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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aa4ef3b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69875 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69875) diff --git a/old/69875-0.txt b/old/69875-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a261b11..0000000 --- a/old/69875-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4977 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The windfairies and other tales, by -Mary De Morgan - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The windfairies and other tales - -Author: Mary De Morgan - -Illustrator: Olive Cockerell - -Release Date: January 24, 2023 [eBook #69875] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Brian Wilsden, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WINDFAIRIES AND OTHER -TALES *** - -Transcriber’s Note: Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - - - -[Illustration: “Indeed,” said the Duke, “I should not have thought you -so very pretty.” - - [_Vain Kesta_, _p._ 43.] - - - - - THE WINDFAIRIES - _AND OTHER TALES_ - - BY - MARY DE MORGAN - AUTHOR OF “ON A PINCUSHION,” “THE NECKLACE OF PRINCESS FIORIMONDE.” - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY - OLIVE COCKERELL - - LONDON - SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED - 38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET - 1900 - - - - -[Illustration: - - TO ANGELA - DENNIS - AND CLARE - THESE LITTLE TALES - ARE DEDICATED - BY THEIR WRITER] - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - THE WINDFAIRIES 1 - - VAIN KESTA 35 - - THE POOL AND THE TREE 52 - - NANINA’S SHEEP 65 - - THE GIPSY’S CUP 81 - - THE STORY OF A CAT 128 - - DUMB OTHMAR 147 - - THE RAIN MAIDEN 192 - - THE PLOUGHMAN AND THE GNOME 209 - - - - -[Illustration: - - THE WIND - FAIRIES] - - -THERE was once a windmill which stood on the downs by the sea, far -from any town or village, and in which the miller lived alone with his -little daughter. His wife had died when the little girl, whose name was -Lucilla, was a baby, and so the miller lived by himself with his child, -of whom he was very proud. As her father was busy with his work, and -as little Lucilla had no other children to play with, she was alone -nearly all day, and had to amuse herself as best she could, and one -of her greatest pleasures was to sit and watch the great sails of the -windmill figures like them, and they held each other by the hand, and -were dancing and springing from the ground as lightly as if they had -been made of feather-down. - -“Come, sisters, come,” cried the one nearest Lucilla. “See, here is a -little human child out here alone at twelve o’clock at night. Come and -let us play with her.” - -“Who are you?” asked Lucilla; “my name is Lucilla, and I live in the -mill with my father.” - -“We are windfairies,” said the first grey figure. - -“Windfairies!” said Lucilla, “what are they?” - -“We blow the winds and sweep the earth. When there are many of us -together we make a great hurricane, and human beings are frightened. We -it is who turn your mill wheel for you, and make all the little waves -on the sea. See, if you will come with us we will take you for a ride -on one of the sails of your mill. That is, if you will be brave, and -not cry.” - -“I will not cry one bit,” said Lucilla, and she sprang up, and held out -her arms. - -At once she was lifted up, and felt herself going higher and higher, -till she rested on one of the great windmill sails, and, with the -little grey elves beside her, was sweeping through the air, clinging to -the sail. - -“She is quite good,” whispered one, as she held Lucilla in her tiny -white arms. “I really think we might teach her to dance, for she has -not cried at all.” - -“No, she would surely tell some one if we did,” said another. “Little -human child, would you like us to teach you how to dance as we dance?” - -“Yes, yes,” cried Lucilla; and now they were sweeping down near the -ground, and the fairies slid off the sail with Lucilla in their arms, -and let her slide gently to earth. “Teach me to dance, I beg. I will -never tell anybody.” - -“Ah, but that is what all mortals say,” whispered one who had not -spoken yet, “no mortal can keep a secret. Never yet was one known who -could be silent.” - -“Try me,” cried Lucilla again, “I will never tell. Indeed I will not,” -and she looked entreatingly from one to another of the elves. - -“But if you did,” said they, “if you broke your promise to us when -once you had made it, we should punish you severely.” - -“But I promise faithfully,” repeated Lucilla, “I will never tell any -one.” - -“Well then, you may try,” they said. “Only remember, if you break -your word to us, and tell any mortal who it was that taught you how -to dance, you will never dance again, for your feet will become heavy -as lead, and not only that, but some great misfortune will overtake -whatever you love best in this world. But if you keep faith with us, -then the windfairies will never forget you, but will come to your help -in your direst hour of need.” - -“Teach me, teach me,” cried Lucilla; “indeed I will never, never tell, -and I long to dance as you do.” - -“Come then,” they said, and some came behind her, and some went in -front of her, and some took her arms and some her feet, and all at -once Lucilla felt as if she were made of feather-down. She swayed up -and down as lightly as they, and it seemed to her quite easy. Never -had she been so happy, and she would gladly have danced for hours, but -suddenly, just as the sun was beginning to show a red light in the -sky, she heard her father’s horse galloping over the downs, and in an -instant the windfairies had vanished. - -When the miller came up to her, he was angry with her for being out on -the grass instead of warm in bed, but Lucilla dared not tell him what -had kept her, or say that she had been playing with windfairies. - -Years passed, and Lucilla never saw the windfairies again, though she -watched for them every night. She grew up to be a beautiful young -woman, and her father was very proud of her. She was as tall and as -lithe as a willow wand, and when she ran or danced it seemed as if she -were as light as a feather blown in the wind. There were few people -to see her, or tell her she was beautiful, for save the fisher folk -who lived in little cottages on the beach, scarce anybody came to the -downs. But all who saw her admired her beauty, and most of all her -wonderful dancing. Sometimes she would go out on the downs, and dance -and run there by herself, and her father would look at her and say: -“Heaven help the maid! I don’t know whom she has learned it from, but -I have never seen a dancer who can come nigh her.” Then sometimes she -would go down to the sea-shore, and this she loved to do best of all, -and there she would dance with the waves, and move with them as they -slid up to her feet and drew back, and to those who watched, it seemed -as if she and they were one together. - -The time came when her father wished her to be married, and among the -young fishermen and the country folk who came to the mill from the -farms across the country, she had suitors enough, but always she said -when a young man came to woo her, “First let me see how you can dance, -for as dancing is the thing I love best in the world, it would be a -pity that I and my husband should not be able to dance together,” and -as none of them could dance as she did, she sent them all away, saying -she would wait for a husband till she could find a man who could dance -to her liking. - -But one day there was a great storm, and a big ship was blown on to -the shore close to the mill, and among the sailors was a young fellow -with black curly hair and bright eyes and white teeth, and when he saw -Lucilla, he said to himself, “I will wed that girl and take her home -for my wife.” So one day as they sat on the downs together he begged -her to marry him, and go back with him to his own land; he said he -would give up going to sea, and would live with her in a little cottage -and make their bread by fishing. Then Lucilla said, as she had said -to all her other suitors, “First let me see how you can dance, for I -will never marry any man who cannot dance with me.” The sailor swore he -could dance as well as any man in the world, for all sailors can dance, -he said, and they began to dance together on the downs. The sailor -danced well and merrily, but Lucilla danced faster, and seemed as if -she were made of feather-down; and then the sailor, seeing that his -dancing was as nothing to hers, caught her by the waist, and held her -still, crying, “My sweetheart, I cannot dance as you can, but my arms -are strong enough to hold you still and keep you from dancing with any -man but me.” - -So Lucilla married the sailor, and went with him to live in his little -cottage by the sea, many miles away from the mill, and as her father -was growing old and no longer cared to work, he went with her too. - -For some time the sailor and Lucilla lived together very happily, and -they had two little children, and her husband fished and sold his fish, -and often still, Lucilla would go down to the waves and dance with them -as she had done in her old home. She tried to teach her little children -to dance as she did, but they could not learn because the windfairies -had never touched them. But one winter her husband’s boat was dashed to -pieces, and the sea froze so that all the fish died, and they became so -poor that they could barely get enough to eat. Then it chanced that a -big ship came to the village where they lived, and the captain wanted -men for a long journey, and her husband told Lucilla that he had best -go with him, and then he would have enough money to buy another boat, -and then next year they must hope for better luck. So Lucilla was left -alone in the cottage with her father and her two little children, and -she felt very lonely and sad without her husband, and often she thought -of the mill and the windfairies, and when the wind blew, she would go -down to the water’s edge and hold out her arms and pray them to take -care of her husband’s ship, and bring it safe home again. - -“Oh, kind windfairies,” she cried, “see, I have kept faith with you, so -do you now keep faith with me, and do me no hurt.” And often she would -dance by the edge of the waves, as she used to do in her old home, and -think that the windfairies were dancing with her, and holding up her -steps. - -Now it chanced that one day, as Lucilla was dancing on the shore, there -rode by two horsemen, and they stopped and watched her as she danced, -with the waves coming close to her feet. Then they got down from their -horses, and asked who she was, and where she had learned such dancing. -She told them she was only the wife of a poor fisherman, but she had -danced for long years, since she was a little child, when she had lived -in a windmill, on the downs far away. They rode away, but next day they -came again, and brought others with them, and begged Lucilla that she -would go down to the water’s edge and dance with the waves as she had -done yesterday. So she ran down the beach, and danced in time to the -sea as it moved, and the strangers all applauded, and said to each -other, “It is wonderful, it is marvellous.” - -They then told her that they came from a country where the King loved -nothing so much as beautiful dancing, and that he would give great sums -of money to any one who danced well, and if she would go back with them -to his court, and dance before the King, she should have a sack of gold -to take home with her, and this would make her a rich woman, and her -husband would never have need to work any more. - -At first she refused, and said her husband was away, and would not -know where she was gone, and she did not like to leave her two little -children; but still the courtiers persuaded her, and said it would not -be for long, and her father persuaded her too, since he said it would -make them all rich if she brought home a sack of gold. So at last -Lucilla agreed that she would go back with them to the King’s court -and dance there, but she made them promise that before the spring came -they would send her back to her own little cottage. On hearing this, -the strangers were much delighted, and bid Lucilla make ready to start -at once, and that night she said good-bye to her little ones, and -left them, to go with the travellers. Her eyes were red with crying at -leaving her home, and before she started, she went out alone on to the -cliffs, and stretched out her arms, and called to the windfairies to go -with her and help her, for she feared what she was going to do, and she -begged them to be true to her, as she had been true to them. - -They sailed for many days, till at last they came to a country of which -Lucilla had never even heard, and to a big town, which seemed to her -as if it must hold all the people in the world, so crowded was it, and -above the town on the hill, they pointed out to her a royal palace, and -told her it was where the King dwelt, and there she would have to dance -ere the week was out. - -“And it is most lucky we saw you just now,” said they, “for the King is -just going to be married, and in a few days the Princess will arrive, -and there will be festivities and rejoicing for days, and at some of -these you will appear before their Majesties, and be sure you dance -your very best.” - -Then Lucilla went with them into a great hall close to the palace, -where musicians were playing on every kind of instrument, and here the -courtiers bid her dance on a platform at one end of the hall, in time -to the music; and when they had seen it, the musicians one and all lay -down their instruments, and rose together, clapping and applauding, and -all declared that it was the greatest of luck that the travellers had -met with Lucilla, and that it would delight the King more than anything -they had prepared for him. - -By and by the Princess who was to marry the King arrived, and the -wedding was celebrated with much magnificence, and after the wedding -there was a feast, and in the evening there was to be singing and -dancing, and all sorts of play for the royal couple and the court to -see, and then Lucilla was to dance. The courtier who brought her wished -her to be dressed in the most gorgeous dress, with gold and jewels, but -she pleaded that she might wear a light grey gown like the windfairies, -because she remembered how they looked when they danced on the downs. - -When the evening came when she was to dance before the King, she threw -wide her window and held out her arms, and cried out, “Now help me, -dear windfairies, as you have done before; keep faith with me, as I -have kept faith with you.” But in truth she could scarce keep from -crying with thoughts of her husband at sea, and her little ones at the -cottage at home. - -The hall was brilliantly lighted, and in the middle on the throne sat -the King and the young Queen. The musicians began to play, and then -Lucilla stepped forth on the platform and began to dance. She felt as -light as the sea foam, and when she swayed and curved to the sound of -the music, it seemed to her as if she heard only the swish of the waves -as they beat upon the shore, and the murmur of the wind as it played -with the water, and she thought of her husband out at sea, with the -wind blowing his ship along, and of her little babies living in the -cottage on the beach. - -When she stopped, there was such a noise of applauding and cheering in -the hall, as had never been heard there before, and the King sent for -her, and asked her where she came from, and who had taught her such -wonderful steps, but she only answered that she was the daughter of a -poor miller, who lived in a windmill, and she thought she must have -learnt to dance from watching the windmill’s sails go round. Every -night the King would have her dance again and again, as he never tired -of watching her, and every night Lucilla said to herself, “Now another -night is gone, and I am one day nearer to their taking me back to my -own home and my children, with a bag of gold to give to my husband when -he comes back from sea.” - -The new Queen was a handsome woman, but she was very jealous, and it -made her angry that the King should admire the new dancer’s dancing so -much, and she thought she would like to be able to dance like her. So -one evening when no one was watching her, she put on a big cloak that -covered her all over, and asked her way to where the dancer lived. -Lucilla sat alone in the little house that they had given her to live -in, and the Queen came in behind her, and took off her cloak, and -bade her be silent and not say her name, for fear some one should be -listening and know that she was there. - -“Now,” she said, “I have come to you that you may tell me, though no -one else knows it, who taught you to dance, that I may go and learn -from them also to dance like you; for in the home that I come from, I -was said to be the most graceful woman in the land and the best dancer, -so that there is no dancing that I cannot learn.” - -Lucilla trembled, but she answered: - -“Your Majesty, I lived in a little windmill by the sea when I was a -child, far from teachers or dancers, but I watched the windmill sails -go round, morn, noon, and night; and perhaps it is that that taught me -to dance as I do now. And if your Majesty wishes to learn to do what -I do, I will gladly teach you all I know, and doubtless you will soon -learn to dance far better than I.” - -Upon this the Queen was delighted, and flung aside her cloak, and stood -opposite to Lucilla, and begged her to begin to teach her at once, that -she might learn as soon as possible. All that evening they danced, but -when the Queen thought she looked just as Lucilla did, she appeared to -be quite awkward and heavy beside her, and was dancing just as other -mortals might. When she went away she was very much pleased, and said -that she would come twice more to learn from her, and then she was -sure that she would be perfect. In her heart Lucilla was very much -frightened, because she knew that the Queen did not dance as she did, -and never could. However, the next night she came again, and the next -again, and then there was to be a grand court ball; and at this the -Queen thought she would first show her husband how she could dance. -The King himself was fond of dancing, and danced well, although not -half so well as Lucilla’s husband the sailor; and the Queen thought -how delighted he would be when he saw what a graceful wife he had got. -As the ball began, all the fine people were saying to each other, it -really seemed silly to dance after they had seen the wonderful new -dancer, but the Queen smiled and thought to herself, “Now they will see -that I can do quite as well as she.” When her turn came she tripped -lightly forward and danced as best she could, and thought it was just -like Lucilla, and the courtiers said among each other, “Our new Queen -dances well,” but no one thought of saying that it was like Lucilla’s -dancing, and the King said nothing at all on the matter; therefore the -Queen felt herself growing hot and angry, and she turned red and white -by turns. - -“That lying wench has been tricking me,” she said to herself, “and -she has not taught me right at all; but I will punish her for her -deception, and soon she shall know what it is to deceive a Queen.” - -So the next day she went to her husband and said, “Husband, I have -thought much of the new wonderful dancer whom we all admire so much, -and truly I have never seen any one on earth who could dance as she -can; but now I think we should do well before she goes back to her own -home to know who has taught her her marvellous art, so that we may have -our court dancers taught, that they may be there to please us when she -is gone, for really there is nothing on earth that cannot be learnt if -it is taught in the right way.” - -The King agreed, and they sent for Lucilla, and the King asked her to -tell him where she had learnt her dancing, that they might summon the -same teachers to teach their court dancers. But Lucilla answered as -before—she did not know—she thought she must have learnt dancing from -watching the windmill sails going round. At this the King became angry, -and said, “That is nonsense, no one could learn dancing from looking -at windmill sails, neither was it possible that she, a poor miller’s -daughter, could have learnt such dancing by nature;” then he threatened -her, that if she would not tell him the truth he should be obliged to -punish her, and he said she should have a day to think of it in, but at -the end of the next day, he should expect her to tell him everything he -wanted to know quite plainly. - -When she was gone away the King said to the Queen, “Wife, if this -dancer persists in her silence, and will not tell us how she has -learnt, there is another thing which we must do. We must keep her here -to dance for us as much as we choose, and not let her return at all to -the home from which she came.” - -The Queen was silent for a little, but she felt very jealous at the -thought of the dancer remaining at the court, so she nodded her head -and said, “Yes, but I think she ought to tell us more about it; for -myself, I begin to think that it is witchcraft, and perhaps she has -been taught by the Evil One, and then we shouldn’t like her to remain -here and dance to us however beautiful it be, for who knows what ill -luck it might not bring upon us?” Upon this the King looked grave, and -said he did not believe much in ill luck or good luck, but he should be -loth to lose the dancer, so they had better settle to keep her if she -declined to tell them how the other dancers were to be taught. - -Meantime Lucilla went back to her little house, and wept bitterly. -“Would that I had never left my babes and my home,” she cried, “for I -cannot break my word to the windfairies, and if I did they might do -some terrible harm to my little ones or to my husband at sea; yet if I -refuse to tell them they will most likely put me into prison, and there -I shall remain for my life, and my husband and children will never -know what has become of me.” And she knelt down before the windows and -lifted her arms and cried out, “Oh, dear windfairies, I have not broken -faith with you, so don’t break faith with me, and come to my help and -save me in my trouble.” - -Next evening Lucilla went again before the King, and he said to her, -“Well, now will you tell us what we asked you last night, so that we -may send for your teachers, and have others taught to dance as you do?” - -“My gracious liege,” answered Lucilla, “I can tell you nothing that I -have not told you before. Since I was a child I have danced as I dance -now, and I watched the sails of my father’s windmill, and I danced in -time to the waves, and perhaps that is what taught me to keep time and -step so well. I was dancing by the sea-shore when the travellers who -brought me here found me, and they promised me a bag of gold to take -home to my husband if I would come and dance at your Majesty’s court; -and now you have seen me dance, and I have done all I can do, so I -entreat you to give me the bag of gold, and let me go home again.” - -The King was silent, but the Queen was still more angry, and in her -heart was determined that Lucilla should never return to her home until -she had found out about her dancing. So when they were alone she said -to her husband, “It is now quite clear, it is by witchcraft that this -woman has learned, and we should do very wrong if we let her go till -she has confessed all.” So again they sent for Lucilla and ordered her -to confess, and again she wept and declared that she could tell no -more. Then the King said, “Well, let us give the woman her bag of gold -and let her go,” but the Queen stopped him, and said, “No indeed, let -us first try shutting her up in prison for a bit, and see if that won’t -open her lips.” - -At first the King refused, for he said that Lucilla had done no wrong, -but the Queen insisted that she was deceiving them, and that her -dancing must be witchcraft, and at last the King began to listen to -her. Also he was very angry with Lucilla for wanting to go home, and -much disappointed to think he should see her dancing no more; so he -consented, and said that either she must tell him how it was she came -to be able to dance better than anybody else in this world, and who -taught her, or else they should think her dancing witchcraft, and she -must go to prison and wait her punishment. - -Poor Lucilla wept most bitterly. “Alas!” cried she to herself, “woe is -me, for I dare not break faith with the windfairies, and yet if I do -not, I shall never see my husband or my babies again, for I fear lest -they may put me to death here.” - -However, she continued to be silent, and the King ordered her to be -put into prison until she should speak out and tell them the truth; -and the guards came and led her away to prison, and locked her into a -dark cell. It was dreary and cold, and the walls were so thick that -she could not hear any of the noises from without, and there was only -one little window, which was too high up for her to see through. Here -she lay and lamented, and almost wished she could die at once, for she -believed that they would burn her, or drown her, and bitterly did she -grieve that she had left her home and her children. - -Every day the King sent down to ask if she had changed her mind, but -every day she answered that she had nothing to say. One evening she sat -in her dark cell alone, grieving as usual, when the prison door opened, -and there entered a woman wrapped in a cloak and with her face hidden -by a mask. When she took off the mask Lucilla saw it was the Queen, and -she sprang up hoping that she had come to tell her that she was to be -released, but the Queen said, “Now I have come to you alone that you -may tell me the truth. Who taught you to dance, and where can I learn -to do what you do? If you will tell me I will ask the King to forgive -you, and you shall have your bag of gold, and go when you like.” - -Then poor Lucilla began to cry afresh, and said, “My gracious lady, -I can tell you one thing that I have not yet told to any one, that -is, that I did learn my dancing, but who told me, or how it was, is a -secret that I swore I would never tell to any one. And now I implore -your Royal Highness to let me go back to my fisherman husband, and my -babies. Alack! alack! it was an evil hour for me when I left my home.” - -Upon this the Queen became furious, but she hid her anger, and first -she tried to coax Lucilla to confess all, then she threatened her -with the King’s wrath, and then, as Lucilla still wept and said that -she could not break her promise, she started up in a rage, and said, -“Indeed, it is of little use, however much you love your husband and -your children, for you will never see them again. The King has settled -that you shall be killed this very week, so now you know what you have -gained by your wicked obstinacy.” - -So the Queen returned to the King, and told him that the dancer had -confessed that she had learned her dancing, but she would not say from -whom, therefore it must be from the Evil One, and therefore there was -nothing for it but that she should be killed. So they settled that -first they would try to drown Lucilla, and if she were a witch she -would not sink, and the King gave orders that she should be taken out -to sea next day and thrown overboard, and also that she should have -heavy weights tied to her feet, and her arms should be bound to her -sides. - -Next morning the guards fetched her, and they bound her arms to her -sides, and tied heavy weights to her feet, and they took her down and -placed her in a boat on the sea-shore, and they rowed her out to sea, -and all along the beach stood crowds of people, shouting and jeering, -and calling out, “She is a witch! she is a witch! the King has done -well to have her killed.” - -“Alas! alas!” cried Lucilla, “what have I done to deserve this? surely -I have done no wrong to be so cruelly treated. Dear windfairies, come -to my help, for in truth now is the time of my direst need, and if you -desert me I am lost; but I pray you keep faith with me, as I have -kept faith with you.” Then, when they had rowed the boat out a little -way, the guards seized her, and threw her into the water, and the salt -waves splashed over her face and through her hair; but in spite of the -heavy weights on her feet she never sank, but felt as light as when she -danced with the waves on the sea-shore by her home, and she knew that -the windfairies held her up; and the waves rocked her gently, and drew -her in towards the land, and laid her on the sand, and all the crowd -yelled with rage. - -When they found that Lucilla could not be drowned both the King and -Queen were very angry, and said that now it was quite clear that she -was a witch, and that she must be burnt, so they must take her back to -prison, and arrange for her to be burnt in the market-place. So Lucilla -was again taken back to her little dark cell, and she kneeled on the -ground and looked up to the window, and murmured, “Thank you, dear -windfairies, you have kept faith with me, as I have kept faith with -you.” - -[Illustration] - -Then again the guards came, and took her by the arms and led her to -the market-place, and here she saw a great pile of wood made, whereon -she was to be laid, and already men were busy setting fire to it. -But as Lucilla and the guards came to the spot, there arose a little -breeze, and it blew on to the faces of the crowd who went to see her -burnt. The men who were trying to light the pile of wood, said they -could not make it catch for the wind; when at last it did catch fire, -the flames would not rise in the air, but were blown along the ground. -Still they brought Lucilla up to the pile, and placed her upon it, and -then the flames divided on each side, and were blown away from her all -round, so she sat in the midst quite unhurt. - -At this the people all cried out, “Now we know that she really is a -witch, since she will not drown and the fire will not burn her,” and -they ran to tell the King and the Queen that the dancing woman did not -mind the fire, but sat in the midst of it unhurt. On hearing this the -King and Queen came down to the market-place together, and saw Lucilla -sitting on the pile of wood, and the flames blown away from her on all -sides, and causing a great hubbub; so they told the guards to take her -back to prison and keep her there, till they could arrange for her to -be beheaded. And again Lucilla bent her head, and said, “Now I know, -dear windfairies, that you will never desert me, and I have nothing to -fear, for while I keep faith with you, you will keep faith with me.” - -By now it was getting late in the day, and the King commanded that -Lucilla should not be executed till next day, and that the scaffold -should be erected in the market-place, on which the block should be -put, so that all the crowd might see, and both he and the Queen would -be there. But in order to give her one last chance that every one might -see how fair they were, the King offered that if she would confess, -even when she was upon the scaffold, who had taught her to dance, she -should be allowed to return whence she came, and take her bag of gold -with her, and therefore the bag of gold was placed on the scaffold so -that all the people might see, and the bag was so large that Lucilla -could scarcely lift it. - -That evening Lucilla felt no fear, and she would have slept calmly in -her cell, but the wind was beginning to blow in all directions, and all -round she heard it roaring, and the trees were bending and breaking -in the gale. When the morning came, the King and Queen said to each -other, “This is the morning when they should execute the dancer, but -it will be hard to get her on to the scaffold with a gale like this -blowing.” However, the guards came to Lucilla’s cell, and took her out -as before, and led her towards the market-place, though they had much -ado to get along, for the wind blew so hard that they could scarce keep -upright in it. All along the coast the little boats were being blown in -to shore, and there were big ships, which had been driven in, to take -refuge from the storm. But Lucilla felt no fear, only she looked up to -the wind, and in her heart she said, “Now, dear windfairies, help me -for the last time, and keep faith with me, as I have kept faith with -you.” - -Near the shore came a big ship with shining white sails, riding over -the crested waves, and although all the other boats seemed troubled by -the wind, and some were dismasted and others were wrecked, this boat -seemed no way hurt by it, and the people who saw it called out, “What -a gallant ship it was, and how brave the captain must be, who knew -so well how to manage wind and water.” But when they knew that the -time had come for Lucilla to be beheaded, the people did not trouble -further about the boats, and in spite of the gale they flocked to the -market-place, and crowded round the scaffold on which was the block. - -Then the guards and Lucilla mounted the scaffold, and Lucilla began to -fear that at last the windfairies had forsaken her, and she wept and -held out her arms, and cried out, “Oh, dear windfairies, indeed I have -kept my faith with you, surely, surely you will keep yours with me.” -In spite of the terrible gale, the King and the Queen came down to the -market-place, though they could scarce see or hear for the wind, though -all the time the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Then the guards -bid Lucilla kneel down and place her head upon the block, and the bag -of gold was beside her, and they said, “This is your last chance, speak -now and confess the truth to the King, and here is your gold, and you -shall go.” And Lucilla answered as before, “I have spoken the truth, -and there is no more that I can tell, since I have sworn never to say -from whom I learnt my dancing.” - -Then the executioner lifted the axe in the air, but before it fell, -there came a sudden roar of wind, and the axe was swept from his hand, -and the houses in the market-place tottered and fell, and high up -on the hill the palace was a mass of ruins. Only Lucilla knelt upon -the scaffold unhurt, for the King and the Queen and all the people -were blown right and left, amidst the ruins of the houses, and no one -thought of anything save how they could save themselves. - -Then Lucilla lifted her head and looked out to sea, and saw the big -ship coming in, and she heard the sailors cry, “Heyday, these poor folk -are in a sad plight, we had better go and help them,” and they all -trooped up into the market-place, and the wind troubled them no more -than it had troubled their ship. But when Lucilla looked at them, the -first whom she saw was her husband, and she gave a great cry, and held -out her arms, and called out, “Now, dear windfairies, do I indeed know -that you have kept faith with me, and saved me in my direst hour of -need.” - -Then she told her husband all that had happened, and showed him the -bag of gold, and prayed him take her back to her little cottage and -her babies by the sea; and she knew that it was the windfairies that -had brought her husband to her, for he told her that whatever way they -steered the ship it would only take one course, and the wind had blown -it without their guidance straight to the town where she was to be -killed. - -So Lucilla and her husband took the bag of gold, and went back to the -little cottage by the sea-shore, and her father and her babies, and the -King and the Queen and all the rest of the people were left to build up -their town as best they could, and Lucilla never saw nor heard of them -any more, but lived happily with her husband for the rest of her life. - - - - -[Illustration: VAIN KESTA] - - -ONCE upon a time there lived a young girl called Kesta who was the -dairy-maid at a large farm. She milked the cows and made the cheese and -butter, and sometimes took them into the town to sell for her master. - -On the farm worked a man named Adam. He drove in the cows for Kesta to -milk and watched her milking them. As she was a comely-looking girl and -did her work well, he thought she would make him a good wife; so one -day he said, “Kesta, how would you like to marry me? and then we can -save our money and some day buy a farm for ourselves, and I should be -a farmer and you should be the farmer’s wife, and have servants to wait -on you.” - -“That I should like very much,” said Kesta, “but I can’t say yes, at -once. To-morrow I am going to town with my cheeses, when I come back I -will give you an answer.” - -At night Kesta looked into her glass and said, “I wonder why Adam -wishes to marry me? but as he does, most likely some better man would -like to do so; it would be folly to marry him till I see if I can’t do -better. I must look about me when I go to town to-morrow, and see who I -can meet.” - -In the morning she dressed herself with great care in her best clothes, -and set out for the town with the cheeses in a basket under her arm. -When she had got a little way she passed a mill, and the miller all -white with flour stood in the yard directing his men. He was an oldish -man, and his wife was recently dead, and Kesta thought as she drew -near, it would be a better thing to marry him than to marry poor Adam, -so she said, “Good-day, would you kindly let me rest a little?” - -“Certainly, my girl,” said the miller, “you seem to be out of breath?” - -“And well I may be,” said Kesta, “such a run as I have had. I’ve come -from the farm yonder, and it was as much as I could do to get away, for -the farmer’s man was very angry because I would not marry him, and of -course I am too good for him, a pretty girl like me.” - -“Are you really a pretty girl?” said the miller; “let me see, perhaps -you are. Well, if you are too good for the farmer’s man perhaps -you would suit me. How would you like to marry me, and live in the -mill-house yonder?” - -“I think I should like it well,” said Kesta, “but I have some business -in the town, and must go there first, so I’ll stop here and tell you as -I come back.” So she said good-bye, and went on her way feeling very -merry. - -“It would be much better to marry the miller than to marry Adam, but -who knows if I may not do better than either, so I must not be in any -hurry.” So she walked on, and near to the town she met a man on a white -horse, and saw it was the bailiff of the great Duke at the Palace. “Who -knows but that he may want a wife?” she said to herself, “I can but -try.” So she sat down by the road-side and called out, “Ah me, what a -thing it is to be a poor girl who has to run away from all the men she -meets!” - -“Why,” cried the bailiff, stopping his horse. “Why have you to run? who -tries to hurt you?” - -“No one tries to hurt me,” said Kesta, “but I have to run from men who -want to marry me, because I am so pretty. At first it was a man at our -farm, and now it is the miller, who would not let me pass his door -unless I promised to come back and marry him, but I am far too good for -such as he.” - -“Is this really so?” cried the bailiff, who hated the miller; “did the -miller really want to marry you? If you’re too good to marry him, it -may be you would suit me.” - -“Indeed,” said Kesta, “I think that might do well, for I should live -in a nice house and have plenty of servants. But I have to go into the -town on business, and you’re sure to be somewhere about here, and when -I come back we will arrange it.” So she set off, leaving the bailiff -chuckling at the thought of how angry the miller would be if he married -Kesta. - -On went Kesta in high good-humour. “Now am I indeed doing well,” said -she; “how clever I was not to marry Adam before I came to town.” -Presently she reached the town, and in the high street she passed the -bank, and the banker himself stood in the doorway. He was fat and ugly -and old, but his hands were covered with rings, and Kesta knew his -pockets were full of gold. Kesta said, “It would be a fine thing to -marry him, and I could hold up my head with any one. I think I’ll speak -to him, as it would be folly to pass him without trying.” So she gave a -loud sigh and said, “Alack a day, how hard is my lot!” - -“Why, what is wrong, my pretty lass?” said the banker. - -“Pretty you may well say,” answered Kesta. “Would I were not so, for -thence come all my troubles.” - -“And what are they?” asked the banker. - -“Only wherever I go, I have no peace, for all the men want to marry me. -First it is the farmer, then the miller, and lastly the duke’s bailiff, -who would scarcely let me pass on the road till I had promised him; and -of course it is impossible, and I am much too pretty for any of them.” - -“Is this really true?” cried the banker; “if so, there must be -something very superior about you. Perhaps you would be good enough for -me. How would you like to be my wife, and ride in a fine carriage, and -wear silk gowns all day?” - -“Nay, that would be much more fitting,” cried Kesta, “and from the -first I thought you would be much more suitable to be my husband than -any of the others I have met; but I must go down the town first, so I -will come in here on my way back.” So she went on till she came to a -great square in front of the barracks where the soldiers were drilling, -with their helmets and swords glittering in the sun, and at their head -rode the General of the army. His voice was hoarse with shouting at his -men, and he swore dreadfully, but he was covered with gold, and looked -very grand. “Now supposing he has no wife,” thought Kesta, “it would be -a really fine thing to marry him: I can but try.” So she waited till -the soldiers were marching into the barracks, and then, when he was -riding away, she went so close under the horse’s feet that he shouted -to her in case she should be run over. “Alas! what a life is mine,” she -cried very loud that he might hear, “hunted here and there till I don’t -know where I go!” - -“Why, who hunts you?” cried the General angrily; “what nonsense you -talk, my good girl.” - -“How dare you say I talk nonsense,” cried Kesta, “when it is as much as -I can do to get through your town for the men who want me to stop and -marry them!” - -“And why do they want you to marry them?” asked the General. - -“Because I’m so pretty, of course,” said Kesta promptly, and she took -off her hat and looked up at the General. - -“I don’t think you are so pretty,” he said. - -“But I am,” cried Kesta angrily, “and it’s only stupid people who don’t -see it. Go and ask the men in the town. First it was a man at the farm, -then the miller, then the duke’s bailiff, then the banker—they all -wanted to marry me, and I am much too good for any of them!” - -“If this is all true,” said the General, “of course you must be -exceedingly pretty, and as you say you are much too good for them, -perhaps you might suit me. How would you like that?” - -“That might be better,” said Kesta, “and as you wish it very much I -will agree, and I hope you will try to make me a good husband; but I am -obliged to go a little further on important business, and I will meet -you here on my way back,” and on she went laughing to herself. “Indeed -I am fortunate,” thought she; “and as they all seem willing to marry -me why should I not try higher, and see what the Duke himself would -say? There is nothing like being practical, and it would be downright -silly not to speak to the Duke now I am here.” By this time she had -come to the Duke’s palace, so she stopped a servant who was coming out -and asked if he were at home, for she said, “I have special business -with him.” “He is sitting by the stream in the garden, where he sits -fishing all day, and you can go and speak to him if you choose,” said -the servant. So Kesta went through the courtyard into the garden, and -straight on to where the Duke sat beside the stream with a long rod in -his hand fishing. He was dressed all in green, and seemed to be half -asleep, and Kesta came quite near him before he saw her. Then she -said, “Ah, pity me, your Grace, and listen to my sad story.” - -“Good gracious! who are you?—don’t you know I am the Duke?” said he. - -“And that is why I have come to you to ask you to protect me from all -the men who pursue me,” said Kesta. - -“Why do they pursue you?” asked the Duke. - -“Because I am so pretty,” replied Kesta. “They all want to marry me: -first the man at the farm, then the miller I met on the road, then your -bailiff, then the banker, then the General of your army, and he would -only let me go when I promised to go back to him.” - -“The General!” said the Duke. “Is this true? does he really want to -marry you?” - -“Of course he does,” said Kesta; “if you doubt what I say you had -better send to the town and ask.” - -“Indeed,” said the Duke, “I should not have thought you so very pretty, -but if what you say is true you must be. I’m not sure if it would not -suit me to marry you myself; but mind, I shall be exceedingly angry if -I find you have not told me the truth, and they did not want to marry -you. Of course you would be delighted to marry me and be the Duchess?” - -“Aye, that I should,” cried Kesta, and she grinned with delight. - -Then the Duke took from his side a horn and blew it loudly. There came -from the palace four pages, dressed in blue and gold, who stood in a -row to receive his orders. “See,” cried the Duke, “I am going to marry -this lady, who everybody thinks is very beautiful, so see that you -treat her with respect; and go to the palace and bid them to prepare a -feast and fitting clothes for the bride, and tell the chaplain to be -ready, for I mean to marry her at once.” - -“And now,” he said to Kesta, when all his pages had returned to the -palace, “come and sit by me and watch me fish till all is ready.” - -So Kesta sat by his side and watched him fishing with his long rod, but -after a time she grew tired of being silent, and said, “What have you -caught?” - -“Nothing yet,” said the Duke. - -“Then why do you go on?” asked she. - -“Because I’m sure to catch something soon, and it’s amusing. Wouldn’t -you like to hold the rod a little?” - -“Yes, very much,” answered Kesta, who was afraid of offending him. So -she put out her hand to take the rod, and as she did so the basket fell -from her arm and the cheeses rolled out. - -“What are those round balls?” asked the Duke, “and what an odd smell -they have.” - -“They are my cheeses,” cried Kesta; “I made them yesterday, and was -taking them to sell, when——” - -“Good gracious, you made them!” cried the Duke with a scream. “Then -you must be a common dairy-maid, and your hands are quite rough. -How terrible! And I was just going to marry you. How dare you think -yourself good enough to marry me!” and he sprang to his feet in a -towering passion, and seizing his horn blew it so loudly that the four -pages ran up in great alarm. “Hunt her away,” cried the Duke, “she is -an impostor—a common farm wench and makes cheeses. She thought herself -good enough to be the Duchess!” - -Away flew Kesta, with the pages after her hooting and shouting, “Down -with the impertinent hussy who wanted to marry the Duke, a common -dairy-maid who makes cheeses.” - -On rushed Kesta till she came to the General’s house, and at his window -he sat in his fine uniform. He sat waiting for her, but when he saw the -pages behind her he called, “Hey-dey, what is all this fuss about?” - -“It is nothing,” said Kesta. “See, I have come back to marry you as I -promised.” - -But here the pages shouted, “Away with the impertinent dairy-maid, who -thought herself good enough to marry the Duke.” - -“And wouldn’t the Duke marry her?” asked the General. - -“Of course not; she is nothing but a farm wench,” cried the pages, “and -she is to be chased from the town for her impertinence.” - -“And so she shall,” cried the General; “she thought she was fit for me -too—it is disgraceful!” and he cried to some soldiers who stood by his -door, “Here, my men, help to chase this good-for-nothing hussy out of -the town.” - -But before he had finished Kesta was running down the street with all -her might to the banker’s. At last she came to the banker’s big square -house standing beside the bank, and on the steps was the banker himself -in his shiny black clothes with gold rings on his hands. - -“Here I am,” cried Kesta; “and let me in quickly, for I am out of -breath with running.” - -“Why have you hurried so?” cried the banker, and as he spoke the pages -and the soldiers came round the corner, “and what is all this shouting -for?” - -“Nay, how should I know?” cried Kesta, running into the house. - -But up came her pursuers, crying, “Away with her! down with her!” - -“Who is it you are calling after?” asked the banker. - -“That wench in the yellow dress who has gone into your house.” - -“Why, what has she done?” he asked. - -“Why, she thought herself good enough to marry the Duke and the -General, and she is to be hooted out of the town for her impudence!” - -“But didn’t the General want to marry her?” asked the banker. - -“Our General!” cried the soldiers angrily; “why, she’s only a -dairy-maid, and not fit for him.” - -“Then I’m sure she can’t be good enough for me, for I’m quite as good -as he,” said the banker, and he ran into the house in a great rage, -crying, “Begone, you impertinent jade! how dare you think yourself good -enough for me to marry!” It chanced at this moment that the clerks were -coming out of the bank next door, and when he saw them he cried, “Here, -my good fellows, help to chase this minx from the town; she wishes to -be my wife, when she is nothing but a common dairy-maid.” On this the -clerks burst out laughing, and one and all ran after Kesta, who ran -with all her might and main. - -“It’s too hard,” sobbed she; “what have I done to be treated like -this?” But run as fast as she might she could not reach the bailiff’s -house before them, and the pages, soldiers, and clerks were all close -to her, shouting and laughing. - -“Why, what’s the matter?” cried the bailiff, “and why are you shouting -at this poor maid?” - -“Why,” said they, “she wanted to marry first the Duke, and the General, -and the banker, and of course they would not have her, because she is -only a common dairy wench.” - -“What impertinence!” cried the bailiff; “and, now I come to think of -it, she asked to marry me too; indeed she merits punishment for such -behaviour,” and seeing some of his farm people close at hand, he bid -them run after Kesta and drive her out of the town. But this time she -had started first, and had got on to the mill before they could reach -her, and she ran into the garden where the miller was. “Well, I’m glad -to see you back,” said he, “but how hard you have run.” - -“I was in such a hurry to get back. Now let’s go into the house,” she -said. - -“Come along,” said the miller; “but what are all those people shouting -for?” - -“’Tis only the farmers bringing home pigs from the market,” said Kesta, -but she felt frightened, for she heard the people calling after her. - -“Pigs don’t make a noise like that,” said the miller, “I will go and -see what it is about.” And when he heard that they were all shouting -at Kesta, he flew into a violent rage and cried, “If she wasn’t good -enough for the bailiff I’m sure she’s not fit for me,” and he called -to some of his men who were working at the mill, “See there, my men, -do you see that girl? throw some flour at her, for she is an impudent -hussy, and asked me to marry her.” - -Away flew Kesta again, and after her came all the crowd in a long line. -“How unfortunate I am,” she sobbed; “but anyhow I can go back to Adam; -he’s sure to be glad to have me,” and on she sped, and at last she came -to the farm and ran in, calling to Adam. - -“Is that you, Kesta?” cried Adam, coming to meet her, and kissing her. -“I’m glad to see you, but why are you so hot?” - -“It is the sun, it was so strong,” said Kesta. - -“Then sit down and grow cool,” said Adam. “But I wonder what all that -shouting outside can be?” - -“It is only people making holiday,” cried Kesta. But for all she could -say Adam went out to ask the people what they wanted at the farm? - -“We want nothing at the farm,” they cried, “but we followed that -impudent wench dressed in yellow.” - -“Why, what has she done?” asked Adam. - -“Done!” they cried. “Why, she came up to the town and asked to marry -the miller, and the banker, and the bailiff, and the General, and even -the Duke himself, so she deserves to be punished for her presumption.” - -Then Adam looked very grave, and went back to the farm and said, -“Indeed, Kesta, I cannot marry you now, since you’ve been to the town -and tried to get a finer husband than me,” and he went back to his -work, and left Kesta sitting all alone; and there she sat and cried -by herself, and did not get any husband after all, because she was so -false and vain. - - - - -[Illustration: THE POOL & THE TREE] - - -ONCE there was a tree standing in the middle of a vast wilderness, and -beneath the shade of its branches was a little pool, over which they -bent. The pool looked up at the tree and the tree looked down at the -pool, and the two loved each other better than anything else on earth. -And neither of them thought of anything else but each other, or cared -who came and went in the world around them. - -“But for you and the shade you give me I should have been dried up by -the sun long ago,” said the pool. - -“And if it were not for you and your shining face, I should never have -seen myself, or have known what my boughs and blossoms were like,” -answered the tree. - -Every year when the leaves and flowers had died away from the branches -of the tree, and the cold winter came, the little pool froze over and -remained hard and silent till the spring; but directly the sun’s rays -thawed it, it again sparkled and danced as the wind blew upon it, -and it began to watch its beloved friend, to see the buds and leaves -reappear, and together they counted the leaves and blossoms as they -came forth. - -One day there rode over the moorland a couple of travellers in search -of rare plants and flowers. At first they did not look at the tree, but -as they were hot and tired they got off their horses, and sat under the -shade of the boughs, and talked of what they had been doing. “We have -not found much,” said one gloomily; “it seemed scarcely worth while to -come so far for so little.” - -“One may hunt for many years before one finds anything very rare,” -answered the elder traveller. “Well, we have not done, and who knows -but what we may yet have some luck?” As he spoke he picked up one of -the fallen leaves of the tree which lay beside him, and at once he -sprang to his feet, and pulled down one of the branches to examine it. -Then he called to his comrade to get up, and he also closely examined -the leaves and blossoms, and they talked together eagerly, and at -length declared that this was the best thing they had found in all -their travels. But neither the pool nor the tree heeded them, for the -pool lay looking lovingly up to the tree, and the tree gazed down at -the clear water of the pool, and they wanted nothing more, and by and -by the travellers mounted their horses and rode away. - -The summer passed and the cold winds of autumn blew. - -“Soon your leaves will drop and you will fall asleep for the winter, -and we must bid each other good-bye,” said the pool. - -“And you too when the frost comes will be numbed to ice,” answered the -tree; “but never mind, the spring will follow, and the sun will wake us -both.” - -But long before the winter had set in, ere yet the last leaf had -fallen, there came across the prairie a number of men riding on horses -and mules, bringing with them a long waggon. They rode straight to the -tree, and foremost among them were the two travellers who had been -there before. - -“Why do they come? What do they want?” cried the pool uneasily; but -the tree feared nothing. The men had spades and pickaxes, and began to -dig a deep ditch all round the tree’s roots, and then they dug beneath -them, and at last both the pool and the tree saw that they were going -to dig it up. - -“What are you doing? Why are you trying to wrench up my roots and to -move me?” cried the tree; “don’t you know that I shall die if you drag -me from my pool which has fed and loved me all my life?” And the pool -said, “Oh, what can they want? Why do they take you? The sun will come -and dry me up without your shade, and I never, never shall see you -again.” But the men heard nothing, and continued to dig at the root of -the tree till they had loosened all the earth round it, and then they -lifted it and wrapped big cloths round it and put it on their waggon -and drove away with it. - -Then for the first time the pool looked straight up at the sky without -seeing the delicate tracery made by the leaves and twigs against the -blue, and it called out to all things near it: “My tree, my tree, where -have they taken my tree? When the hot sun comes it will dry me up, if -it shines down on me without the shade of my tree.” And so loudly it -mourned and lamented that the birds flying past heard it, and at last -a swallow paused on the wing, and hovering near its surface, asked why -it grieved so bitterly. “They have taken my tree,” cried the pool, “and -I don’t know where it is; I cannot move or look to right or left, so I -shall never see it again.” - -“Ask the moon,” said the swallow. “The moon sees everywhere, and she -will tell you. I am flying away to warmer countries, for the winter -will soon be here. Good-bye, poor pool.” - -At night, when the moon rose, and the pool looked up and saw its -beautiful white face, it remembered the swallow’s words, and called out -to ask its aid. - -“Find me my tree,” it prayed; “you shone through its branches and know -it well, and you can see all over the world; look for my tree, and tell -me where they have taken it. Perhaps they have torn it in pieces or -burnt it up.” - -“Nay,” cried the moon, “they have done neither, for I saw it a few -hours ago when I shone near it. They have taken it many miles away and -it is planted in a big garden, but it has not taken root in the earth, -and its foliage is fading. The men who took it prize it heartily, and -strangers come from far and near to look at it, because they say it is -so rare, and there are only one or two like it in the world.” - -On hearing this the pool felt itself swell with pride that the tree -should be so much admired; but then it cried in anguish, “And I shall -never see it again, for I can never move from here.” - -“That is nonsense,” cried a little cloud that was sailing near; “I was -once in the earth like you. To-morrow, if the sun shines brightly, he -will draw you up into the sky, and you can sail along till you find -your tree.” - -“Is that true?” cried the pool, and all that night it rested in peace -waiting for the sun to rise. Next day there were no clouds, and when -the pool saw the sun shining it cried, “Draw me up into the sky, dear -Sun, that I may be a little cloud and sail all the world over, till I -can find my beloved tree.” - -When the sun heard it, he threw down hundreds of tiny golden threads -which dropped over the pool, and slowly and gradually it began to -change and grow thinner and lighter, and to rise through the air, till -at last it had quite left the earth, and where it had lain before, -there was nothing but a dry hole, but the pool itself was transformed -into a tiny cloud, and was sailing above in the blue sky in the -sunshine. There were many other little clouds in the sky, but our -little cloud kept apart from them all. It could see far and near over a -great space of country, but nowhere could it espy the tree, and again -it turned to the sun for help. “Can you see?” it cried. “You who see -everywhere, where is my tree?” - -“You can’t see it yet,” answered the sun, “for it is away on the other -side of the world, but presently the wind will begin to blow and it -will blow you till you find it.” - -Then the wind arose, and the cloud sailed along swiftly, looking -everywhere as it went for the tree. It could have had a merry time if -it had not longed so for its friend. Everywhere was the golden sunlight -shining through the bright blue sky, and the other clouds tumbled and -danced in the wind and laughed for joy. - -“Why do you not come and dance with us?” they cried; “why do you sail -on so rapidly?” - -“I cannot stay, I am seeking a lost friend,” answered the cloud, and -it scudded past them, leaving them to roll over and over, and tumble -about, and change their shapes, and divide and separate, and play a -thousand pranks. - -For many hundred miles the wind blew the little cloud, then it said, -“Now I am tired and shall take you no further, but soon the west wind -will come and it will take you on; good-bye.” And at once the wind -stopped blowing and dropped to rest on the earth; and the cloud stood -still in the sky and looked all around. - -“I shall never find it,” it sighed. “It will be dead before I come.” - -Presently the sun went down and the moon rose, then the west wind began -to blow gently and moved the cloud slowly along. - -“Which way should I go, where is it?” entreated the cloud. - -“I know; I will take you straight to it,” said the west wind. “The -north wind has told me. I blew by the tree to-day; it was drooping, but -when I told it that you had risen to the sky and were seeking it, it -revived and tried to lift its branches. They have planted it in a great -garden, and there are railings round it and no one may touch it; and -there is one gardener who has nothing to do but to attend to it, and -people come from far and near to look at it because it is so rare, and -they have only found one or two others like it, but it longs to be back -in the desert, stooping over you and seeing its face in your water.” - -“Make haste, then,” cried the cloud, “lest before I reach it I fall to -pieces with joy at the thought of seeing it.” - -“How foolish you are!” said the wind. “Why should you give yourself up -for a tree? You might dance about in the sky for long yet, and then you -might drop into the sea and mix with the waves and rise again with them -to the sky, but if you fall about the tree you will go straight into -the dark earth, and perhaps you will always remain there, for at the -roots of the tree they have made a deep hole and the sun cannot draw -you up through the earth under the branches.” - -[Illustration: “Have you come at last?” the cried; “then we need never -be parted again.”] - -“Then that will be what I long for,” cried the cloud. “For then I can -lie in the dark where no one may see me, but I shall be close to my -tree, and I can touch its roots and feed them, and when the raindrops -fall from its branches they will run down to me and tell me how they -look.” - -“You are foolish,” said the wind again; “but you shall have what you -want.” - -The wind blew the cloud low down near the earth till it found itself -over a big garden, in which there were all sorts of trees and shrubs, -and such soft green grass as the cloud had never seen before. And there -in the middle of the grass, in a bed of earth to itself, with a railing -round it so that no one could injure it, was the tree which the cloud -had come so far to seek. Its leaves were falling off, its branches were -drooping, and its buds dropped before they opened, and the poor tree -looked as if it were dying. - -“There is my tree, my tree!” called the cloud. “Blow me down, dear -wind, so that I may fall upon it.” - -The wind blew the cloud lower and lower, till it almost touched the top -branches of the tree. Then it broke and fell in a shower, and crept -down through the earth to its roots, and when it felt its drops the -tree lifted up its leaves and rejoiced, for it knew that the pool it -had loved so had followed it. - -“Have you come at last?” it cried. “Then we need never be parted again.” - -In the morning when the gardeners came they found the tree looking -quite fresh and well, and its leaves quite green and crisp. “The cool -wind last night revived it,” they said, “and it looks as if it had -rained too in the night, for round here the earth is quite damp.” But -they did not know that under the earth at the tree’s roots lay the -pool, and that that was what had saved the tree. - -And there it lies to this day, hidden away in the darkness where no -one can see it, but the tree feels it with its roots, and blooms in -splendour, and people come from far and near to admire it. - - - - -[Illustration: NANINA’S SHEEP] - -ONCE there lived a young girl called Nanina, who kept sheep for an old -farmer. One day he said to her, “Nanina, I’m going away to buy pigs -at a market far off, and I shall be away one whole month, so be sure -and take good care of the flock, and remember, there are six sheep -and eight lambs, and I must find them safe when I return. And mind, -Nanina, that whatever you do, you don’t go near the old palace on the -other side of the hill, for it is filled with wicked fairies who might -do you an ill turn.” Nanina promised, and her master started. - -The first day all went well, and she drove the flock in safely at -night; but the next day she found it dull sitting on the hillside -watching the lambs at play, and wondered why her master had told her -always to keep on that side, and away from the old palace on the other. - -“If it is filled with fairies,” quoth she, “it won’t hurt me just to -look at it; I should like to see a fairy.” So she drove her flock to -the other side of the hill, and sat looking at the old palace that was -half in ruins, but was said to be lit up quite brightly every night -after it was dark. - -“I wonder if it really is lit up,” said Nanina, “I should like to see.” -So she waited on that side of the hill till the sun went down, and -then she saw a bright light appearing in one of the palace windows. -As she stood and watched, the front door opened, and out there came a -shepherd boy followed by a flock of black goats. Nanina stared at him, -for she had never seen any one so beautiful before. He was dressed in -glittering green, and wore a soft brown hat trimmed with leaves under -which his curls hung down. In one hand he held a crook and in the -other a pipe, and as he drew near, he began to play the pipe and dance -merrily, while the goats behind him skipped and danced too. Nanina had -never seen such goats; they were jet black, with locks curling and -thick and soft as silk. As she listened open-mouthed to the music of -the pipe, she heard it speak words in its playing:— - - “When the young birds sing, - And the young plants spring, - Then dance we so merrily together, oh.” - -The shepherd boy danced lightly to where she stood, and louder and -louder sounded the pipe, and still it said— - - “When the young birds sing, - And the young plants spring, - Then dance we so merrily together, oh.” - -Nanina gaped to see the goats dance and spring in time to the music, -and so cheering it was, that she felt her own feet beginning to move -with it. The shepherd made her a low bow and offered her his hand, -and she placed hers in it, and off they started together. Nanina’s -feet felt as light as if they had been made of cork, and she laughed -with glee as she bounded on; and as she danced with the shepherd, so -her flock began to move too, and thus they went, followed by the black -goats and sheep all skipping merrily. “If my flock follow me there can -be no harm,” thought Nanina, and on they kept in time to the wonderful -tune— - - “When the young birds sing, - And the young plants spring, - Then dance we so merrily together, oh.” - -Whither they went she knew not, she thought of nothing but the joy of -dancing to the wonderful music; but suddenly, just ere sunrise, the -shepherd stopped, and dropped her hand and gave one long slow note on -the pipe, at which the goats gathered round him, and before she knew -where they were going, they had disappeared into the palace. Then she -was in a terrible fright, for she saw the sun beginning to rise, and -found the whole night had passed, when she thought she had only been -ten minutes. She counted her sheep, and, alas! there was one lamb -missing. - -[Illustration] - -She sought everywhere for it, but no trace of it was to be seen. Then -she drove all the others back to the farm and watched them, falling -half asleep, for she was weary with the dancing. But when evening -came, and she had slept some time, she said to herself, “Surely the -best plan would be to go back to the old palace, and see if I can see -the shepherd and the black goats again.” So just about sunset she -returned to the palace, and again the door opened, and the beautiful -shepherd boy came out with the black goats following. But when he began -to play on his pipe, and the goats to dance, Nanina forgot all about -the lost lamb and danced with him as before. Again they danced till -morning, and then he left her suddenly, and she found that another lamb -had disappeared. Then she wept and lamented, and declared that the next -night she would only watch the shepherd and nothing would make her -dance; and again the next night the same thing happened; when once she -heard the pipe, Nanina could not keep still, and another lamb was lost. -This went on to the end of a fortnight, when there was only one of the -flock left. Then she was terribly frightened, for her master would soon -return, and she did not know what she should say to him. But still she -went back and sat by the old palace, and when the shepherd came out, -and she heard the music, she could not refrain from dancing, and in -the morning the last lamb had gone! - -[Illustration] - -All the day Nanina wandered about and cried, but no sheep were to be -found. At last, when she was quite weary, she sat down beneath a beech -tree near the palace, and leaned her head against its trunk sobbing. -Then she saw that someone had torn down the lowest branches of the -tree and they were hanging down broken. She raised them and tied them -up, so that they would grow together, and as she did so she heard a -shadowy voice whisper, “Thank you, Nanina; Nanina, don’t dance.” She -looked about but there was nobody there, and again she heard a whisper, -“Nanina, don’t dance.” The voice came from the beech tree, and among -the leaves she saw a small twisted face looking at her. “Thank you, -Nanina, for saving my bough,” said the tree, “and if you mind me, you -shall get all your sheep back again.” - -“My sheep,” cried Nanina. “Only tell me, and I will do anything.” - -“Then you must not dance. Every time you refuse to dance with the -fairy, one of your flock will be returned.” - -“But how can I refuse to dance?” cried Nanina, “for as I hear the -pipe beginning, my feet begin to move of themselves, it is no use my -trying,” and she cried aloud. - -“Bury your feet in the earth like my roots,” whispered back the voice. -“Dig a hole deep down, and I will hold your feet so that you shall not -move them, only you must bear the pain, and not mind if you walk lame -afterwards, for I shall hold them very tight, and it will hurt you.” - -[Illustration] - -“Hurt me as you please,” cried Nanina, “and I shan’t mind. If only I -can get back my sheep I will bear any pain.” So she knelt beneath the -tree, and dug a deep hole in the ground among its roots, and then she -placed her feet among the loose earth, and she felt something moving -near them which tightened around and drew them far down into the -ground, and held them as if they were bound with cords. She saw the -lights in the windows of the palace, and the door opened. “Hold me, -hold me fast,” she cried, “for when I hear the music I shall begin to -dance.” The tree said nothing, but she felt its roots tightening so -that she could not move. The door of the palace opened as before, and -the beautiful shepherd, followed by his goats and her sheep, came out, -and she heard once more the sound of the wonderful pipe, and he danced -straight up to the tree beneath which she stood, and held out his hand -to her. Nanina felt as if her feet were beginning to move under the -earth, but the roots of the tree held them so firmly that she could not -stir one inch. Still the shepherd danced before her, and as she saw -him springing in front, with the flocks behind him following him, she -grew quite wild to dance, and tried her hardest to break her feet free -from the roots which held them, but in vain, though she almost screamed -with the pain they cost her. For hours the shepherd danced in front -of her, till, as before, the pipe sounded forth one long note, and he -disappeared, but this time not all the flock went with him, for beside -her was left one of her own little lambs, and when she saw it she -cried for joy. She felt the roots releasing their hold of her feet, -and she drew them out of the earth, and they were all blue and bruised -where they had been held. She drove home the lamb and fastened it into -the sheep-pen, but her feet were so stiff and swelled that she limped -as she walked. Next night she went back to the beech tree, and again -slipped her feet into its roots, and felt them twist around them; but -this time the poor feet were so sore that she cried when they touched -them. Again the fairy appeared, and again she heard the pipe, and her -longing to dance was worse than ever, but the roots clutched her and -would not let her stir. When the pipe ceased and the fairy disappeared, -another of her lambs was left with her, and she drove it home as she -had done the first, but she had to go very slowly on account of her -crushed feet. - -The same thing happened the next night and the next, till all the flock -had returned save one, and Nanina’s feet were so bad that she could -scarcely hobble, for they were crushed and bleeding, and she wondered -whether she would walk lame all the days of her life. - -On the last evening she limped down to the tree almost crying with -pain. When she sat down by its trunk she heard the soft sighing voice -saying, “Never mind, Nanina; to-night is the last, and though it will -hurt you the most, it will soon be past.” So she slipped her feet into -the earth once more, though she shrank as they touched it, and directly -the sun had set, the lights appeared in the palace windows, and out -came the shepherd with all his black goats and her one white sheep -following him. He looked more beautiful than ever, for he had a crown -set with jewels, and was dressed in scarlet and gold, but when the pipe -began to play it was not merry dance-music it made, but long sad notes, -like a funeral march; yet Nanina’s feet would have moved in spite of -herself, and she would have marched in time to them, had not the roots -tightened like cords and held her down. Tears of pain ran down her -cheeks, and she sobbed, and instead of the joyous words what the music -said was— - - “Join us, Nanina, dance again, - One last dance will ease your pain.” - -[Illustration: - - “Join us, Nanina, dance again, - One last dance will ease your pain.”] - -Presently the music grew quicker, and her longing to move with it -grew stronger. She swayed herself about, and cried and screamed as -the fairy and flock danced, now solemnly and slowly, now joyously and -wildly. Just when she felt that she could bear it no longer there came -one long low note on the pipe, and with a mighty crash like thunder the -shepherd and the goats disappeared, and not only had they gone, but the -walls of the old palace had fallen, and nothing was left of it but a -heap of stones. Beside her on the grass was the last of her lost sheep. -“Good-bye, Nanina,” said the voice from the beech tree; “now you have -all your flock again,” and she felt the roots loosen round her feet, -but when she looked at them she found that her legs were wounded and -bleeding, where she had dashed them about in trying to dance. She knelt -down and smoothed over the earth where it was torn up among the trees, -and she put her arms round the trunk and kissed and thanked it for -having helped her, but the voice did not speak again. Then she drove -home the last sheep, but she had to go on her hands and knees, for her -feet were too bad to walk. - -Next day when the farmer came home, he was well pleased that she had -kept his flock safe, but he would fain know how she had got such sore -feet that for long she must walk lame. “Of a truth, master,” she quoth, -“it was in saving the lambs when they got into dangerous places.” - -Underneath the beech tree, where Nanina’s feet had bled among the -earth, there sprang up pretty little scarlet flowers, and whenever -she passed and saw them she remembered how she had been punished for -disobeying her master, and made up her mind never to do so again. - -[Illustration: THE END] - - - - -[Illustration: THE GIPSY’S CUP] - - -IN a little village there lived a young potter, who made his living by -making all sorts of earthenware. He took the clay, and made it into -shapes on the wheel, and then baked his cups and jars in a kiln. He -made big jugs and little jugs, and basins and cups and saucers, and -indeed every sort of pot or jar that could be wanted. He was very -fond of his work, and was always thinking of how to make new shapes, -or colour his jars with pretty colours. It was a very tiny village -he lived in, and he worked at throwing his pots on his wheel by the -road-side, but people came from many other villages and towns to buy -his ware. Once a year there was a big fair, held in the town near, and -just before it, the potter was always very busy making new pots and -jugs to sell there. A few nights before the fair was to be held, he was -hard at work, trying to finish a number of little bowls, so he sat at -his wheel late in the evening after the sun was set. All day long the -road had been gay with folk coming to the fair, some were in carts, -and some were on foot, and there were a number of gipsies in caravans, -bringing all sorts of goods to sell. Most of them went through the -village and on to a big common a little further on, where they got out -of their carts and put up tents, to sleep in while the fair went on. -The potter was so busy with his little basins on his turning wheel -that he did not hear the sound of footsteps, and when he looked up, he -was surprised to see a young gipsy girl standing near, watching him. -She was quite young, and had big black eyes, and rosy round cheeks, -and her black hair was twisted up in little red beads and chains. She -was dressed in some very gay stuff, and round her neck was a gold -necklace, and on her fingers and arms were rings and bracelets. - -“That should be a fine cup,” said the girl, “since you keep your eyes -on it and can look at nothing else.” - -“I keep my eyes for my work, that I may do it well,” said the potter, -“for I live by my work, and neither by stealing nor begging.” - -“But I fancy many others can do your work as well, or better than you,” -answered the gipsy. “What can your cups do when they are finished? I -don’t hear you say anything to them, so I should think they would be -stupid cups—only fit to drink out of.” - -“And what else should they be for?” asked the potter angrily. “What do -you mean by saying that you don’t hear me saying anything to my cups? -I don’t think you know what you are talking about. It is nonsense, and -you are talking nonsense.” - -“My grandfather used to make pots on a wheel,” said the gipsy, and she -laughed low, and showed her white teeth in the moonlight; “ah! but he -knew how to do them, and he had charms to say to them when he threw -them. And one of his cups would make you wise if you drank out of it, -and another would give you your true love’s heart if she drank from it, -and another would make you forget everything—yes, even your true love, -and all your mirth and all your sorrow, and I think that was the best -cup of all;” and again the gipsy laughed in the moonlight, and sang a -little song to herself as she sat herself down before the potter. - -“Now this is real child’s talk,” said the potter very impatiently. -“’Tis easy to say your grandfather knew how to do all this, but why -should I believe you? and because your grandfather may have been able -to throw a bowl upon the wheel, that doesn’t make you know anything -about the craft, or how it is done.” - -“Nay, but he taught me too,” said the gipsy. “Give me a piece of your -clay, and let me come to your wheel and you shall see.” - -At first the potter thought she was talking nonsense, but to his great -surprise she took hold of the clay in her little brown hands, and -moulded and modelled it with the greatest skill. Then she placed it on -the wheel and threw a little jug, and he wondered to see how deft she -was. - -“Now I will make you a little bowl,” she said, and then she made jugs -and pots and jars, far more quickly and skilfully than the potter could -have done. “And now I will colour them too,” she cried. “See, I shall -catch the colour from the moon, and to-morrow you can put them into -your kiln and bake them, and you may be sure that you have never had -such pots there before.” Then she put her little brown hands out into -the moonlight, and they were covered with rings which glittered and -shone, but as she held up her palms to the moon’s rays, it seemed to -the potter as if they too were full of some strange glittering liquid. -“And now,” she said, “see, I will put it on to your pots, and I should -think I had taught you that I know more about your trade than you do -yourself.” And she took the pots in her hands and rubbed her palms over -them, and she traced patterns on them with her fingers. - -The potter looked at her and felt almost angry, but she only laughed in -his face. - -“And now one last thing,” she cried, “and that is, that I will make -you a cup that has a spell in it, and it shall be a present for you -to remember me by. It will be very plain, and there will be no gay -colours in it, but when you give it to your true love to drink from, -if once you have drunk from it yourself, you will have all her heart, -but beware that she doesn’t take a second draught. For though the first -draught that she drinks will be drunk to love, the second draught will -be drunk to hate, and though she have loved you more than all else on -earth, all her love will turn to hate when she drinks again. And as you -are so ignorant how to make bowls and cups, you will not know how to -fashion one so as to win back her love again.” - -The potter stared in silence, while the gipsy took another bit of -clay and placed it upon the wheel, and then she bent her head, which -glittered with beads and coins, low over it, and placing her rosy lips -close to the mouth of the cup, sang some words into it, while she -moulded it with her hands, and turned the wheel with her foot. It was -in some strange language that the potter had never heard before. - -“Good-bye,” she said presently. “Now, there, that is for you, and be -sure you do not sell the little brown cup, but keep it and give it to -your true love to drink out of; but only one draught, for if there -are two maybe you will need the gipsy’s help again.” Then she laughed, -and nodding her head over her shoulder, tripped lightly away in the -moonlight while the potter stared after her. - -At first he thought he had been asleep, but there around him stood the -little rows of jugs and pots which the gipsy had made, and truly they -were beautifully done. He took them up, and turned them over in his -hand, and wondered at their shape and workmanship. - -“To-morrow,” he said, “I will put them into the kiln, and see how they -come out. She certainly was a clever wench, and knew her work; but as -for her talk about having coloured them, that was all nonsense, and as -for breathing spells and charms into the cups, why it is like baby’s -talk.” - -But next day when the pots were baked, the potter was even more -surprised, for they had the most wonderful colours that he had ever -seen: silver, blue, grey and yellow, in all sorts of patterns, all save -the little brown cup, which was the last the gipsy had made. But when -he looked at it the potter felt a little uncomfortable, and began to -wonder if it really did contain the charm as she had declared. - -When the fair began, the potter placed all the gipsy’s wares on a stall -with his own, and marked them with very high prices, but had he asked -three times as much he could have got it, for there were some rich folk -from the big houses who came to the fair, and they at once bought them -all up, declaring that such pots and jugs they had never seen. At this -the potter was well pleased, and found that he had made more money than -he had earned in many a long month past; but when people wanted him to -make them more like them, he was obliged to shake his head, and say, -“That he was very sorry, but he had had them coloured from afar, and he -did not know where he could now have them done.” Of the gipsy he saw -nothing more, though he looked for her everywhere during the three days -in which the fair lasted, but she was not to be seen, and when the fair -was over, and the other people were packing their carts and vans to go -on their way, he saw very many gipsies, and supposed that she had gone -with some of them, without giving him the chance of speaking to her -again. - -Years went by, and the potter never heard anything more of the gipsy, -indeed he would have thought it had all been a dream if it had not been -for the little brown pot standing on the shelf. Sometimes he took it -up, and looked at it, and wondered when he saw how well and cleverly it -was made. He still laughed when he remembered what the gipsy had said -about leaving a charm in it, for though he himself had drunk out of it -many times, he never thought it had brought any spell on him. - -One year when the fair was being held, the potter was at his place -as usual with his stall covered with pots, and there came and placed -herself beside him at the next stall a woman with some spinning-wheels. -Her stall was covered with fine linen cloths woven in pretty patterns, -and so fine and well wrought were they, that many people wanted -to buy them. With her were her two daughters, and one sat at the -spinning-wheel and spun the flax, and the other had a hand-loom and -wove it when it was spun to show the good folk how the cloths were -made. Both were pretty girls, but the girl who had the hand-loom had -the sweetest face the potter had ever seen. Her eyes were very blue, -and her hair was like golden corn, and when she smiled, it was as if -the sun shone. The potter watched her as she sat weaving, and could -not keep his eyes from her or attend properly to his own pots, or to -the people who wanted to buy them. Every day he watched the young girl -at her work, for the fair lasted for a week, and the more he looked at -her the more he wanted to look, till at last he said to himself that -somehow or other he must get her for his wife; so when the fair was -done he begged her to marry him, and to remain with him, and he said he -would always work for her, and she should want for nothing. The mother -was a poor widow, and she and her daughters made their bread by going -about the country spinning and weaving, and she would have been quite -willing that the potter should marry her daughter, but the girl only -laughed, and said that she scarcely knew the potter, but when she came -back again the next year to the fair, she would give him his answer. So -the widow and her two daughters went away, and no sign of them was left -with the potter, save a lock of golden hair, which he had begged from -the daughter. - -The year passed away, but to the potter it seemed the longest year he -had ever lived. He pined for the time to come when the fair should -be held, and the widow and her daughters should return. As the time -drew near he got down the brown cup, and looked at it again and again. -“Nay,” he said, “what harm could it do? the gipsy said it would give me -my true love’s heart if she drank out of it after I had drunk, and I -have drunk out of it many a time. I don’t believe it, but all the same -it would be no harm for her to drink from it.” - -And so when the fair was opened, he took the brown cup down with him, -and stood it upon the stall with his other ware. The spinning woman and -her two daughters came back with their fine cloths, and their wheel -and their loom, and when he saw the golden-haired girl, he loved her -still more than before, for he thought her eyes were bluer and her -smile was brighter. He watched her all the time as she sat weaving, but -said nothing, but when the fair was over, and they were packing their -goods to go on their way, he pressed the maid for her answer. Still -she hesitated, and then the potter took the little brown cup off his -stall, and poured into it some choice wine, and said to her, - -“If then you wish to go away, and never see me again, I pray you drink -one draught, in remembrance of the happy days we have had together.” - -The young girl took the cup, but no sooner had she tasted it than she -put it down and turned her eyes on the potter, and said in a low voice, - -“I will stay with you always, if you want me, and will be a true wife -to you, and love you better than anything on earth.” - -So the potter married her, and she went to live in his little cottage. - -Time passed, and the potter and his young wife lived together very -happily, and every day he thought her fairer and sweeter. And they had -a little baby girl with blue eyes like its mother’s, and the potter -thought himself the happiest man on earth, and the little brown pot -stood on the shelf, and the potter looked at it, and still he would not -believe about the charm, for he said to himself, “My wife loved me for -my own sake, and not for any silly charm or nonsense.” - -[Illustration: “I pray you drink one draught, in remembrance of the -happy days we have had together.”] - -So for a time all things went well, but there came a day when the -potter had to go to a neighbouring town and leave his wife at home -alone all day. When he was gone she sat by the window with her little -child, and presently there came up outside a dark, rough-looking man, -with a wicked face, and he looked at her as she sat rocking the cradle, -and thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen on earth. -When he looked at her the potter’s wife was frightened, but when he -told her he was very hungry, and begged her for food and drink, she -rose, for her heart was tender, and she fetched him bread and meat, and -spread them on the table before him. So the rough man came into the -cottage and sat at the table, and ate the potter’s bread and meat, and -drank his wine. “And who is your husband, and where is he?” he said. “I -am sure he is a lucky man to have such a wife and such a home.” - -“Yes, truly,” said the potter’s wife. “We are very happy, and we love -each other dearly, and we really have nothing else to wish for.” - -Then the gipsy man said, “But your dress is plain, and your rooms are -bare; now, were you the wife of some wealthy man, he would give you -pearls and diamonds for your neck, and beautiful silks and satins.” - -“No, but I don’t want them,” said the potter’s wife smiling. “My -husband works very hard, and he gives me all he can, and I am quite -content with it.” - -“And you say he is a potter; then what sort of things does he make?” -asked the gipsy man as he cast his eyes about the room, and they lit -upon the little brown jug standing upon the shelf. “And did he make the -little bowl there?” - -“I don’t know,” said his wife, and she took it down and turned it about -in her hand. “I suppose so, but he has told me it was very old.” - -The gipsy man seized it eagerly, and poured wine in it, and looked -inside it, and then he laughed, and stooping his head over it, said a -few words, and then laughed again. - -“I have seen cups like this before,” he said. “And they are worth a -mint of money, though you would not think it. And have you never drunk -out of it? Has it not been used?” - -“I don’t drink from it,” said the potter’s wife, “but I believe I did -so once, and that was on the day when I promised my husband I would be -his wife.” - -Then the gipsy laughed again and again. “See,” he said, “I am going a -long way off, perhaps to die by cold and hunger by the road-side, while -you and your husband are cosy and warm. You set small store by this -cup, but it may be that in foreign countries I could sell it for what -would keep me for many a long day. Give it to me, I pray you, that I -may take it with me.” - -The potter’s wife hesitated and trembled. She was afraid of the man, -and she thought he had a hard, bad face, but she did not want to seem -unkind. - -“Well, take it,” she said; “but why should you want it?” - -Then the gipsy man came and caught her by the arm. “Now,” he said, -“you are the fairest woman I have ever seen, and I am going away, and -shall never see you again. So I beg you wish me God-speed, and drink my -health out of the little brown cup you have given me. And if your lips -have touched it, it will be the dearest thing I have on earth!” - -Then the potter’s wife was still more frightened, and trembled more -than before. But the man looked so dark and threatening, that she did -not like to refuse him, and she took the cup in her hand, - -“And then you will go on your way,” she said. - -“And then I shall go on my way,” cried the gipsy. “And you will wait -here till your husband comes, whom you love more than anything else on -this earth.” - -Then the potter’s wife bent her head and tasted the wine out of the -cup, and wished the gipsy happiness. And when she had done so he -laughed again, long and low, till her heart sank with fear, and he -picked up the cup and put it into his bundle, and went his way. Then -the potter’s wife sat down by the cradle, and almost cried, she knew -not why, and the whole room seemed cold, and when she looked out at the -sunshine it looked dark, and she bent over the baby in the cradle with -her tears falling. - -“Alack!” she cried, “why doesn’t my husband come home? Where is he -gone? How cruel it is to leave me all alone here, so that any rough -man may come into the house. In truth I don’t think he can love me -much, since all he thinks of is to go away and leave me; and as for me, -surely I could have had many a better husband, and one who should have -loved me more. How foolish I was to marry him.” - -Thus she sat and lamented all day, and in the evening, when the potter -drove up to his door and cried out “Wife, wife,” she wouldn’t go out -to receive him. And when he came in to their little sitting-room, he -found her with tears in her eyes, sitting lamenting and complaining. -When he went up to her to take her in his arms and kiss her, she turned -away from him and would not let him touch her, and the potter, who had -never seen his wife cross or angry, knew that there must be something -wrong. She must be ill, he thought; to-morrow or the next day she will -be well again. So he urged her to rest well, and took no notice of her -angry words; but the next day, and the next, there was no change, and -things were growing from bad to worse. For now the wife wouldn’t speak -to him at all, and when she came nigh him she looked at him with anger, -and would not even suffer him to touch the hem of her dress. Then the -potter began to think of the little brown cup, and he looked up at the -shelf and saw that it was not there, and he began to feel very much -alarmed. - -“Why,” he said, “what has become of my little old brown cup that used -to stand up on the shelf?” - -“I gave it to a gipsy man,” she answered scornfully. “He seemed to like -it, and I didn’t see that I was obliged to keep all the rubbish that -you had in the house.” - -Then the potter groaned within himself and said, - -“But did you just take it off the shelf and give it to him, and did he -ask you for it? Why did he want it?” - -“Of course he asked for it,” said the wife very angrily, “and I just -gave it him when I had drunk his health out of it, as he wished me to.” - -Then the potter was stricken with deadly fear, and remembered the words -of the gipsy. “The first draught she will drink to your love, and the -second draught she will drink to your hate,” and he knew in his heart -that the words were true, and that the cup carried with it a charm. - -[Illustration] - -He sat and thought and thought, and waited many days, hoping that his -wife would change, and love him as before, but she remained cold and -hard. Then the potter packed a wallet full of clothes, and put some -money in his pocket, and he went to his wife and said, “Wife, there is -a man somewhere who has done me a great wrong, and perhaps he did it -unwittingly. I am going out to find him, and to make him right it, and -though you do not love me, you will bide here quietly with your baby -till I come back. And I do not know if that will be in months or in -years.” Then the potter’s wife fell a-crying. - -“I do not love you, nay, I hate you, and shall be glad when you have -gone, but perhaps it may be because I am a wicked woman; and I do not -know what has come over me, that now I want to fly away from you, when -I used to think that I had the best husband on all this earth.” The -potter sighed bitterly, but he kissed her cheeks, which felt as cold as -ice, and then he said good-bye to his baby, and started on his way with -the tears filling his eyes. - -When the potter had gone the wife cried sorely, but still she was glad -that she had not to see him, and for some time she lived with her baby -happily enough. She kept the house, and mended and swept and cleaned as -before, and thought little of the potter or where he had gone; but by -and by all her money began to be spent, and she knew that unless the -potter returned she would soon be very poor, and the winter was coming -on, and she feared cold and hunger for her little one. So she went into -a garret where she kept her old weaving loom, and she brought it out, -and she bought flax, and sat down to weave just as she used to, when -she went round the country with her sister who spun the flax. And she -found that she could still weave her cloths very skilfully, and she -began to sell them to the passers by, and in this way she earned her -bread. - -The winter set in very cold and hard, and the potter’s wife felt very -sad. “But perhaps,” she said, “it is thinking of the poor things -who are starving around with no homes,” for she never thought of -her husband at all. And the flax began to be very dear, and she had -difficulty in buying it. “Instead of doing all these cheap clothes,” -she said, “it would be better to get very fine flax, and do a very very -fine cloth; it will be the finest cloth I have ever woven, and I will -sell it to some very rich lady.” So she bought the finest flax that -money could bring her, and when she had woven a little bit of it, she -sat and looked at it in her room, and she saw a tress of her own golden -hair lying upon it, and she thought how beautiful it looked. Then she -said— - -“There is no one now who loves me or my hair, so I will weave it into -a cloth with this very fine flax, and I must sell it for a very large -sum of money, or else I shall have nothing left to go on with.” But -she couldn’t think of any pattern in which the hair looked well with -the fine linen flax, till at last she hit on one in which there was a -cup with a heart on the top of it. The cup she made of the gold hair, -and the heart also. She worked at it for many long days, and when she -had finished it she looked at it, and was very much pleased, and said -indeed it was the most beautiful cloth she had ever made; and now she -must make haste and take it in to the town and sell it for a great deal -of money, or she and her child would begin to do badly for food and -fire. - -The snow was lying heavily upon the ground, as the potter’s wife stood -by the window looking at her cloth, when there crawled up outside the -window a poor gipsy woman leading a little boy by the hand. She had -big black eyes and a brown face, but her cheeks were so thin that the -colour scarcely showed in them, and the potter himself would have had -much ado to recognize her as the gipsy girl who made the cup years -before; and her clothes all hung upon her in rags, and her little boy -was crying bitterly with the cold. She knocked against the window with -her poor thin hands. “Take me in,” she cried, “and have pity on me, -for I can go no further.” Then the potter’s wife opened the door, and -the gipsy woman entered the room with her little boy by her side, and -crouched by the fire. - -“Where is the potter who lived here?” said the gipsy. “It is long years -ago since I saw him, and now I have come back to pray that he would -give me food, for I am starving.” - -“No,” said the wife, “I know not where he is, for he is my husband, and -he has left me, and right glad of it am I; but if you will stay here I -will give you food and drink and attend to you, for, poor woman, you -seem to me to be very ill; so stay here and I will attend to you till -you are well enough to go your way.” - -“There is only one way that I shall ever go,” said the gipsy, and she -looked into the fire with her big black eyes, “and that is the road -which leads to the churchyard. But if he was your husband, why do you -say that you are glad he is away? Is he not kind to you?” - -“He was very kind to me,” said the potter’s wife, “he gave me -everything I wanted, and money and to spare, but for all that I could -not love him, and I am glad he has gone, and left me alone with my baby -girl.” - -“You are a foolish woman,” said the gipsy. “If you had a husband who -loved you and worked for you well, you should have loved him and -cherished him. My husband beat me, and was cruel to me, and stole all I -had. And now that I am dying, he has deserted me to die as I may.” - -Then the potter’s wife brought her food and bid her lie down, and dried -her rags of clothes, and she wrapped the little boy in her own clothes, -and gave him food and put him to sleep; and as she lay, the gipsy woman -watched her with her great black eyes, and at last she said, “Have you -a brown cup here, a little rough brown cup? did your husband give it to -you?” - -The potter’s wife stared with astonishment. “How did you know I had a -little rough brown cup?” she said. “There was such a one, and it stood -upon the shelf, but I have given it away. I gave it to a poor gipsy man -who begged it of me; he wanted it so badly that I couldn’t refuse, and -he made me drink his health in it ere he took it away.” - -Then the gipsy woman raised her head, and her eyes looked blacker and -her cheeks blacker. - -“And what was the gipsy man like?” she cried. “Had you drunk from the -cup before? Can you remember?” - -“I remember well,” said the woman. “I drank from it on the day when I -promised I would marry my husband, and I drank from it once again when -I wished the gipsy God-speed, and soon after that, my husband left me, -for I could not bear to have him near me.” - -Then the gipsy cried out aloud, and said something in a language which -the woman did not understand, and beat her hands. - -“I think it was my husband,” she said. “Alack a day! to-morrow night -I shall die, and who will take care of my little boy, and see that he -does not starve? for his father would beat and ill-treat him if he -found him.” Then the potter’s wife kneeled down beside the gipsy woman, -and kissed her on the forehead. - -“Be at peace,” she said. “If it be that you must die, die with a -quiet heart, for I will keep your little boy. What is enough for two -is enough for three, and he shall call my little girl sister and me -mother.” - -The gipsy said nothing, but she looked at the potter’s wife for long, -and then she said, “And my clothes are all in rags, and I have no -garment in which you can wrap me for my grave.” - -Then the potter’s wife began to cry. “Be at peace,” she said, “for I -have a fine cloth made of flax and my own hair, and in it you can lie -clad like a princess.” - -Then again the gipsy woman cried out words that the potter’s wife did -not understand, and again she beat her breast and lamented. But as -evening drew nigh she turned to the potter’s wife, and told her all the -truth about the charms in the cup, and wept for the evil she had done -her, who was so good and kind. - -The potter’s wife sat by her all that day, and into the dark hours of -the night, but when it was drawing nigh to twelve o’clock the gipsy -woman sat up, and stretched out her arms. “The wheel,” she cried, -“bring me your husband’s wheel, and give me a piece of clay, that while -there is yet time I may throw my last cup, and you may drink from it -before the dawn and undo the harm I have worked.” - -The potter’s wife wondered much, but she feared to disobey her, and she -went out into her husband’s workshop, and she brought in his wheel and -a piece of clay which stood there, and placed them beside the gipsy. -The gipsy was so weak that she could scarcely sit up, but when she saw -the wheel she staggered to her feet, and took the clay in her thin -little brown hands, and moulded it as she had done years before; and -then she set it on the wheel, and set the wheel spinning, and formed it -into a little brown bowl, and bent her head over it, and whispered into -it. - -“Now drink,” she cried, “although the clay is still wet. Pour water -into it and drink from my little bowl, and wish me God-speed as you did -to my husband. And then dress me in white and gold like a princess, for -I must start upon my journey. But keep my little boy always, and if my -husband comes to search for me, give him my ring, but tell him that he -shall never find me more.” - -The potter’s wife poured some water into the little clay cup, and -stooped her face and drank it, that the woman might be content, and -when she had done so, the gipsy folded her hands and lay back and -died. But when she had tasted the water out of the wet clay, the -potter’s wife thought of her husband, and she called his name, and -cried to him to come and help her with the poor gipsy woman. And then -she thought of how long it was since he had been with her, and she -began to cry, and wept bitterly as she leant over the dead woman. - -“Oh, where is he gone? why did I drive him from me?” she said. “Have -I been mad? Truly the poor gipsy spoke rightly, that if a woman has a -husband who loves her and works for her, she should cherish him with -all her might. Alas, alas! and now my husband is out in the wide world, -and I am alone here with no one to help me; until this poor woman told -me, I never knew how wrong I was.” Then she looked at the gipsy woman -lying in all her rags, and she remembered her promise to her, and she -took the fine linen cloth in which was woven the gold heart and the -gilt cup, and she clothed her in it as if she were a princess, and the -next day the poor woman was buried, and no one knew from whence she -came nor to whom she belonged. - -Then the potter’s wife sat down, and grieved bitterly, for she didn’t -know what it would be best to do to find her husband again, and tell -him that she loved him as at first. At first she thought she would go -out and seek for him in the wide, wide world, but then she remembered -how he bid her wait where she was till he came back, and she knew she -ought to do what he had told her; but as now she had three to keep -instead of two, she feared they would be very poor, and as she had -buried the gipsy in the fine gold and white cloth woven with her hair, -she had not got it to sell, and she had not any money left wherewith -to buy more fine thread to weave. The gipsy’s little boy was a pretty -boy, with dark eyes like his mother’s, and when she looked at him she -said they would all three starve together, but she would keep him, as -she had promised his mother, rather than turn him out into the cold -streets. So she washed him, and mended his rags as best she might, and -then she began to seek everywhere for something she might weave to -sell, and keep them from starving. She wandered round the garden, and -in and out of the house, and the gipsy boy, who was a clever, bright -lad, went with her. - -“What are you searching for?” he asked. - -“I am searching for thread, that I may weave into some kind of cloth -and sell,” she said. “Otherwise we shall surely starve, for I have no -money left to buy it with, and nothing more left to sell.” - -“I will go and get you something to weave,” said the boy, and he ran -out into the road, and looked up and down it to see what would come -past. Presently there came up a big cart laden with straw, and on the -top of the cart lay one man, while another drove. The horses went -slowly, and the gipsy boy followed them, and began to beg. - -“Run off, little chap,” cried the man at the top, “I have no money to -give to beggars.” - -“But I don’t ask you for money,” cried the boy, “but of your charity -give me a handful of straw.” - -“And what do you want with a handful of straw?” asked the carter, as -the boy still went on begging. - -“Why, see!” cried the lad, “I am all in rags, but if my mother had a -handful of straw she can weave me a coat, and I shall be quite warm,” -at which the men both laughed, and declared that the idea of a coat -of straw was very funny, but the driver said, “Well, give some to the -little chap. I expect he comes from a lot of lying gipsies further on, -and they want it for their animals, still it won’t do any harm to give -him a few wisps,” and so they flung down a bundle, and the boy picked -it up, and ran back with it to the potter’s wife. - -“See what I have brought you,” he cried. “Now make that into a mat, and -I will take it out and sell it, and bring you back the money.” - -The potter’s wife was amazed by his cleverness, but she knew that the -gipsies had to live by their wits, and that teaches them to be sharp, -so she sat down, and tried to weave the straw into a mat, as the gipsy -boy had said. - -At first she found it very hard to use, for it was coarse and brittle, -and she thought she could make nothing of it. The lad sat beside her, -and cut it into even lengths for her, and chose out the good pieces, -and at last betwixt them it was done, and it looked quite a smart -little mat, and the boy took it on his back and ran away with it to the -village. - -“A mat, a mat,” he cried, “who wants to buy a good straw mat to wipe -their feet on when they are dirty, or for the cat to sit on by the -fire, or to put over the fowl-house and keep it warm?” - -At first all the people he met laughed at him, and said nobody wished -to buy a mat at all. Then he turned into the ale-house. There were -some men smoking and keeping themselves warm by the fire, and when the -host saw him, and the mat over his shoulder, he said it was quite a -well-made thing, and he would have it to lay down by his doorway for -in-comers to tread on; and then one and another looked at it, and the -boy told them where it came from, and said he could bring them plenty -more straw mats and carpets, all as good or better, and so well worked -that they would last almost for ever; and presently one and another -began to say that they would buy them, and when he had taken his money, -the gipsy boy ran home well content. - -So the potter’s wife sat all day weaving straw mats, and presently she -got to do them so well, that from far and near the people sent to buy -them of her. Then after a time she put patterns into them, made with -red, and black, and white straws, but do what she could, the patterns -always came out in the shape of a cup, and still she wept and grieved -all day long. Then the gipsy lad said to her— - -“What are you crying for now? You have plenty to eat and drink. Tell me -why you are crying, and I will help you if I can, because you took my -mother into your house to die, and buried her in your fine cloth like a -princess.” - -“I cry because my husband has gone a long way off,” said the potter’s -wife, “and he doesn’t know that I love him, and he will never come back -to me, for when he went away I hated him.” - -“He will never know it if you don’t try to tell him,” said the gipsy -boy. “You should tell it to every one you meet, to all the birds of the -air, and the wild animals too. That is what my mother told me to do, -if I wanted to send news abroad. You should say it even to the winds, -and write it in the sand, and on the earth, and on the leaves of the -trees in case they blow about, for she said all things could pass on a -secret, though none can keep one. And why don’t you weave it into your -mats too? For the people who buy them take them far and near, and maybe -he will see one, and know that you want him to come home again.” - -Then the potter’s wife tried to weave her secret into her mats, and -beside the pattern of the cup she wove a little verse— - - “From the gipsy’s cup I drank for love, - From the gipsy’s cup I drank for hate, - But when she gave me a cup again - My love had gone and I drank too late.” - -“Now,” cried the gipsy boy, “your husband may see it, and perhaps he -will come home, and all will be well with us.” - -But still the potter journeyed far into the world, and wherever he went -he asked if any gipsy had been near there; and if there happened to be -a gipsy camp in the neighbourhood, he went to it at once, and asked -for a gipsy woman with red beads and gold chains in her hair, or for a -gipsy man who carried a brown cup with him. But though he saw hundreds -of gipsies, yet he never again saw the girl who had thrown the cup, -and none of the men knew anything about the man, nor could tell him -anything about the little brown bowl. Then he went to the shops in the -big towns where jars and bowls are sold, and asked for a cup that had -a spell in it, for he thought if they sold such a one, they might know -how to help him to undo the work of the gipsy’s bowl, but everywhere -the people only laughed at him. - -So he went through strange countries, seeing strange things, but none -of them gave him any pleasure, since he was always thinking of his wife -at home. Then he returned to his native land, and pondered whether he -should go back to his own cottage, but his heart failed him, and he -kept far from the little village where it stood. - -“It would be little use to go home,” he said, “for if my wife is not -glad to see me, it is no home to me; and she will not be glad to see me -till I can find the gipsy and know how the charm can be broken.” - -One night he went into a booth where there were a number of men -drinking, and amongst them there was one who looked like a gipsy, a -dark, savage-looking fellow who was talking loud, and boasting much -of all he had done. The potter sat and listened to their talk, and -presently they began quarrelling, and talking about who was the most -beautiful woman in the world. The gipsy cried out that he knew the -most beautiful, and that she had given him a parting gift and wished -him God-speed, and now he was going back to her, for he knew now the -way to make her love him, and he meant to wed her and have her for his -wife. - -Upon this the others laughed and jeered, and said, was it likely that -such a beautiful woman would care for such a rough, ill-favoured fellow -as he, and declared they didn’t think much of her beauty if she was -willing to marry him and to be his wife. - -Then another man standing near said that he knew where lived the most -beautiful woman on the face of the earth, though he did not believe -that she would ever be wife of his, still all the same it would be hard -to beat her for loveliness; and she was a clever worker too, for she it -was who worked the mats that lay under his feet in the cart he drove. -Upon this they all began to wrangle, and their words grew high. - -“And if the beautiful woman loved you so,” cried one man to the gipsy, -“how could you come away and leave her?” - -The gipsy laughed. “She didn’t love me then,” he said, “but she will -now, for I am taking her a charm which will make her love me more than -any one on earth. She has only to drink out of the cup I carry here, -and she will be mine for life.” - -Upon this they all laughed, and derided him still more. - -“Then let every one believe that what I say is true,” cried the gipsy, -and from his bosom he took out a small brown bowl and waved it in the -air, “and here is the cup to prove it.” And the potter’s heart almost -stood still, for he recognized the cup which the gipsy girl had made -for him years before. - -The other man laughed scornfully. “That proves nothing,” he said. “I -might take the mat out from the cart and ask it to say if I spoke the -truth; but mats and cups have no tongues to speak with, though my mat -can say more than your cup, for there is a rhyme on it with a pattern -of a cup; moreover, the rhyme is about a gipsy too.” - -“Let us see it,” cried they all. - -Then the man went out to his cart and fetched in a white and brown -straw mat, covered with a pattern made of cups, and he read the rhyme -which was written upon it— - - “From the gipsy’s cup I drank for love, - From the gipsy’s cup I drank for hate, - And when she gave me that cup again - My love was gone and I drank too late.” - -On hearing this the potter jumped up, and dashed into their midst, and -seized the cup. - -“The gipsy speaks truth,” he cried, “when he says she is the most -beautiful woman in the world, but he speaks false when he says that she -will ever love him; for he has stolen that cup, and I shall take it -from him, and if he tries to stop me, why then I will fight him, and -let every one see who is the better fellow of the two.” - -But when the gipsy had seen the rhyme upon the mat, he stood and stared -as if he were made of stone, and said no word to the potter, and indeed -scarcely seemed to notice that he had taken away the cup from him. Then -the potter turned to the man who owned the mat and said, “If you will -sell me your mat I will pay you handsomely for it, and I beg you to -tell me who made it, and where you got it, for I would like to buy some -more like it.” - -The traveller was much astonished, but he told the potter that it was -made by a woman who lived in a village a little way off, and she sat by -her doorway and wove mats, with a gipsy boy to help her; and she was -the loveliest woman he had ever seen on earth, with eyes just like blue -cornflowers and hair like golden corn. Then the potter took his bowl -and the mat and started to go home, but the gipsy slunk out of the room -and went into the night, and nobody noticed him. - -Meantime the potter’s wife continued to grieve and lament, for in spite -of her taking the gipsy boy’s advice, and telling all things that she -loved her husband and wished him back, he did not come back to her; and -though she wove her rhyme into every mat that she made, she despaired -of the potter’s ever seeing one. The only thing which seemed to console -her, was the little brown clay cup that the gipsy woman had thrown for -her, before she died. As it had never been baked in the oven, the clay -was dry and hard and cracked, and it was a sorry thing to look at, but -still the potter’s wife kept it beside her, and would drink out of -nothing else, and from time to time she kissed it, and laid her cheek -against it. - -The gipsy boy said to her— - -“If I were you I should watch for my husband all day. I would weave my -mats in the doorway, and look up the road both ways, from morn till -night, otherwise your husband will come back and go past the cottage -and you will never know.” So she took her loom and sat by the roadway, -and watched, and looked over the hill and to right and left for whoever -might come. And often the gipsy boy would watch too, and look from the -other side of the cottage while the potter’s wife sat in the front. One -day the gipsy boy ran round to her and said, “There is some one coming -up the road who will come here, but it is not your husband. It is my -father, and he will want to take me away, and he will beat me as he did -my mother. And if he gets hold of the cup that my mother made for you, -he knows all her charms, and he can undo what she did, and perhaps can -throw some evil spell on us all, so that your husband will never return -again. So the best thing will be for you to give me the cup and let me -hide myself with it, and then you must tell him that you do not know -where I am, and if he asks, tell him that the cup is gone; and when he -is gone I will come back again, but promise that you will not give me -up to him.” - -So the potter’s wife promised that she would never give up the little -boy, and she bid him take the cup and run quickly and hide himself, and -then she took her little girl by the hand and sat and waited for the -gipsy man to come, though she trembled with fear, and wished him far -away. - -Presently the gipsy man came up to the front of the cottage where the -potter’s wife sat, and bid her good-day. - -“I was here before,” he said. “And you gave me something to eat and -drink. Is your husband come back, for he was away then?” - -“My husband is away still,” she said. “But soon I hope he will be here.” - -Then the gipsy took up one of her mats which lay on the ground beside -her, and looked at it. - -“You are clever with your loom,” he said; “but what do you mean by the -little verse you put on all these mats?” - -“It is a little verse which can but be rightly read by one person,” -she answered; “and if he sees it, it will not matter whether others -understand it or no.” - -“And have you been here all alone since I came by?” asked the gipsy; -“have no other gipsies been past? for I want to join some of my own -people, and perhaps you can tell me which way they are gone.” - -“One came not so long ago,” answered the potter’s wife, “but she was -so tired with tramping far that she could go no further. So she has -stayed, and rests in the churchyard. She was a gipsy woman with red -beads and coins in her hair. And I kept her and let her die in peace, -and wrapped her in a cloth of white and gold.” - -“And did she do nothing while she rested here?” asked the gipsy man. -“Did she make you no present to pay you for your trouble?” - -“She made me a present which paid me for my trouble well,” said the -woman, “though it was only a little cup of clay that was grey and wet. -And she gave me this ring, and bid me give it to her husband if he came -by here, and tell him that it was useless for him to seek her further.” - -The gipsy man looked at the ring she held out to him, and he turned -pale, and knit his brows. - -“And where is that cup?” he asked; “and where is her little boy? For I -will take him with me into the world.” - -“I don’t know where he is gone,” said the potter’s wife; “as for the -cup, he took it with him when he went.” - -Meantime the gipsy boy had hidden in a hay-stack quite close to the -cottage, from where he could see the roadways all round, and he looked -to right and left for who should pass, for he was still half afraid -that his father might come and search for him, and take him away by -force. As he lay and watched he saw a man coming over the hill, who -looked spent and tired, as if he had walked far. He seemed to know the -path well, and he came straight to the cottage, but he did not come in, -but waited near as if he wanted to see who was there. Then the gipsy -boy said to himself— - -“Perhaps this is the potter himself, whom she has been looking for all -this time.” So he slid down and ran to the man and began to pretend to -beg. - -The man looked at him and said— - -“You are a gipsy’s child. Where do you come from? Are you living under -a hedge, or do you come from a gipsy’s camp near?” - -“It is true I am a gipsy’s child,” answered the boy, “but I am living -under no hedge, but in that little cottage, for the woman who lives -there keeps me for love of my mother, who helped her when she was in -trouble.” - -“And what did your mother do for the woman?” asked the man, who was no -other than the potter. “It must have been a great service, that she -should be willing to take you and keep you.” - -“She saved her from an evil charm that had been cast upon her,” -answered the boy, “and taught her to love her husband again, and she -waits his return now and longs for him to come. Therefore she promised -to keep me with her, but now I dare not go into the cottage, because my -father, who is a gipsy, is there, and I am afraid lest he may take me -away with him.” - -When the potter heard that the gipsy man was there he would have run -straight into the cottage, but the boy implored him to listen first -and hear what he was saying. So they crept round to the side of the -cottage, and they heard the gipsy man growing angry, and threatening -the potter’s wife, that if she did not tell him where his boy had gone -he would seize her by the hair and wring her throat, in spite of her -being so fair a woman. At this the potter waited no longer, but burst -into the cottage, and seized the gipsy and hurled him out of the house -with all his might; but he and his wife never looked to see if he was -hurt or no, for they looked at nothing but each other and the little -child that the potter’s wife held by the hand. And the gipsy man went -away, and they never heard of him again. - -Then the potter’s wife showed her husband the gipsy boy, and told him -of her promise to his mother, and of all he had done for her, and -begged him that he would let her keep him with them. And the potter -promised that she should, and said that when he grew up to be a man he -would teach him his trade, and make him a potter like himself. So they -all lived happily together, and the gipsy boy learned to make cups and -bowls, and was very clever at doing them, but they were cups and bowls -that carried no charms with them, and so could do no one any harm that -drank from them. - - - - -[Illustration: THE STORY OF A CAT] - - -ONCE there lived an old gentleman who was a very rich old gentleman, -and able to buy nearly everything he wanted. He had earned all his -wealth for himself by trading in a big city, and now he had grown so -fond of money that he loved it better than anything else in the world, -and thought of nothing except how he could save it up and make more. -But he never seemed to have time to enjoy himself with all that he had -earned, and he was very angry if he was asked to give money to others. -He lived in a handsome house all alone, and he had a very good cook who -cooked him a sumptuous dinner every day, but he rarely asked any one -to share it with him, though he loved eating and drinking, and always -had the best of wine and food. His cook and his other servants knew -that he was greedy and hard, and cared for nobody, and though they -served him well because he paid them, they none of them loved him. - -It was one Christmas, and the snow lay thick upon the ground, and the -wind howled so fiercely that the old gentleman was very glad he was not -obliged to go out into the street, but could sit in his comfortable -arm-chair by the fire and keep warm. - -“It really is terrible weather,” he said to himself, “terrible -weather;” and he went to the window and looked out into the street, -where all the pavements were inches deep in snow. “I am very glad that -I need not go out at all, but can sit here and keep warm for to-day, -that is the great thing, and I shall have some ado to keep out the cold -even here with the fire.” - -He was leaving the window, when there came up in the street outside -an old man, whose clothes hung in rags about him, and who looked half -frozen. He was about the same age as the old gentleman inside the -window, and the same height, and had grey, curly hair, like his, and -if they had been dressed alike any one would have taken them for two -brothers. - -“Oh, really,” said the old gentleman irritably, “this is most annoying. -The parish ought to take up these sort of people, and prevent their -wandering about the streets and molesting honest folk,” for the poor -old man had taken off his hat, and began to beg. - -“It is Christmas Day,” he said, and though he did not speak very loud, -the old gentleman could hear every word he said quite plainly through -the window. “It is Christmas Day, and you will have your dinner here in -your warm room. Of your charity give me a silver shilling that I may go -into an eating-shop, and have a dinner too.” - -“A silver shilling!” cried the old gentleman, “I never heard of such a -thing! Monstrous! Go away, I never give to beggars, and you must have -done something very wicked to become so poor.” - -But still the old man stood there, though the snow was falling on his -shoulders, and on his bare head. “Then give me a copper,” he said; -“just one penny, that to-day I may not starve.” - -“Certainly not,” cried the old gentleman; “I tell you I never give to -beggars at all.” But the old man did not move. - -“Then,” he said, “give me some of the broken victuals from your table, -that I may creep into a doorway and eat a Christmas dinner there.” - -“I will give you nothing,” cried the old gentleman, stamping his foot. -“Go away. Go away at once, or I shall send for the policeman to take -you away.” - -The old beggar-man put on his hat and turned quietly away, but what -the old gentleman thought was very odd was, that instead of seeming -distressed he was laughing merrily, and then he looked back at the -window, and called out some words, but they were in a foreign tongue, -and the old gentleman could not understand them. So he returned to his -comfortable arm-chair by the fire, still murmuring angrily that beggars -ought not to be allowed to be in the streets. - -Next morning the snow fell more thickly than ever, and the streets were -almost impassable, but it did not trouble the old gentleman, for he -knew he need not go out and get wet or cold. But in the morning when he -came down to breakfast, to his great surprise there was a cat on the -hearthrug in front of the fire, looking into it, and blinking lazily. -Now the old gentleman had never had any animal in his house before, -and he at once went to it and said “Shoo-shoo!” and tried to turn it -out. But the cat did not move, and when the old gentleman looked at it -nearer, he could not help admiring it very much. It was a very large -cat, grey and black, and had extremely long soft hair, and a thick soft -ruff round its neck. Moreover, it looked very well fed and cared for, -and as if it had always lived in comfortable places. Somehow it seemed -to the old gentleman to suit the room and the rug and the fire, and to -make the whole place look more prosperous and cosy even than it had -done before. - -“A fine creature! a very handsome cat!” he said to himself; “I should -really think that a reward would be offered for such an animal, as it -has evidently been well looked after and fed, so it would be a pity to -turn it away in a hurry.” - -One thing struck him as very funny about the cat, and that was that -though the ground was deep in snow and slush outside, the cat was quite -dry, and its fur looked as if it had just been combed and brushed. -The old gentleman called to his cook and asked if she knew how the cat -had come in, but she declared she had not seen it before, and said -she believed it must have come down the chimney as all the doors and -windows had been shut and bolted. However, there it was, and when his -own breakfast was finished the old gentleman gave it a large saucer of -milk, which it lapped up not greedily or in a hurry, but as if it were -quite used to good food and had had plenty of it always. - -“It really is a very handsome animal, and most uncommon,” said the -old gentleman, “I shall keep it awhile and look out for the reward;” -but though he looked at all the notices in the street and in the -newspapers, the old gentleman could see no notice about a reward being -offered for a grey and black cat, so it stayed on with him from day to -day. - -Every day the cat seemed to his master to grow handsomer and handsomer. -The old gentleman never loved anything but himself, but he began to -take a sort of interest in the strange cat, and to wonder what sort -it was—if it was a Persian or a Siamese, or some curious new sort of -which he had never heard. He liked the sound of its lazy contented -purring after its food, which seemed to speak of nothing but comfort -and affluence. So the cat remained on till nearly a year had passed -away. - -It was not very long before Christmas that an acquaintance of the old -gentleman’s came to his rooms on business. He knew a great deal about -all sorts of animals and loved them for their own sakes, but of course -he had never talked to the old gentleman about them, because he knew he -did not love anything. But when he saw the grey cat, he said at once— - -“Do you know that this is a very valuable creature, and I should think -would be worth a great deal?” - -At these words the old gentleman’s heart beat high. Here, he thought, -would be a piece of great luck if a stray cat could make him richer -than he was before. - -“Why, who would want to buy it?” he said. “I don’t know anybody who -would be so foolish as to give any money for a cat which is of no -use in life except to catch mice, when you can so easily get one for -nothing.” - -“Ah, but many people are very fond of cats, and would give much for -rare sorts like this. If you want to sell it, the right thing would -be to send it to the Cat Show, and there you would most likely take a -prize for it, and then some one would be sure to buy it, and, it may -be, would give a great deal. I don’t know what kind it is, or where it -comes from, for I have never seen one the least like it, but for that -reason it is very sure to be valuable.” - -Upon this the old gentleman almost laughed with joy. - -“Where is the Cat Show?” he asked; “and when is it to be held?” - -“There will be a Cat Show in this city quite soon,” said his -acquaintance; “and it will be a particularly good one, for the new -Princess is quite crazy about cats, and she is coming to it, and it is -said that she doesn’t mind what she gives for a cat if she sees one she -likes.” - -So then he told the old gentleman how he should send his name and the -cat’s name to the people who managed the show, and where it was to be -held, and went away, leaving the old gentleman well pleased, but to -himself he laughed and said, “I don’t think that old man thinks of -anything on earth but making money. How pleased he was at the idea of -selling that beautiful cat if he could get something for it!” - -When he had gone, the grey puss came and rubbed itself about his -master’s legs, and looked up in his face as though it had understood -the conversation, and did not like the idea of being sent to the show. -But the old gentleman was delighted, and sat by the fire and mused on -what he was likely to get for the cat, and wondered if it would not -take a prize. - -“I shall be sorry to have to send it away,” he said; “still, if I could -get a good round sum of money it would be a real sin not to take it, so -you will have to go, puss; and it really was extraordinary good luck -for me that you ever came here.” - -The days passed, and Christmas Day came, and again the snow fell, and -the ground was white. The wind whistled and blew, and on Christmas -morning the old gentleman stood and looked out of the window at the -falling snow and rain, and the grey cat stood beside him, and rubbed -itself against his hand. He rather liked stroking it, it was so soft -and comfortable, and when he touched the long hair he always thought of -how much money he should get for it. - -This morning he saw no old beggar-man outside the window, and he said -to himself: “I really think they manage better with the beggars than -they used to, and are clearing them from the town.” - -But just as he was leaving the window he heard something scratching -outside, and there crawled on to the window-sill another cat. It was -a very different creature to the grey cat on the rug. It was a poor, -thin, wretched-looking animal, with ribs sticking through its fur, and -it mewed in the most pathetic manner, and beat itself against the pane. -When it saw it, the handsome grey puss was very much excited, and ran -to and fro, and purred loudly. - -“Oh you disgraceful-looking beast!” said the old gentleman angrily; -“go away, this is not the place for an animal like you. There is -nothing here for stray cats. And you look as if you had not eaten -anything for months. How different to my puss here!” and he tapped -against the window to drive it away. But still it would not go, and -the old gentleman felt very indignant, for the sound of its mewing was -terrible. So he opened the window, and though he did not like to touch -the miserable animal, he took it up and hurled it away into the snow, -and it trotted away, and in the deep snow he could not see the way it -went. - -But that evening, after he had had his Christmas dinner, as he sat by -the fire with the grey puss on the hearthrug beside him, he heard again -the noise outside the window, and then he heard the stray cat crying -and mewing to be let in, and again the grey and black cat became very -much excited, and dashed about the room, and jumped at the window as if -it wanted to open it. - -“I shall really be quite glad when I have sold you at the Cat Show,” -said the old gentleman, “if I am going to have all sorts of stray cats -worrying here,” and for the second time he opened the window, and -seized the trembling, half-starved creature, and this time he threw -it with all his might as hard as he could throw. “And now there is an -end of you, I hope,” he said as he heard it fall with a dull thud, and -settled himself again in his arm-chair, and the grey puss returned to -the hearthrug, but it did not purr or rub itself against its master. - -Next morning when he came down to breakfast, the old gentleman poured -out a saucer of milk for his cat as usual. “You must be well fed if you -are going to be shown at the show,” he said, “and I must not mind a -little extra expense to make you look well. It will all be paid back, -so this morning you shall have some fish as well as your milk.” Then he -put the saucer of milk down by the cat, but it never touched it, but -sat and looked at the fire with its tail curled round it. - -“Oh, well, if you have had so much already that you don’t want it, you -can take it when you do,” so he went away to his work and left the -saucer of milk by the fire. But when he came back in the evening there -was the saucer of milk and the piece of fish, and the grey cat had not -touched them. “This is rather odd,” said the old gentleman; “however, I -suppose cook has been feeding you.” - -Next morning it was just the same. When he poured out the milk the cat -wouldn’t lap it, but sat and looked at the fire. The old gentleman felt -a little anxious, for he fancied that the animal’s fur did not look -so bright as usual, and when in the evening and the next day and the -next, it would not lap its milk, or even smell the nice pieces of fish -he gave it, he was really uncomfortable. “The creature is getting ill,” -he said, “and this is most provoking. What will be the use of my having -kept it for a year, if now I cannot show it?” He scolded his cook -for having given it unwholesome food, but the cook swore it had had -nothing. Anyhow it was growing terribly thin, and all day long it sat -in front of the fire with its tail hanging down, not curled up neatly -round it, and its coat looked dull and began to come out in big tufts -of hair. - -“Now really I shall have to do something,” said the old gentleman, -“it is enough to make any one angry! No one would believe that this -could be a prize cat. It looks almost as wretched as that stray beast -that came to the window on Christmas Day.” So he went to a cat and -dog doctor, who lived near, and asked him to come in and see a very -beautiful cat which had nothing the matter with it, but which refused -to eat its food. The cat’s doctor came and looked at the cat, and then -looked very grave, and shook his head, and looked at it again. - -“I don’t know what sort of cat it is,” he said, “for I never saw any -other like it, but it is a very handsome beast, and must be very -valuable. Well, I will leave you some physic for it, and I hope you may -be able to pull it round, but with these foreign cats you never know -what ails them, and they are hard to cure.” - -Now the day was close at hand when the cat should have been sent to the -show, and the old gentleman was getting more and more uneasy, for the -grey cat lay upon the rug all day and never moved, and its ribs could -almost be seen through its side, so thin had it grown. And oddly enough -the old gentleman, who had never cared for any one or anything in his -life except himself, began to feel very unhappy, not only because of -not getting the money, but because he did not like to think of losing -the cat itself. He sent for his friend who had first told him about the -Cat Show, and asked his advice, but his friend could not tell him what -to do with it. - -“Well, well,” he said, “this is a bad business, for I have told every -one that you are going to exhibit a most extraordinarily beautiful -cat, and now this poor creature is really fit for nothing but the -knacker’s yard. I think, maybe, some naturalist would give you a good -price for its skin, as it is so very uncommon, and if I were you I -should kill it at once, for if it dies a natural death its skin won’t -be worth a brass farthing.” At these words the grey cat lifted its -head, and looked straight into the old gentleman’s face, as if it -could understand, and for the first time for many a long year, the old -gentleman felt a feeling of pity in his heart, and was angry with his -friend for his suggestion. - -“I won’t have it killed,” he cried; “why, I declare, though it does -seem absurd, I have lived with this creature for a year, and I feel as -if it were my friend, and if it would only get well and sit up on the -hearthrug, I shouldn’t mind about the money one bit!” - -At this his friend was greatly astonished, and went away wondering, -while the old gentleman sat by the fire and watched the cat lying -panting on the rug. - -“Poor pussy, poor old pussy!” he said, “it is a pity that you can’t -speak and tell me what you want. I am sure I would give it to you.” -Just as he spoke there came a noise outside, and he heard a mewing, and -looking through the window he saw the same thin ugly brown cat that -had come there last Christmas, and it looked as thin and wretched as -ever. When she heard the sound the grey cat stood up on her tottering -feet and tried to walk to the window. This time the old gentleman did -not drive it away, but looked at it, and almost felt sorry for it; it -looked almost as thin and ill as his own grey puss. - -“You are an ugly brute,” he said, “and I don’t want you always hanging -about; still, maybe you would be none the worse for a little milk now, -and it might make you look better.” So he opened the window a little, -and then he shut it and then he opened it again, and this time the -brown cat crawled into the room, and went straight to the hearthrug to -the grey puss. There was a big saucer of milk on the hearthrug, and the -brown cat began to lap it at once, and the old gentleman never stopped -it. - -He thought as he watched it, that it grew fatter under his eyes as it -drank, and when the saucer was empty he took a jug and gave it some -more. “I really am an old fool,” he said; “that is a whole pennorth -of milk.” No sooner had he poured out the fresh milk than the grey -cat raised itself, and sitting down by the saucer began to lap it as -well, as if it were quite well. The old gentleman stared with surprise. -“Well, this is the queerest thing,” he said. So he took some fish and -gave it to the strange cat, and then, when he offered some to his own -puss, it ate it as if there was nothing the matter. “This is most -remarkable,” said the old gentleman; “perhaps it was the company of a -creature of its own sort that my cat needed, after all.” And the grey -cat purred and began to rub itself against his legs. - -[Illustration] - -So for the next few days the two cats lay together on the hearthrug, -and though it was too late to send the grey cat to the show, the old -gentleman never thought about it, so pleased was he that it had got -well again. - -[Illustration] - -But seven nights after the stray cat had come in from outside, as the -old gentleman lay asleep in bed at night, he felt something rub itself -against his face, and heard his cat purring softly, as though it wanted -to say “good-bye.” “Be quiet, puss, and lie still till the morning,” he -said. But when he came down to have his breakfast in the morning, there -sat the brown tabby, looking fat and comfortable by the fire, but the -grey cat was not there, and though they looked for it everywhere, no -one could find it, though all the windows and doors had been shut, so -they could not think how it could have got away. The old gentleman was -very unhappy about it, but he looked at the strange cat on his hearth -and said, “it would be unkind now to send this poor thing away, so it -may as well stay here.” - -When she heard him speaking of its being unkind, his old cook burst out -laughing. “Perhaps,” she said, “’twas a fairy cat, as it could get away -through bolts and locks, and nothing but a fairy could have taught my -master to think of a thing being unkind or not. I only hope that now -he’ll think of some one in this world besides himself and his money.” -And sure enough from that time the old gentleman began to forget about -his money, and to care for the people about him, and it was all the -doing of the strange cat who had come from no one knew where, and gone -away to no one knew where. - - - - -[Illustration: DUMB OTHMAR] - - -ONCE upon a time there was a village on the top of a mountain, where -during the winter months the villagers saw no one but each other, for -the mountain was so steep and the path so narrow that, when it was -blocked with ice, it was dangerous to ascend: so during the winter -months the people lived by themselves, and cheered themselves as -they might in the long dreary evenings, with games and dancing and -singing and playing on pipes, for they were cheerful folk, joyous and -light-hearted. The sweetest singer in the village was a lad named -Othmar; his voice was as sweet as a nightingale’s before the dawn, -and also he was the handsomest young fellow in all the country round. -Strangers turned to look after him as he went by; he was tall and -straight, and had curly brown hair, and big brown eyes, and lips that -always smiled. He lived with his old mother, who was a widow, and he -worked for them both in the fields and on the farms. When he was a -boy he learned the notes of all the birds, and could imitate them so -exactly that they would fly down to him and settle on his shoulders. -When the farmers had sown their fields, and the birds would have come -to pick up the grain, they sent for Othmar, and he sang and whistled -till they all left the field and flew after him. So often he was called -the bird-boy. - -One evening before the winter had set in, or the roads were blocked -with ice, there came along the high road into the village, a dwarf in -a yellow cap leading a donkey, on whose back were fastened numberless -musical instruments. Fiddles of all sorts, and viols, horns, trumpets, -and pipes, and a big drum, and a small one with triangles and cymbals. -In the middle of the village the little man stopped and looked about -him. “Who would like to hear my music?” he cried, and then as the -villagers came crowding around him, he bade them all sit down while he -unpacked his mule, but he forbade any of them to help him, or to touch -one of the instruments. “For mine is no common music,” he quoth; “all -these I have made myself, and in each is a machine which makes it go on -playing by itself, if once I start it. See here!” and he took up a long -pipe and began to blow, and there came forth the sweetest notes that -had ever been heard from any pipe. The little man paused for a minute, -with the pipe in his hand, and then laid it down on the ground, when, -wonderful to relate, it went on playing of itself. - -All the villagers stared with surprise, and some called out that it -was magic, and crossed themselves, but the little man took up another -pipe, and set that going too, and then the horns and the trumpets, and -the drums and the cymbals, and then he took a fiddle and drew the bow -across it, and how it played! It made the people weep and laugh. Othmar -lay on the ground listening, and it seemed to him as if the sound were -made of silver, and when the musician had started them, and all the -other fiddles were playing together, he felt as if he should go mad for -joy to hear anything so lovely. - -Just behind where Othmar lay sat a young girl, named Hulda. She was -an orphan, and dwelt alone with an old woman, who gave her food and -lodging for sweeping out her room, and cleaning and cooking. Also Hulda -made money for her by going out to work for the other women in the -village. She was neither pretty nor clever, but she was a good girl, -and if any of the villagers were ill or in trouble, it was for Hulda -they would send at once, because they knew she would spare no pains to -help them, and would think nothing too much trouble. She had played -with Othmar ever since they were babies, and loved him dearly. She was -the only one who listened to the music who did not think it beautiful. -She shuddered as she heard it, and she sat and watched Othmar and saw -that there were tears in his eyes, and she grieved that she did not -love it as he did. - -When at last the instruments stopped and the listeners began to feel -for money for the musician, he laughed and said, “You need not give me -money, for I am very rich, and don’t need it. In return for my playing, -I only ask for one recompense. Let any of your young folks who sing, -sing me a song, for I too love hearing music that is not my own.” On -this the villagers began to look round for all who could sing, and they -chose out some three or four, and begged them to sing their very best -to the wonderful musician. Among them was Othmar, but they all bid him -wait to the last, as his would be the best. Whilst the others were -singing, the little man did not seem to heed them much, though they -tried hard to sing well, and chose their prettiest songs, but their -voices sounded very rough and poor after the playing. - -But when Othmar began he stopped twanging the fiddle-strings and -watched him. Othmar’s voice rang out clear and sweet, and all the -village folk felt proud of his singing, even after hearing the -wonderful instruments. When he ceased the little man rose, and said— - -“You have a sweet voice, my boy, be sure that you always use it well; -and now I must be going my way, but as I am a stranger here, perhaps -you would not mind setting me on my road, and showing me the best way -over the hill.” - -Othmar sprang up, delighted to go with him, but Hulda, who watched from -behind, came up to him and whispered— - -“Oh, Othmar, don’t let him take you far—come back soon.” - -“How silly you are, Hulda!” said Othmar, almost angrily. “Of course I -shall come back, but I shall go with him as far as he wants, and then, -perhaps, he will let me hear him play again.” - -Othmar and the little dwarf started with the mule laden with -instruments, and Othmar led the way down the best road. The dwarf did -not speak at all, and so they went on in silence till they had got on -to the top of a high hill where they could see the country all round -for miles, and the moon was beginning to rise. Here the musician -stopped his mule, and stood for a while looking all round. Then he -turned, and said to Othmar—“I know now where I am, and here will I -stay for to-night, but first before you leave me, would you not like to -hear my fiddles and horns again?” - -“That I would,” cried Othmar, and he sat himself down on the ground -delighted, while the little man unloaded the mule. - -“And now,” he said to Othmar with a twisted smile, “you shall hear them -play as no one has ever heard them. Yes, and you shall see them too;” -then he laid them in rows—the fiddles first, and the viols, and then -the horns and trumpets, and last the drums and cymbals and triangles, -and clapped his hands, giving a long, shrill whistle. As he whistled, -the instruments rose from the ground, and they began to swell, and -their shapes to change till no longer did they look like musical -instruments, but like human beings, only each had in a strange way kept -the shape it had formerly. The flutes and pipes were tall and thin, -and they and the violins had changed into beautiful girls with slender -throats, and the trumpets were all men and boys of different sizes, but -the drum was the strangest of all, for it was a fat man with very short -legs. The moon had risen and Othmar could see them all quite clearly, -and though he trembled with fear and his heart beat high, yet still -he watched. They stood silent together for a space in a weird crowd, -and then the dwarf waved his arms and called, “Ay! are you all there, -my children?—yes, one, two three four five, six seven eight, nine -ten eleven twelve, thirteen—that is right. Come practice, practice, -practice, and then you shall have a game, and see who Othmar loves -best, and who he will kiss first.” - -Then they all began to sing together, but each voice was like the sound -of its own instrument, only it said words through its tones, and in -Othmar’s ears their music sounded as never music had sounded before. -The voices of the violin girls were so sweet that he felt as if he must -weep to hear them, while the sound of the pipes and trumpets filled him -with longing to go into the world and fight and win battles. He sat on -the ground and listened to them like one in a trance, and he felt as if -he never wished to rise or go away again. The dwarf sat on a hillock -near, and did not seem to heed them much. When Othmar took his eyes -from the dancers for a minute, he found that the place was quite full -of all the animals who are never seen by day, but who fly out by night. -There were crowds of bats and owls, and odd moths, all poised in the -air, and seeming to watch the musicians and listen to their singing. -Then when he looked on the ground, he saw that strange wood-snakes and -toads had come out boldly, and with their heads turned towards the -dancers remained motionless and watched them, whilst near him green and -brown lizards lay still as stone, with heads on one side, all staring -through the dusky night at the singers. Othmar thought he only had -watched them for a few minutes, when suddenly the dwarf cried out—“The -dawn, the dawn, my children; see, there is red in the sky. Come, be -quick, see who will win Othmar’s gift before we go on our way.” When -he was silent all the singing girls approached Othmar, but before the -others came one who looked slighter and younger, and whose voice though -as sweet was weaker. - -“See, Othmar,” she cried, “before we go on and leave you, let us try to -sing one song together. Sing you as I do.” And Othmar sang with her as -she sang, in a clear voice like a bird’s— - - “Ere the sun shines in the sky, - We will sing together, my love and I; - But none shall hear him sing again, - ’Neath moon or sun, in shine or rain.” - -And then ere the last notes had left Othmar’s mouth, she bent forward, -and clasped him in her slender arms, and kissed him on the lips while -still they were open to sing. - -“Good-bye, Othmar,” cried she, “and that will be your last note for -many a long year, for surely you will have no need to sing after I am -gone,” and at that all the strange folk standing near gave a laugh -that was more a chord of music than a laugh. And when her lips touched -Othmar’s he quivered all over as a fiddle-string does when the bow is -drawn across it; and he gave a cry which was like the sweet sound of a -bell. - -“Mine, mine!” cried the girl, as he fell back from her frightened. “Now -my voice will be the sweetest and best of all, for I have got Othmar’s -too. No one will hear Othmar now,—Othmar who sang like the birds. And -never will he call the birds again, but I can sing as he sang, and all -who hear me will think that Othmar sings too. Rejoice, my sisters, sing -and rejoice,” but at that moment the dwarf started up crying out— - -[Illustration: She bent forward, and clasped him in her slender arms, -and kissed him on the lips.] - -“The dawn, the dawn, my children; see, the sun, the sun; beware, beware -its rays.” Then came a great burst of sound like a chord from all the -music folk, followed by a flash of light like lightning, and when it -had cleared away, the singing men and girls had gone, and in their -places there lay upon the ground all the musical instruments—fiddles, -viols, pipes, horns, and cymbals. Othmar stood staring as if he had -been turned to stone, and watched as if he were in a dream, while the -little man quietly packed the instruments on to the mule, and went away -leading it by the bridle as he had come. - -“Good-bye, Othmar,” he called back, “good-bye. When you hear my fiddles -again, they will be sweeter than ever, for I have added your voice to -them.” And he went on his way over the hillside and disappeared beyond -the ridge. Othmar ran after him, but he stumbled and fell. He tried to -call out, but no voice would come! Tears ran down his cheeks, and he -sobbed bitterly, but no sound came with the sobs, and he knew that his -voice had left him. The singing girl had stolen it, and he could never -sing or cry out again! - -The sun was rising high in the heavens. The green lizards, slow-worms, -frogs and beetles were still ranged around, and gazed at Othmar with -their heads wonderingly on one side. The birds sang louder and louder, -and their voices sounded sweet in the morning air. Othmar bent his head -and wept because he knew that never could he call them to him again. -Then from behind a bush there rose a big black raven, who cast a long -shadow behind him which almost covered Othmar as he sat, and it gave a -deep croak and then spoke quite clearly— - -[Illustration] - -“Poor Othmar!” it said, “she has stolen your voice!” and he hopped -down. “You will never speak nor sing again. Poor Othmar!—ah! they -stole my voice too; once I could sing far better than the birds you -hear now. That was thousands of years ago, but the dwarf came to my -nest, and told me if I would go with him he would teach me how to -whistle so that the worms should rise out of the ground and jump into -my mouth when they heard me, and he called one of his trumpet-men -to teach me—one you saw dance—and he bid me lay my beak below his -lips while he sang; then he stole my voice, all but a croak, which he -did not want because it was so harsh, but all your voice was sweet, -therefore she has got it all—poor Othmar, poor Othmar!” - -Then Othmar raised himself, with the tears running from his eyes, and -turned to find his way back to the village. It seemed a long distance, -for he missed his path, and it was near nightfall before he saw the -tops of the cottages and his own little home; but as he neared the -village, he could see Hulda standing in the road, shading her eyes from -the sun, and watching the way he came. - -“Othmar,” she cried when she saw him, “is it you? I have been to search -for you far and near, and there are others now looking for you, for we -were afraid lest you had fallen down some crevice, or slipped over the -rocks.” - -Othmar came up to her, and put out his hand, and she saw how pale he -was, and that his eyes were full of tears, but he said nothing. - -“Othmar, tell me,” cried Hulda; “what has happened? why don’t you -speak?” but still Othmar was silent. “Are you hurt, Othmar? Did the -dwarf do you any harm?” - -Then Othmar flung himself on the ground, and began to sob, but his sobs -gave no sound, though the ground was wet with his tears, and Hulda knew -that Othmar was dumb. - -“Poor Othmar, poor Othmar!” croaked the raven who had kept close to -Othmar, and flew overhead, but Hulda did not understand it, only she -wept to see his grief. - -“Never fear, Othmar,” she said tenderly, “your voice will soon come -back; it was the long cold night, and the fear that has driven it away. -Come home with me, and let me nurse you, and you shall soon be well.” - -Othmar shook his head, and the tears fell from his eyes, but he let her -take his hand and lead him into the village where his old mother sat -and waited for him; but still, although she sprang forward to greet -him, and put her arms around his neck, he could not speak, and his deep -sobs gave no sound. At first the villagers said he was ill, and soon -he would be well again, but as the days passed and he never spoke, they -knew that he was struck dumb. Some said it was the cold, and some that -he had been frightened; only Hulda said to herself, “it was the wicked -little man.” - -So the days passed, and Othmar remained silent and worked with the -other young men of the village without speaking, and no longer could -he sing or call the birds to him. Always he looked white and sad, -but saddest of all when there was any village merry-making, and the -villagers sang and danced together. Then when he heard them he would -put his fingers in his ears and hide his eyes so as not to see them and -run afar off by himself; for the sound of any music was quite horrible -to him after the singing of the travelling musicians. So a year passed, -and Othmar never spoke, and instead of calling him the bird-boy, the -village people called him “dumb Othmar.” - -It was midsummer-night, and the villagers had been having a -merry-making and dancing cheerily on the green in the village. Othmar -was not with them; he had left the village and went and sat apart on -the top of a rocky hill, from where afar the sea could be seen when the -weather was clear. The moon was wonderfully bright, and the country -was almost as light as by day. Othmar could hear the sound of their -laughter, but he never laughed, and as he sat with his head bowed upon -his knees he wept silently. So he remained alone till far into the -night when all the singing and dancing was done, and the villagers had -gone home, but just when the clocks struck twelve he saw Hulda, who -came slowly to him, and he saw that she too was crying. - -“Othmar,” she said, “I have thought and thought, and I know that the -little man with the fiddles was a wicked fairy.” Othmar nodded. “So I -am going into the big world to find him, for if he has done you this -ill he will know how to cure you, and I have saved all my money for a -year.” - -Then Othmar took her hand, and kissed it, but still wept, as he shook -his head and made signs to her that she must not go, as it would be all -in vain. But Hulda did not heed him. - -“And now,” she said, “I am going, Othmar, and it may be long years -before I return, so you must do three things. First, you must give me -a long curl of your brown hair, that I may lay it next my heart and -wear it day and night, not to forget you. Then you must kiss me on my -lips to say good-bye; and then you must promise that my name shall be -the first words your lips say when they again can speak.” Then Othmar -took his knife and cut from his head the longest, brightest curl of his -hair, and drew her to him and kissed her thrice upon the lips, and then -he took her hand and with it wrote upon his lips her name, “Hulda,” as -a promise that her name should be the first thing they said. - -“Good-bye, Othmar,” she said; “you will wait for me.” Then she turned -away and started alone to go down the mountain-side, and she looked -back as she went and called back, “Good-bye, Othmar,” as long as he -could see or hear her. - -She went straight down the hill and journeyed for a long way, till the -dawn began to show red in the sky, and she lay under a tree and slept -soundly till the sun had risen and woke her. - -She sat and thought which way she should go. “I must seek out some -wise man who knows about fairies and wicked witches,” she said to -herself, “and who will tell me where to search. And I will ask every -one I meet where the wisest person is to be found.” So she went on for -many days till she came to a tiny village, outside which, in a field, -she saw a shepherd minding sheep. Hulda stopped and asked if he could -tell her where she could find a very wise man who could answer her -question. - -The shepherd thought a bit, and then he said, “The wisest man in these -parts lives up in the little cottage on the other side of the village. -He cured my sheep two years back when all the flock were sick and many -died—a little cottage with a red gate.” Hulda thanked the shepherd, -and went on till she came to the little cottage with the red gate. When -she had knocked at the door a tall man came out, and she asked him if -’twas he who had cured the shepherd’s sheep, and as he was so clever, -if he would tell her what to do. She told him she wanted to find a -dwarf who led a donkey covered with musical instruments, and whom she -knew to be a wicked sorcerer, since he struck folk dumb. - -The tall man looked at her and said, “My business is to cure sheep, -cows, and horses, and I know it right well; but I know nothing of -dwarfs and witches, and how can I tell you which way he has gone, or -anything about him?” - -“Then of whom had I best ask?” said Hulda. “Tell me who is the wisest -and most learned man in these parts, and I will go to him.” - -The tall man rubbed his head and considered. “I suppose,” quoth he, -“that the old school-master at the village school yonder would be said -to be the most learned man hereabouts, for he teaches the children -all sorts of things that they forget when they grow up. That is the -school-house on the hill.” So on went Hulda again to the school. - -As she came near she could hear the children calling out their lessons, -and their master, who was an old priest, teaching them. So she waited -about till school hours were over, and the children had all come out, -and then she timidly went in and curtseyed to the old school-master, -and told him her tale, and asked him, as he was so very learned, if he -would advise her what to do; but instead of answering her the old man -at first stared at her in bewilderment, and then he said, “I can teach -you to read and write and many wonderful things, but of dwarfs who can -steal a boy’s voice I know nothing. You would do best not to think more -of it.” - -“But some one there must be,” cried Hulda, beginning to cry, “who can -tell me what to do, and which way to go. For I am sure that the old man -was a fairy, and if so, no living man can help Othmar, but only he who -did the mischief can undo it.” - -The old priest looked at her sadly and shook his head. “My child,” -he said, “this is a foolish talk about fairies and sorcerers, I know -nothing of such things. It is only untaught folk and fools who give -heed to such matters.” - -“To untaught folk and fools then I must go, for surely they can help -me more than the wise,” she cried. So she left the school-house, and -started again through the little village street. The first person -she met was a baker going home after taking round his bread, and she -stopped him and asked him who was the most ignorant and foolish person -in those parts. - -[Illustration] - -The baker stood and stared at her, and seemed to be half angry. At -last he said, “I am sure I don’t know anything about fools. You had -better go on to the cake-maker, who lives a mile up the hill. He is, -to my mind, the biggest fool in these parts.” And tossing his basket -about and seeming to be much offended, he went his way. Hulda went on -for a mile up the hill, and there she found a little group of cottages, -and in their midst was a shop with an open oven, and she could see its -owner busy making cakes and sweets. Hulda went in and bought a cake, -and as she sat and ate it, she asked the man timidly if he knew many -of the people in that neighbourhood, and if any were very ignorant and -foolish. - -“Indeed,” cried the man, “you may well ask that. Why, a more silly, -ignorant set of folk I never knew, quite different from the people in -my native town, but that is miles away.” - -“And who do you think the silliest then?” asked Hulda. - -“Why, for sure ’tis hard to say,” said the man, scratching his head. -“They’re such a poor silly lot, right away from the Mayor down to Tommy -the fool.” - -“And who is Tommy the fool?” asked Hulda eagerly. - -“’Tis a poor natural-born idiot who lives with his mother in the little -cabin on the side of the common. He spends all his time trying to catch -a bird, and he never has caught one, and never will.” - -“Thank you for telling me about him,” said Hulda, rising to go away. -“Maybe if he is really a fool he could answer my questions as they -say,” and she went on again with a lighter heart. At last she came to -the common on which the fool lived with his mother. When she approached -the little cabin, she saw some one dancing about in front of an oak, -dressed up with the feathers of birds and fowls, which looked as if -they had been picked up from the ground. He was a young man of about -eighteen, and he had a cheerful face, but any one looking at him could -see at once he was an idiot. He was dancing round the tree and pointing -up to the birds, and calling them to come down to him. Hulda came up -and stood quite close and watched him, as he ran round smiling and -giggling. Then she said, “Please can you tell me where I shall find a -little man, a dwarf who drives a donkey covered with pipes and fiddles?” - -The fool looked at her very gravely, but he said nothing; so then she -went on to tell him how the little man had come to their village, and -how he had stolen Othmar’s voice, and how she had come out to seek it. -Just as she finished speaking, there rose from the ground a raven, -and soared above their heads. When he saw it the fool pointed to it, -and cried out, “The raven, the raven, follow the raven,” and as the -raven flew, he ran after him with Hulda following in turn. They ran -for a long way, the fool leaping and bounding, and pointing with his -finger and crying, “The raven, the raven, do what the raven does.” Then -suddenly he turned, giving a wild laugh, and began to run home again, -but as he went he nodded and called to Hulda, “Follow the raven, follow -it, do what the raven does.” - -Hulda felt inclined to burst into tears with disappointment, but still -she ran meekly after the bird, murmuring to herself, “He said follow -the raven, but what good can that do me?” But when the fool had turned -back, the raven slackened his pace, and cawed and lighted on a tree, -and Hulda, panting for breath, sat down under it, and looked up at it. - -“Poor Hulda!” it croaked, but she couldn’t understand it; “poor Hulda, -come with me, and I will show you where the dwarf is.” Then it began to -fly slowly on again. - -“What shall I do?” sobbed Hulda. “He was only an idiot, he knew -nothing; still he told me to follow the raven, and no one else has -told me anything;” so on she went, and this time the raven flew quite -slowly, so that Hulda kept up with it walking. On they travelled till -evening was well advanced, into all sorts of places where Hulda had -never been, and through many villages. Then it began to grow dark, and -the moon came out, but still they travelled on. Hulda was foot-sore and -weary, but she would not give up, and said to herself, “It was what the -fool said, ‘Follow the raven, do what the raven does!’” - -Just before dawn, they came out on to a big plain, where there were -neither houses nor trees, but in the far distance you could see a long -line of mountains; a little further in the centre of the plain Hulda -saw a little dark mass, and straight to this the raven flew, and as -Hulda approached it, she saw that it was the little dwarf, lying asleep -upon the ground beside his heap of musical instruments, with the mule -grazing near. “Oh, good wise fool,” cried Hulda, “now indeed you have -given me the best advice. Since the raven has led me to the wicked -dwarf, now indeed will I do what the raven does, whatever it be.” - -The raven flew on, and lit upon a scrubby bush, a little way from -the sleeping dwarf, and Hulda followed and crouched beside it, making -no noise lest she should disturb the sleeper, and hiding behind the -branches so that she could not be seen. Presently the little man -rose from the ground, and called out, “Come, my children, practice, -practice; the dawn is here, and the sun will rise, and then we must go -upon our way.” - -Then Hulda saw what Othmar had seen before. The pipes raised themselves -from the ground, and untwisted, and became tall, lithe men; some -gradually uncurled themselves, and put forth long arms and became -beautiful girls, till each instrument had taken the likeness of a human -being. Then they began to dance and to sing, and Hulda watched them -as Othmar had watched them, and she too felt as if she had never seen -and heard anything so beautiful in her life, and she longed to rush to -them, but she heard the raven croak above her, and remembered the words -of the fool, “The raven, the raven, do what the raven does.” Then she -saw that the raven had hopped off the tree, and was standing upon the -earth in front of her, and was beginning to dig in the earth with its -long beak, as if it would find a worm. “The fool said, Do what the -raven does, so must I dig too,” thought she, and she began to scoop the -brown earth with her hand, till she had made a hole, watching the raven -all the time. - -Presently she saw that the raven had found a long worm, and held it by -its throat in the air, but it did not swallow it. Hulda looked into her -hole to see if there was a worm there also, and at the bottom she saw -lying a long, lithe, green snake, twisted up and apparently torpid. -“Surely,” thought Hulda, “if I do what the raven does, I shall take -this out,” and she put her hand into the hole, and grasped the snake -by its throat, though she was very much afraid of it, and then she -crouched down behind the raven and the bush. - -“Come,” cried the dwarf, when they had all sung together, “now let us -hear the last new voice. Othmar’s voice was as sweet as silver. Now -let me hear how my youngest daughter has treated it.” Then there came -to the front the youngest and fairest of the girls, and began to sing, -and when she heard it, Hulda could scarcely keep from screaming, for -she recognized that the tones were Othmar’s; but just as the singing -sounded the sweetest, the raven with a croak opened his mouth, and -dropped the worm upon the ground, and Hulda let go her hold of the -bright green snake, which darted through the short grass towards the -dancers. - -There arose from all sides the cry of “A snake, a snake!” and they -seemed panic-stricken. The snake glided straight towards the singing -girl, and deftly coiled itself round her ankles, while from the old -man and all the others came a terrible uproar, but the snake from the -girl’s ankles had slid up her body in bright green coils, and then -twisted itself around her throat, and coiled tighter and tighter and -tighter, till her head fell over on one side. Then Hulda heard a noise -like the sighing of wind, but sweet and tender, while the dwarf and all -the singers were in a hubbub and confusion. - -For a moment the old man stood motionless, then he rose and gave a -terrible cry. Hulda trembled when she heard his voice, it sounded like -nothing earthly, but ere he was silent there had risen from the ground -and from the bushes near a number of little cloudy forms, black and -thick, and twirling in all directions, and they twisted in and out -among the singers; and as they twisted among them, they ceased to be -men and women, but became musical instruments, as they had been before, -all save the girl around whose neck the snake had wound, and who seemed -to shrivel and shrivel in its coils till she was no more to be seen. - -In less than a minute they were all packed again upon the mule, and the -little old man was leading it quietly away, as if nothing had happened. -And upon the grass lay the glittering snake, though all trace of the -girl around whose neck it had twisted had gone. Hulda ran to it, and -then she almost cried, for she feared that after all the girl with -Othmar’s voice had escaped her. But she remembered the words of Tommy -the fool, “Do as the raven does; follow the raven,” and looking up -she saw that the raven was fluttering above her, with the worm it had -picked up from the ground in its mouth. - -“Oh, dear raven,” cried Hulda, “you brought me to where the little man -was, now lead me back and show me what to do next.” And mindful of the -fool’s advice, she picked up the snake, and holding it firmly by the -throat, turned to follow the raven, who flew ahead of her. Thus they -journeyed back, over the same country through which Hulda had come -before. All looked just the same, but Hulda was sorely tired, for she -had now been walking many days, and she felt sad, for she did not know -if after all she had gained anything, or whether she ought not to have -followed the little old man, and though she had heard Othmar’s voice, -she did not know how she was to get it back to him. “Never mind,” she -said to herself, “the fool told me right so far, and evidently he knew -all about it, so I had best keep to his advice.” - -The sun rose high in the sky and the day was very hot, and poor Hulda -longed to lie down under the trees and sleep; moreover the snake in her -hand twisted and twisted, till she could scarce hold it. Sometimes she -cried from very weariness, but still the raven flew in front of her. -She had bought dry bread as she came along, and when the raven stopped -and hopped upon the ground, she munched it to stave off her hunger, -but directly the raven began to fly she followed it, and she never let -the snake from her grasp. The sun had set, and dark was all over the -land ere she came to the village where the fool lived, but no fool was -there to be seen. Hulda sought everywhere, but she could not find him. -Then she saw that the raven had stopped and settled on the roof of the -cottage where the fool lived, and, standing on one leg, had gone to -sleep with its head under its wing, so Hulda lay down by the side of -the door, and laying her head on a stone rested too. But first she took -off her girdle and tied it firmly round the snake’s throat, and then -tied it round her waist again lest she should fall asleep and the snake -glide away. - -Just when the stars were beginning to look pale, and as there were -signs of the dawn in the sky, the door of the cottage opened, and out -there came the fool, dressed up as Hulda had seen him before, with -feathers and weeds and bits of bright rag. Hulda started up, and he -laughed when he saw her. “Look,” he said, “the sun is rising; I am come -out to see it.” - -“I have come back,” cried Hulda, “and I have seen them all—the old -man and the musician girls, and the one who stole Othmar’s voice will -never use it again, for this snake has throttled her; but what am I to -do now? How can I give him back his voice? What shall I do to make him -speak?” And as she spoke she took the snake from her bosom and showed -it to the fool. He looked at it very gravely as he always did when -anything was shown to him, and looked very wise and nodded. “It is a -snake,” he said; “perhaps Othmar will like the snake.” - -Hulda begged him to tell her if he knew what she should do, but he -would say no more, but began to dance and sing as she had seen him do -before. Then at last Hulda burst out crying, “He is nothing but a poor -idiot,” she said, “and I have been on a fool’s errand when I did as he -told me, though I did see the wicked little man, and this snake did -punish the singing girl, so I will take it back to Othmar that he may -see I have tried. But now I believe he will be dumb for ever.” - -And she took the snake and looked at it as she held it. It was very -still, and seemed half torpid, though the weather was warm. She saw it -was not a common snake, for it was bright brown, and green with odd -markings, and it glittered oddly when the sun’s rays touched it. - -“I will go back now,” said Hulda; “I will go back to Othmar, and tell -him I have failed, and ask him to forgive my vanity in thinking -I could help him. I will go back at once and tell him all.” And -overhead the raven croaked and told her to go quickly, but she did not -understand what he said. - -So again she began to trudge on, holding the snake in her hands and -toiling over fields and moors in the way that she knew led to her own -little village, though by now her feet were so swollen and her legs so -stiff that she almost cried for pain. - -Presently she came to the village where the cake-maker lived, and as -she passed his shop, she saw that he stood at the door and nodded to -her as he saw her coming. - -“Good-day,” he cried; “you are the young wench I saw go past awhile -back.” - -“Yes, I am going home now,” said Hulda. - -“And have you found your fiddles and horns that turned to men and -women?” he asked. “It was a fool’s errand, I fear, you were going on; -and what have you got in your hand now?” - -“It is a snake,” answered Hulda, “and——” - -“A snake!” screamed the cake-maker. “Lord love the girl, is she mad to -go wandering over the country carrying a snake with her? Why, it might -kill you, wench! Drop it at once!” - -“No, indeed, I will not drop it,” said Hulda, “for it seems to me that -it is the only thing which may do Othmar good, for at any rate it has -killed the girl who stole his voice, and——” - -At this the man started and called out, “Good Lord, she is clean off -her head. Stolen Othmar’s voice! What can the wench mean? Why, girl, -that snake might bite you, and you would be dead at once. Why on earth -should you carry it because it has killed a girl?” - -“I am carrying it because the fool told me to do what the raven does,” -answered Hulda, “and he has still a worm in his mouth. Look.” - -At this the man burst out laughing. “Why, what has that to do with -you?” he cried; “a raven will often carry a worm for a bit. Drop this -snake at once, you silly lass, or, better still, hold it firm while I -crush its head with my poker.” And he seized the poker to kill it with. - -Then Hulda was frightened lest he might steal the snake from her, or -kill it by force, and she ran on; but she ran in such haste that she -stumbled against the baker who was just coming out from his shop with -his basket of loaves on his arm. - -“Can’t you look where you are going?” he cried in anger, as he picked -up the bread which had rolled into the road; and then, seeing it was -Hulda, he said:—“Why, who are you running away from, my girl? Are you -on the look-out for more fools that you can’t see when an honest man -comes along? And whatever have you got there?” - -“It is only a snake I have found,” said Hulda, when she had asked the -man’s pardon, and she tried to hide the snake in her skirt, but the -baker seized her arm and made her show it to him. - -“What on earth are you carrying a live snake with you for?” he asked. -“Don’t you know they are venomous beasts, and the bite of one is -certain death?” And, like the cake-maker, he tried to wrench the snake -from her. At this Hulda was terribly frightened. - -“If they take the snake from me,” she thought, “then my last chance is -gone,” and she tried to free herself from the baker, but he seized her -by the skirt and held her fast, and shouted out to others to come and -help him. - -“Help, help!” he cried. “Here is a poor mad girl, and she has got hold -of a poisonous adder, and she will let it loose in the village and it -will bite some of our children and kill them.” And when they heard his -cry the villagers all came running out of their cottages. - -“Let me go, let me go,” shrieked Hulda, “it will do no harm. I will -hold it tight, and I would not lose it for the wide world.” - -“I tell you she is mad,” roared the baker, and the cake-maker came up -and said the same thing. “She wandered by here some time back, and all -she wanted to know was where she could find another as mad as herself, -but she will have far to go before she meets one, I reckon. We must -secure her and take the snake from her, but beware how you catch it, -for fear it should bite.” - -And the people all gathered round her and made a great hubbub, though -they were afraid to touch the snake which Hulda still held firmly in -her hand. And they made such a din that the old school-master came out -of the school-house with his pupils after him. - -The people told him there was a poor mad girl who had got a snake, and -would not let them take it from her, and he remembered Hulda as the -others had done, and shook his head and said sadly, “I fear it is too -true. The poor child is really mad, but we cannot wrench the snake from -her lest it may turn and bite us. But it is certain that it would not -be safe to let her go; so, as the children are all going home now, let -us lock her into the school-house here, till we can get something to -kill the creature with, and then when the doctor comes, he can see if -the poor girl is very bad, and what had better be done with her.” - -Hulda turned quite white with fear, and cried out that she was not mad, -and that the snake should harm no one, but they would not heed her, -and pushed her into the school-house, and bolted the doors on her, and -there Hulda sat on the floor and cried as if her heart would break. - -“Alas!” cried she, “now all hope is gone, and Othmar will be dumb for -ever. For what good have I carried this snake with me all this way, if -now it is to be taken from me and killed?” and her tears fell on the -viper as she looked at it in her hand. It was very bright green and -yellow, and it kept wrinkling and twisting its skin as she grasped -it, and making a loud hissing noise. As her tears were still falling -she heard a croak over her head, and saw the raven perched on a window -above her, and again her hopes revived. - -“Maybe he has come to help me,” she thought, “for I should never have -found the little dwarf if it had not been for the raven.” Then as she -looked up at the raven sitting in the window, she saw that it was -pecking at a piece of rope that hung through the window, and Hulda -thought—“Surely if I could climb up to the window, I could scramble -through it, and climb down the rope on to the ground. Only if they were -to see me, they would catch me again, so I must wait till nightfall -when there is no one there.” - -So she sat down again and waited till the sun had set, and she trembled -at every noise lest it might be some one coming to seek her, but they -left her alone, and no one came. When it was quite dark, and all the -village was quiet she went to the window, and tried to climb up to it, -but she found that she could not manage to get up on to the window-sill -while she held the snake in her hand. Then first she thought she would -wind it around her waist, but she remembered how it had tightened -around the singing girl and killed her, and for some time she could -not think what to do with it. At last she twisted it into a knot, and -placed it in her bosom, though she trembled lest it should bite her. -And when she placed it in her bosom, she saw the curl of Othmar’s hair -that lay there, and she took it and tied up the snake’s jaws with it so -that it might not open its mouth. “For Othmar’s hair will not break or -give way,” she said; “it is like his heart, it will be true and strong -till the end.” - -Then she climbed up on to the window-ledge, and scrambled through the -window, and took the piece of rope and let herself down on to the -ground outside. And when she lit upon the ground, she heard the raven -croaking above her, and her heart leapt for joy, and she began to run -as fast as she could to get away from the village lest they might catch -her again. - -When she came again into the open country, she looked for the raven, -and saw that it was flying in front of her as before, towards the -distant mountains where she knew lay her home. She toiled on, for many -days, but by now the summer had nearly passed away, and when she got -into the high mountain land, she found that the cold winter had given -signs of coming, and the trees were beginning to be bare, and there was -a light white frost on the ground. It was far into the night when she -arrived in the village, and the villagers were all asleep and their -cottages shut. Outside the cottage where Othmar lived grew a big old -ivy tree, and on this the raven perched, and underneath it Hulda lay -down to wait the dawn and Othmar’s waking. She lay quiet for a bit, -but when she saw a faint glimmering of light where the sun was going -to rise, she felt she could be still no longer, and she sprang up and -called, “Othmar, come down, I am here,” for she dreaded having to tell -him before the other villagers that she had failed. - -In a few moments the door of the cottage opened and Othmar came out, -and ran to greet her, but she kept afar. - -“Othmar,” she cried, “I have done you no good, save that I have -punished the wicked girl who took your voice. This snake killed her, so -she will never sing as you did again. See.” And she held out the snake -to him; it was curled round and still tied up with his hair, and as the -sun began to shine it glittered brightly. - -“But I have done you no good, indeed rather harm,” Hulda went on, “for -I have made you hope where there was no hope, and you have waited and -expected that I should bring you back what you had lost, and I have not -done it, and now I shall never hear you say my name ‘Hulda’ again,” and -she wept so bitterly that the tears fell from her face, and dropped -upon the snake which still she grasped. Othmar held out his hand, and -tried to take her hand that he might kiss it, and as he did so, he -touched the snake’s long tail, and it began to writhe and twist, and -glisten more and more as the sun shone on it. And as he raised her hand -to his mouth, Othmar tried to say her name “Hulda” with his poor dumb -lips that could make no sound, and he breathed it on the snake, and it -seemed as if the snake vibrated with the name, and suddenly it swelled -and swelled, and shone still more brightly, and its mouth grew wide and -burst Othmar’s hair which had bound it, and widened out till it was not -a snake any more, but a curled golden trumpet, curled up as the snake -had been, and like that which had been changed into the singing girl -who stole Othmar’s voice. “Take it, Othmar, and blow,” cried Hulda, -and he put it to his lips and cried “Hulda!” and Hulda heard her name -echoing back in a burst of music from all around. At its sound the -birds awoke in all the trees, and began their morning chorus, and the -village folk ran to their windows to see what the trumpet’s peal had -been, and saw Othmar standing with Hulda in his arms, and at their feet -the bright trumpet which he had dropped. It lay on the ground, but as -Othmar began to speak and to say, “Hulda, Hulda, you have brought it -back, you have given me my voice again,” the trumpet broke into many -pieces, and with every word crumbled, till there was nothing left but -a little heap of shining golden sand, and from under it there glided -out a dark green snake with yellow markings, and it slid away into the -bushes and disappeared. - -Then all the villagers rejoiced, and Hulda wept with happiness. And -Othmar married Hulda, and his voice never left him again; but when -long years after folk would tell him his voice was sweet and far more -beautiful than the birds, he would say, “But it is not really my voice, -it is my wife’s, Hulda’s, for I should have been dumb for ever if she -had not sought it and brought it back to me.” - - - - -[Illustration: THE RAIN MAIDEN] - - -ONCE upon a time there lived a shepherd and his wife, who lived in -a very lonely little cottage far from town or village, near some -mountains. It was a wild neighbourhood, and the wind blew across the -mountains fiercely, and the rain often fell so heavily that it seemed -as if the cottage would be washed away. One evening when the shepherd -was out, there came on a great storm of rain which beat against the -doors and the windows violently. As the shepherd’s wife sat listening -to it by the fire, it seemed to her as if it sounded louder than she -had ever heard it before, and the raindrops sounded like the knock of -a hand that was knocking to gain admittance. It went on for a little -time, till the shepherd’s wife could bear to listen to it no longer, -and she rose and went to the door to open it, though she knew that -she would let the wind and rain into the room. As she opened the door -a gust of rain was blown in her face, and then she saw that in the -doorway stood a woman who had been knocking. She was a tall woman -wrapped in a grey cloak with long hair falling down her back. “Thank -you,” she said. And though her voice was very low, the shepherd’s wife -could hear it plainly through all the storm. “Thank you for opening the -door to me. Many would have let me stand outside. Now may I come into -your cottage and rest?” - -“How wet you must be!” cried the shepherd’s wife; “come in and rest, -and let me give you food. Have you come from far?” - -“No, I come from quite near,” said the woman, and she came into the -cottage as she spoke, and sat down in a chair near the door. “And I -want no food, only a glass of water. I must go on directly, but I have -not far to go, and I shall be no wetter than I am now.” - -The shepherd’s wife stared in surprise, for she saw that apparently -the woman’s clothes were not wet at all. And what was stranger still, -though she had thought she was only clad in a dull grey cloak, now she -saw that she was covered with jewellery,—clear stones, like diamonds -with many flashing colours; and she also saw that all her clothes were -of the finest. She gave her a glass of water, and begged that as well -she might give her other food, but the woman shook her head, and said -no, water was all she needed. When she had drunk the water she gave -back the glass to the shepherd’s wife, and said, “And so this is your -home. Have you all that you want in life? Are you happy?” - -“Ay, we are happy enough,” said the shepherd’s wife, “save indeed for -one thing. Ten years ago my little baby girl died, and I have no other -children. I long for one sorely, that I might take care of it and make -it happy, while it is little, and then in turn, when I am old, it would -love and care for me.” - -“And if you had a little child,” said the woman, rising up and -standing before the shepherd’s wife, “you think you would really love -it better than anything in the world. Many women say that, but few do -it. Before long a little child will be born to you, and as long as you -love it better than anything in the world it will remain with you, but -when you love anything else better than your little daughter and her -happiness, it will go from you; so remember my words. Good-bye,” and -the woman walked to the door and went quietly out into the rain, and -the shepherd’s wife saw her disappearing, and the rain pelting around -her, but her clothes were not blown about, neither did the rain seem to -wet her. - -[Illustration] - -A year passed away, and the shepherd’s wife had a tiny daughter, a -lovely little baby with the bluest eyes and the softest skin; the -evening she was born the wind howled and the rain fell as fiercely as -on the night when the grey woman had come into the shepherd’s cottage. -The shepherd and his wife both loved their little daughter very dearly, -as well they might, as no fairer child was ever seen. But as she grew -older, some things about her frightened her mother, and she had some -ways of which she could not cure her. - -[Illustration] - -She would never go near a fire, however cold she was, neither did she -love the sunshine, but always ran from it and crept into the shade; -but when she heard the rain pattering against the window-panes she -would cry, “Listen, mother, listen to my brothers and sisters dancing,” -and then she would begin to dance too in the cottage, her little feet -pattering upon the boards; or, if she possibly could, she would run -out on to the moor and dance, with the rain falling upon her, and her -mother had much ado to get her to come back into the cottage, yet she -never seemed to get very wet, nor did she catch cold. - -[Illustration] - -A river ran near the cottage, and by it she would go and sit for hours -dabbling her feet in the water, and singing sweet little songs to -herself. - -[Illustration] - -Still, in all other ways she was a good, affectionate girl, and did all -that her mother told her, and seemed to love both her parents tenderly, -and the shepherd’s wife would say to herself, “My only trouble is that -when she is grown up, she will want to marry, and leave me, and I shall -have to do without her.” Time passed, and the old shepherd died, but -his wife and daughter still lived on in the little cottage, and the -daughter grew to be a most beautiful young maiden. Her eyes were clear -light-blue, like the colour of the far-off sea, but it was difficult -to say what was the colour of her hair, save that it was very light, -and hung in heavy masses over her brow and shoulders. Once or twice her -mother felt sorely frightened about her; it was when spring showers -were falling, and the young girl had gone into the little garden in -front of the cottage to let the rain fall upon her head and face, as -she loved to do, in spite of all her mother could say. Then she began -to dance, as she always did when the rain fell, and as she danced the -sun came out while the rain was yet falling. Her mother watched her -from the cottage-window, but while she watched her it seemed to her -as if her daughter was covered with jewels of every colour, clear and -bright; they hung around her in chains, and made her look more like -a king’s daughter than a shepherd’s girl. “Come in, child, come in,” -called the shepherd’s wife, and when the young girl came in the cottage -all traces of the jewels had gone, and when her mother upbraided her -for going out to dance in the rain, she only answered, “It hurts no -one, my mother, and it pleases me, why should you stop me?” - -[Illustration] - -A little way from the cottage on the mountain-side stood an old castle, -where formerly the Kings of the land used to come and stay, but which -now had not been used for very many years. One day, however, the -shepherd’s wife saw great preparations were being made to beautify and -adorn it, and she knew that the King and his son were coming to stay -there again. Soon after they had arrived, the shepherd’s daughter went -down to the river, as was her wont, and sat on the bank, dipping her -feet in the ripples. Presently there came up a boat, and it was a grand -young man dressed all in velvet and gold who leaned over the side to -fish. - -“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” cried the shepherd’s -daughter, for she was afraid of no one. - -“I am the King’s son,” said he, “and I am coming here to fish. Who are -you, and where do you come from, for I have never seen such a beautiful -maiden in my life?” and he looked at her and could scarce speak, so -beautiful did she seem to him. - -“It is cruel to take the fishes out of the water,” cried the shepherd’s -daughter, “leave them alone, and come and dance on the bank with me,” -and she went under the shade of a large tree, and began to dance, and -the King’s son watched her, and again he thought so beautiful a maid -there had never been. - -[Illustration: “Leave the fishes alone, and come and dance on the bank -with me.”] - -Day after day he came down to the river to fish, and day after day he -left the line and tackle to sit and watch the shepherd’s daughter, and -each time found her more enchanting. Once he tried to kiss her hand, -but she sprang from him and left him sitting in his boat alone. At last -a day came when the Prince said to his father, “My father, you want me -to wed so that I may have an heir to the throne, but there is only one -woman that can ever be my wife, and that is the daughter of the poor -woman who lives in the little cottage out yonder.” - -At first the old King was very wroth, but he loved his son well, and -knew that nothing would shake him from his word, so he told him that if -he would bring home his bride, he too would rejoice and love her as his -daughter even though she be a beggar-maid. Then the young Prince rode -down to the cottage, and went in and told the shepherd’s wife how he -had seen her daughter, and loved her and wished to make her his wife, -so that she would be Queen of the country. - -The shepherd’s wife went nearly wild with joy. “To think that my -daughter should be the Queen,” she said to herself, and when her -daughter came into the cottage she did not know how to contain herself, -but folded her in her arms and kissed her, crying and declaring that -never was woman so blessed. - -“Why, what has happened, my mother? and what has pleased you so?” said -her daughter, while still the shepherd’s wife rejoiced and wept for joy. - -“It is the King’s son, my girl, the King’s own son, and he has just -been here, and he loves you because you are so beautiful, and he will -marry you and make you Queen of all the land. Was there ever such luck -for a poor woman?” - -But the daughter only said, “But I don’t want to marry the King’s son, -mother, or any one. I will never be the wife of any man; I will stay -with you and nurse you when you are old and sick, for I can live in no -house but this cottage, and have no friend but my mother.” - -On hearing this the shepherd’s wife became very angry, and told her -daughter that she must be mad, and that she must wait for a day or two, -and she would be only too thankful for the love of the King’s son, and -for the honour he was going to do her in making her his Queen. But -still the daughter shook her head, and said quite quietly, “I will -never be the wife of the King’s son.” The shepherd’s wife did not dare -tell the King’s son what her daughter had said, but told him that he -had better speak to her himself if he wished to make her his wife. Then -when he was again sitting in the boat on the river, and the maiden on -the bank, the King’s son told her how much he loved her, and that he -would share with her all that he had in this world. But the shepherd’s -daughter only shook her head and said, “I will never live at the -palace, and I will never be a Queen.” - -The old King had ordered great preparations to be made for the wedding, -which was to take place immediately, and all sorts of fine clothes were -ordered for the shepherd’s daughter, that she might appear properly as -the wife of the Prince, but for the few days just before the wedding, -the rain fell as it had never been known to have fallen; it beat -through the roofs of the cottages, and the river swelled and overflowed -its banks; everyone was frightened, save indeed the shepherd’s -daughter, who went out into the wet and danced as was her wont, letting -the torrents fall upon her head and shoulders. - -But the evening before the wedding-day she knelt beside her mother’s -side. “Dear mother,” she said, “let me stop with you and nurse you when -you are old. Do not send me away to the palace to live with the King’s -son.” - -Then the mother was very angry, and told her daughter that she was very -ungrateful, and she ought to be thankful that such luck had come in her -way, and who was she, the daughter of a poor shepherd, that she should -object to marrying the King’s son? - -All night long the rain fell in torrents, and when next day the -shepherd’s daughter was dressed in all her finery, it was through pools -on the ground that she had to step into the grand carriage which the -King had sent to fetch her, and while the marriage-service was being -read, the priest’s voice could scarcely be heard for the pattering of -the drops upon the roof, and when they went into the castle to the -banquet, the water burst through the doors opened to receive them, -so that the King and the wedding guests had hard ado to keep dry. It -was a grand feast, and the King’s son sat at one end of the table, -and his young wife was beside him dressed in white and gold. All the -courtiers and all the fine guests declared that surely the world had -never contained such a beautiful young woman as their future Queen. But -just when the goblets were filled with wine, to drink to the health of -the bride and bridegroom, there came a cry, “The floods! the floods!” -and the servants ran into the hall, crying out that the waters were -pouring in, and in one moment the rooms were filled with water, and no -one thought of anything but to save themselves. When the hurricane had -subsided, and the waters gone down, they looked around for the Prince’s -wife, who was nowhere to be found. Every one said that she had been -swept away by the torrents, and that she had been drowned in all her -youth and beauty; only the shepherd’s wife wept alone, and remembered -the words of the woman who came to her on the night of the storm: “When -you love aught on earth better than your daughter and her happiness, -she will go from you.” - -The King’s son mourned his wife, and for long would not be comforted; -but when many years had passed, he married a beautiful Princess, and -with her lived very happily; only when the rain fell in torrents and -beat against the window-panes it would seem to him as if he heard the -sound of dancing feet, and a voice that called out, “Come and dance -with me, come and dance with me and my brothers and sisters, oh, King’s -son, and feel our drops upon your face.” - - - - -[Illustration: THE PLOUGHMAN & THE GNOME] - - -A YOUNG ploughman was following his plough in a field one morning when -suddenly the horses stopped, and do what he would he could not make -them stir. Then he tried to push the plough himself, but he could -not move it one hair’s-breadth. He stooped down to see what could be -stopping it, when a deep voice cried, “Stop, I am coming up.” The -voice was so loud that the ploughman shook with fear, but though he -looked all around him, he could see no one from whom it could come. -But presently it spoke again (only this time it was a little lower), -and called out, “Have patience, and I shall be up in a moment.” The -ploughman quaked in every limb, and stood quite still, and the voice -began again (but this time it was no louder than most folks’), and it -said—“If you will only not be in such a hurry, I will tell you what I -want. Look in front of your horse’s right foot, and pick me up.” - -He bent down and looked on the ground, and there in the earth, just in -front of his horse’s right foot, he saw what he thought was a little -black lizard. He touched it very cautiously, and started back with -surprise when the voice spoke again, and he found it came from this -tiny creature. - -“Yes,” it said, “that is quite right. You can pick me up in your hand -if you like, but I think I must grow a little bigger, as I am really -uncomfortably small,” and while he held it on the palm of his hand, -the ploughman saw that it was beginning to grow larger, and it swelled -so fast that in a few seconds it was near a foot high, and he had to -take both hands to hold it. Then he saw that it was not a lizard, but -a little black woman with a face that looked as though it were made of -india-rubber, and ugly little black hands. - -“There, that will do,” said the strange little gnome. “That is a nice -useful size. Oh dear, how tiring growing is! I don’t think I’ll be any -bigger just yet. Now be sure you don’t drop me, and handle me very -carefully, for I do not like to be roughly touched. I have not slept -nearly as long as I meant to. I wanted a hundred years’ nap, and it -cannot be more than fifty, but now that I am awake I think I will keep -so for a bit. You seem to be rather a nice civil young man. How would -you like to take me for a lodger?” - -“A lodger!” gasped the ploughman. “Why, what should I do with you?” - -“I should give no trouble,” said the gnome. “But are there any women in -your house?” - -“No,” said the ploughman, “for I have no wife, and I am too poor to -keep a servant.” - -“So much the better,” said the gnome. “For though I am a woman myself, -I detest women, and only get on with men.” - -“You a woman!” cried the ploughman, and he laughed outright. - -“Of course I am a woman,” said the creature. “Come, say quickly, do you -like to have me for a lodger or not? Of course you will have to agree -to my terms.” - -“And what are your terms?” asked the ploughman. - -“Only this. Whatever comes into the house, you must always give the -best of it to me. I will choose where I shall live for myself, when I -see the house, but of all the food you have, you must save the best and -give it to me. Not much of it, but the very best pieces. As you are -a man I cannot wear your clothes, but you can give me some of their -material, and of everything else that comes into the house of any sort, -tobacco, or carpets, or furniture, I must have some of the best. And at -meals I must always be helped first. If you agree to this, I may stay -with you for a very long time.” - -“Oh, oh,” said the ploughman, “and pray what shall I get by it? It -seems to me as if you wanted to get the best of everything and give -nothing in return.” - -“On the contrary,” replied the gnome, “I shall give a very great deal. -For as long as I remain in your house, all things will go well with -you. You are a poor man now, but you will soon be a rich one. If you -sow seeds they will give twice as much crop as other people’s. All your -animals will do well, and in a little time, instead of being a poor -ploughman, you will be the richest farmer in the countryside.” - -“Well,” quoth the ploughman, “I don’t mind trying. I think it would -rather amuse me to take you to my cottage; but if you don’t keep your -part of the bargain, and I don’t find things are going very well with -me, I warn you I’ll pretty soon turn you out.” - -“Agreed,” said the gnome; “but remember, if you fail in your compact -with me, I shall go by myself. Now carry me home and let me choose -where I will live.” - -The ploughman carried the odd little figure back to his cottage, gaping -with astonishment; there he put it down on the kitchen-table in the -little kitchen. It looked all round it, and twisted about its little -black head. - -“That will do nicely,” it said at last; “there is a little hole in -that corner, down which I can go, and near that hole you must place all -your daintiest bits, and remember that I must always be helped first -at all your meals.” And without a word it leaped from the table, and -scuttled away down a big hole that the rats had made, and was no more -to be seen. - -But when in the evening the ploughman came in to eat his meal, before -he began it he took the very best bit of meat and the nicest of the -vegetable, and laid them down near the hole. Then he watched eagerly -to see what would happen, but while he looked there they remained. -Suddenly, however, the door shut with a bang, and he turned his head -for a moment to see what caused it, and when he looked back the food -had disappeared. Every day it was much the same. He put some of the -best food on the table down near the hole, but as long as he watched -there it remained, but when he took his eyes off for a moment it had -disappeared. In the same way when he had new clothes, he took a choice -bit of material and laid it near the hole, and it vanished also. And of -whatever came into the house he took some of the best and did the same -with it. - -Meantime things began to improve very much with him. He had only a -little bit of land round his cottage, but this year the vegetables and -fruit he had planted there grew so well that he had a large quantity to -send to market, and he sold them for such good prices, that soon he was -able to get more land and buy his own animals, and in a little while -had a farm of his own, and had grown to be quite a rich man, while all -his neighbours said his luck was extraordinary. Meantime he saw or -heard nothing more of the little black gnome, and except when he put -the food and other thing’s near the hole almost forgot all about her. - -Time passed, and the time came when the ploughman began to think he -would like to take a wife; he made up his mind to marry a very pretty -girl in the next village, who was said to be the prettiest girl in all -the neighbourhood. Many of the young men would have liked to marry -her, but the ploughman was a handsome, cheery young fellow, and she -preferred him to all of the others, and so they were married, and she -came home to live at the farm. The evening after their wedding they had -a fine fat fowl for supper, and the ploughman before he helped his -wife cut off the choicest slice from the breast and took it as usual to -the hole. - -“Husband,” cried the wife, “have you gone mad that you should give the -best of the food to the rats and the mice?” - -“I am not mad at all,” said the ploughman, “but my grandfather loved -nothing in the world so well as rats and mice, and he made me promise -before he died that they should always be well cared for in my house, -and have of the best.” - -“Then if you are not mad,” replied the wife, “I think your grandfather -was! It is only the best poison that is good for rats and mice, -and they shall have it soon, now that I am in the house.” But the -ploughman caressed his wife and begged her to let him keep his promise -to his grandfather, and the wife held her peace, not liking to seem -bad-tempered on her wedding-day. After a bit she got used to her -husband putting down little bits of food, as he said, for the rats and -mice, and though she always declared she was going to poison them, she -did not try to do so, as her husband seemed grieved when she talked -about it. - -Thus things went on very happily for some months, when the wife began -to think that her clothes were getting very old, and that she must -have some new ones. So she took plenty of money and went into the -neighbouring town, and came home with new dresses, and hats, and -bonnets, and very pretty she looked in them, and her husband was very -much pleased with them. But that evening after his wife was gone -to bed, as the ploughman was finishing his pipe in the kitchen, he -suddenly heard a deep voice from the hole, which called out just as it -had done months before, “Stop, I am coming up.” - -For an instant the ploughman quaked with fear, then he saw something no -bigger than a black beetle creeping through the hole, and it came in -front of his chair, and he heard the voice, which was not so loud this -time, say— - -“That will do, now I am going to begin to grow a little,” and it began -to grow, and grow, and grow, till it was about eight inches high, and -the ploughman saw it was the little black woman. “There,” she said, -speaking quite quietly, “that is a nice useful size, that will do. -Now I have something to say to you, and you will have to attend very -carefully. I consider that you are breaking your compact. In the first -place, you married without asking my leave, and, as I told you, I don’t -like women in the house, but I will say nothing about that, as we had -not spoken about it before, but how can you explain about all the fine -clothes that your wife fetched home to-day? She has taken them to her -room and not given one to me!” - -“Nay,” cried the ploughman, “they are my wife’s clothes, not mine.” - -“Nonsense,” said the gnome, “you gave her the money for them. Now -understand that whatever she buys for herself in the future, she must -buy the same for me. Two of everything: dresses, hats, gloves, whatever -she has, I must have too, and be sure that mine are quite as good as -hers.” - -“But how am I to manage that?” cried the ploughman; “how can I explain -it to her without telling her that you are there?” - -“That is your business,” said the gnome. “All I say is that I must -have the things if I am to remain in your house. You can tell her what -you please. So now you know, and see that you do as I tell you,” and -suddenly the little figure shrunk up till it was about the size of a -black beetle, and then disappeared down the hole without another word. - -The ploughman rubbed his head, and wondered what he could do. He did -not at all want to tell his wife about the little gnome, for he was -sure she would not like it, but at the same time he did not want the -gnome to leave his house and take away his luck. - -A few days after, his wife told him she was going to the shoemaker’s -to buy herself some smart new shoes, and the ploughman thought of the -gnome, and knew he must do as she had told him. So he said to his wife, -“Wife, when you get those shoes for yourself, I wish you would get a -pair just like them for my cousin who has written to me to ask me for a -present. I should like to send her some nice boots and shoes as she is -very poor, so I shall be very much obliged if you will get two pairs of -whatever you may get for yourself that I may send her one.” - -The wife wondered very much, for she did not know the ploughman had any -cousin; however, she went into the town, and brought home two pairs of -smart red shoes with bows on the top. - -When she had gone to bed at night, the ploughman took one pair and -laid it by the hole in the same place where he had put the food, and -it disappeared just as the food did without his seeing where it went. -“Now,” thought he, “when she sees I am quite honest, perhaps the ugly -little gnome will be content, and let us go on in peace.” - -So time went on, and the ploughman and his wife lived very happily -and quietly, till one evening a pedlar came round with a tray holding -all sorts of pretty things to sell. The ploughman’s wife went to the -door, and looked at the things: then she bought a pretty comb for her -hair, but she would not show it to her husband, as she meant to wear it -before him as a surprise next day. - -But that evening after his wife had gone to bed, as the ploughman -sat finishing his pipe by the fire, he heard the voice from the hole -calling as loudly as ever, “Stop! I am coming up.” Again the ploughman -quaked with fear, and then he saw coming through the hole something no -bigger than a black beetle, and again the voice said in a lower tone, -“Now I will begin to grow a little,” and presently the tiny black -thing had swelled into the ugly little black woman with the face like -india-rubber. - -“Listen to me,” she said, “and know that I am beginning to feel very -angry. You are beginning to cheat me. To-day your wife bought herself -a brand-new comb from a pedlar at the door, and never got one for me. -To-morrow evening I must have that comb. I don’t care how you get it, -but have it I must.” - -The ploughman scratched his head and was sore perplexed. “What on earth -am I to do?” he cried, “for my wife will think me very cruel if I take -away all the pretty little things she buys for herself.” - -“I can’t help that,” answered the gnome. “I have got to have that comb -by this time to-morrow night, and I warn you if you begin to deceive -me, just as if I were an ordinary human being, I shall pretty soon take -myself off,” and with that the gnome disappeared through the hole in an -instant. - -Next morning at breakfast the wife came down with the new comb in her -hair, and said to her husband, “See, husband, I bought this of the -pedlar yesterday, and he tells me they are quite the newest fashion, -and all the great ladies in town are wearing them.” - -“Well,” quoth the ploughman, “such a fashion may be all very well for -the great ladies who have scarce any hair of their own, but, for my own -part, I had rather see your beautiful hair just as it is without any -adornment.” - -At this the wife pouted, and was very cross. “’Tis too bad of you -to say that. I thought you would like your wife to wear all the new -fashions, and be smart like other folks.” - -“Nay,” cried the ploughman, “my wife is much prettier than other folks, -and she looks prettiest of all when she has little to adorn her. If any -of these great ladies had hair like yours you may be sure they would -pretty soon throw away any combs or caps or pins, so that nothing but -their hair should be seen.” - -When her husband was gone, the wife went to her glass and looked at -herself, and took out the comb and then put it in, and tried it every -way. “’Tis true, for sure,” said she, “my hair is very beautiful, and -maybe it looks best done up as I used to wear it, still it seems a pity -not to use the comb when I have bought it.” So when her husband came -back, she said to him, “I believe you are right, husband, and it suits -me better not to have anything in my hair, but maybe if you are wanting -to send a present to that cousin of yours, you would like to send her -that comb. It would save buying anything fresh.” - -On this the ploughman laughed to himself, but he thanked his wife very -much and put the comb in his pocket. In the evening after the wife had -gone to bed, the ploughman took it, and put it down by the hole, and -then went on smoking his pipe without waiting to see if it disappeared. -But in a few minutes he heard the voice crying, “Stop! I am coming up,” -and saw again the gnome come through the hole and then begin to grow as -before. “Now this is too bad,” cried the ploughman. “What can you want -now? Here I have just given you the comb you wanted, and nothing else -new has come into the house.” “On the contrary,” answered the gnome, “I -consider that you have brought a great many new things into the house -since I came to live here, and I mean now to have my choice of some of -them, since I do not find that you are honest enough to offer them to -me. To begin with, I want your wife’s hair. I have been trying mine -with that comb, and I find I can’t make it do at all, and so I mean to -have your wife’s.” - -“My wife’s!” gasped the ploughman. “You must be mad!” - -“Mad or not mad,” replied the gnome, “I mean to have it, and, moreover, -it is my due. You married without consulting me, and if I kept you to -your bargain, I should have a great deal that I have not got. Certainly -your wife has the best head of hair in the house, so you must cut it -off near her head and bring it all to me.” - -“But whatever shall I say to my wife?” cried the ploughman in distress. - -“That is your look-out, not mine,” said the gnome. “Anyhow you have got -to give it to me. But as the thought of it seems to annoy you I will -give you a week to get it in.” - -The ploughman sat and thought and thought, and very sad did he feel -at thinking of all his wife’s beautiful hair being given away to the -little gnome. - -Next day he took his horse and cart, and told his wife he had to go for -a long drive on business to a big town, a long way off. It was quite -the biggest town in that neighbourhood, and many very fine people -lived there. At first the wife wanted to go too, but her husband said -it was too far and she would be too tired, as he could not be back till -very late at night. - -Next morning, when they sat at breakfast, he told his wife all he had -heard and seen in the big town, and then he added, “And all the very -fine ladies there have now the funniest fashion.” - -“And what is that?” asked his wife; “pray tell me, for I love to hear -the new fashions.” - -“Why,” said the ploughman, “’tis with their hair. Instead of wearing it -long, they have it cut quite close all round their heads, because they -say it looks smarter now.” - -“Well, I do call that a silly fashion,” said the wife; “they can’t have -had much hair to consent to have had it cut off.” - -“No, indeed,” said her husband, “and yet with some of them, they look -very smart and pretty with their little curly heads.” - -“Much like boys, I should think,” said the wife scornfully. - -“No, not quite that, either,” said the ploughman, “more like the -pictures of angels in the old churches, and they say it is the great -thing for it to curl up all round the head, and when it does that of -itself, they are very proud of it.” - -“Well, then, some of them might be very proud of mine,” said the wife, -“for it’s as curly as may be, and if I were to cut it short would be -all in tiny curls.” - -When her husband had gone to his work, the ploughman’s wife could do -nothing but think of the strange new fashion of which her husband had -told her. “I wonder how it would suit me,” she thought, and when he -came in to dinner she said to him— - -“Husband, is it really true that all those fine ladies looked very -pretty and smart with their hair short?” - -“Ay, that they did,” he said; “I was quite surprised to see them, and -I heard they said ’twas a wonderful saving of trouble, and that their -hair could never grow untidy.” - -“That is true,” said the wife, “yet I should be sorry to cut mine off.” - -[Illustration: “I wonder how it would look?” and she snipped off a big -bit.] - -“No need that you should,” said the ploughman, “and there are not many -folks up here to see if we are in the fashion or not. All the same, -you are sure to look prettier than the town ladies any way, whichever -way your hair is done, for your face is prettier.” - -But when her husband had gone away again the wife went to her glass -with the scissors in her hand. “As my husband says,” she quoth, “it -would be a wonderful saving of trouble, and then it would be very nice -to let all the women round see that I could be in the fashion before -they. I wonder how it would look?” and she snipped off a big bit. “Here -goes,” she cried; “after all ’tis best to follow the fashions, whatever -they are,” and she went on cutting till, when her husband came in, he -found her with her hair all cut off beside her. - -“There, husband,” cried she, “do I look like the smart ladies in town?” - -“Ay, that you do,” he answered, “only ten times prettier; but as for -all that beautiful hair, you must just give it to me, for it is so -beautiful I would not let it be lost for anything,” and he took up all -the heap of fine gold hair and tied it together with a bright ribbon. - -The wife looked at herself in the glass, and thought she really looked -very nice with little curls all round her head, and though the -ploughman grieved over it in his heart, yet he was glad he had got her -hair, and thought, “Now at last that miserable little gnome will be -content, and leave me alone.” So that evening, when his wife was gone -to bed, he took the bunch of hair and laid it near the hole, and it -disappeared, and he knew the gnome had it. - -So for a time all went on quietly with the ploughman, and he hoped he -should not hear more of the gnome, but one evening, after his wife had -gone to bed and he was in the kitchen smoking his pipe alone, he heard -the hated voice shouting, “Stop! I am coming up,” and then he saw the -little black thing like a black beetle coming through the hole, and all -happened just as before. - -“Well, what do you want now?” cried the ploughman when he saw the ugly -little woman in front of him. “I have given you my wife’s hair, and -surely you ought to be content.” - -“Not at all,” said the gnome, “for I have tried on her hair, and I find -it does not suit my complexion. I have never seen her myself, and I -don’t think you any judge, but I heard you telling her that her face -was prettier than any of the town ladies. In that case you have no -right to keep it for yourself. I must have your wife’s face.” - -“My wife’s face!” screamed the ploughman, “I think you must be mad. How -can I give you my wife’s face? And what would you do with it?” - -“Wear it,” answered the gnome; “and all you have to do is to fetch your -wife in here this day week, and tell her what I wish; and I will come -up and scrape off as much of her face as I want.” - -“Why, it would kill her,” cried the ploughman. - -“Not at all,” said the gnome, “neither would it hurt her, for she would -scarcely feel my little knife; the only thing is, that when I have -done, her skin will be rather black and shrivelled like my own, but as -mine has been good enough for me all these years, it will surely be -good enough for a common human woman. Anyhow, now you know. I must have -your wife’s complexion to wear with her hair, or else I go at once. And -as it will be you who have broken the compact, I shall take all your -wealth with me.” And repeating in a deep voice, “Remember, this day -week at twelve o’clock,” the gnome grew small, and disappeared through -the hole. - -Next day the ploughman was very miserable, and whenever he looked at -his wife felt inclined to burst into tears. The wife, not knowing what -was amiss, tried to cheer him, and asked if he were ill. But he shook -his head, and told her “no,” and had not the courage to tell her the -truth. Thus things went on, the ploughman growing sadder and sadder -every day, till the evening before that on which the gnome had told him -he must bring his wife to meet her. The ploughman was scarce able to -check his sobs before his wife, and at last she came into the kitchen, -and there found him crying outright. - -When she saw this, she kneeled down by him, and said, “Husband, you -surely do not think me a good wife, for a good wife shares all her -husband’s troubles. Tell me what troubles you. Two heads are better -than one, and perhaps I can help you.” - -Then the ploughman told her all about the hated gnome, and how he had -found it in a field, and how he had promised to give it some of the -best of everything, and now how it wanted her face. - -At first the wife would scarcely believe it, and then she cried, “But -if ’tis such a little creature why not pick it up and strangle it, or -let me put my foot on it, while it is no bigger than a black beetle.” - -“Nay, do not think of such a thing,” said her husband, “for it is ill -to play tricks with fairy folk, and most likely she would kill us -outright.” - -“But part with my face I never will,” cried the wife. - -“Then we will let her go and take with her the house and all our -wealth, and be contented to live in my old cottage again, and be quite -poor folk,” said her husband. - -On hearing this the wife burst into tears, and wept more bitterly than -her husband, for she would not stop at all. It was in vain for him to -try to cheer her and tell her that poor folk could be quite as happy -as rich ones. She declared she could never be happy poor. Then when -he said if she would let her face go, he would love her just as much -or more without it, she cried that she could never be happy with a -dreadful shrivelled black skin like a monkey’s. All that night she -cried, and when morning came her skin was all red, and her eyes could -scarce be seen, so swelled were their lids, but still she cried on all -day, and her husband said nothing to comfort her, because he did not -know what to say. By the time it grew dark, her face was so swelled and -sore that she could not bear to touch it, and she had cried herself -almost blind, but still the tears were rolling down. When the time came -for the clock to strike twelve, her husband took her hand and led her -to the kitchen, and there she sat with her face in her hands sobbing. -Just as the clock struck, they heard the voice like thunder shouting, -“Stop! I am coming up,” and the wife peeped between her fingers and -saw the little thing no bigger than a black beetle come through the -hole and then grow, and grow, and grow, till it was like an ugly little -black woman near a foot high. And when she saw how hideous it was she -thought, “Never, never will I consent to have a skin like that—not for -millions of pounds.” - -The gnome did not speak to her, but said to the ploughman, “So you have -brought your wife. That is a good thing, if you wish me to remain with -you. So now tell her to take down her hands and let me see this face -you make such a fuss about. I have my knife all ready.” - -And the ploughman saw that she had in her hand a tiny knife, which did -not look as if it could hurt any one. - -“Wife, wife,” groaned the ploughman, “what shall we do?” - -Then the wife looked up out of her swollen eyes, and was just going to -speak, when the gnome gave a shriek. “What?” she cried, “that face! Do -you mean to say that is what you think so pretty, and that I am going -to change my beautiful, dry, black skin for that swollen red mass? No, -indeed. You must be mad. It is a good thing that I saw it in time. I -shall leave the house at once.” - -“Nay,” cried the ploughman, “but it is you who are breaking your -compact this time.” - -But the gnome made no reply, but scuttled down through the hole as fast -as it could, and the ploughman and his wife burst out laughing for joy. -And that was the last they ever saw of it, and it must have gone right -away, but they knew it had left some of its luck behind it, as they -both lived happily for the rest of their days. - - -THE END - - -_Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay._ - - - - -Books for the Young - - - SYLVIA IN FLOWERLAND. By LINDA GARDINER. With Sixteen Illustrations by - HERBERT E. BUTLER. 3_s._ 6_d._ - -“A charming fantasy.... We have never observed a more dexterous -administration of the facts of science in the guise of -romance.”—_World._ - -“A charming book.”—_Guardian._ - -“The illustrations are particularly good.”—_Spectator._ - - LILY AND THE LIFT, and other Fairy Stories. By Mrs. HERBERT RAILTON. - With Illustrations by the Author. Cloth, gilt edges, 3_s._ 6_d._ - -“Altogether a charming book for children.”—_Pall Mall Gazette._ - -“The illustrations are very dainty.”—_Queen._ - - THE LIFE OF AN ELEPHANT. With Twenty-four Illustrations. 3_s._ 6_d._ - -“Beautifully illustrated ... full of humour and pathos.”—_Christian -World._ - - THE LIFE OF A BEAR. His Birth, Education, and Adventures. With - Twenty-four Illustrations. 3_s._ 6_d._ - -“Narrated with great skill, and whilst abounding in many quaint touches -of humour, conveys incidentally, without being too didactic, many -useful lessons.”—_School Guardian._ - - AMONG THE STARS; or, Wonderful Things in the Sky. By AGNES GIBERNE. - With Coloured Illustrations. Sixth Thousand. 5_s._ - -“An attempt to teach astronomy to small children ... it is very well -done.”—_Saturday Review._ - - THE STARRY SKIES. First Lessons on the Sun, Moon and Stars. By AGNES - GIBERNE. 2_s._ 6_d._ - -“Nothing could be more attractive than the method of these excellent -little books. The capital woodcuts also are of the kind that should -leave a pleasant impression with the young, since they are strictly -illustrative of the matter dealt with.”—_Saturday Review._ - - - - -Historical Stories - - -_BY THE REV. A. J. CHURCH_ - - HELMET AND SPEAR. Stories from the Wars of the Greeks and Romans. With - Eight Illustrations by G. MORROW. Cloth, 5_s._ - - HEROES OF CHIVALRY AND ROMANCE. With Eight Coloured Illustrations by - G. MORROW. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“Couched in vigorous language, and as exciting and interesting as it -can well be.”—_Church Bells._ - - WITH THE KING AT OXFORD: A Story of the Great Rebellion. With Coloured - Illustrations. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“Excellent sketches of the times.”—_Athenæum._ - - THE COUNT OF THE SAXON SHORE: A Tale of the Departure of the Romans - from Britain. With Sixteen Illustrations. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“A good stirring tale.”—_Daily News._ - - TO THE LIONS: A Tale of the Early Christians. Cloth, 3_s._ 6_d._ - -“The picture of the life of the early Christians is drawn with -admirable simplicity and distinctness.”—_Guardian._ - - THREE GREEK CHILDREN: A Story of Home in Old Time. With Illustrations. - Cloth, 3_s._ 6_d._ - -“A very fascinating little book.”—_Spectator._ - - THE STORY OF THE LAST DAYS OF JERUSALEM FROM JOSEPHUS. With Coloured - Illustrations. Cloth, 3_s._ 6_d._ - - * * * * * - - THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH: A Tale of the Normans in Italy. By E. J. - OSWALD. With Illustrations. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“There is fun and adventure enough in it to suit the youngsters, while -it is thoroughly wholesome in every way.”—_Saturday Review._ - - IN HIS NAME: A Story of the Waldenses seven hundred years ago. By E. - E. HALE. With many Illustrations by G. P. JACOMB HOOD. Cloth, gilt - edges, 6_s._ - -“Charmingly written, and full of life and character.... It is difficult -to praise this work too highly.”—_Standard._ - - - - -Historical Stories - - - THE ISLAND OF THE ENGLISH: A Story of Napoleon’s Days. By FRANK - COWPER, Author of “Caedwalla,” etc. With Illustrations by GEORGE - MORROW. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“A rattling story of old seafaring and naval days.”—_Academy._ - - CAEDWALLA; OR, THE SAXONS IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT. By FRANK COWPER. With - Illustrations. Third Edition. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“A perusal of the book will give boys a truer idea of the manners and -customs of their rough forefathers than any other with which we are -acquainted.”—_Standard._ - - FOR THE HONOUR OF THE FLAG: A Story of our Sea Fights with the Dutch. - By Commander ROBINSON R.N., and JOHN LEYLAND. With Illustrations by - LANCELOT SPEED. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“Altogether, ‘For the Honour of the Flag’ is as reliable in its -character of historical novel as it is interesting and exciting as a -story of adventure.”—_Spectator._ - - THE SIEGE OF NORWICH CASTLE: A Story of the Last Struggle against the - Conqueror. By M. M. BLAKE. With Illustrations. 5_s._ - - THE CITY IN THE SEA: Stories of the Deeds of the Old Venetians, from - the Chronicles. With Coloured Illustrations. By the Author of “Belt - and Spur.” 5_s._ - -“A beautiful volume, instructive as well as entertaining.”—_Graphic._ - - -_BY REV. E. GILLIAT._ - - WOLF’S HEAD: A Story of the Prince of Outlaws. With Eight - Illustrations. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“Bright, cheery, and always entertaining, Mr. Gilliat’s clever tale can -be thoroughly recommended.”—_World._ - - THE KING’S REEVE AND HOW HE SUPPED WITH HIS MASTER. An Old World - Comedy. With Illustrations by SYDNEY HALL. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“We have read no other historical story so fascinating since we closed -‘In Lincoln Green.’”—_St. James’s Gazette._ - - IN LINCOLN GREEN: A Merrie Tale of Robin Hood. Illustrated by RALPH - CLEAVER. Second Edition. Cloth, 5_s._ - -“One of the very best boys’ books we have taken up for many a year. -Here is a story of outlaws which positively rings with the merriment of -greens.”—_Daily Chronicle._ - - - - -Tales by Miss Winchester - - - A NEST OF SPARROWS. Tenth Edition. 5_s._ - -“Miss Winchester not only writes with skill, but writes from the heart, -and with full knowledge of her subject. Her story is most genuine, -pathetic, without being sad.”—_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - UNDER THE SHIELD. A Tale. Seventh Edition. 5_s._ - -“We welcome with real pleasure another book by the author of ‘A Nest of -Sparrows.’ ‘Under the Shield’ is to be noted for its purity of tone and -high aspirations.... There is true fun in the book, too.”—_Athenæum._ - - A NEST OF SKYLARKS. A Story. With Illustrations. 5_s._ - -“Miss Winchester’s tales for girls are right in feeling, unaffected in -sentiment, true in sympathy, high and exact in principle, and sound -in judgment. ‘A Nest of Skylarks’ is in all respects worthy of the -previous stories.”—_World._ - - A DOUBLE CHERRY. A Story. With Illustrations. 5_s._ - -“Has written no more successful story.”—_Scotsman._ - - ADRIFT IN A GREAT CITY. A Story. Second Edition. With Illustrations by - G. P. JACOMB HOOD. 5_s._ - -“One of Miss Winchester’s pleasantly-written tales.... In its -descriptions of slum life in Liverpool it is equal to any of her -previous efforts.”—_Daily Telegraph._ - - * * * * * - - -By Miss E. Ward - - FRESH FROM THE FENS: A Story of Three Lincolnshire Lasses. With Eight - Illustrations. 5_s._ - -“A pretty tale simply and effectively told.”—_Daily News._ - - A PAIR OF ORIGINALS. A Story. With Eight Illustrations. 5_s._ - -“This is a charming book.”—_Bristol Times._ - - ST. DUNSTAN’S CLOCK: A Story of 1666. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The windfairies and other tales</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Mary De Morgan</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Olive Cockerell</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: January 24, 2023 [eBook #69875]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Brian Wilsden, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WINDFAIRIES AND OTHER TALES ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="1000" height="1398" alt="Book cover"> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg i]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_frontispiece.png" width="600" height="764" alt="Frontispiece."> -<p class="caption small">“Indeed,” said the Duke, “I should not have thought you so very -pretty.”<br>[<i>Vain Kesta</i>, <a href="#P_43"><i>p.</i> 43.</a>]</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg ii]</span></p> -<h1 class="nobreak"> -<img src="images/i_title.png" width="600" height="719" alt="Title."> -</h1> -</div> -<div class="caption"> -<span class="center xlarge">THE WINDFAIRIES</span><br> -<span class="large"><i>AND OTHER TALES</i></span> -</div> -<div class="center"> -<span class="xsmall">BY</span><br><br> -<span class="large">MARY DE MORGAN</span><br> -<span class="xsmall">AUTHOR OF “ON A PINCUSHION,” “THE NECKLACE OF PRINCESS FIORIMONDE.”</span><br> -<br><br> -<span class="small">WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY</span><br> -<span class="large">OLIVE COCKERELL</span><br> -<br><br> -<span class="large">LONDON<br> -SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED</span><br> -38 <span class="smcap">Great Russell Street</span><br> -1900<br> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg iii]</span></p> - -<div class="topspace3"></div> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_dedication.png" width="350" height="493" alt="Dedication."> -</div> - -<div class="caption"> -<span class="xlarge">TO ANGELA<br> -DENNIS<br> -AND CLARE<br></span><br> -<span class="normal">THESE LITTLE TALES<br> -ARE DEDICATED<br> -BY THEIR WRITER</span><br> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 1-2]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> - -<table> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"> </td> -<td class="tdr">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE WINDFAIRIES</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_WINDFAIRIES">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">VAIN KESTA</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#VAIN_KESTA">35</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE POOL AND THE TREE</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_POOL_THE_TREE">52</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">NANINA’S SHEEP</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#NANINAS_SHEEP">65</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE GIPSY’S CUP</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_GIPSYS_CUP">81</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE STORY OF A CAT</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_STORY_OF_A_CAT">128</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">DUMB OTHMAR</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#DUMB_OTHMAR">147</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE RAIN MAIDEN</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_RAIN_MAIDEN">192</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE PLOUGHMAN AND THE GNOME</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_PLOUGHMAN_AND_THE_GNOME">209</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 3]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_003.png" width="600" height="290" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_WINDFAIRIES">THE WINDFAIRIES</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_003_cap_t.png" width="200" height="244" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">There</span> was once a -windmill which stood on the downs by the sea, far from any town or -village, and in which the miller lived alone with his little daughter. -His wife had died when the little girl, whose name was Lucilla, was a -baby, and so the miller lived by himself with his child, of whom he was -very proud. As her father was busy with his work, and as little Lucilla -had no other children to play with, she was alone nearly all day, -and had to amuse herself as best she could, and one of her greatest -pleasures was to sit and watch the great sails of the windmill figures like them, and they - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 4]</span> - -held each other by the hand, and were dancing and springing from the -ground as lightly as if they had been made of feather-down.</p> - -<p>“Come, sisters, come,” cried the one nearest Lucilla. “See, here is a -little human child out here alone at twelve o’clock at night. Come and -let us play with her.”</p> - -<p>“Who are you?” asked Lucilla; “my name is Lucilla, and I live in the -mill with my father.”</p> - -<p>“We are windfairies,” said the first grey figure.</p> - -<p>“Windfairies!” said Lucilla, “what are they?”</p> - -<p>“We blow the winds and sweep the earth. When there are many of us -together we make a great hurricane, and human beings are frightened. We -it is who turn your mill wheel for you, and make all the little waves -on the sea. See, if you will come with us we will take you for a ride -on one of the sails of your mill. That is, if you will be brave, and -not cry.”</p> - -<p>“I will not cry one bit,” said Lucilla, and she sprang up, and held out -her arms.</p> - -<p>At once she was lifted up, and felt herself going higher and higher, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 5]</span> - -till she rested on one of the great windmill sails, and, with the -little grey elves beside her, was sweeping through the air, clinging to -the sail.</p> - -<p>“She is quite good,” whispered one, as she held Lucilla in her tiny -white arms. “I really think we might teach her to dance, for she has -not cried at all.”</p> - -<p>“No, she would surely tell some one if we did,” said another. “Little -human child, would you like us to teach you how to dance as we dance?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes,” cried Lucilla; and now they were sweeping down near the -ground, and the fairies slid off the sail with Lucilla in their arms, -and let her slide gently to earth. “Teach me to dance, I beg. I will -never tell anybody.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, but that is what all mortals say,” whispered one who had not -spoken yet, “no mortal can keep a secret. Never yet was one known who -could be silent.”</p> - -<p>“Try me,” cried Lucilla again, “I will never tell. Indeed I will not,” -and she looked entreatingly from one to another of the elves.</p> - -<p>“But if you did,” said they, “if you broke your promise to us when - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 6]</span> - -once you had made it, we should punish you severely.”</p> - -<p>“But I promise faithfully,” repeated Lucilla, “I will never tell any -one.”</p> - -<p>“Well then, you may try,” they said. “Only remember, if you break -your word to us, and tell any mortal who it was that taught you how -to dance, you will never dance again, for your feet will become heavy -as lead, and not only that, but some great misfortune will overtake -whatever you love best in this world. But if you keep faith with us, -then the windfairies will never forget you, but will come to your help -in your direst hour of need.”</p> - -<p>“Teach me, teach me,” cried Lucilla; “indeed I will never, never tell, -and I long to dance as you do.”</p> - -<p>“Come then,” they said, and some came behind her, and some went in -front of her, and some took her arms and some her feet, and all at -once Lucilla felt as if she were made of feather-down. She swayed up -and down as lightly as they, and it seemed to her quite easy. Never -had she been so happy, and she would gladly have danced for hours, but -suddenly, just as the sun was beginning to show a red light in the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 7]</span> - -sky, she heard her father’s horse galloping over the downs, and in an -instant the windfairies had vanished.</p> - -<p>When the miller came up to her, he was angry with her for being out on -the grass instead of warm in bed, but Lucilla dared not tell him what -had kept her, or say that she had been playing with windfairies.</p> - -<p>Years passed, and Lucilla never saw the windfairies again, though she -watched for them every night. She grew up to be a beautiful young -woman, and her father was very proud of her. She was as tall and as -lithe as a willow wand, and when she ran or danced it seemed as if she -were as light as a feather blown in the wind. There were few people -to see her, or tell her she was beautiful, for save the fisher folk -who lived in little cottages on the beach, scarce anybody came to the -downs. But all who saw her admired her beauty, and most of all her -wonderful dancing. Sometimes she would go out on the downs, and dance -and run there by herself, and her father would look at her and say: -“Heaven help the maid! I don’t know whom she has learned it from, but - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 8]</span> - -I have never seen a dancer who can come nigh her.” Then sometimes she -would go down to the sea-shore, and this she loved to do best of all, -and there she would dance with the waves, and move with them as they -slid up to her feet and drew back, and to those who watched, it seemed -as if she and they were one together.</p> - -<p>The time came when her father wished her to be married, and among the -young fishermen and the country folk who came to the mill from the -farms across the country, she had suitors enough, but always she said -when a young man came to woo her, “First let me see how you can dance, -for as dancing is the thing I love best in the world, it would be a -pity that I and my husband should not be able to dance together,” and -as none of them could dance as she did, she sent them all away, saying -she would wait for a husband till she could find a man who could dance -to her liking.</p> - -<p>But one day there was a great storm, and a big ship was blown on to -the shore close to the mill, and among the sailors was a young fellow -with black curly hair and bright eyes and white teeth, and when he saw -Lucilla, he said to himself, “I will wed that girl and take her home -for my wife.” So one day as they sat on the downs together he begged - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 9]</span> - -her to marry him, and go back with him to his own land; he said he -would give up going to sea, and would live with her in a little cottage -and make their bread by fishing. Then Lucilla said, as she had said -to all her other suitors, “First let me see how you can dance, for I -will never marry any man who cannot dance with me.” The sailor swore he -could dance as well as any man in the world, for all sailors can dance, -he said, and they began to dance together on the downs. The sailor -danced well and merrily, but Lucilla danced faster, and seemed as if -she were made of feather-down; and then the sailor, seeing that his -dancing was as nothing to hers, caught her by the waist, and held her -still, crying, “My sweetheart, I cannot dance as you can, but my arms -are strong enough to hold you still and keep you from dancing with any -man but me.”</p> - -<p>So Lucilla married the sailor, and went with him to live in his little -cottage by the sea, many miles away from the mill, and as her father -was growing old and no longer cared to work, he went with her too.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 10]</span></p> - -<p>For some time the sailor and Lucilla lived together very happily, and -they had two little children, and her husband fished and sold his fish, -and often still, Lucilla would go down to the waves and dance with them -as she had done in her old home. She tried to teach her little children -to dance as she did, but they could not learn because the windfairies -had never touched them. But one winter her husband’s boat was dashed to -pieces, and the sea froze so that all the fish died, and they became so -poor that they could barely get enough to eat. Then it chanced that a -big ship came to the village where they lived, and the captain wanted -men for a long journey, and her husband told Lucilla that he had best -go with him, and then he would have enough money to buy another boat, -and then next year they must hope for better luck. So Lucilla was left -alone in the cottage with her father and her two little children, and -she felt very lonely and sad without her husband, and often she thought -of the mill and the windfairies, and when the wind blew, she would go -down to the water’s edge and hold out her arms and pray them to take -care of her husband’s ship, and bring it safe home again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 11]</span></p> - -<p>“Oh, kind windfairies,” she cried, “see, I have kept faith with you, so -do you now keep faith with me, and do me no hurt.” And often she would -dance by the edge of the waves, as she used to do in her old home, and -think that the windfairies were dancing with her, and holding up her -steps.</p> - -<p>Now it chanced that one day, as Lucilla was dancing on the shore, there -rode by two horsemen, and they stopped and watched her as she danced, -with the waves coming close to her feet. Then they got down from their -horses, and asked who she was, and where she had learned such dancing. -She told them she was only the wife of a poor fisherman, but she had -danced for long years, since she was a little child, when she had lived -in a windmill, on the downs far away. They rode away, but next day they -came again, and brought others with them, and begged Lucilla that she -would go down to the water’s edge and dance with the waves as she had -done yesterday. So she ran down the beach, and danced in time to the -sea as it moved, and the strangers all applauded, and said to each - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 12]</span> - -other, “It is wonderful, it is marvellous.”</p> - -<p>They then told her that they came from a country where the King loved -nothing so much as beautiful dancing, and that he would give great sums -of money to any one who danced well, and if she would go back with them -to his court, and dance before the King, she should have a sack of gold -to take home with her, and this would make her a rich woman, and her -husband would never have need to work any more.</p> - -<p>At first she refused, and said her husband was away, and would not -know where she was gone, and she did not like to leave her two little -children; but still the courtiers persuaded her, and said it would not -be for long, and her father persuaded her too, since he said it would -make them all rich if she brought home a sack of gold. So at last -Lucilla agreed that she would go back with them to the King’s court -and dance there, but she made them promise that before the spring came -they would send her back to her own little cottage. On hearing this, -the strangers were much delighted, and bid Lucilla make ready to start -at once, and that night she said good-bye to her little ones, and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 13]</span> - - -left them, to go with the travellers. Her eyes were red with crying at -leaving her home, and before she started, she went out alone on to the -cliffs, and stretched out her arms, and called to the windfairies to go -with her and help her, for she feared what she was going to do, and she -begged them to be true to her, as she had been true to them.</p> - -<p>They sailed for many days, till at last they came to a country of which -Lucilla had never even heard, and to a big town, which seemed to her -as if it must hold all the people in the world, so crowded was it, and -above the town on the hill, they pointed out to her a royal palace, and -told her it was where the King dwelt, and there she would have to dance -ere the week was out.</p> - -<p>“And it is most lucky we saw you just now,” said they, “for the King is -just going to be married, and in a few days the Princess will arrive, -and there will be festivities and rejoicing for days, and at some of -these you will appear before their Majesties, and be sure you dance -your very best.”</p> - -<p>Then Lucilla went with them into a great hall close to the palace, -where musicians were playing on every kind of instrument, and here the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 14]</span> - -courtiers bid her dance on a platform at one end of the hall, in time -to the music; and when they had seen it, the musicians one and all lay -down their instruments, and rose together, clapping and applauding, and -all declared that it was the greatest of luck that the travellers had -met with Lucilla, and that it would delight the King more than anything -they had prepared for him.</p> - -<p>By and by the Princess who was to marry the King arrived, and the -wedding was celebrated with much magnificence, and after the wedding -there was a feast, and in the evening there was to be singing and -dancing, and all sorts of play for the royal couple and the court to -see, and then Lucilla was to dance. The courtier who brought her wished -her to be dressed in the most gorgeous dress, with gold and jewels, but -she pleaded that she might wear a light grey gown like the windfairies, -because she remembered how they looked when they danced on the downs.</p> - -<p>When the evening came when she was to dance before the King, she threw -wide her window and held out her arms, and cried out, “Now help me, -dear windfairies, as you have done before; keep faith with me, as I - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 15]</span> - -have kept faith with you.” But in truth she could scarce keep from -crying with thoughts of her husband at sea, and her little ones at the -cottage at home.</p> - -<p>The hall was brilliantly lighted, and in the middle on the throne sat -the King and the young Queen. The musicians began to play, and then -Lucilla stepped forth on the platform and began to dance. She felt as -light as the sea foam, and when she swayed and curved to the sound of -the music, it seemed to her as if she heard only the swish of the waves -as they beat upon the shore, and the murmur of the wind as it played -with the water, and she thought of her husband out at sea, with the -wind blowing his ship along, and of her little babies living in the -cottage on the beach.</p> - -<p>When she stopped, there was such a noise of applauding and cheering in -the hall, as had never been heard there before, and the King sent for -her, and asked her where she came from, and who had taught her such -wonderful steps, but she only answered that she was the daughter of a -poor miller, who lived in a windmill, and she thought she must have -learnt to dance from watching the windmill’s sails go round. Every - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 16]</span> - -night the King would have her dance again and again, as he never tired -of watching her, and every night Lucilla said to herself, “Now another -night is gone, and I am one day nearer to their taking me back to my -own home and my children, with a bag of gold to give to my husband when -he comes back from sea.”</p> - -<p>The new Queen was a handsome woman, but she was very jealous, and it -made her angry that the King should admire the new dancer’s dancing so -much, and she thought she would like to be able to dance like her. So -one evening when no one was watching her, she put on a big cloak that -covered her all over, and asked her way to where the dancer lived. -Lucilla sat alone in the little house that they had given her to live -in, and the Queen came in behind her, and took off her cloak, and -bade her be silent and not say her name, for fear some one should be -listening and know that she was there.</p> - -<p>“Now,” she said, “I have come to you that you may tell me, though no -one else knows it, who taught you to dance, that I may go and learn -from them also to dance like you; for in the home that I come from, I - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 17]</span> - -was said to be the most graceful woman in the land and the best dancer, -so that there is no dancing that I cannot learn.”</p> - -<p>Lucilla trembled, but she answered:</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty, I lived in a little windmill by the sea when I was a -child, far from teachers or dancers, but I watched the windmill sails -go round, morn, noon, and night; and perhaps it is that that taught me -to dance as I do now. And if your Majesty wishes to learn to do what -I do, I will gladly teach you all I know, and doubtless you will soon -learn to dance far better than I.”</p> - -<p>Upon this the Queen was delighted, and flung aside her cloak, and stood -opposite to Lucilla, and begged her to begin to teach her at once, that -she might learn as soon as possible. All that evening they danced, but -when the Queen thought she looked just as Lucilla did, she appeared to -be quite awkward and heavy beside her, and was dancing just as other -mortals might. When she went away she was very much pleased, and said -that she would come twice more to learn from her, and then she was -sure that she would be perfect. In her heart Lucilla was very much - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 18]</span> - -frightened, because she knew that the Queen did not dance as she did, -and never could. However, the next night she came again, and the next -again, and then there was to be a grand court ball; and at this the -Queen thought she would first show her husband how she could dance. -The King himself was fond of dancing, and danced well, although not -half so well as Lucilla’s husband the sailor; and the Queen thought -how delighted he would be when he saw what a graceful wife he had got. -As the ball began, all the fine people were saying to each other, it -really seemed silly to dance after they had seen the wonderful new -dancer, but the Queen smiled and thought to herself, “Now they will see -that I can do quite as well as she.” When her turn came she tripped -lightly forward and danced as best she could, and thought it was just -like Lucilla, and the courtiers said among each other, “Our new Queen -dances well,” but no one thought of saying that it was like Lucilla’s -dancing, and the King said nothing at all on the matter; therefore the -Queen felt herself growing hot and angry, and she turned red and white -by turns.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 19]</span></p> - -<p>“That lying wench has been tricking me,” she said to herself, “and -she has not taught me right at all; but I will punish her for her -deception, and soon she shall know what it is to deceive a Queen.”</p> - -<p>So the next day she went to her husband and said, “Husband, I have -thought much of the new wonderful dancer whom we all admire so much, -and truly I have never seen any one on earth who could dance as she -can; but now I think we should do well before she goes back to her own -home to know who has taught her her marvellous art, so that we may have -our court dancers taught, that they may be there to please us when she -is gone, for really there is nothing on earth that cannot be learnt if -it is taught in the right way.”</p> - -<p>The King agreed, and they sent for Lucilla, and the King asked her to -tell him where she had learnt her dancing, that they might summon the -same teachers to teach their court dancers. But Lucilla answered as -before—she did not know—she thought she must have learnt dancing from -watching the windmill sails going round. At this the King became angry, -and said, “That is nonsense, no one could learn dancing from looking - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 20]</span> - -at windmill sails, neither was it possible that she, a poor miller’s -daughter, could have learnt such dancing by nature;” then he threatened -her, that if she would not tell him the truth he should be obliged to -punish her, and he said she should have a day to think of it in, but at -the end of the next day, he should expect her to tell him everything he -wanted to know quite plainly.</p> - -<p>When she was gone away the King said to the Queen, “Wife, if this -dancer persists in her silence, and will not tell us how she has -learnt, there is another thing which we must do. We must keep her here -to dance for us as much as we choose, and not let her return at all to -the home from which she came.”</p> - -<p>The Queen was silent for a little, but she felt very jealous at the -thought of the dancer remaining at the court, so she nodded her head -and said, “Yes, but I think she ought to tell us more about it; for -myself, I begin to think that it is witchcraft, and perhaps she has -been taught by the Evil One, and then we shouldn’t like her to remain -here and dance to us however beautiful it be, for who knows what ill -luck it might not bring upon us?” Upon this the King looked grave, and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 21]</span> - -said he did not believe much in ill luck or good luck, but he should be -loth to lose the dancer, so they had better settle to keep her if she -declined to tell them how the other dancers were to be taught.</p> - -<p>Meantime Lucilla went back to her little house, and wept bitterly. -“Would that I had never left my babes and my home,” she cried, “for I -cannot break my word to the windfairies, and if I did they might do -some terrible harm to my little ones or to my husband at sea; yet if I -refuse to tell them they will most likely put me into prison, and there -I shall remain for my life, and my husband and children will never -know what has become of me.” And she knelt down before the windows and -lifted her arms and cried out, “Oh, dear windfairies, I have not broken -faith with you, so don’t break faith with me, and come to my help and -save me in my trouble.”</p> - -<p>Next evening Lucilla went again before the King, and he said to her, -“Well, now will you tell us what we asked you last night, so that we -may send for your teachers, and have others taught to dance as you do?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 22]</span></p> - -<p>“My gracious liege,” answered Lucilla, “I can tell you nothing that I -have not told you before. Since I was a child I have danced as I dance -now, and I watched the sails of my father’s windmill, and I danced in -time to the waves, and perhaps that is what taught me to keep time and -step so well. I was dancing by the sea-shore when the travellers who -brought me here found me, and they promised me a bag of gold to take -home to my husband if I would come and dance at your Majesty’s court; -and now you have seen me dance, and I have done all I can do, so I -entreat you to give me the bag of gold, and let me go home again.”</p> - -<p>The King was silent, but the Queen was still more angry, and in her -heart was determined that Lucilla should never return to her home until -she had found out about her dancing. So when they were alone she said -to her husband, “It is now quite clear, it is by witchcraft that this -woman has learned, and we should do very wrong if we let her go till -she has confessed all.” So again they sent for Lucilla and ordered her -to confess, and again she wept and declared that she could tell no -more. Then the King said, “Well, let us give the woman her bag of gold - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 23]</span> - -and let her go,” but the Queen stopped him, and said, “No indeed, let -us first try shutting her up in prison for a bit, and see if that won’t -open her lips.”</p> - -<p>At first the King refused, for he said that Lucilla had done no wrong, -but the Queen insisted that she was deceiving them, and that her -dancing must be witchcraft, and at last the King began to listen to -her. Also he was very angry with Lucilla for wanting to go home, and -much disappointed to think he should see her dancing no more; so he -consented, and said that either she must tell him how it was she came -to be able to dance better than anybody else in this world, and who -taught her, or else they should think her dancing witchcraft, and she -must go to prison and wait her punishment.</p> - -<p>Poor Lucilla wept most bitterly. “Alas!” cried she to herself, “woe is -me, for I dare not break faith with the windfairies, and yet if I do -not, I shall never see my husband or my babies again, for I fear lest -they may put me to death here.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 24]</span></p> - -<p>However, she continued to be silent, and the King ordered her to be -put into prison until she should speak out and tell them the truth; -and the guards came and led her away to prison, and locked her into a -dark cell. It was dreary and cold, and the walls were so thick that -she could not hear any of the noises from without, and there was only -one little window, which was too high up for her to see through. Here -she lay and lamented, and almost wished she could die at once, for she -believed that they would burn her, or drown her, and bitterly did she -grieve that she had left her home and her children.</p> - -<p>Every day the King sent down to ask if she had changed her mind, but -every day she answered that she had nothing to say. One evening she sat -in her dark cell alone, grieving as usual, when the prison door opened, -and there entered a woman wrapped in a cloak and with her face hidden -by a mask. When she took off the mask Lucilla saw it was the Queen, and -she sprang up hoping that she had come to tell her that she was to be -released, but the Queen said, “Now I have come to you alone that you -may tell me the truth. Who taught you to dance, and where can I learn - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 25]</span> - -to do what you do? If you will tell me I will ask the King to forgive -you, and you shall have your bag of gold, and go when you like.”</p> - -<p>Then poor Lucilla began to cry afresh, and said, “My gracious lady, -I can tell you one thing that I have not yet told to any one, that -is, that I did learn my dancing, but who told me, or how it was, is a -secret that I swore I would never tell to any one. And now I implore -your Royal Highness to let me go back to my fisherman husband, and my -babies. Alack! alack! it was an evil hour for me when I left my home.”</p> - -<p>Upon this the Queen became furious, but she hid her anger, and first -she tried to coax Lucilla to confess all, then she threatened her -with the King’s wrath, and then, as Lucilla still wept and said that -she could not break her promise, she started up in a rage, and said, -“Indeed, it is of little use, however much you love your husband and -your children, for you will never see them again. The King has settled -that you shall be killed this very week, so now you know what you have -gained by your wicked obstinacy.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 26]</span></p> - -<p>So the Queen returned to the King, and told him that the dancer had -confessed that she had learned her dancing, but she would not say from -whom, therefore it must be from the Evil One, and therefore there was -nothing for it but that she should be killed. So they settled that -first they would try to drown Lucilla, and if she were a witch she -would not sink, and the King gave orders that she should be taken out -to sea next day and thrown overboard, and also that she should have -heavy weights tied to her feet, and her arms should be bound to her -sides.</p> - -<p>Next morning the guards fetched her, and they bound her arms to her -sides, and tied heavy weights to her feet, and they took her down and -placed her in a boat on the sea-shore, and they rowed her out to sea, -and all along the beach stood crowds of people, shouting and jeering, -and calling out, “She is a witch! she is a witch! the King has done -well to have her killed.”</p> - -<p>“Alas! alas!” cried Lucilla, “what have I done to deserve this? surely -I have done no wrong to be so cruelly treated. Dear windfairies, come -to my help, for in truth now is the time of my direst need, and if you -desert me I am lost; but I pray you keep faith with me, as I have - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 27]</span> - -kept faith with you.” Then, when they had rowed the boat out a little -way, the guards seized her, and threw her into the water, and the salt -waves splashed over her face and through her hair; but in spite of the -heavy weights on her feet she never sank, but felt as light as when she -danced with the waves on the sea-shore by her home, and she knew that -the windfairies held her up; and the waves rocked her gently, and drew -her in towards the land, and laid her on the sand, and all the crowd -yelled with rage.</p> - -<p>When they found that Lucilla could not be drowned both the King and -Queen were very angry, and said that now it was quite clear that she -was a witch, and that she must be burnt, so they must take her back to -prison, and arrange for her to be burnt in the market-place. So Lucilla -was again taken back to her little dark cell, and she kneeled on the -ground and looked up to the window, and murmured, “Thank you, dear -windfairies, you have kept faith with me, as I have kept faith with -you.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_028.png" width="600" height="833" alt="Lucilla in the fire."> -</div> - -<p>Then again the guards came, and took her by the arms and led her to - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 28]</span> - -the market-place, and here she saw a great pile of wood made, whereon -she was to be laid, and already men were busy setting fire to it. -But as Lucilla and the guards came to the spot, there arose a little -breeze, and it blew on to the faces of the crowd who went to see her -burnt. The men who were trying to light the pile of wood, said they -could not make it catch for the wind; when at last it did catch fire, -the flames would not rise in the air, but were blown along the ground. -Still they brought Lucilla up to the pile, and placed her upon it, and -then the flames divided on each side, and were blown away from her all -round, so she sat in the midst quite unhurt.</p> - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 29]</span> - -<p>At this the people all cried out, “Now we know that she really is a -witch, since she will not drown and the fire will not burn her,” and -they ran to tell the King and the Queen that the dancing woman did not -mind the fire, but sat in the midst of it unhurt. On hearing this the -King and Queen came down to the market-place together, and saw Lucilla -sitting on the pile of wood, and the flames blown away from her on all -sides, and causing a great hubbub; so they told the guards to take her -back to prison and keep her there, till they could arrange for her to -be beheaded. And again Lucilla bent her head, and said, “Now I know, -dear windfairies, that you will never desert me, and I have nothing to -fear, for while I keep faith with you, you will keep faith with me.”</p> - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 30]</span> - -<p>By now it was getting late in the day, and the King commanded that -Lucilla should not be executed till next day, and that the scaffold -should be erected in the market-place, on which the block should be -put, so that all the crowd might see, and both he and the Queen would -be there. But in order to give her one last chance that every one might -see how fair they were, the King offered that if she would confess, -even when she was upon the scaffold, who had taught her to dance, she -should be allowed to return whence she came, and take her bag of gold -with her, and therefore the bag of gold was placed on the scaffold so -that all the people might see, and the bag was so large that Lucilla -could scarcely lift it.</p> - -<p>That evening Lucilla felt no fear, and she would have slept calmly in -her cell, but the wind was beginning to blow in all directions, and all -round she heard it roaring, and the trees were bending and breaking -in the gale. When the morning came, the King and Queen said to each -other, “This is the morning when they should execute the dancer, but -it will be hard to get her on to the scaffold with a gale like this -blowing.” However, the guards came to Lucilla’s cell, and took her out - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 31]</span> - -as before, and led her towards the market-place, though they had much -ado to get along, for the wind blew so hard that they could scarce keep -upright in it. All along the coast the little boats were being blown in -to shore, and there were big ships, which had been driven in, to take -refuge from the storm. But Lucilla felt no fear, only she looked up to -the wind, and in her heart she said, “Now, dear windfairies, help me -for the last time, and keep faith with me, as I have kept faith with -you.”</p> - -<p>Near the shore came a big ship with shining white sails, riding over -the crested waves, and although all the other boats seemed troubled by -the wind, and some were dismasted and others were wrecked, this boat -seemed no way hurt by it, and the people who saw it called out, “What -a gallant ship it was, and how brave the captain must be, who knew -so well how to manage wind and water.” But when they knew that the -time had come for Lucilla to be beheaded, the people did not trouble -further about the boats, and in spite of the gale they flocked to the -market-place, and crowded round the scaffold on which was the block.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 32]</span></p> - -<p>Then the guards and Lucilla mounted the scaffold, and Lucilla began to -fear that at last the windfairies had forsaken her, and she wept and -held out her arms, and cried out, “Oh, dear windfairies, indeed I have -kept my faith with you, surely, surely you will keep yours with me.” -In spite of the terrible gale, the King and the Queen came down to the -market-place, though they could scarce see or hear for the wind, though -all the time the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Then the guards -bid Lucilla kneel down and place her head upon the block, and the bag -of gold was beside her, and they said, “This is your last chance, speak -now and confess the truth to the King, and here is your gold, and you -shall go.” And Lucilla answered as before, “I have spoken the truth, -and there is no more that I can tell, since I have sworn never to say -from whom I learnt my dancing.”</p> - -<p>Then the executioner lifted the axe in the air, but before it fell, -there came a sudden roar of wind, and the axe was swept from his hand, -and the houses in the market-place tottered and fell, and high up -on the hill the palace was a mass of ruins. Only Lucilla knelt upon -the scaffold unhurt, for the King and the Queen and all the people - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 33]</span> - -were blown right and left, amidst the ruins of the houses, and no one -thought of anything save how they could save themselves.</p> - -<p>Then Lucilla lifted her head and looked out to sea, and saw the big -ship coming in, and she heard the sailors cry, “Heyday, these poor folk -are in a sad plight, we had better go and help them,” and they all -trooped up into the market-place, and the wind troubled them no more -than it had troubled their ship. But when Lucilla looked at them, the -first whom she saw was her husband, and she gave a great cry, and held -out her arms, and called out, “Now, dear windfairies, do I indeed know -that you have kept faith with me, and saved me in my direst hour of -need.”</p> - -<p>Then she told her husband all that had happened, and showed him the -bag of gold, and prayed him take her back to her little cottage and -her babies by the sea; and she knew that it was the windfairies that -had brought her husband to her, for he told her that whatever way they -steered the ship it would only take one course, and the wind had blown -it without their guidance straight - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 34]</span> - -to the town where she was to be killed.</p> - -<p>So Lucilla and her husband took the bag of gold, and went back to the -little cottage by the sea-shore, and her father and her babies, and the -King and the Queen and all the rest of the people were left to build up -their town as best they could, and Lucilla never saw nor heard of them -any more, but lived happily with her husband for the rest of her life.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 35]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_035.png" width="600" height="278" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="VAIN_KESTA">VAIN KESTA</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_035_cap_o.png" width="200" height="218" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Once</span> upon a time -there lived a young girl called Kesta who was the dairy-maid at a large -farm. She milked the cows and made the cheese and butter, and sometimes -took them into the town to sell for her master.</p> - -<p>On the farm worked a man named Adam. He drove in the cows for Kesta to -milk and watched her milking them. As she was a comely-looking girl and -did her work well, he thought she would make him a good wife; so one -day he said, “Kesta, how would you like to marry me? and then we can -save our money and some day buy a farm for ourselves, and I should be - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 36]</span> - -a farmer and you should be the farmer’s wife, and have servants to wait -on you.”</p> - -<p>“That I should like very much,” said Kesta, “but I can’t say yes, at -once. To-morrow I am going to town with my cheeses, when I come back I -will give you an answer.”</p> - -<p>At night Kesta looked into her glass and said, “I wonder why Adam -wishes to marry me? but as he does, most likely some better man would -like to do so; it would be folly to marry him till I see if I can’t do -better. I must look about me when I go to town to-morrow, and see who I -can meet.”</p> - -<p>In the morning she dressed herself with great care in her best clothes, -and set out for the town with the cheeses in a basket under her arm. -When she had got a little way she passed a mill, and the miller all -white with flour stood in the yard directing his men. He was an oldish -man, and his wife was recently dead, and Kesta thought as she drew -near, it would be a better thing to marry him than to marry poor Adam, -so she said, “Good-day, would you kindly let me rest a little?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 37]</span></p> - -<p>“Certainly, my girl,” said the miller, “you seem to be out of breath?”</p> - -<p>“And well I may be,” said Kesta, “such a run as I have had. I’ve come -from the farm yonder, and it was as much as I could do to get away, for -the farmer’s man was very angry because I would not marry him, and of -course I am too good for him, a pretty girl like me.”</p> - -<p>“Are you really a pretty girl?” said the miller; “let me see, perhaps -you are. Well, if you are too good for the farmer’s man perhaps -you would suit me. How would you like to marry me, and live in the -mill-house yonder?”</p> - -<p>“I think I should like it well,” said Kesta, “but I have some business -in the town, and must go there first, so I’ll stop here and tell you as -I come back.” So she said good-bye, and went on her way feeling very -merry.</p> - -<p>“It would be much better to marry the miller than to marry Adam, but -who knows if I may not do better than either, so I must not be in any -hurry.” So she walked on, and near to the town she met a man on a white -horse, and saw it was the bailiff of the great Duke at the Palace. “Who -knows but that he may want a wife?” she said to herself, “I can but - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 38]</span> - -try.” So she sat down by the road-side and called out, “Ah me, what a -thing it is to be a poor girl who has to run away from all the men she -meets!”</p> - -<p>“Why,” cried the bailiff, stopping his horse. “Why have you to run? who -tries to hurt you?”</p> - -<p>“No one tries to hurt me,” said Kesta, “but I have to run from men who -want to marry me, because I am so pretty. At first it was a man at our -farm, and now it is the miller, who would not let me pass his door -unless I promised to come back and marry him, but I am far too good for -such as he.”</p> - -<p>“Is this really so?” cried the bailiff, who hated the miller; “did the -miller really want to marry you? If you’re too good to marry him, it -may be you would suit me.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed,” said Kesta, “I think that might do well, for I should live -in a nice house and have plenty of servants. But I have to go into the -town on business, and you’re sure to be somewhere about here, and when -I come back we will arrange it.” So she set off, leaving the bailiff -chuckling at the thought of how angry the miller would be if he married -Kesta.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 39]</span></p> - -<p>On went Kesta in high good-humour. “Now am I indeed doing well,” said -she; “how clever I was not to marry Adam before I came to town.” -Presently she reached the town, and in the high street she passed the -bank, and the banker himself stood in the doorway. He was fat and ugly -and old, but his hands were covered with rings, and Kesta knew his -pockets were full of gold. Kesta said, “It would be a fine thing to -marry him, and I could hold up my head with any one. I think I’ll speak -to him, as it would be folly to pass him without trying.” So she gave a -loud sigh and said, “Alack a day, how hard is my lot!”</p> - -<p>“Why, what is wrong, my pretty lass?” said the banker.</p> - -<p>“Pretty you may well say,” answered Kesta. “Would I were not so, for -thence come all my troubles.”</p> - -<p>“And what are they?” asked the banker.</p> - -<p>“Only wherever I go, I have no peace, for all the men want to marry me. -First it is the farmer, then the miller, and lastly the duke’s bailiff, -who would scarcely let me pass on the road till I had promised him; and -of course it is impossible, and I am much too pretty for any of them.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 40]</span></p> - -<p>“Is this really true?” cried the banker; “if so, there must be -something very superior about you. Perhaps you would be good enough for -me. How would you like to be my wife, and ride in a fine carriage, and -wear silk gowns all day?”</p> - -<p>“Nay, that would be much more fitting,” cried Kesta, “and from the -first I thought you would be much more suitable to be my husband than -any of the others I have met; but I must go down the town first, so I -will come in here on my way back.” So she went on till she came to a -great square in front of the barracks where the soldiers were drilling, -with their helmets and swords glittering in the sun, and at their head -rode the General of the army. His voice was hoarse with shouting at his -men, and he swore dreadfully, but he was covered with gold, and looked -very grand. “Now supposing he has no wife,” thought Kesta, “it would be -a really fine thing to marry him: I can but try.” So she waited till -the soldiers were marching into the barracks, and then, when he was -riding away, she went so close under the horse’s feet that he shouted - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 41]</span> - -to her in case she should be run over. “Alas! what a life is mine,” she -cried very loud that he might hear, “hunted here and there till I don’t -know where I go!”</p> - -<p>“Why, who hunts you?” cried the General angrily; “what nonsense you -talk, my good girl.”</p> - -<p>“How dare you say I talk nonsense,” cried Kesta, “when it is as much as -I can do to get through your town for the men who want me to stop and -marry them!”</p> - -<p>“And why do they want you to marry them?” asked the General.</p> - -<p>“Because I’m so pretty, of course,” said Kesta promptly, and she took -off her hat and looked up at the General.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think you are so pretty,” he said.</p> - -<p>“But I am,” cried Kesta angrily, “and it’s only stupid people who don’t -see it. Go and ask the men in the town. First it was a man at the farm, -then the miller, then the duke’s bailiff, then the banker—they all -wanted to marry me, and I am much too good for any of them!”</p> - -<p>“If this is all true,” said the General, “of course you must be -exceedingly pretty, and as you say you are much too good for them, -perhaps you might suit me. How would you like that?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 42]</span></p> - -<p>“That might be better,” said Kesta, “and as you wish it very much I -will agree, and I hope you will try to make me a good husband; but I am -obliged to go a little further on important business, and I will meet -you here on my way back,” and on she went laughing to herself. “Indeed -I am fortunate,” thought she; “and as they all seem willing to marry -me why should I not try higher, and see what the Duke himself would -say? There is nothing like being practical, and it would be downright -silly not to speak to the Duke now I am here.” By this time she had -come to the Duke’s palace, so she stopped a servant who was coming out -and asked if he were at home, for she said, “I have special business -with him.” “He is sitting by the stream in the garden, where he sits -fishing all day, and you can go and speak to him if you choose,” said -the servant. So Kesta went through the courtyard into the garden, and -straight on to where the Duke sat beside the stream with a long rod in -his hand fishing. He was dressed all in green, and seemed to be half -asleep, and Kesta came quite near him before he saw her. Then she - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 43]</span> - -said, “Ah, pity me, your Grace, and listen to my sad story.”</p> - -<p>“Good gracious! who are you?—don’t you know I am the Duke?” said he.</p> - -<p>“And that is why I have come to you to ask you to protect me from all -the men who pursue me,” said Kesta.</p> - -<p>“Why do they pursue you?” asked the Duke.</p> - -<p>“Because I am so pretty,” replied Kesta. “They all want to marry me: -first the man at the farm, then the miller I met on the road, then your -bailiff, then the banker, then the General of your army, and he would -only let me go when I promised to go back to him.”</p> - -<p>“The General!” said the Duke. “Is this true? does he really want to -marry you?”</p> - -<p>“Of course he does,” said Kesta; “if you doubt what I say you had -better send to the town and ask.”</p> - -<div><a id="P_43"></a></div> - -<p>“Indeed,” said the Duke, “I should not have thought you so very pretty, -but if what you say is true you must be. I’m not sure if it would not -suit me to marry you myself; but mind, I shall be exceedingly angry if -I find you have not told me the truth, and they did not want to marry -you. Of course you would be delighted to marry me and be the Duchess?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 44]</span></p> - -<p>“Aye, that I should,” cried Kesta, and she grinned with delight.</p> - -<p>Then the Duke took from his side a horn and blew it loudly. There came -from the palace four pages, dressed in blue and gold, who stood in a -row to receive his orders. “See,” cried the Duke, “I am going to marry -this lady, who everybody thinks is very beautiful, so see that you -treat her with respect; and go to the palace and bid them to prepare a -feast and fitting clothes for the bride, and tell the chaplain to be -ready, for I mean to marry her at once.”</p> - -<p>“And now,” he said to Kesta, when all his pages had returned to the -palace, “come and sit by me and watch me fish till all is ready.”</p> - -<p>So Kesta sat by his side and watched him fishing with his long rod, but -after a time she grew tired of being silent, and said, “What have you -caught?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing yet,” said the Duke.</p> - -<p>“Then why do you go on?” asked she.</p> - -<p>“Because I’m sure to catch something soon, and it’s amusing. Wouldn’t - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 45]</span> - -you like to hold the rod a little?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, very much,” answered Kesta, who was afraid of offending him. So -she put out her hand to take the rod, and as she did so the basket fell -from her arm and the cheeses rolled out.</p> - -<p>“What are those round balls?” asked the Duke, “and what an odd smell -they have.”</p> - -<p>“They are my cheeses,” cried Kesta; “I made them yesterday, and was -taking them to sell, when——”</p> - -<p>“Good gracious, you made them!” cried the Duke with a scream. “Then -you must be a common dairy-maid, and your hands are quite rough. -How terrible! And I was just going to marry you. How dare you think -yourself good enough to marry me!” and he sprang to his feet in a -towering passion, and seizing his horn blew it so loudly that the four -pages ran up in great alarm. “Hunt her away,” cried the Duke, “she is -an impostor—a common farm wench and makes cheeses. She thought herself -good enough to be the Duchess!”</p> - -<p>Away flew Kesta, with the pages after her hooting and shouting, “Down -with the impertinent hussy who wanted to marry the Duke, a common - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 46]</span> - -dairy-maid who makes cheeses.”</p> - -<p>On rushed Kesta till she came to the General’s house, and at his window -he sat in his fine uniform. He sat waiting for her, but when he saw the -pages behind her he called, “Hey-dey, what is all this fuss about?”</p> - -<p>“It is nothing,” said Kesta. “See, I have come back to marry you as I -promised.”</p> - -<p>But here the pages shouted, “Away with the impertinent dairy-maid, who -thought herself good enough to marry the Duke.”</p> - -<p>“And wouldn’t the Duke marry her?” asked the General.</p> - -<p>“Of course not; she is nothing but a farm wench,” cried the pages, “and -she is to be chased from the town for her impertinence.”</p> - -<p>“And so she shall,” cried the General; “she thought she was fit for me -too—it is disgraceful!” and he cried to some soldiers who stood by his -door, “Here, my men, help to chase this good-for-nothing hussy out of -the town.”</p> - -<p>But before he had finished Kesta was running down the street with all -her might to the banker’s. At last she came to the banker’s big square - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 47]</span> - -house standing beside the bank, and on the steps was the banker himself -in his shiny black clothes with gold rings on his hands.</p> - -<p>“Here I am,” cried Kesta; “and let me in quickly, for I am out of -breath with running.”</p> - -<p>“Why have you hurried so?” cried the banker, and as he spoke the pages -and the soldiers came round the corner, “and what is all this shouting -for?”</p> - -<p>“Nay, how should I know?” cried Kesta, running into the house.</p> - -<p>But up came her pursuers, crying, “Away with her! down with her!”</p> - -<p>“Who is it you are calling after?” asked the banker.</p> - -<p>“That wench in the yellow dress who has gone into your house.”</p> - -<p>“Why, what has she done?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Why, she thought herself good enough to marry the Duke and the -General, and she is to be hooted out of the town for her impudence!”</p> - -<p>“But didn’t the General want to marry her?” asked the banker.</p> - -<p>“Our General!” cried the soldiers angrily; “why, she’s only a -dairy-maid, and not fit for him.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 48]</span></p> - -<p>“Then I’m sure she can’t be good enough for me, for I’m quite as good -as he,” said the banker, and he ran into the house in a great rage, -crying, “Begone, you impertinent jade! how dare you think yourself good -enough for me to marry!” It chanced at this moment that the clerks were -coming out of the bank next door, and when he saw them he cried, “Here, -my good fellows, help to chase this minx from the town; she wishes to -be my wife, when she is nothing but a common dairy-maid.” On this the -clerks burst out laughing, and one and all ran after Kesta, who ran -with all her might and main.</p> - -<p>“It’s too hard,” sobbed she; “what have I done to be treated like -this?” But run as fast as she might she could not reach the bailiff’s -house before them, and the pages, soldiers, and clerks were all close -to her, shouting and laughing.</p> - -<p>“Why, what’s the matter?” cried the bailiff, “and why are you shouting -at this poor maid?”</p> - -<p>“Why,” said they, “she wanted to marry first the Duke, and the General, -and the banker, and of course they would not have her, because she is -only a common dairy wench.”</p> - -<p>“What impertinence!” cried the bailiff; “and, now I come to think of - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 49]</span> - -it, she asked to marry me too; indeed she merits punishment for such -behaviour,” and seeing some of his farm people close at hand, he bid -them run after Kesta and drive her out of the town. But this time she -had started first, and had got on to the mill before they could reach -her, and she ran into the garden where the miller was. “Well, I’m glad -to see you back,” said he, “but how hard you have run.”</p> - -<p>“I was in such a hurry to get back. Now let’s go into the house,” she -said.</p> - -<p>“Come along,” said the miller; “but what are all those people shouting -for?”</p> - -<p>“’Tis only the farmers bringing home pigs from the market,” said Kesta, -but she felt frightened, for she heard the people calling after her.</p> - -<p>“Pigs don’t make a noise like that,” said the miller, “I will go and -see what it is about.” And when he heard that they were all shouting -at Kesta, he flew into a violent rage and cried, “If she wasn’t good -enough for the bailiff I’m sure she’s not fit for me,” and he called -to some of his men who were working at the mill, “See there, my men, -do you see that girl? throw some flour at her, for she is an impudent - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 50]</span> - -hussy, and asked me to marry her.”</p> - -<p>Away flew Kesta again, and after her came all the crowd in a long line. -“How unfortunate I am,” she sobbed; “but anyhow I can go back to Adam; -he’s sure to be glad to have me,” and on she sped, and at last she came -to the farm and ran in, calling to Adam.</p> - -<p>“Is that you, Kesta?” cried Adam, coming to meet her, and kissing her. -“I’m glad to see you, but why are you so hot?”</p> - -<p>“It is the sun, it was so strong,” said Kesta.</p> - -<p>“Then sit down and grow cool,” said Adam. “But I wonder what all that -shouting outside can be?”</p> - -<p>“It is only people making holiday,” cried Kesta. But for all she could -say Adam went out to ask the people what they wanted at the farm?</p> - -<p>“We want nothing at the farm,” they cried, “but we followed that -impudent wench dressed in yellow.”</p> - -<p>“Why, what has she done?” asked Adam.</p> - -<p>“Done!” they cried. “Why, she came up to the town and asked to marry -the miller, and the banker, and the bailiff, and the General, and even - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 51]</span> - -the Duke himself, so she deserves to be punished for her presumption.”</p> - -<p>Then Adam looked very grave, and went back to the farm and said, -“Indeed, Kesta, I cannot marry you now, since you’ve been to the town -and tried to get a finer husband than me,” and he went back to his -work, and left Kesta sitting all alone; and there she sat and cried -by herself, and did not get any husband after all, because she was so -false and vain.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 52]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_052.png" width="600" height="255" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_POOL_THE_TREE">THE POOL & THE TREE</h2> -</div> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_052_cap_o.png" width="200" height="218" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Once</span> there was -a tree standing in the middle of a vast wilderness, and beneath the -shade of its branches was a little pool, over which they bent. The pool -looked up at the tree and the tree looked down at the pool, and the -two loved each other better than anything else on earth. And neither -of them thought of anything else but each other, or cared who came and -went in the world around them.</p> - -<p>“But for you and the shade you give me I should have been dried up by -the sun long ago,” said the pool.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 53]</span></p> - -<p>“And if it were not for you and your shining face, I should never have -seen myself, or have known what my boughs and blossoms were like,” -answered the tree.</p> - -<p>Every year when the leaves and flowers had died away from the branches -of the tree, and the cold winter came, the little pool froze over and -remained hard and silent till the spring; but directly the sun’s rays -thawed it, it again sparkled and danced as the wind blew upon it, -and it began to watch its beloved friend, to see the buds and leaves -reappear, and together they counted the leaves and blossoms as they -came forth.</p> - -<p>One day there rode over the moorland a couple of travellers in search -of rare plants and flowers. At first they did not look at the tree, but -as they were hot and tired they got off their horses, and sat under the -shade of the boughs, and talked of what they had been doing. “We have -not found much,” said one gloomily; “it seemed scarcely worth while to -come so far for so little.”</p> - -<p>“One may hunt for many years before one finds anything very rare,” -answered the elder traveller. “Well, we have not done, and who knows - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 54]</span> - -but what we may yet have some luck?” As he spoke he picked up one of -the fallen leaves of the tree which lay beside him, and at once he -sprang to his feet, and pulled down one of the branches to examine it. -Then he called to his comrade to get up, and he also closely examined -the leaves and blossoms, and they talked together eagerly, and at -length declared that this was the best thing they had found in all -their travels. But neither the pool nor the tree heeded them, for the -pool lay looking lovingly up to the tree, and the tree gazed down at -the clear water of the pool, and they wanted nothing more, and by and -by the travellers mounted their horses and rode away.</p> - -<p>The summer passed and the cold winds of autumn blew.</p> - -<p>“Soon your leaves will drop and you will fall asleep for the winter, -and we must bid each other good-bye,” said the pool.</p> - -<p>“And you too when the frost comes will be numbed to ice,” answered the -tree; “but never mind, the spring will follow, and the sun will wake us -both.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 55]</span></p> - -<p>But long before the winter had set in, ere yet the last leaf had -fallen, there came across the prairie a number of men riding on horses -and mules, bringing with them a long waggon. They rode straight to the -tree, and foremost among them were the two travellers who had been -there before.</p> - -<p>“Why do they come? What do they want?” cried the pool uneasily; but -the tree feared nothing. The men had spades and pickaxes, and began to -dig a deep ditch all round the tree’s roots, and then they dug beneath -them, and at last both the pool and the tree saw that they were going -to dig it up.</p> - -<p>“What are you doing? Why are you trying to wrench up my roots and to -move me?” cried the tree; “don’t you know that I shall die if you drag -me from my pool which has fed and loved me all my life?” And the pool -said, “Oh, what can they want? Why do they take you? The sun will come -and dry me up without your shade, and I never, never shall see you -again.” But the men heard nothing, and continued to dig at the root of -the tree till they had loosened all the earth round it, and then they -lifted it and wrapped big cloths round it and put it on their waggon - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 56]</span> - -and drove away with it.</p> - -<p>Then for the first time the pool looked straight up at the sky without -seeing the delicate tracery made by the leaves and twigs against the -blue, and it called out to all things near it: “My tree, my tree, where -have they taken my tree? When the hot sun comes it will dry me up, if -it shines down on me without the shade of my tree.” And so loudly it -mourned and lamented that the birds flying past heard it, and at last -a swallow paused on the wing, and hovering near its surface, asked why -it grieved so bitterly. “They have taken my tree,” cried the pool, “and -I don’t know where it is; I cannot move or look to right or left, so I -shall never see it again.”</p> - -<p>“Ask the moon,” said the swallow. “The moon sees everywhere, and she -will tell you. I am flying away to warmer countries, for the winter -will soon be here. Good-bye, poor pool.”</p> - -<p>At night, when the moon rose, and the pool looked up and saw its -beautiful white face, it remembered the swallow’s words, and called out -to ask its aid.</p> - -<p>“Find me my tree,” it prayed; “you shone through its branches and know - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 57]</span> - -it well, and you can see all over the world; look for my tree, and tell -me where they have taken it. Perhaps they have torn it in pieces or -burnt it up.”</p> - -<p>“Nay,” cried the moon, “they have done neither, for I saw it a few -hours ago when I shone near it. They have taken it many miles away and -it is planted in a big garden, but it has not taken root in the earth, -and its foliage is fading. The men who took it prize it heartily, and -strangers come from far and near to look at it, because they say it is -so rare, and there are only one or two like it in the world.”</p> - -<p>On hearing this the pool felt itself swell with pride that the tree -should be so much admired; but then it cried in anguish, “And I shall -never see it again, for I can never move from here.”</p> - -<p>“That is nonsense,” cried a little cloud that was sailing near; “I was -once in the earth like you. To-morrow, if the sun shines brightly, he -will draw you up into the sky, and you can sail along till you find -your tree.”</p> - -<p>“Is that true?” cried the pool, and all that night it rested in peace -waiting for the sun to rise. Next day there were no clouds, and when -the pool saw the sun shining it cried, “Draw me up into the sky, dear - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 58]</span> - -Sun, that I may be a little cloud and sail all the world over, till I -can find my beloved tree.”</p> - -<p>When the sun heard it, he threw down hundreds of tiny golden threads -which dropped over the pool, and slowly and gradually it began to -change and grow thinner and lighter, and to rise through the air, till -at last it had quite left the earth, and where it had lain before, -there was nothing but a dry hole, but the pool itself was transformed -into a tiny cloud, and was sailing above in the blue sky in the -sunshine. There were many other little clouds in the sky, but our -little cloud kept apart from them all. It could see far and near over a -great space of country, but nowhere could it espy the tree, and again -it turned to the sun for help. “Can you see?” it cried. “You who see -everywhere, where is my tree?”</p> - -<p>“You can’t see it yet,” answered the sun, “for it is away on the other -side of the world, but presently the wind will begin to blow and it -will blow you till you find it.”</p> - -<p>Then the wind arose, and the cloud sailed along swiftly, looking -everywhere as it went for the tree. It could have had a merry time if - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 59]</span> - -it had not longed so for its friend. Everywhere was the golden sunlight -shining through the bright blue sky, and the other clouds tumbled and -danced in the wind and laughed for joy.</p> - -<p>“Why do you not come and dance with us?” they cried; “why do you sail -on so rapidly?”</p> - -<p>“I cannot stay, I am seeking a lost friend,” answered the cloud, and -it scudded past them, leaving them to roll over and over, and tumble -about, and change their shapes, and divide and separate, and play a -thousand pranks.</p> - -<p>For many hundred miles the wind blew the little cloud, then it said, -“Now I am tired and shall take you no further, but soon the west wind -will come and it will take you on; good-bye.” And at once the wind -stopped blowing and dropped to rest on the earth; and the cloud stood -still in the sky and looked all around.</p> - -<p>“I shall never find it,” it sighed. “It will be dead before I come.”</p> - -<p>Presently the sun went down and the moon rose, then the west wind began -to blow gently and moved the cloud slowly along.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 60]</span></p> - -<p>“Which way should I go, where is it?” entreated the cloud.</p> - -<p>“I know; I will take you straight to it,” said the west wind. “The -north wind has told me. I blew by the tree to-day; it was drooping, but -when I told it that you had risen to the sky and were seeking it, it -revived and tried to lift its branches. They have planted it in a great -garden, and there are railings round it and no one may touch it; and -there is one gardener who has nothing to do but to attend to it, and -people come from far and near to look at it because it is so rare, and -they have only found one or two others like it, but it longs to be back -in the desert, stooping over you and seeing its face in your water.”</p> - -<p>“Make haste, then,” cried the cloud, “lest before I reach it I fall to -pieces with joy at the thought of seeing it.”</p> - -<p>“How foolish you are!” said the wind. “Why should you give yourself up -for a tree? You might dance about in the sky for long yet, and then you -might drop into the sea and mix with the waves and rise again with them -to the sky, but if you fall about the tree you will go straight into -the dark earth, and perhaps you will always -remain there, for at the roots of the tree they have made a deep hole -and the sun cannot draw you up through the earth under the branches.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 61-62]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_061.png" alt="Illustration." width="600" height="896"> -</div> -<div class="caption">“Have you come at last?” the cried; “then we need never -be parted again.” -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 63]</span></p> - -<p>“Then that will be what I long for,” cried the cloud. “For then I can -lie in the dark where no one may see me, but I shall be close to my -tree, and I can touch its roots and feed them, and when the raindrops -fall from its branches they will run down to me and tell me how they -look.”</p> - -<p>“You are foolish,” said the wind again; “but you shall have what you -want.”</p> - -<p>The wind blew the cloud low down near the earth till it found itself -over a big garden, in which there were all sorts of trees and shrubs, -and such soft green grass as the cloud had never seen before. And there -in the middle of the grass, in a bed of earth to itself, with a railing -round it so that no one could injure it, was the tree which the cloud -had come so far to seek. Its leaves were falling off, its branches were -drooping, and its buds dropped before they opened, and the poor tree -looked as if it were dying.</p> - -<p>“There is my tree, my tree!” called the cloud. “Blow me down, dear - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 64]</span> - -wind, so that I may fall upon it.”</p> - -<p>The wind blew the cloud lower and lower, till it almost touched the top -branches of the tree. Then it broke and fell in a shower, and crept -down through the earth to its roots, and when it felt its drops the -tree lifted up its leaves and rejoiced, for it knew that the pool it -had loved so had followed it.</p> - -<p>“Have you come at last?” it cried. “Then we need never be parted again.”</p> - -<p>In the morning when the gardeners came they found the tree looking -quite fresh and well, and its leaves quite green and crisp. “The cool -wind last night revived it,” they said, “and it looks as if it had -rained too in the night, for round here the earth is quite damp.” But -they did not know that under the earth at the tree’s roots lay the -pool, and that that was what had saved the tree.</p> - -<p>And there it lies to this day, hidden away in the darkness where no -one can see it, but the tree feels it with its roots, and blooms in -splendour, and people come from far and near to admire it.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 65]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_065.png" width="600" height="383" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="NANINAS_SHEEP">NANINA’S SHEEP</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_070_cap_o.png" width="200" height="228" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Once</span> there lived a -young girl called Nanina, who kept sheep for an old farmer. One day he -said to her, “Nanina, I’m going away to buy pigs at a market far off, -and I shall be away one whole month, so be sure and take good care of -the flock, and remember, there are six sheep and eight lambs, and I -must find them safe when I return. And mind, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 66]</span> - -Nanina, that whatever you do, you don’t go near the old palace on the -other side of the hill, for it is filled with wicked fairies who might -do you an ill turn.” Nanina promised, and her master started.</p> - -<p>The first day all went well, and she drove the flock in safely at -night; but the next day she found it dull sitting on the hillside -watching the lambs at play, and wondered why her master had told her -always to keep on that side, and away from the old palace on the other.</p> - -<p>“If it is filled with fairies,” quoth she, “it won’t hurt me just to -look at it; I should like to see a fairy.” So she drove her flock to -the other side of the hill, and sat looking at the old palace that was -half in ruins, but was said to be lit up quite brightly every night -after it was dark.</p> - -<p>“I wonder if it really is lit up,” said Nanina, “I should like to see.” -So she waited on that side of the hill till the sun went down, and -then she saw a bright light appearing in one of the palace windows. -As she stood and watched, the front door opened, and out there came a -shepherd boy followed by a flock of black goats. Nanina stared at him, -for she had never seen any one so beautiful before. He was dressed in - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 67]</span> - -glittering green, and wore a soft brown hat trimmed with leaves under -which his curls hung down. In one hand he held a crook and in the -other a pipe, and as he drew near, he began to play the pipe and dance -merrily, while the goats behind him skipped and danced too. Nanina had -never seen such goats; they were jet black, with locks curling and -thick and soft as silk. As she listened open-mouthed to the music of -the pipe, she heard it speak words in its playing:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container40"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“When the young birds sing,</div> - <div class="verse">And the young plants spring,</div> - <div class="verse">Then dance we so merrily together, oh.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>The shepherd boy danced lightly to where she -stood, and louder and louder sounded the pipe, -and still it said—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container40"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“When the young birds sing,</div> - <div class="verse">And the young plants spring,</div> - <div class="verse">Then dance we so merrily together, oh.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Nanina gaped to see the goats dance and spring -in time to the music, and so cheering it was, that -she felt her own feet beginning to move with it. -The shepherd made her a low bow and offered - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 68]</span> - -her his hand, and she placed hers in it, and off they -started together. Nanina’s feet felt as light as -if they had been made of cork, and she laughed -with glee as she bounded on; and as she danced -with the shepherd, so her flock began to move -too, and thus they went, followed by the black -goats and sheep all skipping merrily. “If my -flock follow me there can be no harm,” thought -Nanina, and on they kept in time to the wonderful -tune—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container40"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“When the young birds sing,</div> - <div class="verse">And the young plants spring,</div> - <div class="verse">Then dance we so merrily together, oh.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Whither they went she knew not, she thought of nothing but the joy of -dancing to the wonderful music; but suddenly, just ere sunrise, the -shepherd stopped, and dropped her hand and gave one long slow note on -the pipe, at which the goats gathered round him, and before she knew -where they were going, they had disappeared into the palace. Then she -was in a terrible fright, for she saw the sun beginning to rise, and -found the whole night had passed, when she thought she had only been -ten minutes. She counted her sheep, and, alas! there was one lamb -missing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 69]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_069.png" width="500" height="706" alt="Nanina and Shepherd Boy."> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 70]</span></p> - -<p>She sought everywhere for it, but no trace of it was to be seen. Then -she drove all the others back to the farm and watched them, falling -half asleep, for she was weary with the dancing. But when evening -came, and she had slept some time, she said to herself, “Surely the -best plan would be to go back to the old palace, and see if I can see -the shepherd and the black goats again.” So just about sunset she -returned to the palace, and again the door opened, and the beautiful -shepherd boy came out with the black goats following. But when he began -to play on his pipe, and the goats to dance, Nanina forgot all about -the lost lamb and danced with him as before. Again they danced till -morning, and then he left her suddenly, and she found that another lamb -had disappeared. Then she wept and lamented, and declared that the next -night she would only watch the shepherd and nothing would make her -dance; and again the next night the same thing happened; when once she -heard the pipe, Nanina could not keep still, and another lamb was lost. -This went on to the end of a fortnight, when there was only one of the -flock left. Then she was terribly frightened, for her master would soon -return, and she did not know what she should say to him. But still she -went back and sat by the old palace, and when the shepherd came out, -and she heard the music, she could not refrain from dancing, and in - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 71]</span> - -the morning the last lamb had gone!</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_071.png" width="300" height="424" alt="Tying-up the branches."> -</div> - -<p>All the day Nanina wandered about and cried, but no sheep were to be -found. At last, when she was quite weary, she sat down beneath a beech - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 72]</span> - -tree near the palace, and leaned her head against its trunk sobbing. -Then she saw that someone had torn down the lowest branches of the -tree and they were hanging down broken. She raised them and tied them -up, so that they would grow together, and as she did so she heard a -shadowy voice whisper, “Thank you, Nanina; Nanina, don’t dance.” She -looked about but there was nobody there, and again she heard a whisper, -“Nanina, don’t dance.” The voice came from the beech tree, and among -the leaves she saw a small twisted face looking at her. “Thank you, -Nanina, for saving my bough,” said the tree, “and if you mind me, you -shall get all your sheep back again.”</p> - -<p>“My sheep,” cried Nanina. “Only tell me, and I will do anything.”</p> - -<p>“Then you must not dance. Every time you refuse to dance with the -fairy, one of your flock will be returned.”</p> - -<p>“But how can I refuse to dance?” cried Nanina, “for as I hear the -pipe beginning, my feet begin to move of themselves, it is no use my -trying,” and she cried aloud.</p> - -<p>“Bury your feet in the earth like my roots,” whispered back the voice. - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 73]</span> - -“Dig a hole deep down, and I will hold your feet so that you shall not -move them, only you must bear the pain, and not mind if you walk lame -afterwards, for I shall hold them very tight, and it will hurt you.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_074.png" width="600" height="343" alt="Her own little lamb."> -</div> - -<p>“Hurt me as you please,” cried Nanina, “and I shan’t mind. If only I -can get back my sheep I will bear any pain.” So she knelt beneath the -tree, and dug a deep hole in the ground among its roots, and then she -placed her feet among the loose earth, and she felt something moving -near them which tightened around and drew them far down into the -ground, and held them as if they were bound with cords. She saw the -lights in the windows of the palace, and the door opened. “Hold me, -hold me fast,” she cried, “for when I hear the music I shall begin to -dance.” The tree said nothing, but she felt its roots tightening so -that she could not move. The door of the palace opened as before, and -the beautiful shepherd, followed by his goats and her sheep, came out, -and she heard once more the sound of the wonderful pipe, and he danced -straight up to the tree beneath which she stood, and held out his hand -to her. Nanina felt as if her feet were beginning to move under the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 74]</span> - -earth, but the roots of the tree held them so firmly that she could not -stir one inch. Still the shepherd danced before her, and as she saw -him springing in front, with the flocks behind him following him, she -grew quite wild to dance, and tried her hardest to break her feet free -from the roots which held them, but in vain, though she almost screamed -with the pain they cost her. For hours the shepherd danced in front -of her, till, as before, the pipe sounded forth one long note, and he -disappeared, but this time not all the flock went with him, for beside -her was left one of her own little lambs, and when she saw it she -cried for joy. She felt the roots releasing their hold of her feet, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 75]</span> - -and she drew them out of the earth, and they were all blue and bruised -where they had been held. She drove home the lamb and fastened it into -the sheep-pen, but her feet were so stiff and swelled that she limped -as she walked. Next night she went back to the beech tree, and again -slipped her feet into its roots, and felt them twist around them; but -this time the poor feet were so sore that she cried when they touched -them. Again the fairy appeared, and again she heard the pipe, and her -longing to dance was worse than ever, but the roots clutched her and -would not let her stir. When the pipe ceased and the fairy disappeared, -another of her lambs was left with her, and she drove it home as she -had done the first, but she had to go very slowly on account of her -crushed feet.</p> - -<p>The same thing happened the next night and the next, till all the flock -had returned save one, and Nanina’s feet were so bad that she could -scarcely hobble, for they were crushed and bleeding, and she wondered -whether she would walk lame all the days of her life.</p> - -<p>On the last evening she limped down to the tree almost crying with - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 76]</span> - -pain. When she sat down by its trunk she heard the soft sighing voice -saying, “Never mind, Nanina; to-night is the last, and though it will -hurt you the most, it will soon be past.” So she slipped her feet into -the earth once more, though she shrank as they touched it, and directly -the sun had set, the lights appeared in the palace windows, and out -came the shepherd with all his black goats and her one white sheep -following him. He looked more beautiful than ever, for he had a crown -set with jewels, and was dressed in scarlet and gold, but when the pipe -began to play it was not merry dance-music it made, but long sad notes, -like a funeral march; yet Nanina’s feet would have moved in spite of -herself, and she would have marched in time to them, had not the roots -tightened like cords and held her down. Tears of pain ran down her -cheeks, and she sobbed, and instead of the joyous words what the music -said was—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container40"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“Join us, Nanina, dance again,</div> - <div class="verse">One last dance will ease your pain.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 77-78]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_077.png" width="600" height="872" alt="Nanina, dance again."> -</div> -<div class="caption">“Join us, Nanina, dance again,<br> -<span style="margin-left: 3.5em;">One last dance will ease your pain</span>.” -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 79]</span></p> - -<p>Presently the music grew quicker, and her longing to move with it -grew stronger. She swayed herself about, and cried and screamed as -the fairy and flock danced, now solemnly and slowly, now joyously and -wildly. Just when she felt that she could bear it no longer there came -one long low note on the pipe, and with a mighty crash like thunder the -shepherd and the goats disappeared, and not only had they gone, but the -walls of the old palace had fallen, and nothing was left of it but a -heap of stones. Beside her on the grass was the last of her lost sheep. -“Good-bye, Nanina,” said the voice from the beech tree; “now you have -all your flock again,” and she felt the roots loosen round her feet, -but when she looked at them she found that her legs were wounded and -bleeding, where she had dashed them about in trying to dance. She knelt -down and smoothed over the earth where it was torn up among the trees, -and she put her arms round the trunk and kissed and thanked it for -having helped her, but the voice did not speak again. Then she drove -home the last sheep, but she had to go on her hands and knees, for her -feet were too bad to walk.</p> - -<p>Next day when the farmer came home, he was well pleased that she had - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 80]</span> - -kept his flock safe, but he would fain know how she had got such sore -feet that for long she must walk lame. “Of a truth, master,” she quoth, -“it was in saving the lambs when they got into dangerous places.”</p> - -<p>Underneath the beech tree, where Nanina’s feet had bled among the -earth, there sprang up pretty little scarlet flowers, and whenever -she passed and saw them she remembered how she had been punished for -disobeying her master, and made up her mind never to do so again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_080.png" width="600" height="496" alt="End of Ninina’s Tale."> -</div> -<div class="caption">THE END -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 81]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_081.png" width="600" height="281" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_GIPSYS_CUP">THE GIPSY’S CUP</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_081_cap_i.png" width="200" height="222" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">In</span> a little village there lived a young potter, who made his living by -making all sorts of earthenware. He took the clay, and made it into -shapes on the wheel, and then baked his cups and jars in a kiln. He -made big jugs and little jugs, and basins and cups and saucers, and -indeed every sort of pot or jar that could be wanted. He was very -fond of his work, and was always thinking of how to make new shapes, -or colour his jars with pretty colours. It was a very tiny village -he lived in, and he worked at throwing his pots on his wheel by the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 82]</span> - -road-side, but people came from many other villages and towns to buy -his ware. Once a year there was a big fair, held in the town near, and -just before it, the potter was always very busy making new pots and -jugs to sell there. A few nights before the fair was to be held, he was -hard at work, trying to finish a number of little bowls, so he sat at -his wheel late in the evening after the sun was set. All day long the -road had been gay with folk coming to the fair, some were in carts, -and some were on foot, and there were a number of gipsies in caravans, -bringing all sorts of goods to sell. Most of them went through the -village and on to a big common a little further on, where they got out -of their carts and put up tents, to sleep in while the fair went on. -The potter was so busy with his little basins on his turning wheel -that he did not hear the sound of footsteps, and when he looked up, he -was surprised to see a young gipsy girl standing near, watching him. -She was quite young, and had big black eyes, and rosy round cheeks, -and her black hair was twisted up in little red beads and chains. She -was dressed in some very gay stuff, and round her neck was a gold - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 83]</span> - -necklace, and on her fingers and arms were rings and bracelets.</p> - -<p>“That should be a fine cup,” said the girl, “since you keep your eyes -on it and can look at nothing else.”</p> - -<p>“I keep my eyes for my work, that I may do it well,” said the potter, -“for I live by my work, and neither by stealing nor begging.”</p> - -<p>“But I fancy many others can do your work as well, or better than you,” -answered the gipsy. “What can your cups do when they are finished? I -don’t hear you say anything to them, so I should think they would be -stupid cups—only fit to drink out of.”</p> - -<p>“And what else should they be for?” asked the potter angrily. “What do -you mean by saying that you don’t hear me saying anything to my cups? -I don’t think you know what you are talking about. It is nonsense, and -you are talking nonsense.”</p> - -<p>“My grandfather used to make pots on a wheel,” said the gipsy, and she -laughed low, and showed her white teeth in the moonlight; “ah! but he -knew how to do them, and he had charms to say to them when he threw -them. And one of his cups would make you wise if you drank out of it, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 84]</span> - -and another would give you your true love’s heart if she drank from it, -and another would make you forget everything—yes, even your true love, -and all your mirth and all your sorrow, and I think that was the best -cup of all;” and again the gipsy laughed in the moonlight, and sang a -little song to herself as she sat herself down before the potter.</p> - -<p>“Now this is real child’s talk,” said the potter very impatiently. -“’Tis easy to say your grandfather knew how to do all this, but why -should I believe you? and because your grandfather may have been able -to throw a bowl upon the wheel, that doesn’t make you know anything -about the craft, or how it is done.”</p> - -<p>“Nay, but he taught me too,” said the gipsy. “Give me a piece of your -clay, and let me come to your wheel and you shall see.”</p> - -<p>At first the potter thought she was talking nonsense, but to his great -surprise she took hold of the clay in her little brown hands, and -moulded and modelled it with the greatest skill. Then she placed it on -the wheel and threw a little jug, and he wondered to see how deft she -was.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 85]</span></p> - -<p>“Now I will make you a little bowl,” she said, and then she made jugs -and pots and jars, far more quickly and skilfully than the potter could -have done. “And now I will colour them too,” she cried. “See, I shall -catch the colour from the moon, and to-morrow you can put them into -your kiln and bake them, and you may be sure that you have never had -such pots there before.” Then she put her little brown hands out into -the moonlight, and they were covered with rings which glittered and -shone, but as she held up her palms to the moon’s rays, it seemed to -the potter as if they too were full of some strange glittering liquid. -“And now,” she said, “see, I will put it on to your pots, and I should -think I had taught you that I know more about your trade than you do -yourself.” And she took the pots in her hands and rubbed her palms over -them, and she traced patterns on them with her fingers.</p> - -<p>The potter looked at her and felt almost angry, but she only laughed in -his face.</p> - -<p>“And now one last thing,” she cried, “and that is, that I will make -you a cup that has a spell in it, and it shall be a present for you -to remember me by. It will be very plain, and there will be no gay - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 86]</span> - -colours in it, but when you give it to your true love to drink from, -if once you have drunk from it yourself, you will have all her heart, -but beware that she doesn’t take a second draught. For though the first -draught that she drinks will be drunk to love, the second draught will -be drunk to hate, and though she have loved you more than all else on -earth, all her love will turn to hate when she drinks again. And as you -are so ignorant how to make bowls and cups, you will not know how to -fashion one so as to win back her love again.”</p> - -<p>The potter stared in silence, while the gipsy took another bit of -clay and placed it upon the wheel, and then she bent her head, which -glittered with beads and coins, low over it, and placing her rosy lips -close to the mouth of the cup, sang some words into it, while she -moulded it with her hands, and turned the wheel with her foot. It was -in some strange language that the potter had never heard before.</p> - -<p>“Good-bye,” she said presently. “Now, there, that is for you, and be -sure you do not sell the little brown cup, but keep it and give it to -your true love to drink out of; but only one draught, for if there - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 87]</span> - -are two maybe you will need the gipsy’s help again.” Then she laughed, -and nodding her head over her shoulder, tripped lightly away in the -moonlight while the potter stared after her.</p> - -<p>At first he thought he had been asleep, but there around him stood the -little rows of jugs and pots which the gipsy had made, and truly they -were beautifully done. He took them up, and turned them over in his -hand, and wondered at their shape and workmanship.</p> - -<p>“To-morrow,” he said, “I will put them into the kiln, and see how they -come out. She certainly was a clever wench, and knew her work; but as -for her talk about having coloured them, that was all nonsense, and as -for breathing spells and charms into the cups, why it is like baby’s -talk.”</p> - -<p>But next day when the pots were baked, the potter was even more -surprised, for they had the most wonderful colours that he had ever -seen: silver, blue, grey and yellow, in all sorts of patterns, all save -the little brown cup, which was the last the gipsy had made. But when -he looked at it the potter felt a little uncomfortable, and began to - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 88]</span> - -wonder if it really did contain the charm as she had declared.</p> - -<p>When the fair began, the potter placed all the gipsy’s wares on a stall -with his own, and marked them with very high prices, but had he asked -three times as much he could have got it, for there were some rich folk -from the big houses who came to the fair, and they at once bought them -all up, declaring that such pots and jugs they had never seen. At this -the potter was well pleased, and found that he had made more money than -he had earned in many a long month past; but when people wanted him to -make them more like them, he was obliged to shake his head, and say, -“That he was very sorry, but he had had them coloured from afar, and he -did not know where he could now have them done.” Of the gipsy he saw -nothing more, though he looked for her everywhere during the three days -in which the fair lasted, but she was not to be seen, and when the fair -was over, and the other people were packing their carts and vans to go -on their way, he saw very many gipsies, and supposed that she had gone -with some of them, without giving him the chance of speaking to her -again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 89]</span></p> - -<p>Years went by, and the potter never heard anything more of the gipsy, -indeed he would have thought it had all been a dream if it had not been -for the little brown pot standing on the shelf. Sometimes he took it -up, and looked at it, and wondered when he saw how well and cleverly it -was made. He still laughed when he remembered what the gipsy had said -about leaving a charm in it, for though he himself had drunk out of it -many times, he never thought it had brought any spell on him.</p> - -<p>One year when the fair was being held, the potter was at his place -as usual with his stall covered with pots, and there came and placed -herself beside him at the next stall a woman with some spinning-wheels. -Her stall was covered with fine linen cloths woven in pretty patterns, -and so fine and well wrought were they, that many people wanted -to buy them. With her were her two daughters, and one sat at the -spinning-wheel and spun the flax, and the other had a hand-loom and -wove it when it was spun to show the good folk how the cloths were -made. Both were pretty girls, but the girl who had the hand-loom had -the sweetest face the potter had ever seen. Her eyes were very blue, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 90]</span> - -and her hair was like golden corn, and when she smiled, it was as if -the sun shone. The potter watched her as she sat weaving, and could -not keep his eyes from her or attend properly to his own pots, or to -the people who wanted to buy them. Every day he watched the young girl -at her work, for the fair lasted for a week, and the more he looked at -her the more he wanted to look, till at last he said to himself that -somehow or other he must get her for his wife; so when the fair was -done he begged her to marry him, and to remain with him, and he said he -would always work for her, and she should want for nothing. The mother -was a poor widow, and she and her daughters made their bread by going -about the country spinning and weaving, and she would have been quite -willing that the potter should marry her daughter, but the girl only -laughed, and said that she scarcely knew the potter, but when she came -back again the next year to the fair, she would give him his answer. So -the widow and her two daughters went away, and no sign of them was left -with the potter, save a lock of golden hair, which he had begged from -the daughter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 91]</span></p> - -<p>The year passed away, but to the potter it seemed the longest year he -had ever lived. He pined for the time to come when the fair should -be held, and the widow and her daughters should return. As the time -drew near he got down the brown cup, and looked at it again and again. -“Nay,” he said, “what harm could it do? the gipsy said it would give me -my true love’s heart if she drank out of it after I had drunk, and I -have drunk out of it many a time. I don’t believe it, but all the same -it would be no harm for her to drink from it.”</p> - -<p>And so when the fair was opened, he took the brown cup down with him, -and stood it upon the stall with his other ware. The spinning woman and -her two daughters came back with their fine cloths, and their wheel -and their loom, and when he saw the golden-haired girl, he loved her -still more than before, for he thought her eyes were bluer and her -smile was brighter. He watched her all the time as she sat weaving, but -said nothing, but when the fair was over, and they were packing their -goods to go on their way, he pressed the maid for her answer. Still -she hesitated, and then the potter took the little brown cup off his - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 92]</span> - -stall, and poured into it some choice wine, and said to her,</p> - -<p>“If then you wish to go away, and never see me again, I pray you drink -one draught, in remembrance of the happy days we have had together.”</p> - -<p>The young girl took the cup, but no sooner had she tasted it than she -put it down and turned her eyes on the potter, and said in a low voice,</p> - -<p>“I will stay with you always, if you want me, and will be a true wife -to you, and love you better than anything on earth.”</p> - -<p>So the potter married her, and she went to live in his little cottage.</p> - -<p>Time passed, and the potter and his young wife lived together very -happily, and every day he thought her fairer and sweeter. And they had -a little baby girl with blue eyes like its mother’s, and the potter -thought himself the happiest man on earth, and the little brown pot -stood on the shelf, and the potter looked at it, and still he would not -believe about the charm, for he said to himself, “My wife loved me for -my own sake, and not for any silly charm or nonsense.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 93-4]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_093.png" width="600" height="862" alt="I pray you drink one draught."> -</div> -<div class="caption"> “I pray you drink one draught, in remembrance of the -happy days we have had together.” -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 95]</span></p> - -<p>So for a time all things went well, but there came a day when the -potter had to go to a neighbouring town and leave his wife at home -alone all day. When he was gone she sat by the window with her little -child, and presently there came up outside a dark, rough-looking man, -with a wicked face, and he looked at her as she sat rocking the cradle, -and thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen on earth. -When he looked at her the potter’s wife was frightened, but when he -told her he was very hungry, and begged her for food and drink, she -rose, for her heart was tender, and she fetched him bread and meat, and -spread them on the table before him. So the rough man came into the -cottage and sat at the table, and ate the potter’s bread and meat, and -drank his wine. “And who is your husband, and where is he?” he said. “I -am sure he is a lucky man to have such a wife and such a home.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, truly,” said the potter’s wife. “We are very happy, and we love -each other dearly, and we really have nothing else to wish for.”</p> - -<p>Then the gipsy man said, “But your dress is plain, and your rooms are -bare; now, were you the wife of some wealthy man, he would give you - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 96]</span> - -pearls and diamonds for your neck, and beautiful silks and satins.”</p> - -<p>“No, but I don’t want them,” said the potter’s wife smiling. “My -husband works very hard, and he gives me all he can, and I am quite -content with it.”</p> - -<p>“And you say he is a potter; then what sort of things does he make?” -asked the gipsy man as he cast his eyes about the room, and they lit -upon the little brown jug standing upon the shelf. “And did he make the -little bowl there?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said his wife, and she took it down and turned it about -in her hand. “I suppose so, but he has told me it was very old.”</p> - -<p>The gipsy man seized it eagerly, and poured wine in it, and looked -inside it, and then he laughed, and stooping his head over it, said a -few words, and then laughed again.</p> - -<p>“I have seen cups like this before,” he said. “And they are worth a -mint of money, though you would not think it. And have you never drunk -out of it? Has it not been used?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t drink from it,” said the potter’s wife, “but I believe I did -so once, and that was on the day when I promised my husband I would be - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 97]</span> - -his wife.”</p> - -<p>Then the gipsy laughed again and again. “See,” he said, “I am going a -long way off, perhaps to die by cold and hunger by the road-side, while -you and your husband are cosy and warm. You set small store by this -cup, but it may be that in foreign countries I could sell it for what -would keep me for many a long day. Give it to me, I pray you, that I -may take it with me.”</p> - -<p>The potter’s wife hesitated and trembled. She was afraid of the man, -and she thought he had a hard, bad face, but she did not want to seem -unkind.</p> - -<p>“Well, take it,” she said; “but why should you want it?”</p> - -<p>Then the gipsy man came and caught her by the arm. “Now,” he said, -“you are the fairest woman I have ever seen, and I am going away, and -shall never see you again. So I beg you wish me God-speed, and drink my -health out of the little brown cup you have given me. And if your lips -have touched it, it will be the dearest thing I have on earth!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 98]</span></p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife was still more frightened, and trembled more -than before. But the man looked so dark and threatening, that she did -not like to refuse him, and she took the cup in her hand,</p> - -<p>“And then you will go on your way,” she said.</p> - -<p>“And then I shall go on my way,” cried the gipsy. “And you will wait -here till your husband comes, whom you love more than anything else on -this earth.”</p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife bent her head and tasted the wine out of the -cup, and wished the gipsy happiness. And when she had done so he -laughed again, long and low, till her heart sank with fear, and he -picked up the cup and put it into his bundle, and went his way. Then -the potter’s wife sat down by the cradle, and almost cried, she knew -not why, and the whole room seemed cold, and when she looked out at the -sunshine it looked dark, and she bent over the baby in the cradle with -her tears falling.</p> - -<p>“Alack!” she cried, “why doesn’t my husband come home? Where is he -gone? How cruel it is to leave me all alone here, so that any rough -man may come into the house. In truth I don’t think he can love me - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 99]</span> - -much, since all he thinks of is to go away and leave me; and as for me, -surely I could have had many a better husband, and one who should have -loved me more. How foolish I was to marry him.”</p> - -<p>Thus she sat and lamented all day, and in the evening, when the potter -drove up to his door and cried out “Wife, wife,” she wouldn’t go out -to receive him. And when he came in to their little sitting-room, he -found her with tears in her eyes, sitting lamenting and complaining. -When he went up to her to take her in his arms and kiss her, she turned -away from him and would not let him touch her, and the potter, who had -never seen his wife cross or angry, knew that there must be something -wrong. She must be ill, he thought; to-morrow or the next day she will -be well again. So he urged her to rest well, and took no notice of her -angry words; but the next day, and the next, there was no change, and -things were growing from bad to worse. For now the wife wouldn’t speak -to him at all, and when she came nigh him she looked at him with anger, -and would not even suffer him to touch the hem of her dress. Then the -potter began to think of the little brown cup, and he looked up at the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 100]</span> - -shelf and saw that it was not there, and he began to feel very much -alarmed.</p> - -<p>“Why,” he said, “what has become of my little old brown cup that used -to stand up on the shelf?”</p> - -<p>“I gave it to a gipsy man,” she answered scornfully. “He seemed to like -it, and I didn’t see that I was obliged to keep all the rubbish that -you had in the house.”</p> - -<p>Then the potter groaned within himself and said,</p> - -<p>“But did you just take it off the shelf and give it to him, and did he -ask you for it? Why did he want it?”</p> - -<p>“Of course he asked for it,” said the wife very angrily, “and I just -gave it him when I had drunk his health out of it, as he wished me to.”</p> - -<p>Then the potter was stricken with deadly fear, and remembered the words -of the gipsy. “The first draught she will drink to your love, and the -second draught she will drink to your hate,” and he knew in his heart -that the words were true, and that the cup carried with it a charm.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_101.png" width="600" height="459" alt="The potter’s wife."> -</div> - -<p>He sat and thought and thought, and waited many days, hoping that his - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 101]</span> - -wife would change, and love him as before, but she remained cold and -hard. Then the potter packed a wallet full of clothes, and put some -money in his pocket, and he went to his wife and said, “Wife, there is -a man somewhere who has done me a great wrong, and perhaps he did it -unwittingly. I am going out to find him, and to make him right it, and -though you do not love me, you will bide here quietly with your baby -till I come back. And I do not know if that will be in months or in -years.” Then the potter’s wife fell a-crying.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 102]</span></p> - -<p>“I do not love you, nay, I hate you, and shall be glad when you have -gone, but perhaps it may be because I am a wicked woman; and I do not -know what has come over me, that now I want to fly away from you, when -I used to think that I had the best husband on all this earth.” The -potter sighed bitterly, but he kissed her cheeks, which felt as cold as -ice, and then he said good-bye to his baby, and started on his way with -the tears filling his eyes.</p> - -<p>When the potter had gone the wife cried sorely, but still she was glad -that she had not to see him, and for some time she lived with her baby -happily enough. She kept the house, and mended and swept and cleaned as -before, and thought little of the potter or where he had gone; but by -and by all her money began to be spent, and she knew that unless the -potter returned she would soon be very poor, and the winter was coming -on, and she feared cold and hunger for her little one. So she went into -a garret where she kept her old weaving loom, and she brought it out, -and she bought flax, and sat down to weave just as she used to, when - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 103]</span> - -she went round the country with her sister who spun the flax. And she -found that she could still weave her cloths very skilfully, and she -began to sell them to the passers by, and in this way she earned her -bread.</p> - -<p>The winter set in very cold and hard, and the potter’s wife felt very -sad. “But perhaps,” she said, “it is thinking of the poor things -who are starving around with no homes,” for she never thought of -her husband at all. And the flax began to be very dear, and she had -difficulty in buying it. “Instead of doing all these cheap clothes,” -she said, “it would be better to get very fine flax, and do a very very -fine cloth; it will be the finest cloth I have ever woven, and I will -sell it to some very rich lady.” So she bought the finest flax that -money could bring her, and when she had woven a little bit of it, she -sat and looked at it in her room, and she saw a tress of her own golden -hair lying upon it, and she thought how beautiful it looked. Then she -said—</p> - -<p>“There is no one now who loves me or my hair, so I will weave it into -a cloth with this very fine flax, and I must sell it for a very large - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 104]</span> - -sum of money, or else I shall have nothing left to go on with.” But -she couldn’t think of any pattern in which the hair looked well with -the fine linen flax, till at last she hit on one in which there was a -cup with a heart on the top of it. The cup she made of the gold hair, -and the heart also. She worked at it for many long days, and when she -had finished it she looked at it, and was very much pleased, and said -indeed it was the most beautiful cloth she had ever made; and now she -must make haste and take it in to the town and sell it for a great deal -of money, or she and her child would begin to do badly for food and -fire.</p> - -<p>The snow was lying heavily upon the ground, as the potter’s wife stood -by the window looking at her cloth, when there crawled up outside the -window a poor gipsy woman leading a little boy by the hand. She had -big black eyes and a brown face, but her cheeks were so thin that the -colour scarcely showed in them, and the potter himself would have had -much ado to recognize her as the gipsy girl who made the cup years - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 105]</span> - -before; and her clothes all hung upon her in rags, and her little boy -was crying bitterly with the cold. She knocked against the window with -her poor thin hands. “Take me in,” she cried, “and have pity on me, -for I can go no further.” Then the potter’s wife opened the door, and -the gipsy woman entered the room with her little boy by her side, and -crouched by the fire.</p> - -<p>“Where is the potter who lived here?” said the gipsy. “It is long years -ago since I saw him, and now I have come back to pray that he would -give me food, for I am starving.”</p> - -<p>“No,” said the wife, “I know not where he is, for he is my husband, and -he has left me, and right glad of it am I; but if you will stay here I -will give you food and drink and attend to you, for, poor woman, you -seem to me to be very ill; so stay here and I will attend to you till -you are well enough to go your way.”</p> - -<p>“There is only one way that I shall ever go,” said the gipsy, and she -looked into the fire with her big black eyes, “and that is the road -which leads to the churchyard. But if he was your husband, why do you -say that you are glad he is away? Is he not kind to you?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 106]</span></p> - -<p>“He was very kind to me,” said the potter’s wife, “he gave me -everything I wanted, and money and to spare, but for all that I could -not love him, and I am glad he has gone, and left me alone with my baby -girl.”</p> - -<p>“You are a foolish woman,” said the gipsy. “If you had a husband who -loved you and worked for you well, you should have loved him and -cherished him. My husband beat me, and was cruel to me, and stole all I -had. And now that I am dying, he has deserted me to die as I may.”</p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife brought her food and bid her lie down, and dried -her rags of clothes, and she wrapped the little boy in her own clothes, -and gave him food and put him to sleep; and as she lay, the gipsy woman -watched her with her great black eyes, and at last she said, “Have you -a brown cup here, a little rough brown cup? did your husband give it to -you?”</p> - -<p>The potter’s wife stared with astonishment. “How did you know I had a -little rough brown cup?” she said. “There was such a one, and it stood -upon the shelf, but I have given it away. I gave it to a poor gipsy man -who begged it of me; he wanted it so badly that I couldn’t refuse, and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 107]</span> - -he made me drink his health in it ere he took it away.”</p> - -<p>Then the gipsy woman raised her head, and her eyes looked blacker and -her cheeks blacker.</p> - -<p>“And what was the gipsy man like?” she cried. “Had you drunk from the -cup before? Can you remember?”</p> - -<p>“I remember well,” said the woman. “I drank from it on the day when I -promised I would marry my husband, and I drank from it once again when -I wished the gipsy God-speed, and soon after that, my husband left me, -for I could not bear to have him near me.”</p> - -<p>Then the gipsy cried out aloud, and said something in a language which -the woman did not understand, and beat her hands.</p> - -<p>“I think it was my husband,” she said. “Alack a day! to-morrow night -I shall die, and who will take care of my little boy, and see that he -does not starve? for his father would beat and ill-treat him if he -found him.” Then the potter’s wife kneeled down beside the gipsy woman, -and kissed her on the forehead.</p> - -<p>“Be at peace,” she said. “If it be that you must die, die with a -quiet heart, for I will keep your little boy. What is enough for two - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 108]</span> - -is enough for three, and he shall call my little girl sister and me -mother.”</p> - -<p>The gipsy said nothing, but she looked at the potter’s wife for long, -and then she said, “And my clothes are all in rags, and I have no -garment in which you can wrap me for my grave.”</p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife began to cry. “Be at peace,” she said, “for I -have a fine cloth made of flax and my own hair, and in it you can lie -clad like a princess.”</p> - -<p>Then again the gipsy woman cried out words that the potter’s wife did -not understand, and again she beat her breast and lamented. But as -evening drew nigh she turned to the potter’s wife, and told her all the -truth about the charms in the cup, and wept for the evil she had done -her, who was so good and kind.</p> - -<p>The potter’s wife sat by her all that day, and into the dark hours of -the night, but when it was drawing nigh to twelve o’clock the gipsy -woman sat up, and stretched out her arms. “The wheel,” she cried, -“bring me your husband’s wheel, and give me a piece of clay, that while -there is yet time I may throw my last cup, and you may drink from it - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 109]</span> - -before the dawn and undo the harm I have worked.”</p> - -<p>The potter’s wife wondered much, but she feared to disobey her, and she -went out into her husband’s workshop, and she brought in his wheel and -a piece of clay which stood there, and placed them beside the gipsy. -The gipsy was so weak that she could scarcely sit up, but when she saw -the wheel she staggered to her feet, and took the clay in her thin -little brown hands, and moulded it as she had done years before; and -then she set it on the wheel, and set the wheel spinning, and formed it -into a little brown bowl, and bent her head over it, and whispered into -it.</p> - -<p>“Now drink,” she cried, “although the clay is still wet. Pour water -into it and drink from my little bowl, and wish me God-speed as you did -to my husband. And then dress me in white and gold like a princess, for -I must start upon my journey. But keep my little boy always, and if my -husband comes to search for me, give him my ring, but tell him that he -shall never find me more.”</p> - -<p>The potter’s wife poured some water into the little clay cup, and -stooped her face and drank it, that the woman might be content, and -when she had done so, the gipsy folded her hands and lay back and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 110]</span> - -died. But when she had tasted the water out of the wet clay, the -potter’s wife thought of her husband, and she called his name, and -cried to him to come and help her with the poor gipsy woman. And then -she thought of how long it was since he had been with her, and she -began to cry, and wept bitterly as she leant over the dead woman.</p> - -<p>“Oh, where is he gone? why did I drive him from me?” she said. “Have -I been mad? Truly the poor gipsy spoke rightly, that if a woman has a -husband who loves her and works for her, she should cherish him with -all her might. Alas, alas! and now my husband is out in the wide world, -and I am alone here with no one to help me; until this poor woman told -me, I never knew how wrong I was.” Then she looked at the gipsy woman -lying in all her rags, and she remembered her promise to her, and she -took the fine linen cloth in which was woven the gold heart and the -gilt cup, and she clothed her in it as if she were a princess, and the -next day the poor woman was buried, and no one knew from whence she -came nor to whom she belonged.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 111]</span></p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife sat down, and grieved bitterly, for she didn’t -know what it would be best to do to find her husband again, and tell -him that she loved him as at first. At first she thought she would go -out and seek for him in the wide, wide world, but then she remembered -how he bid her wait where she was till he came back, and she knew she -ought to do what he had told her; but as now she had three to keep -instead of two, she feared they would be very poor, and as she had -buried the gipsy in the fine gold and white cloth woven with her hair, -she had not got it to sell, and she had not any money left wherewith -to buy more fine thread to weave. The gipsy’s little boy was a pretty -boy, with dark eyes like his mother’s, and when she looked at him she -said they would all three starve together, but she would keep him, as -she had promised his mother, rather than turn him out into the cold -streets. So she washed him, and mended his rags as best she might, and -then she began to seek everywhere for something she might weave to -sell, and keep them from starving. She wandered round the garden, and -in and out of the house, and the gipsy boy, who was a clever, bright -lad, went with her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 112]</span></p> - -<p>“What are you searching for?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“I am searching for thread, that I may weave into some kind of cloth -and sell,” she said. “Otherwise we shall surely starve, for I have no -money left to buy it with, and nothing more left to sell.”</p> - -<p>“I will go and get you something to weave,” said the boy, and he ran -out into the road, and looked up and down it to see what would come -past. Presently there came up a big cart laden with straw, and on the -top of the cart lay one man, while another drove. The horses went -slowly, and the gipsy boy followed them, and began to beg.</p> - -<p>“Run off, little chap,” cried the man at the top, “I have no money to -give to beggars.”</p> - -<p>“But I don’t ask you for money,” cried the boy, “but of your charity -give me a handful of straw.”</p> - -<p>“And what do you want with a handful of straw?” asked the carter, as -the boy still went on begging.</p> - -<p>“Why, see!” cried the lad, “I am all in rags, but if my mother had a -handful of straw she can weave me a coat, and I shall be quite warm,” -at which the men both laughed, and declared that the idea of a coat - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 113]</span> - -of straw was very funny, but the driver said, “Well, give some to the -little chap. I expect he comes from a lot of lying gipsies further on, -and they want it for their animals, still it won’t do any harm to give -him a few wisps,” and so they flung down a bundle, and the boy picked -it up, and ran back with it to the potter’s wife.</p> - -<p>“See what I have brought you,” he cried. “Now make that into a mat, and -I will take it out and sell it, and bring you back the money.”</p> - -<p>The potter’s wife was amazed by his cleverness, but she knew that the -gipsies had to live by their wits, and that teaches them to be sharp, -so she sat down, and tried to weave the straw into a mat, as the gipsy -boy had said.</p> - -<p>At first she found it very hard to use, for it was coarse and brittle, -and she thought she could make nothing of it. The lad sat beside her, -and cut it into even lengths for her, and chose out the good pieces, -and at last betwixt them it was done, and it looked quite a smart -little mat, and the boy took it on his back and ran away with it to the -village.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 114]</span></p> - -<p>“A mat, a mat,” he cried, “who wants to buy a good straw mat to wipe -their feet on when they are dirty, or for the cat to sit on by the -fire, or to put over the fowl-house and keep it warm?”</p> - -<p>At first all the people he met laughed at him, and said nobody wished -to buy a mat at all. Then he turned into the ale-house. There were -some men smoking and keeping themselves warm by the fire, and when the -host saw him, and the mat over his shoulder, he said it was quite a -well-made thing, and he would have it to lay down by his doorway for -in-comers to tread on; and then one and another looked at it, and the -boy told them where it came from, and said he could bring them plenty -more straw mats and carpets, all as good or better, and so well worked -that they would last almost for ever; and presently one and another -began to say that they would buy them, and when he had taken his money, -the gipsy boy ran home well content.</p> - -<p>So the potter’s wife sat all day weaving straw mats, and presently she -got to do them so well, that from far and near the people sent to buy -them of her. Then after a time she put patterns into them, made with -red, and black, and white straws, but do what she could, the patterns - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 115]</span> - -always came out in the shape of a cup, and still she wept and grieved -all day long. Then the gipsy lad said to her—</p> - -<p>“What are you crying for now? You have plenty to eat and drink. Tell me -why you are crying, and I will help you if I can, because you took my -mother into your house to die, and buried her in your fine cloth like a -princess.”</p> - -<p>“I cry because my husband has gone a long way off,” said the potter’s -wife, “and he doesn’t know that I love him, and he will never come back -to me, for when he went away I hated him.”</p> - -<p>“He will never know it if you don’t try to tell him,” said the gipsy -boy. “You should tell it to every one you meet, to all the birds of the -air, and the wild animals too. That is what my mother told me to do, -if I wanted to send news abroad. You should say it even to the winds, -and write it in the sand, and on the earth, and on the leaves of the -trees in case they blow about, for she said all things could pass on a -secret, though none can keep one. And why don’t you weave it into your -mats too? For the people who buy them take them far and near, and maybe -he will see one, and know that you want him to come home again.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 116]</span></p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife tried to weave her secret into her mats, and -beside the pattern of the cup she wove a little verse—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container45"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“From the gipsy’s cup I drank for love,</div> - <div class="verse">From the gipsy’s cup I drank for hate,</div> - <div class="verse">But when she gave me a cup again</div> - <div class="verse">My love had gone and I drank too late.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>“Now,” cried the gipsy boy, “your husband may see it, and perhaps he -will come home, and all will be well with us.”</p> - -<p>But still the potter journeyed far into the world, and wherever he went -he asked if any gipsy had been near there; and if there happened to be -a gipsy camp in the neighbourhood, he went to it at once, and asked -for a gipsy woman with red beads and gold chains in her hair, or for a -gipsy man who carried a brown cup with him. But though he saw hundreds -of gipsies, yet he never again saw the girl who had thrown the cup, -and none of the men knew anything about the man, nor could tell him -anything about the little brown bowl. Then he went to the shops in the -big towns where jars and bowls are sold, and asked for a cup that had - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 117]</span> - -a spell in it, for he thought if they sold such a one, they might know -how to help him to undo the work of the gipsy’s bowl, but everywhere -the people only laughed at him.</p> - -<p>So he went through strange countries, seeing strange things, but none -of them gave him any pleasure, since he was always thinking of his wife -at home. Then he returned to his native land, and pondered whether he -should go back to his own cottage, but his heart failed him, and he -kept far from the little village where it stood.</p> - -<p>“It would be little use to go home,” he said, “for if my wife is not -glad to see me, it is no home to me; and she will not be glad to see me -till I can find the gipsy and know how the charm can be broken.”</p> - -<p>One night he went into a booth where there were a number of men -drinking, and amongst them there was one who looked like a gipsy, a -dark, savage-looking fellow who was talking loud, and boasting much -of all he had done. The potter sat and listened to their talk, and -presently they began quarrelling, and talking about who was the most -beautiful woman in the world. The gipsy cried out that he knew the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 118]</span> - -most beautiful, and that she had given him a parting gift and wished -him God-speed, and now he was going back to her, for he knew now the -way to make her love him, and he meant to wed her and have her for his -wife.</p> - -<p>Upon this the others laughed and jeered, and said, was it likely that -such a beautiful woman would care for such a rough, ill-favoured fellow -as he, and declared they didn’t think much of her beauty if she was -willing to marry him and to be his wife.</p> - -<p>Then another man standing near said that he knew where lived the most -beautiful woman on the face of the earth, though he did not believe -that she would ever be wife of his, still all the same it would be hard -to beat her for loveliness; and she was a clever worker too, for she it -was who worked the mats that lay under his feet in the cart he drove. -Upon this they all began to wrangle, and their words grew high.</p> - -<p>“And if the beautiful woman loved you so,” cried one man to the gipsy, -“how could you come away and leave her?”</p> - -<p>The gipsy laughed. “She didn’t love me then,” he said, “but she will - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 119]</span> - -now, for I am taking her a charm which will make her love me more than -any one on earth. She has only to drink out of the cup I carry here, -and she will be mine for life.”</p> - -<p>Upon this they all laughed, and derided him still more.</p> - -<p>“Then let every one believe that what I say is true,” cried the gipsy, -and from his bosom he took out a small brown bowl and waved it in the -air, “and here is the cup to prove it.” And the potter’s heart almost -stood still, for he recognized the cup which the gipsy girl had made -for him years before.</p> - -<p>The other man laughed scornfully. “That proves nothing,” he said. “I -might take the mat out from the cart and ask it to say if I spoke the -truth; but mats and cups have no tongues to speak with, though my mat -can say more than your cup, for there is a rhyme on it with a pattern -of a cup; moreover, the rhyme is about a gipsy too.”</p> - -<p>“Let us see it,” cried they all.</p> - -<p>Then the man went out to his cart and fetched in a white and brown -straw mat, covered with a pattern made of cups, and he read the rhyme - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 120]</span> - -which was written upon it—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container45"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“From the gipsy’s cup I drank for love,</div> - <div class="verse">From the gipsy’s cup I drank for hate,</div> - <div class="verse">And when she gave me that cup again</div> - <div class="verse">My love was gone and I drank too late.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>On hearing this the potter jumped up, and dashed into their midst, and -seized the cup.</p> - -<p>“The gipsy speaks truth,” he cried, “when he says she is the most -beautiful woman in the world, but he speaks false when he says that she -will ever love him; for he has stolen that cup, and I shall take it -from him, and if he tries to stop me, why then I will fight him, and -let every one see who is the better fellow of the two.”</p> - -<p>But when the gipsy had seen the rhyme upon the mat, he stood and stared -as if he were made of stone, and said no word to the potter, and indeed -scarcely seemed to notice that he had taken away the cup from him. Then -the potter turned to the man who owned the mat and said, “If you will -sell me your mat I will pay you handsomely for it, and I beg you to -tell me who made it, and where you got it, for I would like to buy some -more like it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 121]</span></p> - -<p>The traveller was much astonished, but he told the potter that it was -made by a woman who lived in a village a little way off, and she sat by -her doorway and wove mats, with a gipsy boy to help her; and she was -the loveliest woman he had ever seen on earth, with eyes just like blue -cornflowers and hair like golden corn. Then the potter took his bowl -and the mat and started to go home, but the gipsy slunk out of the room -and went into the night, and nobody noticed him.</p> - -<p>Meantime the potter’s wife continued to grieve and lament, for in spite -of her taking the gipsy boy’s advice, and telling all things that she -loved her husband and wished him back, he did not come back to her; and -though she wove her rhyme into every mat that she made, she despaired -of the potter’s ever seeing one. The only thing which seemed to console -her, was the little brown clay cup that the gipsy woman had thrown for -her, before she died. As it had never been baked in the oven, the clay -was dry and hard and cracked, and it was a sorry thing to look at, but -still the potter’s wife kept it beside her, and would drink out of -nothing else, and from time to time she kissed it, and laid her cheek -against it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 122]</span></p> - -<p>The gipsy boy said to her—</p> - -<p>“If I were you I should watch for my husband all day. I would weave my -mats in the doorway, and look up the road both ways, from morn till -night, otherwise your husband will come back and go past the cottage -and you will never know.” So she took her loom and sat by the roadway, -and watched, and looked over the hill and to right and left for whoever -might come. And often the gipsy boy would watch too, and look from the -other side of the cottage while the potter’s wife sat in the front. One -day the gipsy boy ran round to her and said, “There is some one coming -up the road who will come here, but it is not your husband. It is my -father, and he will want to take me away, and he will beat me as he did -my mother. And if he gets hold of the cup that my mother made for you, -he knows all her charms, and he can undo what she did, and perhaps can -throw some evil spell on us all, so that your husband will never return -again. So the best thing will be for you to give me the cup and let me -hide myself with it, and then you must tell him that you do not know -where I am, and if he asks, tell him that the cup is gone; and when he - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 123]</span> - -is gone I will come back again, but promise that you will not give me -up to him.”</p> - -<p>So the potter’s wife promised that she would never give up the little -boy, and she bid him take the cup and run quickly and hide himself, and -then she took her little girl by the hand and sat and waited for the -gipsy man to come, though she trembled with fear, and wished him far -away.</p> - -<p>Presently the gipsy man came up to the front of the cottage where the -potter’s wife sat, and bid her good-day.</p> - -<p>“I was here before,” he said. “And you gave me something to eat and -drink. Is your husband come back, for he was away then?”</p> - -<p>“My husband is away still,” she said. “But soon I hope he will be here.”</p> - -<p>Then the gipsy took up one of her mats which lay on the ground beside -her, and looked at it.</p> - -<p>“You are clever with your loom,” he said; “but what do you mean by the -little verse you put on all these mats?”</p> - -<p>“It is a little verse which can but be rightly read by one person,” -she answered; “and if he sees it, it will not matter whether others -understand it or no.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 124]</span></p> - -<p>“And have you been here all alone since I came by?” asked the gipsy; -“have no other gipsies been past? for I want to join some of my own -people, and perhaps you can tell me which way they are gone.”</p> - -<p>“One came not so long ago,” answered the potter’s wife, “but she was -so tired with tramping far that she could go no further. So she has -stayed, and rests in the churchyard. She was a gipsy woman with red -beads and coins in her hair. And I kept her and let her die in peace, -and wrapped her in a cloth of white and gold.”</p> - -<p>“And did she do nothing while she rested here?” asked the gipsy man. -“Did she make you no present to pay you for your trouble?”</p> - -<p>“She made me a present which paid me for my trouble well,” said the -woman, “though it was only a little cup of clay that was grey and wet. -And she gave me this ring, and bid me give it to her husband if he came -by here, and tell him that it was useless for him to seek her further.”</p> - -<p>The gipsy man looked at the ring she held out to him, and he turned -pale, and knit his brows.</p> - -<p>“And where is that cup?” he asked; “and where is her little boy? For I - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 125]</span> - -will take him with me into the world.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know where he is gone,” said the potter’s wife; “as for the -cup, he took it with him when he went.”</p> - -<p>Meantime the gipsy boy had hidden in a hay-stack quite close to the -cottage, from where he could see the roadways all round, and he looked -to right and left for who should pass, for he was still half afraid -that his father might come and search for him, and take him away by -force. As he lay and watched he saw a man coming over the hill, who -looked spent and tired, as if he had walked far. He seemed to know the -path well, and he came straight to the cottage, but he did not come in, -but waited near as if he wanted to see who was there. Then the gipsy -boy said to himself—</p> - -<p>“Perhaps this is the potter himself, whom she has been looking for all -this time.” So he slid down and ran to the man and began to pretend to -beg.</p> - -<p>The man looked at him and said—</p> - -<p>“You are a gipsy’s child. Where do you come from? Are you living under -a hedge, or do you come from a gipsy’s camp near?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 126]</span></p> - -<p>“It is true I am a gipsy’s child,” answered the boy, “but I am living -under no hedge, but in that little cottage, for the woman who lives -there keeps me for love of my mother, who helped her when she was in -trouble.”</p> - -<p>“And what did your mother do for the woman?” asked the man, who was no -other than the potter. “It must have been a great service, that she -should be willing to take you and keep you.”</p> - -<p>“She saved her from an evil charm that had been cast upon her,” -answered the boy, “and taught her to love her husband again, and she -waits his return now and longs for him to come. Therefore she promised -to keep me with her, but now I dare not go into the cottage, because my -father, who is a gipsy, is there, and I am afraid lest he may take me -away with him.”</p> - -<p>When the potter heard that the gipsy man was there he would have run -straight into the cottage, but the boy implored him to listen first -and hear what he was saying. So they crept round to the side of the -cottage, and they heard the gipsy man growing angry, and threatening -the potter’s wife, that if she did not tell him where his boy had gone - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 127]</span> - -he would seize her by the hair and wring her throat, in spite of her -being so fair a woman. At this the potter waited no longer, but burst -into the cottage, and seized the gipsy and hurled him out of the house -with all his might; but he and his wife never looked to see if he was -hurt or no, for they looked at nothing but each other and the little -child that the potter’s wife held by the hand. And the gipsy man went -away, and they never heard of him again.</p> - -<p>Then the potter’s wife showed her husband the gipsy boy, and told him -of her promise to his mother, and of all he had done for her, and -begged him that he would let her keep him with them. And the potter -promised that she should, and said that when he grew up to be a man he -would teach him his trade, and make him a potter like himself. So they -all lived happily together, and the gipsy boy learned to make cups and -bowls, and was very clever at doing them, but they were cups and bowls -that carried no charms with them, and so could do no one any harm that -drank from them.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 128]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_128.png" width="600" height="278" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_STORY_OF_A_CAT">THE STORY OF A CAT</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_128_cap_o.png" width="200" height="230" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Once</span> there lived -an old gentleman who was a very rich old gentleman, -and able to buy nearly everything he wanted. He had earned all his -wealth for himself by trading in a big city, and now he had grown so -fond of money that he loved it better than anything else in the world, -and thought of nothing except how he could save it up and make more. -But he never seemed to have time to enjoy himself with all that he had -earned, and he was very angry if he was asked to give money to others. -He lived in a handsome house all alone, and he had a very good cook who -cooked him a sumptuous dinner every day, but he rarely asked any one - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 129]</span> - -to share it with him, though he loved eating and drinking, and always -had the best of wine and food. His cook and his other servants knew -that he was greedy and hard, and cared for nobody, and though they -served him well because he paid them, they none of them loved him.</p> - -<p>It was one Christmas, and the snow lay thick upon the ground, and the -wind howled so fiercely that the old gentleman was very glad he was not -obliged to go out into the street, but could sit in his comfortable -arm-chair by the fire and keep warm.</p> - -<p>“It really is terrible weather,” he said to himself, “terrible -weather;” and he went to the window and looked out into the street, -where all the pavements were inches deep in snow. “I am very glad that -I need not go out at all, but can sit here and keep warm for to-day, -that is the great thing, and I shall have some ado to keep out the cold -even here with the fire.”</p> - -<p>He was leaving the window, when there came up in the street outside -an old man, whose clothes hung in rags about him, and who looked half -frozen. He was about the same age as the old gentleman inside the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 130]</span> - -window, and the same height, and had grey, curly hair, like his, and -if they had been dressed alike any one would have taken them for two -brothers.</p> - -<p>“Oh, really,” said the old gentleman irritably, “this is most annoying. -The parish ought to take up these sort of people, and prevent their -wandering about the streets and molesting honest folk,” for the poor -old man had taken off his hat, and began to beg.</p> - -<p>“It is Christmas Day,” he said, and though he did not speak very loud, -the old gentleman could hear every word he said quite plainly through -the window. “It is Christmas Day, and you will have your dinner here in -your warm room. Of your charity give me a silver shilling that I may go -into an eating-shop, and have a dinner too.”</p> - -<p>“A silver shilling!” cried the old gentleman, “I never heard of such a -thing! Monstrous! Go away, I never give to beggars, and you must have -done something very wicked to become so poor.”</p> - -<p>But still the old man stood there, though the snow was falling on his -shoulders, and on his bare head. “Then give me a copper,” he said; -“just one penny, that to-day I may not starve.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 131]</span></p> - -<p>“Certainly not,” cried the old gentleman; “I tell you I never give to -beggars at all.” But the old man did not move.</p> - -<p>“Then,” he said, “give me some of the broken victuals from your table, -that I may creep into a doorway and eat a Christmas dinner there.”</p> - -<p>“I will give you nothing,” cried the old gentleman, stamping his foot. -“Go away. Go away at once, or I shall send for the policeman to take -you away.”</p> - -<p>The old beggar-man put on his hat and turned quietly away, but what -the old gentleman thought was very odd was, that instead of seeming -distressed he was laughing merrily, and then he looked back at the -window, and called out some words, but they were in a foreign tongue, -and the old gentleman could not understand them. So he returned to his -comfortable arm-chair by the fire, still murmuring angrily that beggars -ought not to be allowed to be in the streets.</p> - -<p>Next morning the snow fell more thickly than ever, and the streets were -almost impassable, but it did not trouble the old gentleman, for he -knew he need not go out and get wet or cold. But in the morning when he -came down to breakfast, to his great surprise there was a cat on the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 132]</span> - -hearthrug in front of the fire, looking into it, and blinking lazily. -Now the old gentleman had never had any animal in his house before, -and he at once went to it and said “Shoo-shoo!” and tried to turn it -out. But the cat did not move, and when the old gentleman looked at it -nearer, he could not help admiring it very much. It was a very large -cat, grey and black, and had extremely long soft hair, and a thick soft -ruff round its neck. Moreover, it looked very well fed and cared for, -and as if it had always lived in comfortable places. Somehow it seemed -to the old gentleman to suit the room and the rug and the fire, and to -make the whole place look more prosperous and cosy even than it had -done before.</p> - -<p>“A fine creature! a very handsome cat!” he said to himself; “I should -really think that a reward would be offered for such an animal, as it -has evidently been well looked after and fed, so it would be a pity to -turn it away in a hurry.”</p> - -<p>One thing struck him as very funny about the cat, and that was that -though the ground was deep in snow and slush outside, the cat was quite -dry, and its fur looked as if it had just been combed and brushed. - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 133]</span> - -The old gentleman called to his cook and asked if she knew how the cat -had come in, but she declared she had not seen it before, and said -she believed it must have come down the chimney as all the doors and -windows had been shut and bolted. However, there it was, and when his -own breakfast was finished the old gentleman gave it a large saucer of -milk, which it lapped up not greedily or in a hurry, but as if it were -quite used to good food and had had plenty of it always.</p> - -<p>“It really is a very handsome animal, and most uncommon,” said the -old gentleman, “I shall keep it awhile and look out for the reward;” -but though he looked at all the notices in the street and in the -newspapers, the old gentleman could see no notice about a reward being -offered for a grey and black cat, so it stayed on with him from day to -day.</p> - -<p>Every day the cat seemed to his master to grow handsomer and handsomer. -The old gentleman never loved anything but himself, but he began to -take a sort of interest in the strange cat, and to wonder what sort -it was—if it was a Persian or a Siamese, or some curious new sort of -which he had never heard. He liked the sound of its lazy contented - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 134]</span> - -purring after its food, which seemed to speak of nothing but comfort -and affluence. So the cat remained on till nearly a year had passed -away.</p> - -<p>It was not very long before Christmas that an acquaintance of the old -gentleman’s came to his rooms on business. He knew a great deal about -all sorts of animals and loved them for their own sakes, but of course -he had never talked to the old gentleman about them, because he knew he -did not love anything. But when he saw the grey cat, he said at once—</p> - -<p>“Do you know that this is a very valuable creature, and I should think -would be worth a great deal?”</p> - -<p>At these words the old gentleman’s heart beat high. Here, he thought, -would be a piece of great luck if a stray cat could make him richer -than he was before.</p> - -<p>“Why, who would want to buy it?” he said. “I don’t know anybody who -would be so foolish as to give any money for a cat which is of no -use in life except to catch mice, when you can so easily get one for -nothing.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 135]</span></p> - -<p>“Ah, but many people are very fond of cats, and would give much for -rare sorts like this. If you want to sell it, the right thing would -be to send it to the Cat Show, and there you would most likely take a -prize for it, and then some one would be sure to buy it, and, it may -be, would give a great deal. I don’t know what kind it is, or where it -comes from, for I have never seen one the least like it, but for that -reason it is very sure to be valuable.”</p> - -<p>Upon this the old gentleman almost laughed with joy.</p> - -<p>“Where is the Cat Show?” he asked; “and when is it to be held?”</p> - -<p>“There will be a Cat Show in this city quite soon,” said his -acquaintance; “and it will be a particularly good one, for the new -Princess is quite crazy about cats, and she is coming to it, and it is -said that she doesn’t mind what she gives for a cat if she sees one she -likes.”</p> - -<p>So then he told the old gentleman how he should send his name and the -cat’s name to the people who managed the show, and where it was to be -held, and went away, leaving the old gentleman well pleased, but to -himself he laughed and said, “I don’t think that old man thinks of - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 136]</span> - -anything on earth but making money. How pleased he was at the idea of -selling that beautiful cat if he could get something for it!”</p> - -<p>When he had gone, the grey puss came and rubbed itself about his -master’s legs, and looked up in his face as though it had understood -the conversation, and did not like the idea of being sent to the show. -But the old gentleman was delighted, and sat by the fire and mused on -what he was likely to get for the cat, and wondered if it would not -take a prize.</p> - -<p>“I shall be sorry to have to send it away,” he said; “still, if I could -get a good round sum of money it would be a real sin not to take it, so -you will have to go, puss; and it really was extraordinary good luck -for me that you ever came here.”</p> - -<p>The days passed, and Christmas Day came, and again the snow fell, and -the ground was white. The wind whistled and blew, and on Christmas -morning the old gentleman stood and looked out of the window at the -falling snow and rain, and the grey cat stood beside him, and rubbed -itself against his hand. He rather liked stroking it, it was so soft - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 137]</span> - -and comfortable, and when he touched the long hair he always thought of -how much money he should get for it.</p> - -<p>This morning he saw no old beggar-man outside the window, and he said -to himself: “I really think they manage better with the beggars than -they used to, and are clearing them from the town.”</p> - -<p>But just as he was leaving the window he heard something scratching -outside, and there crawled on to the window-sill another cat. It was -a very different creature to the grey cat on the rug. It was a poor, -thin, wretched-looking animal, with ribs sticking through its fur, and -it mewed in the most pathetic manner, and beat itself against the pane. -When it saw it, the handsome grey puss was very much excited, and ran -to and fro, and purred loudly.</p> - -<p>“Oh you disgraceful-looking beast!” said the old gentleman angrily; -“go away, this is not the place for an animal like you. There is -nothing here for stray cats. And you look as if you had not eaten -anything for months. How different to my puss here!” and he tapped -against the window to drive it away. But still it would not go, and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 138]</span> - -the old gentleman felt very indignant, for the sound of its mewing was -terrible. So he opened the window, and though he did not like to touch -the miserable animal, he took it up and hurled it away into the snow, -and it trotted away, and in the deep snow he could not see the way it -went.</p> - -<p>But that evening, after he had had his Christmas dinner, as he sat by -the fire with the grey puss on the hearthrug beside him, he heard again -the noise outside the window, and then he heard the stray cat crying -and mewing to be let in, and again the grey and black cat became very -much excited, and dashed about the room, and jumped at the window as if -it wanted to open it.</p> - -<p>“I shall really be quite glad when I have sold you at the Cat Show,” -said the old gentleman, “if I am going to have all sorts of stray cats -worrying here,” and for the second time he opened the window, and -seized the trembling, half-starved creature, and this time he threw -it with all his might as hard as he could throw. “And now there is an -end of you, I hope,” he said as he heard it fall with a dull thud, and -settled himself again in his arm-chair, and the grey puss returned to -the hearthrug, but it did not purr or rub itself against its master.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 139]</span></p> - -<p>Next morning when he came down to breakfast, the old gentleman poured -out a saucer of milk for his cat as usual. “You must be well fed if you -are going to be shown at the show,” he said, “and I must not mind a -little extra expense to make you look well. It will all be paid back, -so this morning you shall have some fish as well as your milk.” Then he -put the saucer of milk down by the cat, but it never touched it, but -sat and looked at the fire with its tail curled round it.</p> - -<p>“Oh, well, if you have had so much already that you don’t want it, you -can take it when you do,” so he went away to his work and left the -saucer of milk by the fire. But when he came back in the evening there -was the saucer of milk and the piece of fish, and the grey cat had not -touched them. “This is rather odd,” said the old gentleman; “however, I -suppose cook has been feeding you.”</p> - -<p>Next morning it was just the same. When he poured out the milk the cat -wouldn’t lap it, but sat and looked at the fire. The old gentleman felt -a little anxious, for he fancied that the animal’s fur did not look - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 140]</span> - -so bright as usual, and when in the evening and the next day and the -next, it would not lap its milk, or even smell the nice pieces of fish -he gave it, he was really uncomfortable. “The creature is getting ill,” -he said, “and this is most provoking. What will be the use of my having -kept it for a year, if now I cannot show it?” He scolded his cook -for having given it unwholesome food, but the cook swore it had had -nothing. Anyhow it was growing terribly thin, and all day long it sat -in front of the fire with its tail hanging down, not curled up neatly -round it, and its coat looked dull and began to come out in big tufts -of hair.</p> - -<p>“Now really I shall have to do something,” said the old gentleman, -“it is enough to make any one angry! No one would believe that this -could be a prize cat. It looks almost as wretched as that stray beast -that came to the window on Christmas Day.” So he went to a cat and -dog doctor, who lived near, and asked him to come in and see a very -beautiful cat which had nothing the matter with it, but which refused -to eat its food. The cat’s doctor came and looked at the cat, and then - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 141]</span> - -looked very grave, and shook his head, and looked at it again.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what sort of cat it is,” he said, “for I never saw any -other like it, but it is a very handsome beast, and must be very -valuable. Well, I will leave you some physic for it, and I hope you may -be able to pull it round, but with these foreign cats you never know -what ails them, and they are hard to cure.”</p> - -<p>Now the day was close at hand when the cat should have been sent to the -show, and the old gentleman was getting more and more uneasy, for the -grey cat lay upon the rug all day and never moved, and its ribs could -almost be seen through its side, so thin had it grown. And oddly enough -the old gentleman, who had never cared for any one or anything in his -life except himself, began to feel very unhappy, not only because of -not getting the money, but because he did not like to think of losing -the cat itself. He sent for his friend who had first told him about the -Cat Show, and asked his advice, but his friend could not tell him what -to do with it.</p> - -<p>“Well, well,” he said, “this is a bad business, for I have told every -one that you are going to exhibit a most extraordinarily beautiful - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 142]</span> - -cat, and now this poor creature is really fit for nothing but the -knacker’s yard. I think, maybe, some naturalist would give you a good -price for its skin, as it is so very uncommon, and if I were you I -should kill it at once, for if it dies a natural death its skin won’t -be worth a brass farthing.” At these words the grey cat lifted its -head, and looked straight into the old gentleman’s face, as if it -could understand, and for the first time for many a long year, the old -gentleman felt a feeling of pity in his heart, and was angry with his -friend for his suggestion.</p> - -<p>“I won’t have it killed,” he cried; “why, I declare, though it does -seem absurd, I have lived with this creature for a year, and I feel as -if it were my friend, and if it would only get well and sit up on the -hearthrug, I shouldn’t mind about the money one bit!”</p> - -<p>At this his friend was greatly astonished, and went away wondering, -while the old gentleman sat by the fire and watched the cat lying -panting on the rug.</p> - -<p>“Poor pussy, poor old pussy!” he said, “it is a pity that you can’t -speak and tell me what you want. I am sure I would give it to you.” - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 143]</span> - -Just as he spoke there came a noise outside, and he heard a mewing, and -looking through the window he saw the same thin ugly brown cat that -had come there last Christmas, and it looked as thin and wretched as -ever. When she heard the sound the grey cat stood up on her tottering -feet and tried to walk to the window. This time the old gentleman did -not drive it away, but looked at it, and almost felt sorry for it; it -looked almost as thin and ill as his own grey puss.</p> - -<p>“You are an ugly brute,” he said, “and I don’t want you always hanging -about; still, maybe you would be none the worse for a little milk now, -and it might make you look better.” So he opened the window a little, -and then he shut it and then he opened it again, and this time the -brown cat crawled into the room, and went straight to the hearthrug to -the grey puss. There was a big saucer of milk on the hearthrug, and the -brown cat began to lap it at once, and the old gentleman never stopped -it.</p> - -<p>He thought as he watched it, that it grew fatter under his eyes as it -drank, and when the saucer was empty he took a jug and gave it some -more. “I really am an old fool,” he said; “that is a whole pennorth - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 144]</span> - -of milk.” No sooner had he poured out the fresh milk than the grey -cat raised itself, and sitting down by the saucer began to lap it as -well, as if it were quite well. The old gentleman stared with surprise. -“Well, this is the queerest thing,” he said. So he took some fish and -gave it to the strange cat, and then, when he offered some to his own -puss, it ate it as if there was nothing the matter. “This is most -remarkable,” said the old gentleman; “perhaps it was the company of a -creature of its own sort that my cat needed, after all.” And the grey -cat purred and began to rub itself against his legs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_144.png" width="600" height="230" alt="Cats drinking milk."> -</div> - -<p>So for the next few days the two cats lay together on the hearthrug, -and though it was too late to send the grey cat to the show, the old - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 145]</span> - -gentleman never thought about it, so pleased was he that it had got -well again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_145.png" width="600" height="456" alt="Cat being fed by old man."> -</div> - -<p>But seven nights after the stray cat had come in from outside, as the -old gentleman lay asleep in bed at night, he felt something rub itself -against his face, and heard his cat purring softly, as though it wanted -to say “good-bye.” “Be quiet, puss, and lie still till the morning,” he -said. But when he came down to have his breakfast in the morning, there -sat the brown tabby, looking fat and comfortable by the fire, but the -grey cat was not there, and though they looked for it everywhere, no - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 146]</span> - -one could find it, though all the windows and doors had been shut, so -they could not think how it could have got away. The old gentleman was -very unhappy about it, but he looked at the strange cat on his hearth -and said, “it would be unkind now to send this poor thing away, so it -may as well stay here.”</p> - -<p>When she heard him speaking of its being unkind, his old cook burst out -laughing. “Perhaps,” she said, “’twas a fairy cat, as it could get away -through bolts and locks, and nothing but a fairy could have taught my -master to think of a thing being unkind or not. I only hope that now -he’ll think of some one in this world besides himself and his money.” -And sure enough from that time the old gentleman began to forget about -his money, and to care for the people about him, and it was all the -doing of the strange cat who had come from no one knew where, and gone -away to no one knew where.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 147]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_147.png" width="600" height="268" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="DUMB_OTHMAR">DUMB OTHMAR</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_147_cap_o.png" width="200" height="236" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Once</span> upon a time there was a village on the top of a mountain, where -during the winter months the villagers saw no one but each other, for -the mountain was so steep and the path so narrow that, when it was -blocked with ice, it was dangerous to ascend: so during the winter -months the people lived by themselves, and cheered themselves as -they might in the long dreary evenings, with games and dancing and -singing and playing on pipes, for they were cheerful folk, joyous and -light-hearted. The sweetest singer in the village was a lad named - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 148]</span> - -Othmar; his voice was as sweet as a nightingale’s before the dawn, -and also he was the handsomest young fellow in all the country round. -Strangers turned to look after him as he went by; he was tall and -straight, and had curly brown hair, and big brown eyes, and lips that -always smiled. He lived with his old mother, who was a widow, and he -worked for them both in the fields and on the farms. When he was a -boy he learned the notes of all the birds, and could imitate them so -exactly that they would fly down to him and settle on his shoulders. -When the farmers had sown their fields, and the birds would have come -to pick up the grain, they sent for Othmar, and he sang and whistled -till they all left the field and flew after him. So often he was called -the bird-boy.</p> - -<p>One evening before the winter had set in, or the roads were blocked -with ice, there came along the high road into the village, a dwarf in -a yellow cap leading a donkey, on whose back were fastened numberless -musical instruments. Fiddles of all sorts, and viols, horns, trumpets, -and pipes, and a big drum, and a small one with triangles and cymbals. - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 149]</span> - -In the middle of the village the little man stopped and looked about -him. “Who would like to hear my music?” he cried, and then as the -villagers came crowding around him, he bade them all sit down while he -unpacked his mule, but he forbade any of them to help him, or to touch -one of the instruments. “For mine is no common music,” he quoth; “all -these I have made myself, and in each is a machine which makes it go on -playing by itself, if once I start it. See here!” and he took up a long -pipe and began to blow, and there came forth the sweetest notes that -had ever been heard from any pipe. The little man paused for a minute, -with the pipe in his hand, and then laid it down on the ground, when, -wonderful to relate, it went on playing of itself.</p> - -<p>All the villagers stared with surprise, and some called out that it -was magic, and crossed themselves, but the little man took up another -pipe, and set that going too, and then the horns and the trumpets, and -the drums and the cymbals, and then he took a fiddle and drew the bow -across it, and how it played! It made the people weep and laugh. Othmar -lay on the ground listening, and it seemed to him as if the sound were - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 150]</span> - -made of silver, and when the musician had started them, and all the -other fiddles were playing together, he felt as if he should go mad for -joy to hear anything so lovely.</p> - -<p>Just behind where Othmar lay sat a young girl, named Hulda. She was -an orphan, and dwelt alone with an old woman, who gave her food and -lodging for sweeping out her room, and cleaning and cooking. Also Hulda -made money for her by going out to work for the other women in the -village. She was neither pretty nor clever, but she was a good girl, -and if any of the villagers were ill or in trouble, it was for Hulda -they would send at once, because they knew she would spare no pains to -help them, and would think nothing too much trouble. She had played -with Othmar ever since they were babies, and loved him dearly. She was -the only one who listened to the music who did not think it beautiful. -She shuddered as she heard it, and she sat and watched Othmar and saw -that there were tears in his eyes, and she grieved that she did not -love it as he did.</p> - -<p>When at last the instruments stopped and the listeners began to feel - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 151]</span> - -for money for the musician, he laughed and said, “You need not give me -money, for I am very rich, and don’t need it. In return for my playing, -I only ask for one recompense. Let any of your young folks who sing, -sing me a song, for I too love hearing music that is not my own.” On -this the villagers began to look round for all who could sing, and they -chose out some three or four, and begged them to sing their very best -to the wonderful musician. Among them was Othmar, but they all bid him -wait to the last, as his would be the best. Whilst the others were -singing, the little man did not seem to heed them much, though they -tried hard to sing well, and chose their prettiest songs, but their -voices sounded very rough and poor after the playing.</p> - -<p>But when Othmar began he stopped twanging the fiddle-strings and -watched him. Othmar’s voice rang out clear and sweet, and all the -village folk felt proud of his singing, even after hearing the -wonderful instruments. When he ceased the little man rose, and said—</p> - -<p>“You have a sweet voice, my boy, be sure that you always use it well; -and now I must be going my way, but as I am a stranger here, perhaps - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 152]</span> - -you would not mind setting me on my road, and showing me the best way -over the hill.”</p> - -<p>Othmar sprang up, delighted to go with him, but Hulda, who watched from -behind, came up to him and whispered—</p> - -<p>“Oh, Othmar, don’t let him take you far—come back soon.”</p> - -<p>“How silly you are, Hulda!” said Othmar, almost angrily. “Of course I -shall come back, but I shall go with him as far as he wants, and then, -perhaps, he will let me hear him play again.”</p> - -<p>Othmar and the little dwarf started with the mule laden with -instruments, and Othmar led the way down the best road. The dwarf did -not speak at all, and so they went on in silence till they had got on -to the top of a high hill where they could see the country all round -for miles, and the moon was beginning to rise. Here the musician -stopped his mule, and stood for a while looking all round. Then he -turned, and said to Othmar—“I know now where I am, and here will I -stay for to-night, but first before you leave me, would you not like to -hear my fiddles and horns again?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 153]</span></p> - -<p>“That I would,” cried Othmar, and he sat himself down on the ground -delighted, while the little man unloaded the mule.</p> - -<p>“And now,” he said to Othmar with a twisted smile, “you shall hear them -play as no one has ever heard them. Yes, and you shall see them too;” -then he laid them in rows—the fiddles first, and the viols, and then -the horns and trumpets, and last the drums and cymbals and triangles, -and clapped his hands, giving a long, shrill whistle. As he whistled, -the instruments rose from the ground, and they began to swell, and -their shapes to change till no longer did they look like musical -instruments, but like human beings, only each had in a strange way kept -the shape it had formerly. The flutes and pipes were tall and thin, -and they and the violins had changed into beautiful girls with slender -throats, and the trumpets were all men and boys of different sizes, but -the drum was the strangest of all, for it was a fat man with very short -legs. The moon had risen and Othmar could see them all quite clearly, -and though he trembled with fear and his heart beat high, yet still -he watched. They stood silent together for a space in a weird crowd, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 154]</span> - -and then the dwarf waved his arms and called, “Ay! are you all there, -my children?—yes, one, two three four five, six seven eight, nine -ten eleven twelve, thirteen—that is right. Come practice, practice, -practice, and then you shall have a game, and see who Othmar loves -best, and who he will kiss first.”</p> - -<p>Then they all began to sing together, but each voice was like the sound -of its own instrument, only it said words through its tones, and in -Othmar’s ears their music sounded as never music had sounded before. -The voices of the violin girls were so sweet that he felt as if he must -weep to hear them, while the sound of the pipes and trumpets filled him -with longing to go into the world and fight and win battles. He sat on -the ground and listened to them like one in a trance, and he felt as if -he never wished to rise or go away again. The dwarf sat on a hillock -near, and did not seem to heed them much. When Othmar took his eyes -from the dancers for a minute, he found that the place was quite full -of all the animals who are never seen by day, but who fly out by night. -There were crowds of bats and owls, and odd moths, all poised in the -air, and seeming to watch the musicians and listen to their singing. - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 155]</span> - -Then when he looked on the ground, he saw that strange wood-snakes and -toads had come out boldly, and with their heads turned towards the -dancers remained motionless and watched them, whilst near him green and -brown lizards lay still as stone, with heads on one side, all staring -through the dusky night at the singers. Othmar thought he only had -watched them for a few minutes, when suddenly the dwarf cried out—“The -dawn, the dawn, my children; see, there is red in the sky. Come, be -quick, see who will win Othmar’s gift before we go on our way.” When -he was silent all the singing girls approached Othmar, but before the -others came one who looked slighter and younger, and whose voice though -as sweet was weaker.</p> - -<p>“See, Othmar,” she cried, “before we go on and leave you, let us try to -sing one song together. Sing you as I do.” And Othmar sang with her as -she sang, in a clear voice like a bird’s—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container45"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse-first-line">“Ere the sun shines in the sky,</div> - <div class="verse">We will sing together, my love and I;</div> - <div class="verse">But none shall hear him sing again,</div> - <div class="verse">’Neath moon or sun, in shine or rain.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 156]</span></p> - -<p>And then ere the last notes had left Othmar’s mouth, she bent forward, -and clasped him in her slender arms, and kissed him on the lips while -still they were open to sing.</p> - -<p>“Good-bye, Othmar,” cried she, “and that will be your last note for -many a long year, for surely you will have no need to sing after I am -gone,” and at that all the strange folk standing near gave a laugh -that was more a chord of music than a laugh. And when her lips touched -Othmar’s he quivered all over as a fiddle-string does when the bow is -drawn across it; and he gave a cry which was like the sweet sound of a -bell.</p> - -<p>“Mine, mine!” cried the girl, as he fell back from her frightened. “Now -my voice will be the sweetest and best of all, for I have got Othmar’s -too. No one will hear Othmar now,—Othmar who sang like the birds. And -never will he call the birds again, but I can sing as he sang, and all -who hear me will think that Othmar sings too. Rejoice, my sisters, sing -and rejoice,” but at that moment the dwarf started up crying out—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 157-8]</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_157.png" width="600" height="872" alt="Illustration."> -</div> -<div class="caption">She bent forward, and clasped him in her slender arms, -and kissed him on the lips.<br> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 159]</span></p> - -<p>“The dawn, the dawn, my children; see, the sun, the sun; beware, beware -its rays.” Then came a great burst of sound like a chord from all the -music folk, followed by a flash of light like lightning, and when it -had cleared away, the singing men and girls had gone, and in their -places there lay upon the ground all the musical instruments—fiddles, -viols, pipes, horns, and cymbals. Othmar stood staring as if he had -been turned to stone, and watched as if he were in a dream, while the -little man quietly packed the instruments on to the mule, and went away -leading it by the bridle as he had come.</p> - -<p>“Good-bye, Othmar,” he called back, “good-bye. When you hear my fiddles -again, they will be sweeter than ever, for I have added your voice to -them.” And he went on his way over the hillside and disappeared beyond -the ridge. Othmar ran after him, but he stumbled and fell. He tried to -call out, but no voice would come! Tears ran down his cheeks, and he -sobbed bitterly, but no sound came with the sobs, and he knew that his -voice had left him. The singing girl had stolen it, and he could never -sing or cry out again!</p> - -<p>The sun was rising high in the heavens. The green lizards, slow-worms, -frogs and beetles were still ranged around, and gazed at Othmar with - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 160]</span> - -their heads wonderingly on one side. The birds sang louder and louder, -and their voices sounded sweet in the morning air. Othmar bent his head -and wept because he knew that never could he call them to him again. -Then from behind a bush there rose a big black raven, who cast a long -shadow behind him which almost covered Othmar as he sat, and it gave a -deep croak and then spoke quite clearly—</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_160.png" width="600" height="459" alt="Othmar bent his head and wept."> -</div> - -<p>“Poor Othmar!” it said, “she has stolen your voice!” and he hopped -down. “You will never speak nor sing again. Poor Othmar!—ah! they -stole my voice too; once I could sing far better than the birds you -hear now. That was thousands of years ago, but the dwarf came to my - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 161]</span> - -nest, and told me if I would go with him he would teach me how to -whistle so that the worms should rise out of the ground and jump into -my mouth when they heard me, and he called one of his trumpet-men -to teach me—one you saw dance—and he bid me lay my beak below his -lips while he sang; then he stole my voice, all but a croak, which he -did not want because it was so harsh, but all your voice was sweet, -therefore she has got it all—poor Othmar, poor Othmar!”</p> - -<p>Then Othmar raised himself, with the tears running from his eyes, and -turned to find his way back to the village. It seemed a long distance, -for he missed his path, and it was near nightfall before he saw the -tops of the cottages and his own little home; but as he neared the -village, he could see Hulda standing in the road, shading her eyes from -the sun, and watching the way he came.</p> - -<p>“Othmar,” she cried when she saw him, “is it you? I have been to search -for you far and near, and there are others now looking for you, for we -were afraid lest you had fallen down some crevice, or slipped over the -rocks.”</p> - -<p>Othmar came up to her, and put out his hand, and she saw how pale he - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 162]</span> - -was, and that his eyes were full of tears, but he said nothing.</p> - -<p>“Othmar, tell me,” cried Hulda; “what has happened? why don’t you -speak?” but still Othmar was silent. “Are you hurt, Othmar? Did the -dwarf do you any harm?”</p> - -<p>Then Othmar flung himself on the ground, and began to sob, but his sobs -gave no sound, though the ground was wet with his tears, and Hulda knew -that Othmar was dumb.</p> - -<p>“Poor Othmar, poor Othmar!” croaked the raven who had kept close to -Othmar, and flew overhead, but Hulda did not understand it, only she -wept to see his grief.</p> - -<p>“Never fear, Othmar,” she said tenderly, “your voice will soon come -back; it was the long cold night, and the fear that has driven it away. -Come home with me, and let me nurse you, and you shall soon be well.”</p> - -<p>Othmar shook his head, and the tears fell from his eyes, but he let her -take his hand and lead him into the village where his old mother sat -and waited for him; but still, although she sprang forward to greet -him, and put her arms around his neck, he could not speak, and his deep -sobs gave no sound. At first the villagers said he was ill, and soon - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 163]</span> - -he would be well again, but as the days passed and he never spoke, they -knew that he was struck dumb. Some said it was the cold, and some that -he had been frightened; only Hulda said to herself, “it was the wicked -little man.”</p> - -<p>So the days passed, and Othmar remained silent and worked with the -other young men of the village without speaking, and no longer could -he sing or call the birds to him. Always he looked white and sad, -but saddest of all when there was any village merry-making, and the -villagers sang and danced together. Then when he heard them he would -put his fingers in his ears and hide his eyes so as not to see them and -run afar off by himself; for the sound of any music was quite horrible -to him after the singing of the travelling musicians. So a year passed, -and Othmar never spoke, and instead of calling him the bird-boy, the -village people called him “dumb Othmar.”</p> - -<p>It was midsummer-night, and the villagers had been having a -merry-making and dancing cheerily on the green in the village. Othmar -was not with them; he had left the village and went and sat apart on - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 164]</span> - -the top of a rocky hill, from where afar the sea could be seen when the -weather was clear. The moon was wonderfully bright, and the country -was almost as light as by day. Othmar could hear the sound of their -laughter, but he never laughed, and as he sat with his head bowed upon -his knees he wept silently. So he remained alone till far into the -night when all the singing and dancing was done, and the villagers had -gone home, but just when the clocks struck twelve he saw Hulda, who -came slowly to him, and he saw that she too was crying.</p> - -<p>“Othmar,” she said, “I have thought and thought, and I know that the -little man with the fiddles was a wicked fairy.” Othmar nodded. “So I -am going into the big world to find him, for if he has done you this -ill he will know how to cure you, and I have saved all my money for a -year.”</p> - -<p>Then Othmar took her hand, and kissed it, but still wept, as he shook -his head and made signs to her that she must not go, as it would be all -in vain. But Hulda did not heed him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 165]</span></p> - -<p>“And now,” she said, “I am going, Othmar, and it may be long years -before I return, so you must do three things. First, you must give me -a long curl of your brown hair, that I may lay it next my heart and -wear it day and night, not to forget you. Then you must kiss me on my -lips to say good-bye; and then you must promise that my name shall be -the first words your lips say when they again can speak.” Then Othmar -took his knife and cut from his head the longest, brightest curl of his -hair, and drew her to him and kissed her thrice upon the lips, and then -he took her hand and with it wrote upon his lips her name, “Hulda,” as -a promise that her name should be the first thing they said.</p> - -<p>“Good-bye, Othmar,” she said; “you will wait for me.” Then she turned -away and started alone to go down the mountain-side, and she looked -back as she went and called back, “Good-bye, Othmar,” as long as he -could see or hear her.</p> - -<p>She went straight down the hill and journeyed for a long way, till the -dawn began to show red in the sky, and she lay under a tree and slept -soundly till the sun had risen and woke her.</p> - -<p>She sat and thought which way she should go. “I must seek out some - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 166]</span> - -wise man who knows about fairies and wicked witches,” she said to -herself, “and who will tell me where to search. And I will ask every -one I meet where the wisest person is to be found.” So she went on for -many days till she came to a tiny village, outside which, in a field, -she saw a shepherd minding sheep. Hulda stopped and asked if he could -tell her where she could find a very wise man who could answer her -question.</p> - -<p>The shepherd thought a bit, and then he said, “The wisest man in these -parts lives up in the little cottage on the other side of the village. -He cured my sheep two years back when all the flock were sick and many -died—a little cottage with a red gate.” Hulda thanked the shepherd, -and went on till she came to the little cottage with the red gate. When -she had knocked at the door a tall man came out, and she asked him if -’twas he who had cured the shepherd’s sheep, and as he was so clever, -if he would tell her what to do. She told him she wanted to find a -dwarf who led a donkey covered with musical instruments, and whom she -knew to be a wicked sorcerer, since he struck folk dumb.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 167]</span></p> - -<p>The tall man looked at her and said, “My business is to cure sheep, -cows, and horses, and I know it right well; but I know nothing of -dwarfs and witches, and how can I tell you which way he has gone, or -anything about him?”</p> - -<p>“Then of whom had I best ask?” said Hulda. “Tell me who is the wisest -and most learned man in these parts, and I will go to him.”</p> - -<p>The tall man rubbed his head and considered. “I suppose,” quoth he, -“that the old school-master at the village school yonder would be said -to be the most learned man hereabouts, for he teaches the children -all sorts of things that they forget when they grow up. That is the -school-house on the hill.” So on went Hulda again to the school.</p> - -<p>As she came near she could hear the children calling out their lessons, -and their master, who was an old priest, teaching them. So she waited -about till school hours were over, and the children had all come out, -and then she timidly went in and curtseyed to the old school-master, -and told him her tale, and asked him, as he was so very learned, if he -would advise her what to do; but instead of answering her the old man -at first stared at her in bewilderment, and then he said, “I can teach - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 168]</span> - -you to read and write and many wonderful things, but of dwarfs who can -steal a boy’s voice I know nothing. You would do best not to think more -of it.”</p> - -<p>“But some one there must be,” cried Hulda, beginning to cry, “who can -tell me what to do, and which way to go. For I am sure that the old man -was a fairy, and if so, no living man can help Othmar, but only he who -did the mischief can undo it.”</p> - -<p>The old priest looked at her sadly and shook his head. “My child,” -he said, “this is a foolish talk about fairies and sorcerers, I know -nothing of such things. It is only untaught folk and fools who give -heed to such matters.”</p> - -<p>“To untaught folk and fools then I must go, for surely they can help -me more than the wise,” she cried. So she left the school-house, and -started again through the little village street. The first person -she met was a baker going home after taking round his bread, and she -stopped him and asked him who was the most ignorant and foolish person -in those parts.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_169.png" width="600" height="575" alt="Hulda went in and bought a cake."> -</div> - -<p>The baker stood and stared at her, and seemed to be half angry. At - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 169]</span> - -last he said, “I am sure I don’t know anything about fools. You had -better go on to the cake-maker, who lives a mile up the hill. He is, -to my mind, the biggest fool in these parts.” And tossing his basket -about and seeming to be much offended, he went his way. Hulda went on -for a mile up the hill, and there she found a little group of cottages, -and in their midst was a shop with an open oven, and she could see its - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 170]</span> - -owner busy making cakes and sweets. Hulda went in and bought a cake, -and as she sat and ate it, she asked the man timidly if he knew many -of the people in that neighbourhood, and if any were very ignorant and -foolish.</p> - -<p>“Indeed,” cried the man, “you may well ask that. Why, a more silly, -ignorant set of folk I never knew, quite different from the people in -my native town, but that is miles away.”</p> - -<p>“And who do you think the silliest then?” asked Hulda.</p> - -<p>“Why, for sure ’tis hard to say,” said the man, scratching his head. -“They’re such a poor silly lot, right away from the Mayor down to Tommy -the fool.”</p> - -<p>“And who is Tommy the fool?” asked Hulda eagerly.</p> - -<p>“’Tis a poor natural-born idiot who lives with his mother in the little -cabin on the side of the common. He spends all his time trying to catch -a bird, and he never has caught one, and never will.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you for telling me about him,” said Hulda, rising to go away. -“Maybe if he is really a fool he could answer my questions as they - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 171]</span> - -say,” and she went on again with a lighter heart. At last she came to -the common on which the fool lived with his mother. When she approached -the little cabin, she saw some one dancing about in front of an oak, -dressed up with the feathers of birds and fowls, which looked as if -they had been picked up from the ground. He was a young man of about -eighteen, and he had a cheerful face, but any one looking at him could -see at once he was an idiot. He was dancing round the tree and pointing -up to the birds, and calling them to come down to him. Hulda came up -and stood quite close and watched him, as he ran round smiling and -giggling. Then she said, “Please can you tell me where I shall find a -little man, a dwarf who drives a donkey covered with pipes and fiddles?”</p> - -<p>The fool looked at her very gravely, but he said nothing; so then she -went on to tell him how the little man had come to their village, and -how he had stolen Othmar’s voice, and how she had come out to seek it. -Just as she finished speaking, there rose from the ground a raven, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 172]</span> - -and soared above their heads. When he saw it the fool pointed to it, -and cried out, “The raven, the raven, follow the raven,” and as the -raven flew, he ran after him with Hulda following in turn. They ran -for a long way, the fool leaping and bounding, and pointing with his -finger and crying, “The raven, the raven, do what the raven does.” Then -suddenly he turned, giving a wild laugh, and began to run home again, -but as he went he nodded and called to Hulda, “Follow the raven, follow -it, do what the raven does.”</p> - -<p>Hulda felt inclined to burst into tears with disappointment, but still -she ran meekly after the bird, murmuring to herself, “He said follow -the raven, but what good can that do me?” But when the fool had turned -back, the raven slackened his pace, and cawed and lighted on a tree, -and Hulda, panting for breath, sat down under it, and looked up at it.</p> - -<p>“Poor Hulda!” it croaked, but she couldn’t understand it; “poor Hulda, -come with me, and I will show you where the dwarf is.” Then it began to -fly slowly on again.</p> - -<p>“What shall I do?” sobbed Hulda. “He was only an idiot, he knew -nothing; still he told me to follow the raven, and no one else has - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 173]</span> - -told me anything;” so on she went, and this time the raven flew quite -slowly, so that Hulda kept up with it walking. On they travelled till -evening was well advanced, into all sorts of places where Hulda had -never been, and through many villages. Then it began to grow dark, and -the moon came out, but still they travelled on. Hulda was foot-sore and -weary, but she would not give up, and said to herself, “It was what the -fool said, ‘Follow the raven, do what the raven does!’”</p> - -<p>Just before dawn, they came out on to a big plain, where there were -neither houses nor trees, but in the far distance you could see a long -line of mountains; a little further in the centre of the plain Hulda -saw a little dark mass, and straight to this the raven flew, and as -Hulda approached it, she saw that it was the little dwarf, lying asleep -upon the ground beside his heap of musical instruments, with the mule -grazing near. “Oh, good wise fool,” cried Hulda, “now indeed you have -given me the best advice. Since the raven has led me to the wicked -dwarf, now indeed will I do what the raven does, whatever it be.”</p> - -<p>The raven flew on, and lit upon a scrubby bush, a little way from - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 174]</span> - -the sleeping dwarf, and Hulda followed and crouched beside it, making -no noise lest she should disturb the sleeper, and hiding behind the -branches so that she could not be seen. Presently the little man -rose from the ground, and called out, “Come, my children, practice, -practice; the dawn is here, and the sun will rise, and then we must go -upon our way.”</p> - -<p>Then Hulda saw what Othmar had seen before. The pipes raised themselves -from the ground, and untwisted, and became tall, lithe men; some -gradually uncurled themselves, and put forth long arms and became -beautiful girls, till each instrument had taken the likeness of a human -being. Then they began to dance and to sing, and Hulda watched them -as Othmar had watched them, and she too felt as if she had never seen -and heard anything so beautiful in her life, and she longed to rush to -them, but she heard the raven croak above her, and remembered the words -of the fool, “The raven, the raven, do what the raven does.” Then she -saw that the raven had hopped off the tree, and was standing upon the -earth in front of her, and was beginning to dig in the earth with its -long beak, as if it would find a worm. “The fool said, Do what the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 175]</span> - -raven does, so must I dig too,” thought she, and she began to scoop the -brown earth with her hand, till she had made a hole, watching the raven -all the time.</p> - -<p>Presently she saw that the raven had found a long worm, and held it by -its throat in the air, but it did not swallow it. Hulda looked into her -hole to see if there was a worm there also, and at the bottom she saw -lying a long, lithe, green snake, twisted up and apparently torpid. -“Surely,” thought Hulda, “if I do what the raven does, I shall take -this out,” and she put her hand into the hole, and grasped the snake -by its throat, though she was very much afraid of it, and then she -crouched down behind the raven and the bush.</p> - -<p>“Come,” cried the dwarf, when they had all sung together, “now let us -hear the last new voice. Othmar’s voice was as sweet as silver. Now -let me hear how my youngest daughter has treated it.” Then there came -to the front the youngest and fairest of the girls, and began to sing, -and when she heard it, Hulda could scarcely keep from screaming, for -she recognized that the tones were Othmar’s; but just as the singing -sounded the sweetest, the raven with a croak opened his mouth, and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 176]</span> - -dropped the worm upon the ground, and Hulda let go her hold of the -bright green snake, which darted through the short grass towards the -dancers.</p> - -<p>There arose from all sides the cry of “A snake, a snake!” and they -seemed panic-stricken. The snake glided straight towards the singing -girl, and deftly coiled itself round her ankles, while from the old -man and all the others came a terrible uproar, but the snake from the -girl’s ankles had slid up her body in bright green coils, and then -twisted itself around her throat, and coiled tighter and tighter and -tighter, till her head fell over on one side. Then Hulda heard a noise -like the sighing of wind, but sweet and tender, while the dwarf and all -the singers were in a hubbub and confusion.</p> - -<p>For a moment the old man stood motionless, then he rose and gave a -terrible cry. Hulda trembled when she heard his voice, it sounded like -nothing earthly, but ere he was silent there had risen from the ground -and from the bushes near a number of little cloudy forms, black and -thick, and twirling in all directions, and they twisted in and out -among the singers; and as they twisted among them, they ceased to be - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 177]</span> - -men and women, but became musical instruments, as they had been before, -all save the girl around whose neck the snake had wound, and who seemed -to shrivel and shrivel in its coils till she was no more to be seen.</p> - -<p>In less than a minute they were all packed again upon the mule, and the -little old man was leading it quietly away, as if nothing had happened. -And upon the grass lay the glittering snake, though all trace of the -girl around whose neck it had twisted had gone. Hulda ran to it, and -then she almost cried, for she feared that after all the girl with -Othmar’s voice had escaped her. But she remembered the words of Tommy -the fool, “Do as the raven does; follow the raven,” and looking up -she saw that the raven was fluttering above her, with the worm it had -picked up from the ground in its mouth.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear raven,” cried Hulda, “you brought me to where the little man -was, now lead me back and show me what to do next.” And mindful of the -fool’s advice, she picked up the snake, and holding it firmly by the -throat, turned to follow the raven, who flew ahead of her. Thus they - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 178]</span> - -journeyed back, over the same country through which Hulda had come -before. All looked just the same, but Hulda was sorely tired, for she -had now been walking many days, and she felt sad, for she did not know -if after all she had gained anything, or whether she ought not to have -followed the little old man, and though she had heard Othmar’s voice, -she did not know how she was to get it back to him. “Never mind,” she -said to herself, “the fool told me right so far, and evidently he knew -all about it, so I had best keep to his advice.”</p> - -<p>The sun rose high in the sky and the day was very hot, and poor Hulda -longed to lie down under the trees and sleep; moreover the snake in her -hand twisted and twisted, till she could scarce hold it. Sometimes she -cried from very weariness, but still the raven flew in front of her. -She had bought dry bread as she came along, and when the raven stopped -and hopped upon the ground, she munched it to stave off her hunger, -but directly the raven began to fly she followed it, and she never let -the snake from her grasp. The sun had set, and dark was all over the -land ere she came to the village where the fool lived, but no fool was - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 179]</span> - -there to be seen. Hulda sought everywhere, but she could not find him. -Then she saw that the raven had stopped and settled on the roof of the -cottage where the fool lived, and, standing on one leg, had gone to -sleep with its head under its wing, so Hulda lay down by the side of -the door, and laying her head on a stone rested too. But first she took -off her girdle and tied it firmly round the snake’s throat, and then -tied it round her waist again lest she should fall asleep and the snake -glide away.</p> - -<p>Just when the stars were beginning to look pale, and as there were -signs of the dawn in the sky, the door of the cottage opened, and out -there came the fool, dressed up as Hulda had seen him before, with -feathers and weeds and bits of bright rag. Hulda started up, and he -laughed when he saw her. “Look,” he said, “the sun is rising; I am come -out to see it.”</p> - -<p>“I have come back,” cried Hulda, “and I have seen them all—the old -man and the musician girls, and the one who stole Othmar’s voice will -never use it again, for this snake has throttled her; but what am I to -do now? How can I give him back his voice? What shall I do to make him -speak?” And as she spoke she took the snake from her bosom and showed - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 180]</span> - -it to the fool. He looked at it very gravely as he always did when -anything was shown to him, and looked very wise and nodded. “It is a -snake,” he said; “perhaps Othmar will like the snake.”</p> - -<p>Hulda begged him to tell her if he knew what she should do, but he -would say no more, but began to dance and sing as she had seen him do -before. Then at last Hulda burst out crying, “He is nothing but a poor -idiot,” she said, “and I have been on a fool’s errand when I did as he -told me, though I did see the wicked little man, and this snake did -punish the singing girl, so I will take it back to Othmar that he may -see I have tried. But now I believe he will be dumb for ever.”</p> - -<p>And she took the snake and looked at it as she held it. It was very -still, and seemed half torpid, though the weather was warm. She saw it -was not a common snake, for it was bright brown, and green with odd -markings, and it glittered oddly when the sun’s rays touched it.</p> - -<p>“I will go back now,” said Hulda; “I will go back to Othmar, and tell -him I have failed, and ask him to forgive my vanity in thinking - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 181]</span> - -I could help him. I will go back at once and tell him all.” And -overhead the raven croaked and told her to go quickly, but she did not -understand what he said.</p> - -<p>So again she began to trudge on, holding the snake in her hands and -toiling over fields and moors in the way that she knew led to her own -little village, though by now her feet were so swollen and her legs so -stiff that she almost cried for pain.</p> - -<p>Presently she came to the village where the cake-maker lived, and as -she passed his shop, she saw that he stood at the door and nodded to -her as he saw her coming.</p> - -<p>“Good-day,” he cried; “you are the young wench I saw go past awhile -back.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am going home now,” said Hulda.</p> - -<p>“And have you found your fiddles and horns that turned to men and -women?” he asked. “It was a fool’s errand, I fear, you were going on; -and what have you got in your hand now?”</p> - -<p>“It is a snake,” answered Hulda, “and——”</p> - -<p>“A snake!” screamed the cake-maker. “Lord love the girl, is she mad to -go wandering over the country carrying a snake with her? Why, it might - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 182]</span> - -kill you, wench! Drop it at once!”</p> - -<p>“No, indeed, I will not drop it,” said Hulda, “for it seems to me that -it is the only thing which may do Othmar good, for at any rate it has -killed the girl who stole his voice, and——”</p> - -<p>At this the man started and called out, “Good Lord, she is clean off -her head. Stolen Othmar’s voice! What can the wench mean? Why, girl, -that snake might bite you, and you would be dead at once. Why on earth -should you carry it because it has killed a girl?”</p> - -<p>“I am carrying it because the fool told me to do what the raven does,” -answered Hulda, “and he has still a worm in his mouth. Look.”</p> - -<p>At this the man burst out laughing. “Why, what has that to do with -you?” he cried; “a raven will often carry a worm for a bit. Drop this -snake at once, you silly lass, or, better still, hold it firm while I -crush its head with my poker.” And he seized the poker to kill it with.</p> - -<p>Then Hulda was frightened lest he might steal the snake from her, or -kill it by force, and she ran on; but she ran in such haste that she -stumbled against the baker who was just coming out from his shop with - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 183]</span> - -his basket of loaves on his arm.</p> - -<p>“Can’t you look where you are going?” he cried in anger, as he picked -up the bread which had rolled into the road; and then, seeing it was -Hulda, he said:—“Why, who are you running away from, my girl? Are you -on the look-out for more fools that you can’t see when an honest man -comes along? And whatever have you got there?”</p> - -<p>“It is only a snake I have found,” said Hulda, when she had asked the -man’s pardon, and she tried to hide the snake in her skirt, but the -baker seized her arm and made her show it to him.</p> - -<p>“What on earth are you carrying a live snake with you for?” he asked. -“Don’t you know they are venomous beasts, and the bite of one is -certain death?” And, like the cake-maker, he tried to wrench the snake -from her. At this Hulda was terribly frightened.</p> - -<p>“If they take the snake from me,” she thought, “then my last chance is -gone,” and she tried to free herself from the baker, but he seized her -by the skirt and held her fast, and shouted out to others to come and -help him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 184]</span></p> - -<p>“Help, help!” he cried. “Here is a poor mad girl, and she has got hold -of a poisonous adder, and she will let it loose in the village and it -will bite some of our children and kill them.” And when they heard his -cry the villagers all came running out of their cottages.</p> - -<p>“Let me go, let me go,” shrieked Hulda, “it will do no harm. I will -hold it tight, and I would not lose it for the wide world.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you she is mad,” roared the baker, and the cake-maker came up -and said the same thing. “She wandered by here some time back, and all -she wanted to know was where she could find another as mad as herself, -but she will have far to go before she meets one, I reckon. We must -secure her and take the snake from her, but beware how you catch it, -for fear it should bite.”</p> - -<p>And the people all gathered round her and made a great hubbub, though -they were afraid to touch the snake which Hulda still held firmly in -her hand. And they made such a din that the old school-master came out -of the school-house with his pupils after him.</p> - -<p>The people told him there was a poor mad girl who had got a snake, and -would not let them take it from her, and he remembered Hulda as the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 185]</span> - -others had done, and shook his head and said sadly, “I fear it is too -true. The poor child is really mad, but we cannot wrench the snake from -her lest it may turn and bite us. But it is certain that it would not -be safe to let her go; so, as the children are all going home now, let -us lock her into the school-house here, till we can get something to -kill the creature with, and then when the doctor comes, he can see if -the poor girl is very bad, and what had better be done with her.”</p> - -<p>Hulda turned quite white with fear, and cried out that she was not mad, -and that the snake should harm no one, but they would not heed her, -and pushed her into the school-house, and bolted the doors on her, and -there Hulda sat on the floor and cried as if her heart would break.</p> - -<p>“Alas!” cried she, “now all hope is gone, and Othmar will be dumb for -ever. For what good have I carried this snake with me all this way, if -now it is to be taken from me and killed?” and her tears fell on the -viper as she looked at it in her hand. It was very bright green and -yellow, and it kept wrinkling and twisting its skin as she grasped - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 186]</span> - -it, and making a loud hissing noise. As her tears were still falling -she heard a croak over her head, and saw the raven perched on a window -above her, and again her hopes revived.</p> - -<p>“Maybe he has come to help me,” she thought, “for I should never have -found the little dwarf if it had not been for the raven.” Then as she -looked up at the raven sitting in the window, she saw that it was -pecking at a piece of rope that hung through the window, and Hulda -thought—“Surely if I could climb up to the window, I could scramble -through it, and climb down the rope on to the ground. Only if they were -to see me, they would catch me again, so I must wait till nightfall -when there is no one there.”</p> - -<p>So she sat down again and waited till the sun had set, and she trembled -at every noise lest it might be some one coming to seek her, but they -left her alone, and no one came. When it was quite dark, and all the -village was quiet she went to the window, and tried to climb up to it, -but she found that she could not manage to get up on to the window-sill -while she held the snake in her hand. Then first she thought she would -wind it around her waist, but she remembered how it had tightened - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 187]</span> - -around the singing girl and killed her, and for some time she could -not think what to do with it. At last she twisted it into a knot, and -placed it in her bosom, though she trembled lest it should bite her. -And when she placed it in her bosom, she saw the curl of Othmar’s hair -that lay there, and she took it and tied up the snake’s jaws with it so -that it might not open its mouth. “For Othmar’s hair will not break or -give way,” she said; “it is like his heart, it will be true and strong -till the end.”</p> - -<p>Then she climbed up on to the window-ledge, and scrambled through the -window, and took the piece of rope and let herself down on to the -ground outside. And when she lit upon the ground, she heard the raven -croaking above her, and her heart leapt for joy, and she began to run -as fast as she could to get away from the village lest they might catch -her again.</p> - -<p>When she came again into the open country, she looked for the raven, -and saw that it was flying in front of her as before, towards the -distant mountains where she knew lay her home. She toiled on, for many - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 188]</span> - -days, but by now the summer had nearly passed away, and when she got -into the high mountain land, she found that the cold winter had given -signs of coming, and the trees were beginning to be bare, and there was -a light white frost on the ground. It was far into the night when she -arrived in the village, and the villagers were all asleep and their -cottages shut. Outside the cottage where Othmar lived grew a big old -ivy tree, and on this the raven perched, and underneath it Hulda lay -down to wait the dawn and Othmar’s waking. She lay quiet for a bit, -but when she saw a faint glimmering of light where the sun was going -to rise, she felt she could be still no longer, and she sprang up and -called, “Othmar, come down, I am here,” for she dreaded having to tell -him before the other villagers that she had failed.</p> - -<p>In a few moments the door of the cottage opened and Othmar came out, -and ran to greet her, but she kept afar.</p> - -<p>“Othmar,” she cried, “I have done you no good, save that I have -punished the wicked girl who took your voice. This snake killed her, so -she will never sing as you did again. See.” And she held out the snake - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 189]</span> - -to him; it was curled round and still tied up with his hair, and as the -sun began to shine it glittered brightly.</p> - -<p>“But I have done you no good, indeed rather harm,” Hulda went on, “for -I have made you hope where there was no hope, and you have waited and -expected that I should bring you back what you had lost, and I have not -done it, and now I shall never hear you say my name ‘Hulda’ again,” and -she wept so bitterly that the tears fell from her face, and dropped -upon the snake which still she grasped. Othmar held out his hand, and -tried to take her hand that he might kiss it, and as he did so, he -touched the snake’s long tail, and it began to writhe and twist, and -glisten more and more as the sun shone on it. And as he raised her hand -to his mouth, Othmar tried to say her name “Hulda” with his poor dumb -lips that could make no sound, and he breathed it on the snake, and it -seemed as if the snake vibrated with the name, and suddenly it swelled -and swelled, and shone still more brightly, and its mouth grew wide and -burst Othmar’s hair which had bound it, and widened out till it was not -a snake any more, but a curled golden trumpet, curled up as the snake - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 190]</span> - -had been, and like that which had been changed into the singing girl -who stole Othmar’s voice. “Take it, Othmar, and blow,” cried Hulda, -and he put it to his lips and cried “Hulda!” and Hulda heard her name -echoing back in a burst of music from all around. At its sound the -birds awoke in all the trees, and began their morning chorus, and the -village folk ran to their windows to see what the trumpet’s peal had -been, and saw Othmar standing with Hulda in his arms, and at their feet -the bright trumpet which he had dropped. It lay on the ground, but as -Othmar began to speak and to say, “Hulda, Hulda, you have brought it -back, you have given me my voice again,” the trumpet broke into many -pieces, and with every word crumbled, till there was nothing left but -a little heap of shining golden sand, and from under it there glided -out a dark green snake with yellow markings, and it slid away into the -bushes and disappeared.</p> - -<p>Then all the villagers rejoiced, and Hulda wept with happiness. And -Othmar married Hulda, and his voice never left him again; but when -long years after folk would tell him his voice was sweet and far more - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 191]</span> - -beautiful than the birds, he would say, “But it is not really my voice, -it is my wife’s, Hulda’s, for I should have been dumb for ever if she -had not sought it and brought it back to me.”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 192]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_192.png" width="600" height="280" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_RAIN_MAIDEN">THE RAIN MAIDEN</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_192_cap_o.png" width="200" height="216" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">Once</span> upon a time there lived a shepherd and his wife, who lived in -a very lonely little cottage far from town or village, near some -mountains. It was a wild neighbourhood, and the wind blew across the -mountains fiercely, and the rain often fell so heavily that it seemed -as if the cottage would be washed away. One evening when the shepherd -was out, there came on a great storm of rain which beat against the -doors and the windows violently. As the shepherd’s wife sat listening -to it by the fire, it seemed to her as if it sounded louder than she - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 193]</span> - -had ever heard it before, and the raindrops sounded like the knock of -a hand that was knocking to gain admittance. It went on for a little -time, till the shepherd’s wife could bear to listen to it no longer, -and she rose and went to the door to open it, though she knew that -she would let the wind and rain into the room. As she opened the door -a gust of rain was blown in her face, and then she saw that in the -doorway stood a woman who had been knocking. She was a tall woman -wrapped in a grey cloak with long hair falling down her back. “Thank -you,” she said. And though her voice was very low, the shepherd’s wife -could hear it plainly through all the storm. “Thank you for opening the -door to me. Many would have let me stand outside. Now may I come into -your cottage and rest?”</p> - -<p>“How wet you must be!” cried the shepherd’s wife; “come in and rest, -and let me give you food. Have you come from far?”</p> - -<p>“No, I come from quite near,” said the woman, and she came into the -cottage as she spoke, and sat down in a chair near the door. “And I -want no food, only a glass of water. I must go on directly, but I have - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 194]</span> - -not far to go, and I shall be no wetter than I am now.”</p> - -<p>The shepherd’s wife stared in surprise, for she saw that apparently -the woman’s clothes were not wet at all. And what was stranger still, -though she had thought she was only clad in a dull grey cloak, now she -saw that she was covered with jewellery,—clear stones, like diamonds -with many flashing colours; and she also saw that all her clothes were -of the finest. She gave her a glass of water, and begged that as well -she might give her other food, but the woman shook her head, and said -no, water was all she needed. When she had drunk the water she gave -back the glass to the shepherd’s wife, and said, “And so this is your -home. Have you all that you want in life? Are you happy?”</p> - -<p>“Ay, we are happy enough,” said the shepherd’s wife, “save indeed for -one thing. Ten years ago my little baby girl died, and I have no other -children. I long for one sorely, that I might take care of it and make -it happy, while it is little, and then in turn, when I am old, it would -love and care for me.”</p> - -<p>“And if you had a little child,” said the woman, rising up and - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 195]</span> - -standing before the shepherd’s wife, “you think you would really love -it better than anything in the world. Many women say that, but few do -it. Before long a little child will be born to you, and as long as you -love it better than anything in the world it will remain with you, but -when you love anything else better than your little daughter and her -happiness, it will go from you; so remember my words. Good-bye,” and -the woman walked to the door and went quietly out into the rain, and -the shepherd’s wife saw her disappearing, and the rain pelting around -her, but her clothes were not blown about, neither did the rain seem to -wet her.</p> - -<p>A year passed away, and the shepherd’s wife had a tiny daughter, a -lovely little baby with the bluest eyes and the softest skin; the -evening she was born the wind howled and the rain fell as fiercely as -on the night when the grey woman had come into the shepherd’s cottage. -The shepherd and his wife both loved their little daughter very dearly, -as well they might, as no fairer child was ever seen. But as she grew -older, some things about her frightened her mother, and she had some -ways of which she could not cure her.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_196.png" width="350" height="487" alt="...she would begin to dance too..."> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 196]</span></p> - -<p>She would never go near a fire, however cold she was, neither did -she love the sunshine, but always ran from it and crept into the shade; -but when she heard the rain pattering against the window-panes she -would cry, “Listen, mother, listen to my brothers and sisters dancing,” -and then she would begin to dance too in the cottage, her little feet -pattering upon the boards; or, if she possibly could, she would run -out on to the moor and dance, with the rain falling upon her, and her -mother had much ado to get her to come back into the cottage, yet she -never seemed to get very wet, nor did she catch cold.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_197.png" width="600" height="587" alt="...to the moor and dance..."> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 197]</span></p> - -<p>A river ran near the cottage, and by it she would go -and sit for hours dabbling her feet in the water, and singing sweet -little songs to herself.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_198.png" width="500" height="604" alt="...dabbling her feet in the water..."> -</div> - -<p>Still, in all other ways she was a good, -affectionate girl, and did all that her mother told her, and seemed -to love both her parents tenderly, and the shepherd’s wife would say -to herself, “My only trouble is that when she is grown up, she will -want to marry, and leave me, and I shall have to do without her.” Time -passed, and the old shepherd died, but his wife and daughter still - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 198]</span> - -lived on in the little cottage, and the daughter grew to be a most -beautiful young maiden. Her eyes were clear light-blue, like the colour -of the far-off sea, but it was difficult to say what was the colour of -her hair, save that it was very light, and hung in heavy masses over -her brow and shoulders. Once or twice her mother felt sorely frightened -about her; it was when spring showers were falling, and the young -girl had gone into the little garden in front of the cottage to let - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 199]</span> - -the rain fall upon her head and face, as she loved to do, in spite of -all her mother could say. Then she began to dance, as she always did -when the rain fell, and as she danced the sun came out while the rain -was yet falling. Her mother watched her from the cottage-window, but -while she watched her it seemed to her as if her daughter was covered -with jewels of every colour, clear and bright; they hung around her in -chains, and made her look more like a king’s daughter than a shepherd’s -girl. “Come in, child, come in,” called the shepherd’s wife, and when -the young girl came in the cottage all traces of the jewels had gone, -and when her mother upbraided her for going out to dance in the rain, -she only answered, “It hurts no one, my mother, and it pleases me, why -should you stop me?”</p> - -<p>A little way from the cottage on the mountain-side stood an old castle, -where formerly the Kings of the land used to come and stay, but which -now had not been used for very many years. One day, however, the -shepherd’s wife saw great preparations were being made to beautify and -adorn it, and she knew that the King and his son were coming to stay -there again. Soon after they had arrived, the shepherd’s daughter went - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 200]</span> - -down to the river, as was her wont, and sat on the bank, dipping her -feet in the ripples. Presently there came up a boat, and it was a grand -young man dressed all in velvet and gold who leaned over the side to -fish.</p> - -<p>“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” cried the shepherd’s -daughter, for she was afraid of no one.</p> - -<p>“I am the King’s son,” said he, “and I am coming here to fish. Who are -you, and where do you come from, for I have never seen such a beautiful -maiden in my life?” and he looked at her and could scarce speak, so -beautiful did she seem to him.</p> - -<p>“It is cruel to take the fishes out of the water,” cried the shepherd’s -daughter, “leave them alone, and come and dance on the bank with me,” -and she went under the shade of a large tree, and began to dance, and -the King’s son watched her, and again he thought so beautiful a maid -there had never been.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 201-2]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_201.png" width="600" height="880" alt="Leave the fishes alone."> -</div> -<div class="caption">“Leave the fishes alone, and come and dance on the bank -with me.”<br> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 203]</span></p> - -<p>Day after day he came down to the river to fish, and day after day he -left the line and tackle to sit and watch the shepherd’s daughter, and -each time found her more enchanting. Once he tried to kiss her -hand, but she sprang from him and left him sitting in his boat alone. -At last a day came when the Prince said to his father, “My father, you -want me to wed so that I may have an heir to the throne, but there is -only one woman that can ever be my wife, and that is the daughter of -the poor woman who lives in the little cottage out yonder.”</p> - -<p>At first the old King was very wroth, but he loved his son well, and -knew that nothing would shake him from his word, so he told him that if -he would bring home his bride, he too would rejoice and love her as his -daughter even though she be a beggar-maid. Then the young Prince rode -down to the cottage, and went in and told the shepherd’s wife how he -had seen her daughter, and loved her and wished to make her his wife, -so that she would be Queen of the country.</p> - -<p>The shepherd’s wife went nearly wild with joy. “To think that my -daughter should be the Queen,” she said to herself, and when her -daughter came into the cottage she did not know how to contain herself, -but folded her in her arms and kissed her, crying and declaring that - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 204]</span> - -never was woman so blessed.</p> - -<p>“Why, what has happened, my mother? and what has pleased you so?” said -her daughter, while still the shepherd’s wife rejoiced and wept for joy.</p> - -<p>“It is the King’s son, my girl, the King’s own son, and he has just -been here, and he loves you because you are so beautiful, and he will -marry you and make you Queen of all the land. Was there ever such luck -for a poor woman?”</p> - -<p>But the daughter only said, “But I don’t want to marry the King’s son, -mother, or any one. I will never be the wife of any man; I will stay -with you and nurse you when you are old and sick, for I can live in no -house but this cottage, and have no friend but my mother.”</p> - -<p>On hearing this the shepherd’s wife became very angry, and told her -daughter that she must be mad, and that she must wait for a day or two, -and she would be only too thankful for the love of the King’s son, and -for the honour he was going to do her in making her his Queen. But -still the daughter shook her head, and said quite quietly, “I will -never be the wife of the King’s son.” The shepherd’s wife did not dare - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 205]</span> - -tell the King’s son what her daughter had said, but told him that he -had better speak to her himself if he wished to make her his wife. Then -when he was again sitting in the boat on the river, and the maiden on -the bank, the King’s son told her how much he loved her, and that he -would share with her all that he had in this world. But the shepherd’s -daughter only shook her head and said, “I will never live at the -palace, and I will never be a Queen.”</p> - -<p>The old King had ordered great preparations to be made for the wedding, -which was to take place immediately, and all sorts of fine clothes were -ordered for the shepherd’s daughter, that she might appear properly as -the wife of the Prince, but for the few days just before the wedding, -the rain fell as it had never been known to have fallen; it beat -through the roofs of the cottages, and the river swelled and overflowed -its banks; everyone was frightened, save indeed the shepherd’s -daughter, who went out into the wet and danced as was her wont, letting -the torrents fall upon her head and shoulders.</p> - -<p>But the evening before the wedding-day she knelt beside her mother’s - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 206]</span> - -side. “Dear mother,” she said, “let me stop with you and nurse you when -you are old. Do not send me away to the palace to live with the King’s -son.”</p> - -<p>Then the mother was very angry, and told her daughter that she was very -ungrateful, and she ought to be thankful that such luck had come in her -way, and who was she, the daughter of a poor shepherd, that she should -object to marrying the King’s son?</p> - -<p>All night long the rain fell in torrents, and when next day the -shepherd’s daughter was dressed in all her finery, it was through pools -on the ground that she had to step into the grand carriage which the -King had sent to fetch her, and while the marriage-service was being -read, the priest’s voice could scarcely be heard for the pattering of -the drops upon the roof, and when they went into the castle to the -banquet, the water burst through the doors opened to receive them, -so that the King and the wedding guests had hard ado to keep dry. It -was a grand feast, and the King’s son sat at one end of the table, -and his young wife was beside him dressed in white and gold. All the -courtiers and all the fine guests declared that surely the world had - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 207]</span> - -never contained such a beautiful young woman as their future Queen. But -just when the goblets were filled with wine, to drink to the health of -the bride and bridegroom, there came a cry, “The floods! the floods!” -and the servants ran into the hall, crying out that the waters were -pouring in, and in one moment the rooms were filled with water, and no -one thought of anything but to save themselves. When the hurricane had -subsided, and the waters gone down, they looked around for the Prince’s -wife, who was nowhere to be found. Every one said that she had been -swept away by the torrents, and that she had been drowned in all her -youth and beauty; only the shepherd’s wife wept alone, and remembered -the words of the woman who came to her on the night of the storm: “When -you love aught on earth better than your daughter and her happiness, -she will go from you.”</p> - -<p>The King’s son mourned his wife, and for long would not be comforted; -but when many years had passed, he married a beautiful Princess, and -with her lived very happily; only when the rain fell in torrents and -beat against the window-panes it would seem to him as if he heard the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 208]</span> - -sound of dancing feet, and a voice that called out, “Come and dance -with me, come and dance with me and my brothers and sisters, oh, King’s -son, and feel our drops upon your face.”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 209]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_209.png" width="600" height="360" alt="Decorated -Heading."> -</div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_PLOUGHMAN_AND_THE_GNOME">THE PLOUGHMAN & THE GNOME</h2> -</div> -<br> -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_209_cap_a.png" width="200" height="187" alt="Decorated First Letter."> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap"><span class="upper-case">A Young</span> ploughman was following his plough in a field one morning when -suddenly the horses stopped, and do what he would he could not make -them stir. Then he tried to push the plough himself, but he could -not move it one hair’s-breadth. He stooped down to see what could be -stopping it, when a deep voice cried, “Stop, I am coming up.” The -voice was so loud that the ploughman shook with fear, but though he - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 210]</span> - -looked all around him, he could see no one from whom it could come. -But presently it spoke again (only this time it was a little lower), -and called out, “Have patience, and I shall be up in a moment.” The -ploughman quaked in every limb, and stood quite still, and the voice -began again (but this time it was no louder than most folks’), and it -said—“If you will only not be in such a hurry, I will tell you what I -want. Look in front of your horse’s right foot, and pick me up.”</p> - -<p>He bent down and looked on the ground, and there in the earth, just in -front of his horse’s right foot, he saw what he thought was a little -black lizard. He touched it very cautiously, and started back with -surprise when the voice spoke again, and he found it came from this -tiny creature.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” it said, “that is quite right. You can pick me up in your hand -if you like, but I think I must grow a little bigger, as I am really -uncomfortably small,” and while he held it on the palm of his hand, -the ploughman saw that it was beginning to grow larger, and it swelled -so fast that in a few seconds it was near a foot high, and he had to -take both hands to hold it. Then he saw that it was not a lizard, but - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 211]</span> - -a little black woman with a face that looked as though it were made of -india-rubber, and ugly little black hands.</p> - -<p>“There, that will do,” said the strange little gnome. “That is a nice -useful size. Oh dear, how tiring growing is! I don’t think I’ll be any -bigger just yet. Now be sure you don’t drop me, and handle me very -carefully, for I do not like to be roughly touched. I have not slept -nearly as long as I meant to. I wanted a hundred years’ nap, and it -cannot be more than fifty, but now that I am awake I think I will keep -so for a bit. You seem to be rather a nice civil young man. How would -you like to take me for a lodger?”</p> - -<p>“A lodger!” gasped the ploughman. “Why, what should I do with you?”</p> - -<p>“I should give no trouble,” said the gnome. “But are there any women in -your house?”</p> - -<p>“No,” said the ploughman, “for I have no wife, and I am too poor to -keep a servant.”</p> - -<p>“So much the better,” said the gnome. “For though I am a woman myself, -I detest women, and only get on with men.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 212]</span></p> - -<p>“You a woman!” cried the ploughman, and he laughed outright.</p> - -<p>“Of course I am a woman,” said the creature. “Come, say quickly, do you -like to have me for a lodger or not? Of course you will have to agree -to my terms.”</p> - -<p>“And what are your terms?” asked the ploughman.</p> - -<p>“Only this. Whatever comes into the house, you must always give the -best of it to me. I will choose where I shall live for myself, when I -see the house, but of all the food you have, you must save the best and -give it to me. Not much of it, but the very best pieces. As you are -a man I cannot wear your clothes, but you can give me some of their -material, and of everything else that comes into the house of any sort, -tobacco, or carpets, or furniture, I must have some of the best. And at -meals I must always be helped first. If you agree to this, I may stay -with you for a very long time.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, oh,” said the ploughman, “and pray what shall I get by it? It -seems to me as if you wanted to get the best of everything and give -nothing in return.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 213]</span></p> - -<p>“On the contrary,” replied the gnome, “I shall give a very great deal. -For as long as I remain in your house, all things will go well with -you. You are a poor man now, but you will soon be a rich one. If you -sow seeds they will give twice as much crop as other people’s. All your -animals will do well, and in a little time, instead of being a poor -ploughman, you will be the richest farmer in the countryside.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” quoth the ploughman, “I don’t mind trying. I think it would -rather amuse me to take you to my cottage; but if you don’t keep your -part of the bargain, and I don’t find things are going very well with -me, I warn you I’ll pretty soon turn you out.”</p> - -<p>“Agreed,” said the gnome; “but remember, if you fail in your compact -with me, I shall go by myself. Now carry me home and let me choose -where I will live.”</p> - -<p>The ploughman carried the odd little figure back to his cottage, gaping -with astonishment; there he put it down on the kitchen-table in the -little kitchen. It looked all round it, and twisted about its little -black head.</p> - -<p>“That will do nicely,” it said at last; “there is a little hole in - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 214]</span> - -that corner, down which I can go, and near that hole you must place all -your daintiest bits, and remember that I must always be helped first -at all your meals.” And without a word it leaped from the table, and -scuttled away down a big hole that the rats had made, and was no more -to be seen.</p> - -<p>But when in the evening the ploughman came in to eat his meal, before -he began it he took the very best bit of meat and the nicest of the -vegetable, and laid them down near the hole. Then he watched eagerly -to see what would happen, but while he looked there they remained. -Suddenly, however, the door shut with a bang, and he turned his head -for a moment to see what caused it, and when he looked back the food -had disappeared. Every day it was much the same. He put some of the -best food on the table down near the hole, but as long as he watched -there it remained, but when he took his eyes off for a moment it had -disappeared. In the same way when he had new clothes, he took a choice -bit of material and laid it near the hole, and it vanished also. And of -whatever came into the house he took some of the best and did the same -with it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 215]</span></p> - -<p>Meantime things began to improve very much with him. He had only a -little bit of land round his cottage, but this year the vegetables and -fruit he had planted there grew so well that he had a large quantity to -send to market, and he sold them for such good prices, that soon he was -able to get more land and buy his own animals, and in a little while -had a farm of his own, and had grown to be quite a rich man, while all -his neighbours said his luck was extraordinary. Meantime he saw or -heard nothing more of the little black gnome, and except when he put -the food and other thing’s near the hole almost forgot all about her.</p> - -<p>Time passed, and the time came when the ploughman began to think he -would like to take a wife; he made up his mind to marry a very pretty -girl in the next village, who was said to be the prettiest girl in all -the neighbourhood. Many of the young men would have liked to marry -her, but the ploughman was a handsome, cheery young fellow, and she -preferred him to all of the others, and so they were married, and she -came home to live at the farm. The evening after their wedding they had -a fine fat fowl for supper, and the ploughman before he helped his - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 216]</span> - -wife cut off the choicest slice from the breast and took it as usual to -the hole.</p> - -<p>“Husband,” cried the wife, “have you gone mad that you should give the -best of the food to the rats and the mice?”</p> - -<p>“I am not mad at all,” said the ploughman, “but my grandfather loved -nothing in the world so well as rats and mice, and he made me promise -before he died that they should always be well cared for in my house, -and have of the best.”</p> - -<p>“Then if you are not mad,” replied the wife, “I think your grandfather -was! It is only the best poison that is good for rats and mice, -and they shall have it soon, now that I am in the house.” But the -ploughman caressed his wife and begged her to let him keep his promise -to his grandfather, and the wife held her peace, not liking to seem -bad-tempered on her wedding-day. After a bit she got used to her -husband putting down little bits of food, as he said, for the rats and -mice, and though she always declared she was going to poison them, she -did not try to do so, as her husband seemed grieved when she talked -about it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 217]</span></p> - -<p>Thus things went on very happily for some months, when the wife began -to think that her clothes were getting very old, and that she must -have some new ones. So she took plenty of money and went into the -neighbouring town, and came home with new dresses, and hats, and -bonnets, and very pretty she looked in them, and her husband was very -much pleased with them. But that evening after his wife was gone -to bed, as the ploughman was finishing his pipe in the kitchen, he -suddenly heard a deep voice from the hole, which called out just as it -had done months before, “Stop, I am coming up.”</p> - -<p>For an instant the ploughman quaked with fear, then he saw something no -bigger than a black beetle creeping through the hole, and it came in -front of his chair, and he heard the voice, which was not so loud this -time, say—</p> - -<p>“That will do, now I am going to begin to grow a little,” and it began -to grow, and grow, and grow, till it was about eight inches high, and -the ploughman saw it was the little black woman. “There,” she said, -speaking quite quietly, “that is a nice useful size, that will do. -Now I have something to say to you, and you will have to attend very - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 218]</span> - -carefully. I consider that you are breaking your compact. In the first -place, you married without asking my leave, and, as I told you, I don’t -like women in the house, but I will say nothing about that, as we had -not spoken about it before, but how can you explain about all the fine -clothes that your wife fetched home to-day? She has taken them to her -room and not given one to me!”</p> - -<p>“Nay,” cried the ploughman, “they are my wife’s clothes, not mine.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense,” said the gnome, “you gave her the money for them. Now -understand that whatever she buys for herself in the future, she must -buy the same for me. Two of everything: dresses, hats, gloves, whatever -she has, I must have too, and be sure that mine are quite as good as -hers.”</p> - -<p>“But how am I to manage that?” cried the ploughman; “how can I explain -it to her without telling her that you are there?”</p> - -<p>“That is your business,” said the gnome. “All I say is that I must -have the things if I am to remain in your house. You can tell her what -you please. So now you know, and see that you do as I tell you,” and -suddenly the little figure shrunk up till it was about the size of a - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 219]</span> - -black beetle, and then disappeared down the hole without another word.</p> - -<p>The ploughman rubbed his head, and wondered what he could do. He did -not at all want to tell his wife about the little gnome, for he was -sure she would not like it, but at the same time he did not want the -gnome to leave his house and take away his luck.</p> - -<p>A few days after, his wife told him she was going to the shoemaker’s -to buy herself some smart new shoes, and the ploughman thought of the -gnome, and knew he must do as she had told him. So he said to his wife, -“Wife, when you get those shoes for yourself, I wish you would get a -pair just like them for my cousin who has written to me to ask me for a -present. I should like to send her some nice boots and shoes as she is -very poor, so I shall be very much obliged if you will get two pairs of -whatever you may get for yourself that I may send her one.”</p> - -<p>The wife wondered very much, for she did not know the ploughman had any -cousin; however, she went into the town, and brought home two pairs of -smart red shoes with bows on the top.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 220]</span></p> - -<p>When she had gone to bed at night, the ploughman took one pair and -laid it by the hole in the same place where he had put the food, and -it disappeared just as the food did without his seeing where it went. -“Now,” thought he, “when she sees I am quite honest, perhaps the ugly -little gnome will be content, and let us go on in peace.”</p> - -<p>So time went on, and the ploughman and his wife lived very happily -and quietly, till one evening a pedlar came round with a tray holding -all sorts of pretty things to sell. The ploughman’s wife went to the -door, and looked at the things: then she bought a pretty comb for her -hair, but she would not show it to her husband, as she meant to wear it -before him as a surprise next day.</p> - -<p>But that evening after his wife had gone to bed, as the ploughman -sat finishing his pipe by the fire, he heard the voice from the hole -calling as loudly as ever, “Stop! I am coming up.” Again the ploughman -quaked with fear, and then he saw coming through the hole something no -bigger than a black beetle, and again the voice said in a lower tone, -“Now I will begin to grow a little,” and presently the tiny black -thing had swelled into the ugly little black woman with the face like - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 221]</span> - -india-rubber.</p> - -<p>“Listen to me,” she said, “and know that I am beginning to feel very -angry. You are beginning to cheat me. To-day your wife bought herself -a brand-new comb from a pedlar at the door, and never got one for me. -To-morrow evening I must have that comb. I don’t care how you get it, -but have it I must.”</p> - -<p>The ploughman scratched his head and was sore perplexed. “What on earth -am I to do?” he cried, “for my wife will think me very cruel if I take -away all the pretty little things she buys for herself.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t help that,” answered the gnome. “I have got to have that comb -by this time to-morrow night, and I warn you if you begin to deceive -me, just as if I were an ordinary human being, I shall pretty soon take -myself off,” and with that the gnome disappeared through the hole in an -instant.</p> - -<p>Next morning at breakfast the wife came down with the new comb in her -hair, and said to her husband, “See, husband, I bought this of the -pedlar yesterday, and he tells me they are quite the newest fashion, - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 222]</span> - -and all the great ladies in town are wearing them.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” quoth the ploughman, “such a fashion may be all very well for -the great ladies who have scarce any hair of their own, but, for my own -part, I had rather see your beautiful hair just as it is without any -adornment.”</p> - -<p>At this the wife pouted, and was very cross. “’Tis too bad of you -to say that. I thought you would like your wife to wear all the new -fashions, and be smart like other folks.”</p> - -<p>“Nay,” cried the ploughman, “my wife is much prettier than other folks, -and she looks prettiest of all when she has little to adorn her. If any -of these great ladies had hair like yours you may be sure they would -pretty soon throw away any combs or caps or pins, so that nothing but -their hair should be seen.”</p> - -<p>When her husband was gone, the wife went to her glass and looked at -herself, and took out the comb and then put it in, and tried it every -way. “’Tis true, for sure,” said she, “my hair is very beautiful, and -maybe it looks best done up as I used to wear it, still it seems a pity -not to use the comb when I have bought it.” So when her husband came - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 223]</span> - -back, she said to him, “I believe you are right, husband, and it suits -me better not to have anything in my hair, but maybe if you are wanting -to send a present to that cousin of yours, you would like to send her -that comb. It would save buying anything fresh.”</p> - -<p>On this the ploughman laughed to himself, but he thanked his wife very -much and put the comb in his pocket. In the evening after the wife had -gone to bed, the ploughman took it, and put it down by the hole, and -then went on smoking his pipe without waiting to see if it disappeared. -But in a few minutes he heard the voice crying, “Stop! I am coming up,” -and saw again the gnome come through the hole and then begin to grow as -before. “Now this is too bad,” cried the ploughman. “What can you want -now? Here I have just given you the comb you wanted, and nothing else -new has come into the house.” “On the contrary,” answered the gnome, “I -consider that you have brought a great many new things into the house -since I came to live here, and I mean now to have my choice of some of -them, since I do not find that you are honest enough to offer them to -me. To begin with, I want your wife’s hair. I have been trying mine - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 224]</span> - -with that comb, and I find I can’t make it do at all, and so I mean to -have your wife’s.”</p> - -<p>“My wife’s!” gasped the ploughman. “You must be mad!”</p> - -<p>“Mad or not mad,” replied the gnome, “I mean to have it, and, moreover, -it is my due. You married without consulting me, and if I kept you to -your bargain, I should have a great deal that I have not got. Certainly -your wife has the best head of hair in the house, so you must cut it -off near her head and bring it all to me.”</p> - -<p>“But whatever shall I say to my wife?” cried the ploughman in distress.</p> - -<p>“That is your look-out, not mine,” said the gnome. “Anyhow you have got -to give it to me. But as the thought of it seems to annoy you I will -give you a week to get it in.”</p> - -<p>The ploughman sat and thought and thought, and very sad did he feel -at thinking of all his wife’s beautiful hair being given away to the -little gnome.</p> - -<p>Next day he took his horse and cart, and told his wife he had to go for -a long drive on business to a big town, a long way off. It was quite -the biggest town in that neighbourhood, and many very fine people - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 225]</span> - -lived there. At first the wife wanted to go too, but her husband said -it was too far and she would be too tired, as he could not be back till -very late at night.</p> - -<p>Next morning, when they sat at breakfast, he told his wife all he had -heard and seen in the big town, and then he added, “And all the very -fine ladies there have now the funniest fashion.”</p> - -<p>“And what is that?” asked his wife; “pray tell me, for I love to hear -the new fashions.”</p> - -<p>“Why,” said the ploughman, “’tis with their hair. Instead of wearing it -long, they have it cut quite close all round their heads, because they -say it looks smarter now.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I do call that a silly fashion,” said the wife; “they can’t have -had much hair to consent to have had it cut off.”</p> - -<p>“No, indeed,” said her husband, “and yet with some of them, they look -very smart and pretty with their little curly heads.”</p> - -<p>“Much like boys, I should think,” said the wife scornfully.</p> - -<p>“No, not quite that, either,” said the ploughman, “more like the -pictures of angels in the old churches, and they say it is the great - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 226]</span> - -thing for it to curl up all round the head, and when it does that of -itself, they are very proud of it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, some of them might be very proud of mine,” said the wife, -“for it’s as curly as may be, and if I were to cut it short would be -all in tiny curls.”</p> - -<p>When her husband had gone to his work, the ploughman’s wife could do -nothing but think of the strange new fashion of which her husband had -told her. “I wonder how it would suit me,” she thought, and when he -came in to dinner she said to him—</p> - -<p>“Husband, is it really true that all those fine ladies looked very -pretty and smart with their hair short?”</p> - -<p>“Ay, that they did,” he said; “I was quite surprised to see them, and -I heard they said ’twas a wonderful saving of trouble, and that their -hair could never grow untidy.”</p> - -<p>“That is true,” said the wife, “yet I should be sorry to cut mine off.”</p> - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 227-8]</span> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/i_227.png" width="600" height="851" alt="Leave the fishes alone."> -<div class="caption">“I wonder how it would look?” and she snipped off a big -bit.</div> -</div> - -<p>“No need that you should,” said the ploughman, “and there are not many -folks up here to see if we are in the fashion or not. All the same, -you are sure to look prettier than the town ladies any way, whichever - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 229]</span> - -way your hair is done, for your face is prettier.”</p> - -<p>But when her husband had gone away again the wife went to her glass -with the scissors in her hand. “As my husband says,” she quoth, “it -would be a wonderful saving of trouble, and then it would be very nice -to let all the women round see that I could be in the fashion before -they. I wonder how it would look?” and she snipped off a big bit. “Here -goes,” she cried; “after all ’tis best to follow the fashions, whatever -they are,” and she went on cutting till, when her husband came in, he -found her with her hair all cut off beside her.</p> - -<p>“There, husband,” cried she, “do I look like the smart ladies in town?”</p> - -<p>“Ay, that you do,” he answered, “only ten times prettier; but as for -all that beautiful hair, you must just give it to me, for it is so -beautiful I would not let it be lost for anything,” and he took up all -the heap of fine gold hair and tied it together with a bright ribbon.</p> - -<p>The wife looked at herself in the glass, and thought she really looked -very nice with little curls all round her head, and though the - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 230]</span> - -ploughman grieved over it in his heart, yet he was glad he had got her -hair, and thought, “Now at last that miserable little gnome will be -content, and leave me alone.” So that evening, when his wife was gone -to bed, he took the bunch of hair and laid it near the hole, and it -disappeared, and he knew the gnome had it.</p> - -<p>So for a time all went on quietly with the ploughman, and he hoped he -should not hear more of the gnome, but one evening, after his wife had -gone to bed and he was in the kitchen smoking his pipe alone, he heard -the hated voice shouting, “Stop! I am coming up,” and then he saw the -little black thing like a black beetle coming through the hole, and all -happened just as before.</p> - -<p>“Well, what do you want now?” cried the ploughman when he saw the ugly -little woman in front of him. “I have given you my wife’s hair, and -surely you ought to be content.”</p> - -<p>“Not at all,” said the gnome, “for I have tried on her hair, and I find -it does not suit my complexion. I have never seen her myself, and I -don’t think you any judge, but I heard you telling her that her face - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 231]</span> - -was prettier than any of the town ladies. In that case you have no -right to keep it for yourself. I must have your wife’s face.”</p> - -<p>“My wife’s face!” screamed the ploughman, “I think you must be mad. How -can I give you my wife’s face? And what would you do with it?”</p> - -<p>“Wear it,” answered the gnome; “and all you have to do is to fetch your -wife in here this day week, and tell her what I wish; and I will come -up and scrape off as much of her face as I want.”</p> - -<p>“Why, it would kill her,” cried the ploughman.</p> - -<p>“Not at all,” said the gnome, “neither would it hurt her, for she would -scarcely feel my little knife; the only thing is, that when I have -done, her skin will be rather black and shrivelled like my own, but as -mine has been good enough for me all these years, it will surely be -good enough for a common human woman. Anyhow, now you know. I must have -your wife’s complexion to wear with her hair, or else I go at once. And -as it will be you who have broken the compact, I shall take all your - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 232]</span> - -wealth with me.” And repeating in a deep voice, “Remember, this day -week at twelve o’clock,” the gnome grew small, and disappeared through -the hole.</p> - -<p>Next day the ploughman was very miserable, and whenever he looked at -his wife felt inclined to burst into tears. The wife, not knowing what -was amiss, tried to cheer him, and asked if he were ill. But he shook -his head, and told her “no,” and had not the courage to tell her the -truth. Thus things went on, the ploughman growing sadder and sadder -every day, till the evening before that on which the gnome had told him -he must bring his wife to meet her. The ploughman was scarce able to -check his sobs before his wife, and at last she came into the kitchen, -and there found him crying outright.</p> - -<p>When she saw this, she kneeled down by him, and said, “Husband, you -surely do not think me a good wife, for a good wife shares all her -husband’s troubles. Tell me what troubles you. Two heads are better -than one, and perhaps I can help you.”</p> - -<p>Then the ploughman told her all about the hated gnome, and how he had - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 233]</span> - -found it in a field, and how he had promised to give it some of the -best of everything, and now how it wanted her face.</p> - -<p>At first the wife would scarcely believe it, and then she cried, “But -if ’tis such a little creature why not pick it up and strangle it, or -let me put my foot on it, while it is no bigger than a black beetle.”</p> - -<p>“Nay, do not think of such a thing,” said her husband, “for it is ill -to play tricks with fairy folk, and most likely she would kill us -outright.”</p> - -<p>“But part with my face I never will,” cried the wife.</p> - -<p>“Then we will let her go and take with her the house and all our -wealth, and be contented to live in my old cottage again, and be quite -poor folk,” said her husband.</p> - -<p>On hearing this the wife burst into tears, and wept more bitterly than -her husband, for she would not stop at all. It was in vain for him to -try to cheer her and tell her that poor folk could be quite as happy -as rich ones. She declared she could never be happy poor. Then when - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 234]</span> - -he said if she would let her face go, he would love her just as much -or more without it, she cried that she could never be happy with a -dreadful shrivelled black skin like a monkey’s. All that night she -cried, and when morning came her skin was all red, and her eyes could -scarce be seen, so swelled were their lids, but still she cried on all -day, and her husband said nothing to comfort her, because he did not -know what to say. By the time it grew dark, her face was so swelled and -sore that she could not bear to touch it, and she had cried herself -almost blind, but still the tears were rolling down. When the time came -for the clock to strike twelve, her husband took her hand and led her -to the kitchen, and there she sat with her face in her hands sobbing. -Just as the clock struck, they heard the voice like thunder shouting, -“Stop! I am coming up,” and the wife peeped between her fingers and -saw the little thing no bigger than a black beetle come through the -hole and then grow, and grow, and grow, till it was like an ugly little -black woman near a foot high. And when she saw how hideous it was she - -<span class="pagenum">[Pg 235]</span> - -thought, “Never, never will I consent to have a skin like that—not for -millions of pounds.”</p> - -<p>The gnome did not speak to her, but said to the ploughman, “So you have -brought your wife. That is a good thing, if you wish me to remain with -you. So now tell her to take down her hands and let me see this face -you make such a fuss about. I have my knife all ready.”</p> - -<p>And the ploughman saw that she had in her hand a tiny knife, which did -not look as if it could hurt any one.</p> - -<p>“Wife, wife,” groaned the ploughman, “what shall we do?”</p> - -<p>Then the wife looked up out of her swollen eyes, and was just going to -speak, when the gnome gave a shriek. “What?” she cried, “that face! Do -you mean to say that is what you think so pretty, and that I am going -to change my beautiful, dry, black skin for that swollen red mass? No, -indeed. You must be mad. It is a good thing that I saw it in time. I -shall leave the house at once.”</p> - -<p>“Nay,” cried the ploughman, “but it is you who are breaking your -compact this time.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[Pg 236]</span></p> - -<p>But the gnome made no reply, but scuttled down through the hole as fast -as it could, and the ploughman and his wife burst out laughing for joy. -And that was the last they ever saw of it, and it must have gone right -away, but they knew it had left some of its luck behind it, as they -both lived happily for the rest of their days.</p> - -<div class="topspace3"></div> -<p class="center">THE END</p> -<div class="topspace3"></div> -<br><br> -<hr class="single"> -<p class="center"><i>Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay.</i></p> -<br><br> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="xlarge">Books for the Young</span> -</h2> -</div> - -<hr class="r15"> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">SYLVIA IN -FLOWERLAND.</span> By <span class="smcap">Linda Gardiner.</span> With -Sixteen Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Herbert E. Butler</span>. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> </p> - -<p>“A charming fantasy.... We have never observed a more dexterous -administration of the facts of science in the guise of romance.”—<cite>World.</cite><br> -“A charming book.”—<cite>Guardian.</cite><br> -“The illustrations are particularly good.”—<cite>Spectator.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">LILY -AND THE LIFT,</span> and other Fairy Stories. By Mrs. <span -class="smcap">Herbert Railton.</span> With Illustrations by the -Author. Cloth, gilt edges, 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> </p> - -<p>“Altogether a charming book for children.”—<i>Pall Mall Gazette.</i><br> -“The illustrations are very dainty.”—<cite>Queen.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE LIFE OF AN ELEPHANT.</span> -With Twenty-four Illustrations. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“Beautifully illustrated ... full of humour and pathos.”—<cite>Christian -World.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE LIFE OF A BEAR.</span> -His Birth, Education, and Adventures. -With Twenty-four Illustrations. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“Narrated with great skill, and whilst abounding in many quaint touches -of humour, conveys incidentally, without being too didactic, many -useful lessons.”—<cite>School Guardian.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">AMONG THE STARS;</span> -or, Wonderful Things in the Sky. -By <span class="smcap">Agnes Giberne.</span> -With Coloured Illustrations. Sixth Thousand. 5<i>s.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“An attempt to teach astronomy to small children ... it is very well -done.”—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE STARRY SKIES.</span> -First Lessons on the Sun, Moon and Stars. -By <span class="smcap">Agnes Giberne.</span> 2<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“Nothing could be more attractive than the method of these excellent -little books. The capital woodcuts also are of the kind that should -leave a pleasant impression with the young, since they are strictly -illustrative of the matter dealt with.”—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite> -</p> -</div> -<br><br> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="center xxlarge"><b>Historical Stories</b></div> -</div> -<hr class="r15"> - -<p class="large center"><i>BY THE REV. A. J. CHURCH</i></p> -<br> -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">HELMET AND SPEAR.</span> -Stories from the Wars of the Greeks and Romans. With -Eight Illustrations by <span class="smcap">G. Morrow.</span> -Cloth, 5<i>s.</i></span> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">HEROES OF CHIVALRY AND ROMANCE.</span> -With Eight Coloured Illustrations by <span class="smcap">G. Morrow.</span> -Cloth, 5<i>s.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“Couched in vigorous language, and as exciting and interesting as it -can well be.”—<cite>Church Bells.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">WITH THE KING AT OXFORD</span>: -A Story of the Great Rebellion. With Coloured Illustrations. -Cloth, 5<i>s.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“Excellent sketches of the times.”—<cite>Athenæum.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE COUNT OF THE SAXON SHORE</span>: -A Tale of the Departure of the Romans from Britain. With Sixteen Illustrations. -Cloth, 5<i>s.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“A good stirring tale.”—<cite>Daily News.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">TO THE LIONS</span>: -A Tale of the Early Christians. -Cloth, 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“The picture of the life of the early Christians is drawn with -admirable simplicity and distinctness.”—<cite>Guardian.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THREE GREEK CHILDREN</span>: A Story of -Home in Old Time. With Illustrations. -Cloth, 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“A very fascinating little book.”—<cite>Spectator.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE STORY OF THE LAST DAYS OF JERUSALEM -FROM JOSEPHUS.</span> With Coloured Illustrations. -Cloth, 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></span></p> -</div> -<br> - -<hr class="r25"> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH</span>: -A Tale of the Normans in Italy. By <span class="smcap">E. J. Oswald</span>. With Illustrations. -Cloth, 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“There is fun and adventure enough in it to suit the youngsters, while -it is thoroughly wholesome in every way.”—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">IN HIS NAME</span>: A Story of the -Waldenses seven hundred years ago. By <span class="smcap">E. E. Hale</span>. With many Illustrations -by <span class="smcap">G. P. Jacomb Hood</span>. -Cloth, gilt edges, 6<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“Charmingly written, and full of life and character.... It is difficult -to praise this work too highly.”—<cite>Standard.</cite> -</p> -</div> -<br> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="xxlarge center"><b>Historical Stories</b></div> - -<hr class="r15"> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE ISLAND OF THE ENGLISH</span>: -A Story of Napoleon’s Days. By <span class="smcap">Frank Cowper</span>, Author of “Caedwalla,” etc. -With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">George Morrow</span>. -Cloth, 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“A rattling story of old seafaring and naval days.”—<cite>Academy.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">CAEDWALLA; OR, THE SAXONS IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT</span>. -By <span class="smcap">Frank Cowper</span>. With Illustrations. Third Edition. Cloth, 5<i>s.</i></span> -</p> - -<p>“A perusal of the book will give boys a truer idea of the manners -and customs of their rough forefathers than any other with which -we are acquainted.”—<cite>Standard.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">FOR THE HONOUR OF THE FLAG</span>: -A Story of our Sea Fights with the Dutch. By Commander <span class="smcap">Robinson</span> R.N., -and <span class="smcap">JOHN LEYLAND</span>. -With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Lancelot Speed</span>. Cloth, 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“Altogether, ‘For the Honour of the Flag’ is as reliable in its -character of historical novel as it is interesting and exciting as a -story of adventure.”—<cite>Spectator.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE SIEGE OF NORWICH CASTLE</span>: A Story of the Last Struggle against the -Conqueror. By <span class="smcap">M. M. Blake</span>. With Illustrations. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE CITY IN THE SEA</span>: Stories of the Deeds of the Old Venetians, from -the Chronicles. With Coloured Illustrations. By the Author of “Belt<br> -and Spur.” 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“A beautiful volume, instructive as well as entertaining.”—<cite>Graphic.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<br> -<p class="center xlarge"><i>BY REV. E. GILLIAT.</i> -</p> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">WOLF’S HEAD</span>: A Story of the Prince of Outlaws. With Eight -Illustrations. Cloth, 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“Bright, cheery, and always entertaining, Mr. Gilliat’s clever tale can -be thoroughly recommended.”—<cite>World.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">THE KING’S REEVE AND HOW HE SUPPED WITH HIS MASTER</span>. An Old World -Comedy. With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Sydney Hall</span>. Cloth, 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“We have read no other historical story so fascinating since we closed -‘In Lincoln Green.’”—<cite>St. James’s Gazette.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">IN LINCOLN GREEN</span>: A Merrie Tale of Robin Hood. Illustrated by -<span class="smcap">Ralph Cleaver</span>. Second Edition. Cloth, 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“One of the very best boys’ books we have taken up for many a year. -Here is a story of outlaws which positively rings with the merriment of -greens.”—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="xxlarge center"><b>Tales by Miss Winchester</b></div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">A NEST OF SPARROWS</span>. -Tenth Edition. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“Miss Winchester not only writes with skill, but writes from the heart, -and with full knowledge of her subject. Her story is most genuine, -pathetic, without being sad.”—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">UNDER THE SHIELD</span>. -A Tale. Seventh Edition. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“We welcome with real pleasure another book by the author of ‘A Nest of -Sparrows.’ ‘Under the Shield’ is to be noted for its purity of tone and -high aspirations.... There is true fun in the book, too.”—<cite>Athenæum.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">A NEST OF SKYLARKS</span>. -A Story. With Illustrations. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“Miss Winchester’s tales for girls are right in feeling, unaffected in -sentiment, true in sympathy, high and exact in principle, and sound -in judgment. ‘A Nest of Skylarks’ is in all respects worthy of the -previous stories.”—<cite>World.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">A DOUBLE CHERRY</span>. -A Story. With Illustrations. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“Has written no more successful story.”—<cite>Scotsman.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">ADRIFT IN A GREAT CITY</span>. -A Story. Second Edition. With Illustrations by -<span class="smcap">G. P. Jacomb Hood</span>. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“One of Miss Winchester’s pleasantly-written tales.... In its -descriptions of slum life in Liverpool it is equal to any of her -previous efforts.”—<cite>Daily Telegraph.</cite> -</p> -</div> -<br> -<hr class="r25"> - -<div class="xxlarge center"><b>By Miss E. Ward</b></div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">FRESH FROM THE FENS</span>: -A Story of Three Lincolnshire Lasses. With Eight Illustrations. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“A pretty tale simply and effectively told.”—<cite>Daily News.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">A PAIR OF ORIGINALS</span>. A Story. -With Eight Illustrations. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“This is a charming book.”—<cite>Bristol Times.</cite> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="bookquote"> -<p><span style="margin-left:-2.5em;"><span class="large">ST. DUNSTAN’S CLOCK</span>: A Story of 1666. -With Eight Illustrations. 5<i>s.</i> -</span> -</p> - -<p>“A pretty story with some very good illustrations ... the description -of the Fire of London adds greatly to its interest.”—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite> -</p> -</div> -<br> -<hr class="r25"> -<p class="center">LONDON: SEELEY & CO. LTD., 38 GREAT RUSSELL ST. -</p> -<br> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="transnote"> -<p><span class="smcap">Transcriber’s Notes.</span></p> -<p> 1. 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