bade him, and the maiden again combed his hair with a golden comb until he fell asleep. When he awoke the sun was setting, and his work was done. He heard the old witch coming, so up he jumped to the roof of the stable and began laying a feather here and a feather there, for all the world as though he were just finishing his task. " You never did that work alone," said the old witch.

"That may be so, and that may not be so," said the prince; " all the same, it was none of your doing. So now may I have the one who draws the water and builds the fire?"

But the witch shoot: her head. " No," said she, " there is still another task to do before that. Over yonder is a fir-tree; on the tree is a crow's nest, and in the nest are three eggs. If you can harry that nest to-morrow between the rising and the setting of the sun, neither breaking nor leaving a single egg, you shall have that for which you ask."

Very well; that suited the prince. The next morning at the rising of the sun he started off to find the fir-tree, and there was no trouble in the finding I can tell you, for it was more than a hundred feet high, and as smooth as glass from root to tip. As for climbing it, he might as well have 238

tried to climb a moonbeam, for in spite of all his trying he did nothing but slip and slip. By and by came the Swan Maiden as she had come before.

" Do you climb the fir-tree?" said she. " None too well," said the king's son.

" Then I may help you in a hard task," said she.

She let down the braids of her golden hair, so that it hung down all about her and upon the ground, and then she began singing to the wind. She sang and sang, and by and by the wind began to blow, and, catching up the maiden's hair, carried it to the top of the fir-tree, and there tied it to the branches. Then the prince climbed the hair and so reached the nest. There were the three eggs; he gathered them, and then he came down as he had gone up. After that the wind came again and loosed the maiden's hair from the branches, and she bound it up as it was before.

" Now, listen," said she to the prince: " when the old witch asks you for the three crow's eggs which you have gathered, tell her that they belong to the one who found them. She will not be able to take them from you, and they are worth something, I can tell you."

At sunset the old witch came hobbling along, and there sat the prince at the foot of the fir-tree. " Have you gathered the crow's eggs?" said she.

" Yes," said the prince, " here they are in my handkerchief. And now may I have the one who draws the water and builds the fire?-

Yes," " said the old witch, " you may have her; only give me my crow's '

eggs.

" No," said the prince, " the crow's eggs are none of yours, for they belong to him who gathered them."

When the old witch found that she was not to get her crow's eggs in that way, she tried another, and began using words as sweet as honey. Come, come, there should be no hard feeling between them. The prince had served her faithfully, and before he Nvent home with what he had come for he should have a good supper, for it is ill to travel on am empty stomach.

So she brought the prince into the house, and then she left him while she went to put the pot on the fire, and to sharpen the bread knife on the stone door-step.

While the prince sat waiting for the witch, there came a tap at the door, and whom should it be but the pretty Swan Maiden.

" Come," said she, " and bring the three eggs with you, for the knife that the old witch is sharpening is for you, and so is the great pot on the fire, for she means to pick )-our bones in the morning."

She led the prince down into- the kitchen; there the), made a figure out of honey, and barley meal, so that it was all soft and stick)-; then the maiden dressed the figure in her own clothes and set it in the chimney- corner b). the fire.

After that was done, she became a swan again, and, taking the prince upon her back, she flew away,, over hill and over dale.

As for the old witch, she sat on the stone door-step, sharpening her knife. By, and by she came in, and, look as she might, there was no prince to be found.

Then if anybody, was ever in a rage it was the old witch; off she went, storming and fuming, until she came to the kitchen. There sat the woman of honey and barley-meal beside the fire, dressed in the maiden's clothes, and the old woman thought that it was the girl herself. " Where is your sweetheart?" said she; but to this the woman of honey, and barley-meal answered never a word. 240

How now ! are you dumb?" cried the old witch; " I will see whether I cannot bring speech to your lips." She raised her hand-slap!-she struck, and so hard was the blow that her hand stuck fast to the honey and barley meal. "What!" cried she, "will you hold me?"-slap !-she struck with the other hand, and it too stuck fast. So there she was, and, for all that I know, she is sticking to the woman of honey and barley-meal to this day. As for the Swan 'Maiden and the prince, they flew over the seven high mountains, the seven deep valleys, and the seven wide rivers, until they came near to the prince's home again. The Swan Maiden lit in a great wide field, and there she told the prince to break open one of the crow's eggs. The prince did as she bade him, and what should he find but the most beautiful little palace, all of pure gold and silver. He set the palace on the ground, and it grew and grew and grew until it covered as much ground as seven large barns. Then the Swan Maiden told him to break another egg, and he did as she said, and what should come out of it but such great herds of cows and sheep that they covered the meadow far and near. The Swan Maiden told him to break the third egg, and out of it came scores and scores of servants all dressed in gold-and-silver livery.

That morning, when the king looked out of his bedroom window, there stood the splendid castle of silver and gold. Then he called all of his people together, and they rode over to see what it meant. On the way they met such herds of fat sheep and cattle that the king had never seen the like in all of his life before; and when he came to the fine castle, there were two rows of servants dressed in clothes of silver and gold, ready to meet him. But when he came to the door of the castle, there stood the prince himself. Then there was joy and rejoicing, you may be sure ! only the two elder brothers looked down in the mouth, for since the young prince had found the thief who stole the golden pears, their father's king- dom was not for them. But the prince soon set their minds at rest on that score, for he had enough and more than enough of his own.

After that the prince and the Swan Maiden were married, and a grand wedding they had of it, with music of fiddles and kettle-drums, and plenty to eat and to drink. 1, too, was there; but all of the good red wine ran down over my tucker, so that not a drop of it passed my lips, and I had to come away empty. And that is all. HERE were three nice, fat little pigs. The first was small, the second was smaller, and the third was the smallest of all. And these three little pigs thought of going out into the woods to gather acorns, for there were better acorns there than here.

"There's a great ogre who lives over yonder in the woods," says the barn-yard cock.

"And he will cat you up, body and bones," says

the speckled hen.

" And there will be an end of you," says the black drake.

" If folks only- knew what was good for them, they would stay at home and make the best of what they had there," said the old grey goose who laid eggs under the barn, and who had never gone out into the world or had had a peep of it beyond the garden gate.

But no; the little pigs would go out into the world, whether or no; " for," said they, " if we stay at home because folks shake their heads, we will never get the best acorns that are to be had;" and there was more than one barleycorn of truth in that chaff, I can tell you.

So out into the woods they went.

They hunted for acorns here and they hunted for acorns there, and by and by whom should the smallest of all the little pigs meet but the great, wicked ogre himself. 244

Aha !" says the great, wicked ogre, "it is a nice, plump little pig that I have been wanting for my supper this many a day past. So you may just come along with me now."

" Oh, :Master Ogre," squeaked the smallest of the little pigs in the smallest of voices-" oh, Master Ogre, don't eat me ! There's a bigger pig back of me, and he will .be along presently."

So the ogre let the smallest of the little pigs go, for he would rather have a larger pig if he could get it.

By and by came the second little pig. " Aha !" says the great, wicked ogre, " I have been wanting just such a little pig as you for my supper for this many a day past. So you may just come along with me now."

" Oh, Master Ogre," said the middle-sized pig, in his middle-sized voice, " don't take me for your supper; there's a bigger pig than I am coming along presently. just wait for him."

Well, the ogre was satisfied to do that; so he waited, and by and by, sure enough, came the largest of the little pigs.

"And now," says the great, wicked ogre, " I will wait no longer, for you are just the pig I want for my supper, and so you may march along with me."

But the largest of the little pigs had his wits about him, I can tell you. " Oh, very well," says he; " if I am the shoe that fits there is no use in hunting for another; only, have you a roasted apple to put in my mouth when I am cooked? for no one ever heard of a little pig brought on the table without a roast apple in its mouth."

No; the ogre had no roasted apple.

Dear, dear! that was a great pity. If he would wait for a little while, the largest of the little pigs would run home and fetch one, and then things would be as they should.

Yes, the ogre was satisfied with that. So off ran the little pig, and the ogre sat down on a stone and waited for him.

Well, he waited and he waited and he waited and he waited, but not a tip of a hair of the little pig did he see that day, as you can guess without my telling you.

And Tommy Pfouce tells me that the great, wicked ogre is not the only one who has gone without either pig or roast apple, because when he could get the one he would not take it without the other.

"And now," says the cock and the speckled hen and the black drake and the old grey goose who laid her eggs under the barn, and had never 246

been out into the world beyond the garden-gate-" and now perhaps you will run out into the world and among ogres no more. Are there not good enough acorns at home?

Perhaps there were; but that was not what the three little pigs thought. " See, now," said the smallest of the three little pigs, " if one is afraid of the water, one will never catch any fish. 1, for one, am going out into the woods to get a few acorns."

So out into the woods lie went, and there he found all of the acorns that he -,vanted. But, on his way home, whom should he meet but the great, wicked ogre.

" Aha !" says the ogre, " and is that you?"

Oh, yes, it was nobody else; but had the ogre come across three fellows tramping about in the woods down yonder?

No, the ogre had met nobody in the woods that day.

" Dear, clear," says the smallest little pig, " but that is a pity, for those three fellows were three wicked robbers, and they have just hidden a meal- bag full of money in that hole up in the tree yonder."

You can guess how the ogre pricked up his cars at this, and how lie stared till his eyes were as big as saucers.

" Just wait," said he to the smallest little pig, "and I will be down again in a minute." So he laid his jacket to one side and up the tree he climbed, for lie wanted to find that bag of money, and he meant to have it.

" Do you find the hole?" says the smallest of the little pigs. Yes; the ogre had found the hole.

And do you find the money?" says the smallest of the little pigs. No; the ogre could find no money.

" Then good-bye," says the smallest of the little pigs, and off he trotted home, leaving the ogre to climb down the tree again as lie chose.

" And now, at least, you will go out into the woods no more," says the cock, the speckled hen, the black drake, and the grey goose.

Oh, well, there was no telling what the three little pigs would do yet, they would have to wait and see.

One day it was the middle-sized little pig who would go out into the woods, for he also had a mind to taste the acorns there.

So out into the woods the middle-sized little pig went, and there he had all the acorns that he wanted.

But by and by the ogre came along. " Aha !" says he. " Now I have you for sure and certain." 248

But the middle-sized little pig just stood and looked at a great rock just in front of him, with all of his might and main. " Sh-h-h-h-h-h'., says he, " I am not to be talked to or bothered now!"

Hoity-toity ! Here was a pretty song, to be sure ! And why was the middle-sized pig not to be talked to? That was what the ogre should like to know.

Oh, the middle-sized little pig was looking at what was going on under the great rock yonder, for he could see the little folk brewing more beer than thirty-seven men could drink.

So! Why, the ogre would like to see that for himself.

" Very «-ell," says the middle-sized little pig, " there is nothing easier than to learn that trick! just tako a handful of leaves from yonder bush and rub them over your eyes, and then shut them tight and count fifty."

Well, the ogre would have a try at that. So he gathered a handful of the leaves and rubbed them over his eyes, just as the middle-sized pig had said.

" And now are you ready?" said the middle-sized little pig. Yes; the ogre was ready.

"Then shut your eyes and count," said the middle-sized little pig.

So the ogre shut them as tightly as he could and began to count, " One, two, three, four, five," and so on; and while he was counting, why, the little pig was running away home again.

By and by the ogre bawled out " Fifty ! ! !" and opened his eyes, for he was done. Then he saw not more, but less, than he had seen before, for the little pig was not there.

And now it was the largest of the three little pigs who began to talk about going out into the woods to look for acorns.

" You had better stay at home and take things as they come. The crock that goes often to the well gets broken at last;" that was what the cock, the speckled hen, the black drake, and the grey goose said; and they thought themselves very wise to talk as they did.

But no; the little pig wanted to go out into the woods, and into the woods the little pig would go, ogre or no ogre.

After he had eaten all of the acorns that he wanted he began to think of going home again, but just then the ogre came stumping along. " Aha !" says he, " we have met again, have we?"

"Yes," said the largest of the three little pigs, "we have. And I want to say that I could find no roast apple at home, and so I did not come back again."

Yes, yes, that was all very fine; but they should have a settling of old scores now. The largest of the three little pigs might just come along home with the ogre, and to-morrow he should be made into sausages; for there was to be no trickery this time, so there was an end of the matter.

Come, come ! the ogre must not be too testy. There was such a thing as having too much pepper in the pudding-that was what the largest of the little pigs said. If it were sausages that the ogre was after, maybe the pig could help him. Over home at the farm yonder was a storehouse filled with more sausages and good things than two men could count. There was a window where the ogre could just squeeze through. Only 250

he must promise to eat what he wanted and to carry nothing away with him.

Well, the ogre promised to eat all he wanted in the storehouse, and then off they went together.

By and by they came to the storehouse at the farm, and there, sure enough, was a window, and it was just large enough for the ogre to squeeze through without a button to spare in the size.

Dear, dear! how the ogre did stuff himself with the sausages and puddings and other good things in the storehouse.

By and by the little pig bawled out as loud as he could, " Have you had enoua 1L yc't 2"

" llush-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh !" says the ogre, "don't talk so loud, or you'll be rousing the folks and having them about our ears like a hive of bees."

" No," bawled the little pig, louder than before, " but tell me, have you had enough yet?"

" Yes, yes," says the ogre, " I have had almost enough, only be still about it!"

" Very well !" bawled the little pig, as loud as he could, " if you have had enough, and if you have eaten all of the sausages and all of the pud- dings you can stuff, it is about time that you were going, for here comes the farmer and two of his men to see what all the stir is about."

And, sure enough, the farmer and his men were coming as fast as they could lay foot to the ground.

But when the ogre heard them coming, he felt sure that it was time that he was getting away home again, and so he tried to get out of the swine window that he had gotten in a little while before. But he had stuffed himself with so much of the good things that he had swelled lilac everything, and there he stuck in the storehouse window like a cork in a bottle, and could budge neither one way nor the other; and that was a pretty pickle to be in.

" Oho!" says the farmer, " you were after my sausages and my puddings, were you? Then you will come no more."

And that was so; for when the farmer and his men were done with the ogre he never went into the woods again, for he could not.

As for the three little pigs, they trotted away into the woods every day of their lives, for there was nobody nowadays to stop them from gathering all the acorns that they wanted. Now, don't you believe folks when they say that this is all stuff and nonsense that I have been telling you; for if you turn it upside down and look in the bottom of it you will find that there is more than one brain of truth there; that is if you care to scratch among the chaff for it. And that is the end of this story.

the zciucl of licavi,ii blows tire claps and the straws lo- "t, tlter.

There Nvas a fiddler, a tinker, and a shoemaker jogging along the road, but whatever brought them in company is more than I am able to tell you. All the same, there tlicy were, and, after all, that is the kernel of the nut.

The fiddler was as merry a little toad as ever a

body could wish to see: as for the tinker and the shoemaker, why, they were as sour as bad beer.

`Vell, they plodded along, all three of them, until by and by they came to a cross- road, and there sat an old body begging; "Dear, good, kind gentlemen, give a poor old woman a penny or two. Do now."

" Pooh !" says the tinker and the shoemaker, and off they walked with their noses in the air as though they were hunting for flies up yonder.

As for the fiddler, he had another kind of a heart under his jacket; " Come," says he, "we are all chicks in the same puddle." So he gave the old woman all that lie had, which was only two pennies.

" A cake for a pie," said the old woman; " and what would you like to, 256

have in the way of a wish? for all that you have to do is to ask, and it shall be granted."

This old woman was a famous wise one, I can tell you, though the fiddler knew nothing of that.

The fiddler thought and thought, but there was little that he had to wish for; nevertheless, since they were in the way of asking and giving, and seeing that his body was none of the largest, he would like to have it for a wish that whenever he should say, " Rub-a-dub-dub," the staff in his hand would up and fight for him.

So! and was that all that he wanted? Then it was granted and welcome, for it was little enough.

After that they said, " Good-morning," and the fiddler went one way and the old woman the other.

So the three companions plodded along together until, by and by, night came, and there they were, in a deep forest, with branches over their heads and not a peep out from under the trees, no matter where they might look; and that was not the pleasantest thing for them, I can tell you. But by and by they saw a light, and then the world looked up with them again. So they hurried along more rapidly, and presently carne to the house where the light was shining; and, after all, it was not much to look at.

Rap, tap, tap! they knocked at the door, but nobody came; so they opened it for themselves and walked in.

No; there was no one at home, but there was a table spread with a smoking hot supper, and places for three. Down they sat without waiting for the bidding, for their hunger was as sharp as vinegar.

Well, they ate and they ate and they ate until they could eat no more, and then they turned around and roasted their toes at the warm fire. That was all very well and good, but by and by all the wood was burned, and then who was to go out into the dark forest and fetch another armful?

" Not I," says the tinker.

" Not I," says the shoemaker.

And so it fell to the lot of the fiddler, and off he went.

But many a one spills the milk-mug to save the water-jug, and so it was with the tinker and the shoemaker; for, while they sat warming their shins at the fire and rubbing their hands over their knees, in walked an ugly little troll no taller than a yard-stick, but with a head as big as a 258

cabbage, and a good stout cudgel twice as long as himself in his hand; a- for his eyes, why, they were as big as your mother's teacups.

" I want something to eat," says he.

" You'll get nothing here," says the tinker and the shoemaker. " Yes, but I will," says the little manikin.

" No, but you will not," says the tinker and the shoemaker.

" That we'll see," says the manikin; whereupon he spat upon his hands, snatched up his club, and, without more ado, fell upon the tinker and the shoemaker, and began beating them with all his might and main. '\'IN, goodness, you should have seen how they hopped about like two peas on a drum-head, and you should have heard how they bellowed and bawled for mercy! But the little ugly troll never stopped until he was too tired to drub them any more; then he went away whither he had come, and all that the two fellows could do was to rub the places that smarted the most.

By and by in came the fiddler with his armful of wood, but never a word did the tinker and the shoemaker say, for they had no notion of telling how such a little manikin had dusted the coats of two great hulking fellows like themselves; only the next day they thought that it would be well to rest where they- were, for their bones were too sore to be jogging. So they lolled around the house all day, and found everything that they wanted to eat in the cupboards.

After supper there was more wood to be brought in from the forest, and this time it was the tinker and the shoemaker who went to fetch it, for they had settled it between them that the fiddler was to have a taste of the same broth that the)- had supped.

Sure enough, by and by in carne the ugly little troll with the great long cudgel.

" I want something to eat," says he.

" There it is, brother," says the fiddler, " help yourself."

" It is you who shall wait on me," says the ugly little troll.

" Tut !" says the fiddler, " how you tall:, neighbor; have you no hands of your own?"

" You shall wait on me," says the manikin. " I shall not," says the fiddler.

" That we will see," says the manikin, and he spat upon his hands and gripped his cudgel.

" Hi !" says the fiddler, " and is that the game you are playing Then, rub-a-dub-dub !" says he. 260

Pop !-up jumps his staff from the corner where he had stood it, and then you should have seen the dust fly! This time it was the manikin who hopped over the chairs and begged and bawled for mercy. As for the fiddler, he stood by with his hands in his pockets and whistled. By and by the manikin found the door, and out he jumped with the fiddler at his heels. But the fiddler was not quick enough, for, before he could catch him, the little troll popped into a great hole in the ground like a frog into a well; and there was an end to that business.

After a while the tinker and the shoemaker came back from the forest with their load of wood, and then how the fiddler did laugh at them, for he saw very well how the wind had been blowing with them. As for him, he was all for following the little manikin into the hole in the ground; so they hunted here and they hunted there, until they found a great basket and a rope, and then the tinker and the shoemaker lowered the fiddler and his staff down into the pit.

Down he went ever so deep until he reached the bottom, and there lie found a great room. The first body whom he saw was a princess as pretty as a ripe apple, but looking, oh, so sad ! at being in such a place. The next he saw was the ugly little troll, who sat in the corner and growled like our cat when the dog comes into the kitchen.

" So!" says the fiddler, " there you are, are you? Then it is rub-a-dub- dub again." And this time before the drubbing was stopped it was all over with the troll.

And then who was glad but the pretty princess. She flung her arms around the merry little fiddler's neck, and gave him a right good smacking kiss or two, and that paid a part of the score, I can tell you. Then they sat down and the pretty princess told him all about how the troll had carried her off a year and more ago, and had kept her in this place ever since. After that she took a pure gold ring off of her finger and broke it in two; half of it was for the fiddler and half of it was for her; for they were sweethearts now, and the ring was to be a love-token.

Then the fiddler put the princess into the basket, and the two fellows above hauled her up. By and by down came the basket again, and now it was the fiddler's turn. " Suppose," says he, " that they are up to some of

their tricks !" So he tumbled a great stone into the basket in the place of himself. Sure enough, when the basket was about half-way up, down it came tumbling, for the rogues above had cut the rope, and if the fiddler held been there in the place of the stone, it would have been all over with him. 262

Then if anybody was ever down in the dumps the fiddler way the fellow. For there he was down in the pit, and he could no more get out of his pickle than a toad out of the cellar window. After he had been there for ever so long a time, he saw a pretty little fiddle that hung back of the cupboard. " Aha !" says he, "there is some butter to the crust after all;

and now we will just have a bit of a jig to cheer us up a little." So down he sat and began to play.

And then what do you think happened? Why, up popped a little fellow no higher than your knee and as black as your hat !

"What do you want, master?" said he.

" So," said the fiddler, " and is that the tune we play? Well, I should like to get out of this pit, that 1 should."

No sooner said than done, for he had hardly time to pick up his staff and tuck the fiddle under his arm, when-whisk!-he was up above as quick as a wink.

" Hi !" said he, " but this is a pretty fiddle to own and no mistake !" and off he went, right foot foremost.

After a while he came to the town where the king lived, and there was a great buzzing and gossip, and this was why: all the folks were talking about how the tinker and the shoemaker had brought back the princess from the ugly little troll, and of how the king had promised that whoever did that was to have her for his wife and half of the kingdom to boot; but here were two lads, and the question was who was to have her. For before they had left the pit over yonder, the tinker and the shoemaker had made the princess vow and promise that she would say nothing about how they had treated the fiddler, and now each fellow was saying that he had brought her up out of the troll's den.

And the princess did nothing but sit and cry and cry; but, as for marry- ing, she vowed and declared that she would not do that till she had a pair of slippers of pure gold, and a real diamond buckle on each slipper; and nobody in all of the town was able to make the kind that she wanted.

When the fiddler heard all this he went straight to a shoemaker's shop. " Will you take a journeyman shoemaker?" says he.

" What can you do?" says the master shoemaker.

" I can make a pair of slippers such as the princess wants, only I must have a room all to myself to make them in," says the fiddler.

When the master shoemaker heard this, he was not long in making up his mind, so the bargain was closed and that settled the business. As soon as the fiddler was alone he drew out his fiddle and began to play a bit of a jig, and there stood the little black fellow, just as he had done before.

" What do you want?" says he.

" I should like," said the fiddler, " to have a pair of slippers such as the princess asks for, but I only want one buckle to the pair, and that must be made of real diamonds." 264

Oh! that was an easy thing to have, and there were the slippers just as the fiddler had ordered.

" But there is only one buckle," says the master shoemaker.

" Tut !" says the fiddler, " turn no hairs grey for that, brother. just tell the princess that the fiddler has the other, and matters will be as smooth as cream."

Well, the master shoemaker did as the fiddler said, and you may guess how the princess opened her pretty eyes when she heard that her sweet- heart was thereabouts. Nothing would suit her but that she must see that journeyman shoemaker. But when they sent to fetch him, he was gone.

And now the shoemaker and the tinker began to talk again; the princess had been promised to the man who saved her from the troll, and so she must and should choose one of them. But no; the princess was not ready yet; she would never marry till she had a pair of gloves of the finest silk, all embroidered with silver and pearls and with a ruby clasp at the wrist of each.

And now came the same dance with a different tune, for nobody was to be found in all of the town who could make such a pair of gloves as she wanted. By and by the matter came to the fiddler's ears, and off he set to the glover's shop. And did the glover want an apprentice?

Yes, the glover wanted an apprentice, but he must know first what the other could do.

"Well," said the fiddler, " if I have a room all to myself, I can make a pair of gloves such as the princess asks for." And after that he was not left to kick his toes in the cold.

As soon as he was alone, he drew out his fiddle and struck up an air, and there stood the little black man again.

" I would like," said the fiddler, " to have a pair of gloves such as the princess asks for. But there must be only one clasp to the wrist, and that made all of pure rubies." That is what he said, and there were the gloves without his having to ask twice for them.

" But there is only one clasp," said the glover.

"Never mind that," said the wonderful apprentice; "just tell the prin- cess that the fiddler had the other, and she will be satisfied."

As for the princess, she sent off post-haste for the lad who had made her gloves. But she was behindhand this time too, for, when those whom she sent came to the glover's house, they found nobody there but the cat and the kettle, and the master glover, for the fiddler was gone. 265

And now the tinker and the shoemaker began again; the princess had her gloves, and she must and should choose one or the other of them.

But no. First of all the princess must have a fine dress all of white silk with both sleeves looped up with pearls as big as marbles.

But there was nobody to make such a dress as that in all of the town, till the fiddler went to the master tailor and offered himself as a journeyman workman. Then the dress came quickly enough, and with only the tune of a fiddle. But the loop of pearls on one sleeve was missing.

"And that will never do in the wide world," says the tailor.

" Oh," says the fiddler, " that is nothing; just tell the princess that the fiddler has the other, and she will be satisfied."

Well, the tailor did as he said, and when the princess heard who had the pearl loop, she was satisfied, just as the fiddler had said she would be. By and by the tinker and the shoemaker began again; the princess must choose one or the other of them. And now there was nothing left for her to do but to say "Yes." She felt sure that the fiddler would be on hand at the right time, and so a day was fixed for choosing whom she would marry.

It was not long before the fiddler heard of that, for news flies fast. Off he went by himself and played a turn or two on his fiddle.

" And what do you want now?" says the little manikin.

" This time," said the fiddler, " I want a splendid suit of clothes for myself, all of silver and gold; besides that, I want a hat with a great feather in it and a fine milk-white horse.

So; good! Well, he could have those things easily enough, and there they were.

So the fiddler dressed himself in his fine clothes, and then, when it was about time for the princess to make her choice, lie mounted upon his great milk-white horse and set off for the king's house with his staff across the saddle in front of him.

But you should have seen how the people looked as he rode along the street, for they had never laid eyes upon such a fine sight in all of their lives before. Up he rode to the castle, and when he knocked at the door they did not keep him waiting long out in the cold, I can tell you.

There they all sat at dinner, the tinker on one side of the princess and the shoemaker on the other. But when they saw the fiddler in his grand clothes, they thought that he was some great nobleman for sure and certain, for neither the princess nor the two rogues knew who he was. The folks squeezed together along the bench and made room for him; so he leaned 266

his staff in the corner and clown he sat, just across the table from the princess.

By and by he asked the princess if she would drink a glass of red ~~ Me with him.

Yes, the princess would do that.

So the fiddler drank, and then what did he do but drop his half of the ring that the princess had given him into the cup, before he passed it across to her.

Then the princess drank, but something bobbed against her lips; and when she came to look-lo and behold !-there was the half of her ring. And if anybody in all of the world was glad, it was the princess at that very moment. Up she stood before them all; " There is my sweetheart," says she, " and I will marry him and no one else."

As for the fiddler, he just said, " Rub-a-dub-dub," and up jumped the staff and began to thump and bang the tinker and the shoemaker until they scampered away for clear life, and there was an end of them so far as I know, for if you would like to know what happened to them afterwards, you will have to ask some one else.

The king was ever so glad to have the fiddler for a son-in-law in the place either of the tinker or the shoemaker, for he was a much better- looking lad. Besides, the others had clone nothing but brew trouble and worriment ever since they had come into the house.

After that there was a grand wedding. I too was there at the feasting, but I got nothing but empty sausage and wind pudding, and so I came away again.

And that is the end of this story.

HERE was a princess who was as pretty as a picture, and she was so proud of that that she would not so much as look at a body; all the same, there was no lack of lads who came a-wooing, and who would have liked nothing so much as to have had her for a sweetheart because she was so good-looking. But, no, she would have nothing to do with any of them; this one was too young and that one was too old;

this one was too lean and that one was too fat; this one was too little and that one was too big; this one was too dark and that one was too fair. So there was never a white sheep in the whole flock, as one might say.

Now there was one came who was a king in his own country, and a fine one at that. The only blemish about him was a mole on his chin; apart from that he was as fresh as milk and rose leaves.

But when the princess saw him she burst out laughing; "Who would choose a specked apple from the basket?" said she; and that was all the cake the prince bought at that shop, for off he was packed.

But he was not for giving up, not he; he went and dressed himself up in rags and tatters; then back he came again, and not a soul knew him. 270

Rap ! tap ! rap !-he knocked at the door, and did they want a stout lad about the place?

Well, yes; they were wanting a gooseherd, and if he liked the place he might have it.

Oh, that fitted his wants like a silk stocking, and the next day he drove the geese up on the hill back of the king's house, so that they might eat grass where it was fresh and green. By and by he took a golden ball out of his pocket and began tossing it up and catching it, and as he played with it the sun shone on it so that it dazzled one's eyes to look at it. The princess sat at her window, and it was not long before she saw it, I can tell you. Dear, dear, but it was a pretty one, the golden ball. The princess would like to have such a plaything, that she would; so she sent one of the maids out to ask whether the gooseherd had a mind to sell it. Oh, yes, it Nvas for sale, and cheap at that; the princess should have it for the kerchief which she Nvore about her neck.

Prut ! but the lad was a saucy one; that was what the princess said. But, after all, a kerchief was on])- a kerchief; fetch the gooseherd over and she would give it to him, for she wanted the pretty golden ball for her own, and she would have it if it were to be had.

But, no; the gooseherd would not come at the princess's bidding. If she wanted to buy the golden ball she must come up on the hill and pay him. for he was not going to leave his flock of geese, and have them wad dling into the garden perhaps; that is what the gooseherd said. So the upshot of the matter was that the princess Nvent out with her women, and gave the lad the kerchief up on the hill behind the hedge, and brought back the golden ball with her for her own.

As for the gooseherd he just tied the kerchief around his arm so that everybody might see it; and all the folks said, " Hi ! that is the princess's kerchief."

The next day, when he drove his flock of geese up on the hill, he took a silver looking-glass and a golden comb out of his pocket and began to comb his hair, and you should have seen how the one and the other glistened in the sun.

It took the princess no longer to see the comb and the looking-glass than it had the golden ball, and then she must and would have them. So she sent one to find whether the lad was of a mind to sell them, for she thought that she had never seen anything so pretty in all of her life before. 272

" Yes," said he, " I will sell them, but the princess must come up on the hill back of the hedge and give me the necklace she wears about her neck." The princess made a sour enough face at this, but, as the gooseherd would take nothing more nor less than what he had said, she and her maids had to tuck up their dresses and go up on the hill; there she paid him his price, and brought home the silver looking-glass and the golden comb.

The lad clasped the necklace about his throat, and, dear, dear, how all the folks did goggle and stare. " See," said they, " the princess has been giving the gooseherd the necklace from about her own throat."

The third day it was a new thing the gooseherd had, for he brought out a musical box with figures on it, dressed up, and looking for all the world like real little men and women. He turned the handle, and when the music played it was sweeter than drops of honey. And all the while the little men and women bowed to one another and went through with a dance, for all the world as though they knew what they were about, and were doing it with their own wits.

Good gracious! how the princess did wonder at the pretty musical box! She must and would have it at any price; but this time it was five-and- twenty kisses that the lad was wanting for his musical box, and he would take nothing more nor less than just that much for it. Moreover, she would have to come up on the hillside and give them to him, for he could not leave his geese even for five-and-twenty kisses.

But you should have seen what a stew the princess was in at this Five-and-twenty kisses, indeed! And did the fellow think that it was for the likes of her to be kissing a poor gooseherd? He might keep his musical box if that was the price he asked for it; that was what she said. As for the lad, he just played the music and played the music, and the more the princess heard and saw the more she wanted it. " After all," said she, at last, "a kiss is only a kiss, and I will be none the poorer for giving one or two of them; I'll just let him have them, since he will take nothing else." So off she marched, with all of her maidens, to pay the gooseherd his price, though it was a sour face she made of it, and that is the truth. Now, somebody had been buzzing in the king's ear, and had told him that the gooseherd over yonder was wearing the princess's kerchief and her golden necklace, and folks said she had given them to him of her own free will.

"What!" says the king, "is that so? her kerchief! golden necklace! 274

we will have to look into this business." So off he marched, with his little dog at his heels, to find out what he could about it. Up the hill he went to where the gooseherd watched his flock; and when he came near the hedge where the kissing was going on, he heard them counting-" Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three-" and he wondered what in the world they were all about. So he just peeped over the bushes, and there he saw the whole business.

Mercy on us ! what a rage he was in ! So; the princess would turn up

her nose at folks as good as herself, would she? And here she was kissing

the gooseherd back of the hedge. If he was the kind she liked she should have him for good and all.

So the minister was called in, and the princess and the gooseherd were married then and there, and that was the end of the business. Then off they were packed to shift for themselves in the wide world, for they were not to live at the king's castle, and that was the long and the short of it.

But the lad did nothing but grumble and growl, and seemed as sore over his bargain as though he had been trying to trick a Jew. What did he want with a lass for a wife who could neither brew nor bake nor boil blue beans? That is what he said. All the same, they were hitched to the same plough,

and there was nothing for it but to pull together the best they could. So off they packed, and the poor princess trudged after him and carried his bundle.

So they went on until they came to a poor, mean little hut. There she had to take off her fine clothes and put on rags and tatters; and that was the way she came home.

"Well," said the gooseherd one day, "it's not the good end of the bargain that I have had in marrying; all the same, one must make the best one can of a crooked stick when there is none other to be cut in the hedge. It is little or nothing you are fit for; but here is a basket of eggs, and you shall take them to the market and sell them."

So off the poor princess went to the great town, and stood in the corner of the market with her eggs. By and by there came along a tipsy countryman-tramp ! tramp ! tramp! As for the basket of eggs, he minded them no more than so many green apples. Smash! and there they lay on the ground, and were fit for nothing but to patch broken promises, as we say in our town.

Then how the poor princess did wring her hands and cry and cry, for she was afraid to go home to her husband, because of the hard words he would be sure to fling at her. All the same, there was no other place for her to go; so back she went.

" There!" said lie, " I always knew that you were good for nothing but to look at, and now I am more sure of it than ever. The china pitcher was never fit to send to the well, and it was a rainy day for me when I married such a left-handed wife;" that was what the gooseherd said. All the same, the princess should try again; this time she should take a basket of apples to the market to sell; for whatever happened she could not break them; so off she went again.

Well, by and by came a fellow driving swine, and there sat the princess in the way; that was bad luck for her, for over tumbled the basket, and the 276

apples went rolling all about the street. When the drove had passed there was not a single apple to be seen, for the pigs had eaten every one of them. So there was nothing for the princess but to go home crying, with her apron to her eyes.

" Yes, yes," said the gooseherd, " it is as plain as reading and writing and the nose on your face that you are just fit for nothing at all! All the same, we'll make one more try to mend the crack in your luck. The king up in the castle yonder is married and is going to give a grand feast. They are wanting a body in the kitchen to draw the water and chop the wood; and you shall go and try your hand at that; and see, here is a basket; you shall take it along and bring home the kitchen scrapings for supper."

So off went the princess to the castle kitchen, and there she drew the water and chopped the wood for the cook. After her work was done she begged so prettily for the kitchen scrapings that the cook filled her basket full of the leavings from the pots and the pans, for they were about having a grand dinner up-stairs and the king was going to bring home his xvife that day.

By and by it was time for her to be going home, so she picked up her basket and off she went. Just outside stood two tall soldiers. " Halt!" said they. And was she the lass who had been chopping the wood and drawing the water for the cook that day? Yes? Then she must go along with them, for she was wanted up-stairs. No; it did no good for her to beg and to pray and to cry and to wring her hands, and it mat- tered nothing if her good man was waiting for her at home. She had been sent for, and she must go, willy-nilly. So she had only just time to fling her apron over her basket of kitchen scrapings, and off they marched her.

There sat the king on his golden throne, dressed all in splendid golden robes, and with a golden crown glittering upon his head. But the poor princess was so frightened that she neither looked at anything nor saw anything, but only stood there trembling.

" What have you under your apron?" said the king. But to this the princess could not answer a single word. Then somebody who stood near snatched away her apron, and there was the basket full of kitchen scrapings, and all the time the princess stood so heart-struck with shame that she saw nothing but the cracks in the floor.

But the king stepped down from his golden throne, dressed all in his golden robes, just as he was, and took the princess by the hand. " And do you not know me?" said lie; "look! I am the gooseherd."

And so he was! She could see it easily enough now, but that made her more ashamed than ever.

And listen : the king had more to tell her yet. He was the tipsy coun- tryman and had knocked over her basket of eggs himself, and more than that he was the swineherd who had driven his pigs over her basket of apples so that they were spilled on the ground. But the princess only bowed her head lower and lower, for her pride was broken.

" Come," says the king, " you are my own sweetheart now;" and he kissed her on the cheek and seated her beside himself, and if the princess 278

cried any more the king wiped away her tears with his own pocket-hand- kerchief. As for the poor and rough clothes in which she was dressed, he thought nothing of them, for they were nothing to him.

That is the end of this story, for everything ends aright in a story worth the telling.

But if the princess was proud and haughty before, she never was again and that is the plain truth, fresh from the churn and no hairs in it, and a lump of it is worth spreading your bread with, I can tell you.

HIS was the way of it.

Uncle Rear had a pot of honey and a big cheese, but the Great Red Fox had nothing but his wits. The fox was for going into partnership, for he says, says he, " a head full of tivits is worth more than a pot of honey and a big cheese," which was as true as gospel, only that wits cannot be shared in part- nership among folks, like red herring and blue beans,

or a pot of honey and a big cheese.

All the same, Uncle Bear was well enough satisfied, and so they went into partnership together, just as the Great Red Fox had said. As for the pot of honey and the big cheese, why, they, were put away for a rainy day, and the wits were all that were to be used just now.

" Very well," says the fox, "we'll rattle them up a bit;" and so he did, and this was how.

He was hungry for the honey, was the Great Red Fox. " See, now," said he, "1 am sick to-day, and I will just go and see the Master Doctor over yonder."

But it was not the doctor he went to; no, off he marched to the store- house, and there he ate part of the honey. After that he laid out in the sun and toasted his skin, for that is pleasant after a great dinner.

13y and by he went home again. 282

" Well," says Uncle Bear, "and how do you feel now?" " Oh, well enough," says the Great Red Fox.

" And was the medicine bitter?" says Uncle Bear.

" Oh, no, it was good enough," says the Great Red Fox. "And how much did the doctor give you?" says Uncle Bear. " Oh, about one part of a pot full," says the Red Fox.

Dear, dear! thinks Uncle Bear, that is a great deal of medicine to take, for sure and certain.

Well, things went on as smoothly as though the wheels were greased, until by and by the fox grew hungry for a taste of honey again; and this time he had to go over yonder and see his aunt. Off he went to the storehouse, and there he ate all the honey he wanted, and then, after he had slept a bit in the sun, he went back home again.

" Well," says Uncle Bear, " and did you see your aunt?" " Oh, yes," says the Great Red Fox, " I saw her." "And did she give you anything?" says Uncle Bear.

" Oh, yes, she gave me a trifle," says the Great Red Fox. " And what was it she gave you?" says Uncle Bear.

" Why, she gave me another part of a pot full, that was all," says the Great Red Fox.

" Dear, dear! but that is a queer thing to give," says Uncle Bear.

By and by the Great Red Fox was thinking of honey again, and now it was a christening he had to go to. Off he went to the pot of honey, and this time he finished it all and licked the pot into the bargain.

And had everything gone smoothly at the christening? That was what Uncle Bear wanted to know.

" Oh, smoothly enough," says the Great Red Fox.

"And did they have a christening feast?" says Uncle Bear. " Oh, yes, they had that," says the Great Red Fox.

"And what did they have?" says Uncle Bear.

" Oh, everything that was in the pot," says the Great Red Fox.

" Dear, dear," says Uncle Bear, " but they must have been a hungry set at that christening."

Well, one day Uncle Bear says, " We'll have a feast and eat up the pot of honey and the big cheese, and we'll ask Father Goat over to help us."

That suited the Great Red Fox well enough, so off he went to the storehouse to fetch the pot of honey and the cheese; as for Uncle Bear 284

he went to ask Father Goat to come and help them eat up the good things.

" See, now," says the Great Red Fox to himself, " the pot of honey and the big cheese belong together, and it is a pity to part them." So down he sat without more ado, and when he got up again the cheese was all inside of him.

When he came home again there was Father Goat toasting his toes at the fire and waiting for supper; and there was Uncle Bear on the back door-step sharpening the bread-knife.

" Hi!" says the Great Red Fox, " and what are you doing here, Father Goat?"

" I am just waiting for supper, and that is all," says Father Goat. " And where is Uncle Bear?" says the Great Red Fox.

" He is sharpening the bread-knife," says Father Goat.

" Yes," says the Great Red Fox, " and when he is through with that he is going to cut your tail off."

Dear, dear! but Father Goat was in a great fright; that house was no place for him, and he could see that with one eye shut; off he marched, as though the ground was hot under him. As for the Great Red Fox, he went out to Uncle Bear; "That was a pretty body you asked to take supper with us," says he; "here he has marched off with the pot of honey and the big cheese, and we may sit down and whistle over an empty table between us."

When Uncle Bear heard this he did not tarry, I can tell you; up he got and off he went after Father Goat. " Stop ! stop !" he bawled, " let me have a little at least."

But Father Goat thought that Uncle Bear was speaking of his tail, for he knew nothing of the pot of honey and the big cheese; so he just knuckled down to it, and away he scampered till the gravel flew behind him.

And this was what came of that partnership; nothing was left but the Nvits that the Great Red Fox had brought into the business; for nobody could blame Father Goat for carrying the wits off with him, and one might guess that without the telling.

Now, as the pot of honey and big cheese were gone, something else must be looked up, for one cannot live on thin air, and that is the truth. " See, now," says the Great Red Fox, " Farmer John over yonder has a storehouse full of sausages and chitterlings and puddings, and all sort of good things. As nothing else is left of the partnership we'll just churn our wits a bit, and see if we can make butter with them, as the saying goes;" that was what the Great Red Fox said, and it suited Uncle Bear as well as anything he ever heard; so off they marched arm in arm.

By and by they came to Farmer John's house, and nobody was about, which was just what the two rogues wanted; and, yes, there was the storehouse as plain as the nose on your face, only the door was locked. Above was a little window just big enough for the Great Red Fox to 286

creep into, though it was up ever so high. " Just give me a lift up through the window yonder," says he to Uncle Bear," and I will drop the good things out for you to catch."

So Uncle Bear gave the Great Red Fox a leg up, and-pop!-and there he was in the storehouse like a mouse in the cheese-box.

As soon as he was safe among the good things he bawled out to Uncle Bear, " What shall it be first, sausages or puddings?"

" Hush! hush!" said Uncle Bear.

" Yes, yes," bawled the Red Fox louder than ever, " only tell me which I shall take first, sausages or puddings?"

" Sh-h-h-h !" said Uncle Bear, " if you are making such a noise as that you will have them about our ears; take the first that comes and be quick about it."

"Yes, yes," bawled the fox as loud as he was able; " but one is just as handy as another, and you must tell me which I shall take first."

But Uncle Bear got neither pudding nor sausage, for the Great Red Fox had made such a hubbub that Farmer John and his men came running, and three great dogs with them.

" Hi!" said they, " there is Uncle Bear after the sausages and puddings," and there was nothing for him to do but to lay foot to the ground as fast as he could. All the same, they caught him over the hill, and gave him such a drubbing that his bones ached for many a long day.

But the Great Red Fox only waited until all the others were well away on their own business, and then he filled a bag with the best he could lay his hands on, opened the door from the inside, and walked out as though

it were from his own barn; for there was nobody to say " No " to him. He hid the good things away in a place of his own, and it was little of them that Uncle Bear smelt. After he had gathered all this, Master Fox came home, groaning as though he had had an awful drubbing; it would have moved a heart of stone to hear him.

" Dear, oh dear! what a drubbing I have had," said he.

" And so have I," said Uncle Bear, grinning over his sore bones as though cold weather were blowing snow in his teeth.

" See, now," said the Great Red Fox, " this is what comes of going into partnership, and sharing one's wits Nvith another. If you had made your choice when I asked you, your butter would never have been spoiled in the churning."

That was all the comfort Uncle Bear had, and cold enough it was too. 288

All the same, he is not the first in the world who has lost his dinner, and had both the drubbing and the blame into the bargain.

But things do not last forever, and so by and by the good things from Farmer John's storehouse gave out, and the Great Red Fox had nothing in the larder.

" Listen," says he to Uncle Bear, " I saw them shaking the apple-trees at Farmer John's to-day, and if you have a mind to try the wits that belong to us, we'll go and bring a bagful apiece from the storehouse over yonder at the farm."

Yes, that suited Uncle Bear well enough; so off they marched, each of them with an empty bag to fetch back the apples. By and by they came to the storehouse, and nobody was about. This time the door was not locked,

so in the both of them went and began filling their bags with apples. The Great Red Fox tumbled them into his bag as fast as ever he could, taking them just as they came, good or bad; but Uncle Bear took his time about it and picked them all over, for since he had come there he was bound to get the best that were to be had.

So the upshot of the matter was that the Great Red Fox had his bag full before Uncle Bear had picked out half a score of good juicy apples.

"I'll just peep out of the window yonder," says the Great Red Fox, " and see if Farmer John is coming." But in his sleeve he said to himself, " I'll slip outside and turn the key of the door on Uncle Bear, for somebody will have to carry the blame of this, and his shoulders are broader and his skin tougher than mine; he will never be able to get out of that little window." So up he jumped with his bag of apples, to do as he said.

But listen! A hasty man drinks hot broth. And so it was with the Great Red Fox, for up in the window they had set a trap to catch rats. But he knew nothing of that; out he jumped from the window-click! went the trap and caught him by the tail, and there he hung.

" Is Farmer John coming?" bawled Uncle Bear, by and by.

" Hush! hush!" said the Great Red Fox, for he was trying to get his tail out of the trap.

But the boot was on the other leg now. "Yes, yes," bawled Uncle Bear, louder than before, "but tell me, is Farmer John coming?"

" Sh-h-h-h !" says the Great Red Fox.

"No, no," bawled Uncle Bear, as loud as he could, "what I want to know is, is Farmer John coming?" Yes, he was, for he had heard the hubbub, and here he was with a lot of his men and three great dogs.

" Oh, Farmer John," bawled the Great Red Fox, " don't touch me, 1 am not the thief. Yonder is Uncle Bear in the pantry, he is the one."

Yes, yes, Farmer John knew how much of that cake to eat; here was the rogue of a fox caught in the trap, and the beating was ready for him. That was the long and the short of it.

When the Great Red Fox heard this, he pulled with all his might and main. Snap! went his tail and broke off close to his body, and away he 290

scampered with Farmer John the men and the dogs close to his heels. But Uncle Bear filled his bag full of apples, and when all hands had gone racing away after the Great Red Fox, he walked quietly out of the door and off home.

And that is how the Great Red Fox lost his tail in the trap.

What is the meaning of all this? Why, here it is: When a rogue and another cracks a nut together, it is not often the rogue who breaks his teeth by trying to eat the hulls. And this too: But when one sets a trap for another, it is a toss of a copper whether or no it flies up and pinches his own fingers.

If there is anything more left in the dish you may scrape it for yourself.

HERE was a drummer marching along the high-road -forward march !-left, right !-tramp, tramp, tramp ! -for the fighting was done, and he was coming home from the wars. By and by he came to a great wide stream of water, and there sat an old man as gnarled and as bent as the hoops in a cooper shop. " Are you going to cross the water?" said he.

" Yes," says the drummer, " I am going to do that

if my legs hold out to carry me."

" And will you not help a poor body across?" says the old man.

Now, the drummer was as good-natured a lad as ever stood on two legs. " If the young never gave a lift to the old," says he to himself, " the wide world would not be worth while living in." So he took off his shoes and stockings, and then he bent his back and took the old man on it, and away he started through the water-splash !

But this was no common old man whom the drummer was carrying, and he was not long finding that out, for the farther he went in the water the heavier grew his load-like work put off until to-morrow-so that, when he was half-way across, his legs shook under him and the sweat stood on his forehead like a string of beads in the shop-window. But by and by he reached the other shore, and the old man jumped down from his back.

" Phew!" says the drummer, " I am glad to be here at last!" 294

And now for the wonder of all this: The old man was an old man no longer, but a splendid tall fellow with hair as yellow as gold. "And who do you think I am?" said he.

But of that the drummer knew no more than the mouse in the haystack, so he shook his head, and said nothing.

" I am king of the storks, and here I have sat for many days; for the wicked one-eyed witch who lives on the glass hill put it upon me for a spell that I should be an old man until somebody should carry me over the water. You are the first to do that, and you shall not lose by it. Here is a little bone whistle; whenever you are in trouble just blow a turn or two on it, and I will be by to help you."

Thereupon King Stork drew a feather cap out of his pocket and clapped it on his head, and away he flew, for he was turned into a great, long, red- legged stork as quick as a Nvink.

But the drummer trudged on the way he was going, as merry as a cricket, for it is not everybody who cracks his shins against such luck as he had stumbled over, I can tell you. By and by he came to the town over the hill, and there he found great bills stuck up over the walls. They were

all of them proclamations. And this is what they said

The princess of that town was as clever as she was pretty; that was say- ing a great deal, for she was the handsomest in the whole world. (" Phew! but that is a fine lass for sure and certain," said the drummer.) So it was proclaimed that any lad who could answer a question the princess would ask, and would ask a question the princess could not answer, and would catch the bird that she would be wanting, should have her for his wife and half of the kingdom to boot. (" Hi ! but here is luck for a clever lad," says

. the drummer.) But whoever should fail in any one of the three tasks should have his head chopped off as sure as he lived. (" Ho! but she is a wicked one for all that," says the drummer.)

That was what the proclamation said, and the drummer would have a try for her; " for," said he, " it is a poor fellow who cannot manage a wife when he has her "-and he knew as much about that business as a goose about churning butter. As for chopping off heads, he never bothered his own about that; for, if one never goes out for fear of rain one never catches fish.

Off he went to the king's castle as fast as he could step, and there he knocked on the door, as bold as though his own grandmother lived there. But when the king heard what the drummer had come for, he took out 296

his pocket-handkerchief and began to wipe his eyes, for he had a soft heart under his jacket, and it made him cry like anything to see another coming to have his head chopped off, as so many had done before him. For there they were, all along the wall in front of the princess's window, like so many apples.

But the drummer was not to be scared away by the king's crying a bit, so in he came, and by and by they all sat down to supper-he and the king and the princess. As for the princess, she was so pretty that the drummer's heart melted inside of him, like a lump of butter on the stove-and that was what she was after. After a while she asked him if he had come to answer a question of hers, and to ask her a question of his, and to catch the bird that she should set him to catch.

"Yes," said the drummer, " I have come to do that very thing." And he spoke as boldly and as loudly as the clerk in church.

" Very well, then," says the princess, as sweet as sugar candy, "just come along to-morrow, and I will ask you your question."

Off went the drummer; he put his whistle to his lips and blew a turn or two, and there stood King Stork, and nobody knows where he stepped from. And what do you want?" says he.

The drummer told him everything, and how the princess was going to ask him a question to-morrow morning that he would have to answer, or have his head chopped off.

" Here you have walked into a pretty puddle, and with your eyes open," says King Stork, for he knew that the princess was a wicked enchantress, and loved nothing so much as to get a lad into just such a scrape as the drummer had tumbled into. " But see, here is a little cap and a long feather -the cap is a dark-cap, and when you put it on your head one can see you no more than so much thin air. At twelve o'clock at night the princess will come out into the castle garden and will fly away through the air. Then throw your leg over the feather, and it will carry you wherever you want to go; and if the princess flies fast it will carry you as fast and faster."

" Dong ! Dong !" The clock struck twelve, and the princess came out of her house; but in the garden was the drummer waiting for her with the dark-cap on his head, and he saw her as plain as a pikestaff. She brought a pair of great wings which she fastened to her shoulders, and away she flew. But the drummer was as quick with his tricks as she Was with hers; he flung his leg over the feather which King Stork had given him, and away he flew after her, and just as fast as she with her great wings. 298

By and by they came to a huge castle of shining steel that stood on a mountain of glass. And it was a good thing for the drummer that he had on his cap of darkness, for all around outside of the castle stood fiery dragons and savage lions to keep anybody from going in without leave.

But not a thread of the drummer did they see; in he walked with the princess, and there was a great one-eyed witch with a beard on her chin, and a nose that hooked over her mouth like the beak of a parrot.

" Uff !" said she, " here is a smell of Christian blood in the house."

" Tut, mother!" says the princess, " how you talk! do you not see that there is nobody with me?" For the drummer had taken care that the wind should not blow the cap of darkness off of his head, I can tell you. By and by they sat down to supper, the princess and the witch, but it was little the princess ate, for as fast as anything was put on her plate the drummer helped himself to it, so that it was all gone before she could get a bite.

" Look, mother!" she said, " I eat nothing, and yet it all goes from my plate; why is that so?" But that the old witch could not tell her, for she could see nothing of the drummer.

" There was a lad came to-day to answer the question I shall put to him," said the princess. "Now what shall I ask him by way of a question?"

" 1 have a tooth in the back part of my head," said the witch, " and it has been grumbling a bit; ask him what it is you are thinking about, and let it be that."

Yes; that was a good question for sure and certain, and the princess would give it to the drummer to-morrow, to see what he had to say for himself. As for the drummer, you can guess how he grinned, for he heard every word that they said.

After a while the princess flew away home again, for it was nearly the break of day, and she must be back before the sun rose'. And the drummer flew close behind her, but she knew nothing of that.

The next morning up he marched to the king's castle and knocked at the door, and they let him in.

There sat the king and the princess, and lots of folks besides. Well,

had he come to answer her question? That was what the princess wanted to know.

Yes; that was the very business he had come about.

Very well, this was the question, and he might have three guesses at it; what was she thinking of at that minute? 300

Oh, it could be no hard thing to answer such a question as that, for lasses' heads all ran upon the same things more or less; was it a fine silk dress with glass buttons down the front that she was thinking of now

No, it was not that.

Then, was it of a good stout lad like himself for a sweetheart, that she was thinking of?

No, it was not that.

No? Then it was the bad tooth that had been grumbling in the head of the one-eyed witch for a day or two past, perhaps.

Dear, dear ! but you should have seen the princess's face when she heard this! Up she got and off she packed without a single word, and the king saw without the help of his spectacles that the drummer had guessed right. He was so glad that he jumped up and down and snapped

his fingers for joy. Besides that he gave out that bonfires should be lighted all over the town, and that was a fine thing for the little boys.

The next night the princess flew away to the house of the one-eyed witch again, but there was the drummer close behind her just as he had been before.

" Uff !" said the one-eyed witch, " here is a smell of Christian blood, for sure and certain." But all the same, she saw no more of the drummer than if he had never been born.

" See, mother," said the princess, " that rogue of a drummer answered my question without winking over it."

" So," said the old witch, " we have missed for once, but the second time hits the mark; he will be asking you a question to-morrow, and here is a book that tells everything that has happened in the world, and if he asks you more than that he is a smart one and no mistake."

After that they sat down to supper again, but it was little the princess ate, for the drummer helped himself out of her plate just as he had done before.

After a while the princess flew away home, and the drummer with her. " And, now, what will we ask her that she cannot answer?" said the drummer; so off he went back of the house, and blew a turn or two on his whistle, and there stood King Stork.

" And what will we ask the princess," said he, " when she has a book that tells her everything?"

King Stork was not long in telling him that; " Just ask her so and so and so and so," said he, " and she would not dare to answer the question." 301

Well, the next morning there was the drummer at the castle all in good time; and, had he come to ask her a question? that was what the princess wanted to know.

Oh, yes, he had come for that very thing.

Very well, then, just let him begin, for the princess was ready and waiting, and she wet her thumb, and began to turn over the leaves of her Book of Knowledge.

Oh, it was an easy question the drummer was going to ask, and it needed no big book like that to answer it. The other night he dreamed that he was in a castle all built of shining steel, where there lived a witch with one eye. There was a handsome bit of a lass there who was as great a witch as the old woman herself, but for the life of him he could not tell who she was; now perhaps the princess could make a guess at it.

There the drummer had her as tight as a fly in a bottle, for she did not dare to let folks know that she was a wicked witch like the one-eyed one; so all she could do was to sit there and gnaw her lip. As for the Book of Knowledge, it was no more use to her than a fifth wheel under a cart.

But if the king was glad when the drummer answered the princess's question, he was twice as glad when he found she could not answer his. All the same, there is more to do yet, and many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip. " The bird I want is the one-eyed raven," said the princess; " Now bring her to me if you want to keep your head off of the wall yonder."

Yes; the drummer thought he might do that as well as another thing. So off he went back of the house to talk to King Stork of the matter.

" Look," said King Stork, and he drew a net out of his pocket as fine as a cobweb and as white as milk; " take this with you when you go with the princess to the one-eyed witch's house to-night, throw it over the witch's head, and then see what will happen; only when you catch the one-eyed raven you are to wring her neck as soon as you lay hands on her, for if you don't it will be the worse for you."

Well, that night off flew the princess just as she had done before, and off flew the drummer at her heels, until they came to the witch's house, both of them.

"And did you take his head this time?" said the witch.

No, the princess had not done that, for the drummer had asked such and such a question, and she could not answer it; all the same, she had 302

him tight enough now, for she had set it as a task upon him that he should bring her the one-eyed raven, and it was not likely he would be up to doing that. After that the princess and the one-eyed witch sat down to supper together, and the drummer served the princess the same trick that he had done before, so that she got hardly a bite to eat.

" See," said the old witch when the princess was ready to go, " I will go home with you to-night, and see that you get there safe and sound." So she brought out a pair of wings, just like those the princess had, and set them on her shoulders, and away both of them flew with the drummer behind. So they came home without seeing a soul, for the drummer kept his cap of darkness tight upon his head all the while.

" Good-night," said the witch to the princess, and " Good-night " said the princess to the witch, and the one was for going one way and the other the other. But the drummer had his wits about him sharply enough, and before the old witch could get away he flung the net that King Stork had given him over her head.

" Hi !" but you should have been there to see what happened; for it was a great one-eyed raven, as black as the inside of the chimney, that lie had in his net.

Dear, dear, how it flapped its wings and struck with its great beak! But that did no good, for the drummer just wrung its neck, and there was an end of it.

The next morning he wrapped it up in his pocket-handkerchief and off he started for the king's castle, and there was the princess waiting for him, looking as cool as butter in the well, for she felt sure the drummer was caught in the trap this time.

"And have you brought the one-eyed raven with you?" she said.

" Oh, yes," said the drummer, and here it was wrapped up in this handkerchief.

But when the princess saw the raven with its neck wrung, she gave a great shriek and fell to the floor. There she lay and they had to pick her up and carry her out of the room.

But everybody saw that the drummer had brought the bird she had asked for, and all were as glad as glad could be. The king gave orders that they should fire off the to-,vn cannon, just as they did on his birth day, and all the little boys out in the street flung up their hats and caps and cried, " Hurrah! Hurrah!"

But the drummer went off back of the house. He blew a turn or two on his whistle, and there stood King Stork. " Here is your dark-cap and your feather," says he, " and it is I who am thankful to you, for they have -,von me a real princess for a wife."

" Yes, good," says King Stork, " you have won her, sure enough, but the next thing is to keep her; for a lass is not cured of being a witch as quickly as you seem to think, and after one has found one's eggs one must roast them and butter them into the bargain. See now, the princess is just as Nvicked as ever she was before, and if you do not keep your eyes open she will trip you up after all. So listen to what 1 tell you. Just after you

304

are married, get a great bowl of fresh milk and a good, stiff switch. Pour the milk over the princess when you are alone together, and after that hold tight to her and lay on the switch, no matter what happens, for that is the only way to save yourself and to save her."

Well, the drummer promised to do as King Stork told him, and by and by came the wedding-day. Off he went over to the dairy and got a fresh pan of milk, and out he went into the woods and cut a stout hazel switch, as thick as his finger.

As soon as he and the princess were alone together he emptied the milk all over her; then he caught hold of her and began laying on the switch for dear life.

It was well for him that he was a brave fellow and had been to the wars, for, instead of the princess, he held a great black cat that glared at him with her fiery eyes, and growled and spat like anything. But that did no good, for the drummer ~ust shut his eyes and laid on the switch harder than ever.

Then-puff !-instead of a black cat it was like a great, savage wolf, that snarled and snapped at the drummer with its red jaws; but the drummer just held fast and made the switch fly, and the wolf scared him no more than the black cat had done.

So out it went, like a light of a candle, and there was a great snake that lashed its tail and shot out its forked tongue and spat fire. But no; the drummer was no more frightened at that than he had been at the wolf and the cat, and, dear, dear! how he dressed the snake with his hazel switch.

Last of all, there stood the princess herself. " Oh, dear husband!" she cried, " let me go, and I will promise to be good all the days of my life."

" Very well," says the drummer, " and that is the tune I like to hear." That was the way he gained the best of her, whether it was the bowl of milk or the hazel switch, for afterwards she was as good a wife as ever churned butter; but what did it is a question that you will have to answer for yourself. All the same, she tried no more of her tricks with him, 1 can tell you. And so this story comes to an end, like everything else in the world.

HERE was a blacksmith who lived near to a great. dark pine forest. He was as poor as charity soup; but dear knows whether that was his fault or not, for he laid his troubles upon the back of ill-luck, as everybody else does in our town.

One day the snow lay thick all over the ground, and hunger and cold sat in the blacksmith's house. " I'll go out into the forest," says he, " and see

whether I cannot get a bagful of pine-cones to make a fire in the stove." So off he stumped, but could find no cones, because they were all covered up with white. On into the woods he Nvent, farther and farther and deeper and deeper, until he came to a high hill, all of bare rock. There he found a clear place and more pine-cones scattered over the ground than a body could count. He filled his basket, and it did not take him long to do that. But he was not to get his pine-cones for nothing: click ! clack !-a great door opened in the side of the hill, and out stepped a little dwarf, as ugly as ugly could be, for his head was as big as a cabbage, his hair as red as carrots, and his eyes as green as a snake's.

"So," said he, "you are stealing my pine-cones, are you? And there are none in the world like them. Look your last on the sunlight, for now you shall die."

Down fell the blacksmith on his knees. "Alas!" said he, " 1 did not know that they were your pine-cones. I will empty them out of my sack and find some elsewhere." 308

" No," said the dwarf, " it is too late to do that now. But listen, you might hunt the world over, and find no such pine-cones as these; so we will strike a bit of a bargain between us. You shall go in peace with your pine-cones if you will give me what lies in the bread-trough at home."

" Oh, yes," said the blacksmith, " I will do that gladly."

"Very well," said the dwarf, " I will come for my pay at the end of seven days," and back he went into the hill again, and the door shut to behind him.

Off went the blacksmith, chuckling to himself. " It is the right end of the bargain that I have this time," said he.

But, bless you! he talked of that horse before he had looked into its mouth, as my Uncle Peter used to say. For, listen: while his wife sat at home spinning, she wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid it in the bread trough, because it was empty and as good as a cradle. And that was what the dwarf spoke of, for he knew what had been done over at the black- smith's house.

But the blacksmith was as happy as a cricket under the hearth; on he plodded, kicking up the soft snow with his toes; but all the time the basket of pine-cones kept growing heavier and heavier.

" Come," said lie, at last, " I can carry this load no farther, some of the pine-cones must be left behind." So he opened the basket to throw a parcel of them out. But-

Hi! how he did stare ! for every one of those pine-cones had turned to pure silver as white as the frost on the window-pane. After that he was for throwing none of them away, but for carrying all of them home, if he broke his back at it, and upon that you may depend.

"And I had them all for nothing," said he to his wife; "for the dwarf gave them to me for what was in the bread-trough, and I knew very well that there was nothing there."

"Alas," said she, "what have you done! the baby is sleeping there, and has been sleeping there all the morning."

When the blacksmith heard this he scratched his head, and looked up and looked down, for he had burned his fingers with the hot end of the bargain after all. All the same, there was nothing left but to make the best that he could of it. So he took two or three of the silver pine-cones to the town and bought plenty to eat, and plenty to drink, and warm things to wear into the bargain. At the end of seven days up came the dwarf and knocked at the black- smith's house.

" Well, and is the baby ready?" said he, "for I have come to fetch it." But the blacksmith's wife begged and prayed and prayed and begged that the baby might be spared to her. " Let us keep it for seven years at least," said she, " for what can you want with a young baby in the house?"

Yes, that was very true. Young babies were troublesome things to have about the house, and the woman might keep it for seven years since she was anxious to do so. So off went the dwarf, and the woman had what.she wanted, for seven years is a long time to put off our troubles.

But at the end of that time up came the dwarf a second time. 310

" Well, is the boy ready now?" said he, " for I have come to take him." " Yes, yes," says the woman, " the boy is yours, but why not leave him for another seven years, for he is very young to be out in the world yet?" Yes, that was true, and so the dwarf put off taking him for seven years longer.

But when it had passed, back he came again, and this time it did no good for his mother and father to beg and pray, for he had put off his bargain long enough, and now he was for having what was his.

" All the same," says he to the blacksmith, " if you will come after five years to the place in the woods where you saw me, you shall have your son, if you choose to take him." And off he went with the lad at his heels.

Well, after five years had passed, the blacksmith went into the forest to find the dwarf and to bring back his son again.

There was the dwarf waiting for him, and in his hand he held a basket. " Well, neighbor," says he, " and have you come to fetch your son again?" Yes, that was what the blacksmith wanted.

" Very well," says the dwarf, "here he is, and all that you have to do is to take him." He opened the basket, and inside was a wren, a thrush, and a dove.

" But which of the three is the lad?" says the blacksmith. " That is for you to tell, neighbor," says the dwarf.

The blacksmith looked and looked, and first he thought it might be the wren, and then he thought it might be the thrush, and then he thought it might be the dove. But he was afraid to choose any one of the three, lest he should not be right in the choosing. So he shook his head and sighed, and was forced at last to go away with empty hands.

Out by the edge of the forest sat an old woman spinning flax from a distaff.

" Whither away, friend?" said she, " and why do you wear such a sorrow- ful face?"

The blacksmith stopped and told her the whole story from beginning to end. " Tut!" said the old woman, "you should have chosen the dove, for that was your son for sure and certain."

"There!" said the blacksmith, "if 1 had only known that in the first place it would have saved me so much leg wear," and back he went, hot- foot, to find the dwarf and to get his son again.

There was the dwarf waiting for him with a basket on his arm, but this time it was a sparrow and a magpie and a lark that were in it, and the 312

blacksmith might take which of the three he liked, for one of them was his own son.

The man looked and looked, and could make nothing of it, so all that he could do was to shake his head and turn away again with empty hands. Out by the edge of the forest sat the old woman spinning. " Prut !" says she, "you should have chosen the lark, for it was your son for sure and certain. But listen; go back and try again; look each bird in the eyes, and choose where you find tears; for nothing but the human soul weeps." Back went the man into the forest for the third time, and there was the dwarf just as before, only this time it was a sparrow and a jackdaw and a raven that he had in his basket.

The man looked at each of the three in turn, and there were tears in the raven's eyes.

,,This is the one I choose," said he, and he snatched it and ran. And it was his son and none other whom he held.

As for the dwarf, he stood and stamped his feet and tore his hair, but that was all he could do, for one must abide by one's bargain, no matter what happens.

You can guess how glad the father and the mother were to have their son back home again. But the lad just sat back of the stove and warmed his shins, and stared into the Land of Nowhere, without doing a stroke of work from morning till night. At last the father could stand it no longer, for, though one is glad to have one's own safe under the roof at home, it is another thing to have one's own doing nothing the livelong day but sit back of the stove and eat good bread and meat; for the silver pine-cones were gone by this time, and good things were no more plentiful in the blacksmith's house than they had been before.

" Come !" says he to lazy-boots one day, " is there nothing at all that you can do to earn the salt you eat?"

" Oh, yes," said the lad, " I have learned many things, and one over at the dwarf's house yonder, for the dwarf is a famous blacksmith." So out he came from behind the stove, and brushed the ashes from his hair, and went out into the forge.

" Give me a piece of iron," says he, " and I will show you a trick or two worth the knowing."

" Yes," says the blacksmith, " you shall have the iron; all the same I know that it is little or nothing that you know about the hammer and the tongs." 313

But the young fellow answered nothing. He made a bed of hot coals, and laid the iron in it.

" Here," said he to his father, " do you blow the bellows till I come back, and be sure that you do not stop for so much as a wink, or else all will be spoiled." So he gave the handle into the blacksmith's hand and off he went.

The old man blew the bellows and blew the bellows, but the dwarf over in the forest knew what was being done as well as though he stood in the forge. He was not for letting the lad steal his tricks if lie could help it. So he changed himself into a great fly, and came and lit on the blacksmith's neck, and bit him till the blood ran; but the blacksmith just shut his eyes tight, and grinned and bore it, and blew the bellows and blew the bellows.

By and by the lad came in, and the fly flew away. He drew the iron out of the fire, and dipped it in the water, and what do you think it was Why, a golden tree with a little golden bird sitting in the branches, with bright jexvels for its eyes.

The lad drew a little silver wand from his pocket, and gave the tree a tap, and the bird began to hop from branch to branch, and to sing so sweetly that it made one's heart stand still to listen to it.

As for the blacksmith, he just stood and gaped and stared, with his mouth and eyes as wide open as if they never would shut again.

Now there was no king in that country, but a queen who lived in a grand castle on a high hill, and was as handsome a one as ever a body's eyes looked upon.

" Here," says the lad to his father, " take this up to the queen at the castle yonder, and she will pay you well for it." Then he `vent and sat down back of the stove again, and toasted his shins and stared at nothing at all.

Up went the blacksmith to the queen's castle with the golden bird and the golden tree wrapped up in his pocket-handkerchief. Dear, dear, how the queen did look and listen and wonder, when she saw how pretty it was, and heard how sweetly the little golden bird sang. She called her steward and bade him give the blacksmith a whole bag of gold and silver money for it, and off went the man as pleased as pleased could be.

And now they lived upon the very best of good things over at the blacksmith's house; but good things cost money, and by and by the last penny was spent of what the queen had given him, and nothing would do 314

but for the lad to go out and work a little while at the forge. So up he

got from back of the stove, and out he went into the forge. He made a bed of coals and laid the iron upon it.

" Now," says he to his father, " do you blow the bellows till I come back," and off he went.

Well, the old man took the handle and blew and blew, but the dwarf knew what was going on this time, just as well as he had done before. He changed himself into a fly, and came and lit on the blacksmith's neck, and dear, dear, how he did bite ! The blacksmith shut his eyes and grinned,

but at last he could bear it no longer. He raised his hand and slapped at the fly, but away it flew with never a hair hurt.

In came the lad and drew the iron out of the fire and plunged it into the water, and there it was a beautiful golden comb that shone like fire. But the lad was not satisfied with that. "You should have done as I told you," said he," and have stopped at nothing; for now the work is spoiled."

The blacksmith vowed and declared that he had not stopped from blowing the bellows, but the lad knew better than that; for there should have been a golden looking-glass as well as the comb. The one was of no use without the other, for when one looked in the golden looking-glass, and combed one's hair with the golden comb, one grew handsomer every day, and the lad had intended both for the queen.

" All the same," said the old man, " I will take the golden comb up to the castle;" and it did no good for the lad to shake his head and say no. " For," says the father, " old heads are wise heads; and the queen will like this as well as the other." So up to the castle he would go, and up to the castle he went.

But when the queen saw the golden comb her brows grew as black as a thunder-storm. " Where is the looking-glass?" said she; and though the old man vowed and declared that no looking-glass belonged with the comb, she knew a great deal better. So, now, the blacksmith might have his choice; he should either bring her the looking-glass that belonged to the golden comb or bring her that which was the best in all the world. If he did neither of these he should be thrown into a deep pit full of toads and vipers.

Back went the old man home again and told the lad all that had happened from beginning to end. And then he wanted to know what he should do to get himself out of his pickle. 316

Well, it was no easy task to make what the queen wanted; all the same, the lad would try what he could do. So he rolled up his sleeves and out he went into the forge and laid a piece of iron upon the bed of hot coals.

This time he would not trust the old man to blow the bellows for him. but took the handle into his own hand and blew and blew.

The dwarf knew what was happening this time as well as before. He changed himself into a fly and came and sat on the lad's forehead, and bit until the blood ran down into his eyes and blinded him; but the lad blew the bellows and blew the bellows.

First the fire burned red, and then it burned white, and then it burned blue, and after that the work was done.

Then the young man raised his hand and struck the fly and killed it, and that was an end of the dwarf for good and all.

What he had made he dipped into the water and it was a gold ring, nothing less nor more. He took a sharp knife and drew charms upon it, and inside of the circle lie wrote these words

°~ \VIII ) WEARS THIS SHALL HAVE THE BEST I IIAT THE \VORLD IIAS TO GIVE."

" Here," said the lad to his father, " take this up to the queen, for it is what she wants, and there is nothing better in the world."

Off marched the old man and gave the ring to the queen, and she slipped it on her finger.

That was hoxv the blacksmith saved his own skin; but the poor queen did nothing but just sit and look out of the window, and sigh and sigh.

After a while she called her steward to her and bade him go over and tell the blacksmith's son to come to her.

There sat the lad back of the stove. " Prut !" said he, " she must send a better than you if she would have me come to her." So the steward had just to go back to the castle again and tell the queen what the lad had said.

Then the queen called her chief minister to her. " Do you go," said she, " and bid the lad come to me."

There sat the lad back of the stove. " Prut !" said he, " she must send a better than you if she would have me come to her."

Off went the minister and told the queen what he had said, and the 318

queen saw as plain as the nose on her face that she must go herself if she would have the lad come at her bidding.

There sat the lad back of the stove. And would he come with her now?

Yes, indeed, that he would. So he slipped from behind the stove and took her by the hand, and they walked out of the house and up to her castle on the high hill, for that was where he belonged now. There they were married, and ruled the land far and near. For it is one thing to be a blacksmith of one kind, and another thing to be a blacksmith of another kind, and that is the truth, whether you believe it or not.

And did the queen really get the best in the world? Bless your heart, my dear, wait until you are as old as I am, and have been married as long, and you will be able to answer that question without the asking.