"Ah, they ought to know that there sits a toad under a stone in the well, and if he were dead wine would again flow."

Then the old woman combed his hair again, till he slept and snored so loud that the windows rattled, and she pulled out the second hair.

"What are you about now?" asked the demon in a rage.

"Oh, don't be angry," said the woman; "I have had another dream."

"What was this dream about?" he asked.

"Why, I dreamed that in a certain country there grows a fruit-tree which used to bear golden apples, but now it produces nothing but leaves. What is the cause of this?"

"Why, don't they know," answered the demon, "that there is a mouse gnawing at the root? Were it dead the tree would again bear golden apples; and if it gnaws much longer the tree will wither and dry up. Bother your dreams; if you disturb me again, just as I am comfortably asleep, you will have a box on the ear."

Then the old woman spoke kindly to him, and smoothed and combed his hair again, till he slept and snored. Then she seized the third golden hair and pulled it out.

The demon, on this, sprang to his feet, roared out in a greater rage than ever, and would have done some mischief in the house, but she managed to appease him this time also, and said: "How can I help my bad dreams?"

"And whatever did you dream?" he asked, with some curiosity.

"Well, I dreamed about a ferryman, who complains that he is obliged to take people across the river, and is never free."

66

Oh, the stupid fellow!" replied the wizard, "he can very easily ask any person who wants to be ferried over to take the oar in his hand, and he will be free at once."

Then the demon laid his head down once more; and as the old mother had pulled out the three golden hairs, and got answers to all the three questions, she let the old fellow rest and sleep in peace till the morning dawned.

As soon as he had gone out next day, the old woman took the ant from the folds of her dress and restored the lucky youth to his former shape. "Here are the three golden hairs for which you wished," said she; "and did you hear all the answers to your three questions?"

66

"Yes," he replied, "every word, and I will not forget them."

"Well, then, I have helped you out of your difficulties, and now get home as fast as you can."

After thanking the old woman for her kindness, he turned his steps homeward, full of joy that everything had succeeded so well.

When he arrived at the ferry the man asked for the promised answer.

"Ferry me over first," he replied, "and then I will tell you.

So when they reached the opposite shore he gave the ferryman the demon's advice, that the next person who came and wished to be ferried over should have the oar

placed in his hand, and from that moment he would have to take the ferryman's place.

Then the youth journeyed on till he came to the town where the unfruitful tree grew, and where the watchman was waiting for his answer. To him the young man repeated what he had heard, and said, "Kill the mouse that is gnawing at the root; then will your tree again bear golden apples."

The watchman thanked him, and gave him in return for his information two asses laden with gold, which were led after him. He very soon arrived at the city which contained the dried-up fountain. The sentinel came forward to receive his answer. Said the youth, "Under a stone in the fountain sits a toad; it must be searched for and killed; then will wine again flow from it." To show how thankful he was for this advice, the sentinel also ordered two asses laden with gold to be sent after him.

At length the child of fortune reached home with his riches, and his wife was overjoyed at seeing him again, and hearing how well he had succeeded in his undertaking. He placed before the king the three golden hairs he had brought from the head of the black demon; and when the king saw these and the four asses laden with gold he was quite satisfied, and said, "Now that you have performed all the required conditions, I am quite ready to sanction your marriage with my daughter; but, my dear son-in-law, tell me how you obtained all this gold. It is indeed a very valuable treasure; where did you find it?"

"I crossed the river in a ferryboat, and on the opposite shore I found the gold lying in the sand."

"Can I find some if I go?" asked the king eagerly. Yes, as much as you please," replied he. "There

is a ferryman there who will row you over, and you can fill a sack in no time."

The greedy old king set out on his journey in all haste, and when he came near the river he beckoned to the ferryman to row him over the ferry.

The man told him to step in, and just as they reached the opposite shore he placed the rudder-oar in the king's hand, and sprang out of the boat; and so the king became a ferryman as a punishment for his sins.

I wonder if he still goes on ferrying people over the river! It is very likely, for no one has ever been persuaded to touch the oar since he took it.

THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE

BEAN

BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

'N a village there lived an old woman, who one day gathered some beans from her garden to cook for her dinner. She had a good fire on the hearth; but to make it burn more quickly she threw on a handful of straw. As she threw the beans into the pot to boil one of them fell on the floor unobserved by the old woman, and not far from a wisp of straw which was lying near. Suddenly a glowing coal bounced out of the fire and fell close to them. They both started away and exclaimed, "Dear friend, don't come near me till you are cooler! Whatever brings you out here?" Oh," replied the coal, "the heat luckily made me so strong that I was able to bounce from the fire. Had I not done so my death would have been certain, and I should have been burned to ashes by this time."

66

Then," said the bean, "I have also escaped with a whole skin; for had the old woman put me in a pot with my comrades, I should, without mercy, have been boiled to broth."

"I might have shared the same fate," said the straw, "for all my brothers were pushed into the fire and smoke by the old woman. She packed sixty of us in a