{"collection":"folklore-oral-tradition","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_71032/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_71032","id":"gutenberg_71032","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/71032","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Short Stories","Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction","Children's stories, American","Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction","Fairy tales","Readers (Elementary)"],"text":"FANCIFUL TALES\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: SO MANY THINGS STOP AT NIGHT--SUCH AS THE DAY\nITSELF--THAT I THINK YOU OUGHT TO PARDON MY POOR CLOCK.]\n\n\n\n\n  FANCIFUL TALES\n\n  BY\n  FRANK R. STOCKTON\n\n  EDITED WITH NOTES BY\n  JULIA ELIZABETH LANGWORTHY\n  TEACHER IN THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS\n\n  WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY\n  MARY E. BURT\n\n  CHARLES SCRIBNER\u2019S SONS\n  NEW YORK      CHICAGO      BOSTON\n\n\n\n\n  COPYRIGHT, 1894, BY\n  CHARLES SCRIBNER\u2019S SONS\n\n  COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY\n  N. S. STOCKTON AND F. A. STOCKTON\n\n  Printed in the United States of America\n\n  [Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nIt is because I have found that children love Stockton\u2019s stories, that\nthey appreciate the delicate bits of humor found in them, and enjoy\ndiscussing the ethical questions suggested, that I have arranged in\nthis book a few of the favorites, easily read by children from eight to\nten years of age.\n\nI believe, also, that children can best learn to read by reading what\nis best in literature.\n\nThis little volume, then, is the result of repeated tests with children\nof various ability in the reading of Stockton\u2019s stories. The results\nproved that the language is simple and childlike, the thought natural,\nand the story itself intensely interesting.\n\nNotes and suggestive questions for each story, except \u201cThe Christmas\nTruants,\u201d which is so simple that it does not seem to need them, are\ngiven at the end of the book. These, it is believed, will be found\nhelpful to the teacher and pupil and aid in securing the best results.\n\n                                             JULIA ELIZABETH LANGWORTHY.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n                                      PAGE\n\n  OLD PIPES AND THE DRYAD,               1\n\n  THE BEE-MAN OF ORN,                   32\n\n  THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE,               52\n\n  THE GRIFFIN AND THE MINOR CANON,      81\n\n  THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS,               108\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n                                                               FACING\n                                                                 PAGE\n  \u201cSO MANY THINGS STOP AT NIGHT--SUCH AS THE DAY\n    ITSELF--THAT I THINK YOU OUGHT TO PARDON MY\n    POOR CLOCK,\u201d                                _Frontispiece_.\n\n  A BEAUTIFUL DRYAD STEPPED QUICKLY OUT,                            1\n\n  ARLA AND THE SACRISTAN,                                          52\n\n  THEY WERE MARCHED AWAY TO THE ROBBER\u2019S CASTLE,                  108\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nJoy as a factor in education is too apt to be ignored. Feeling and\npleasure are too often counted out as not being related to the needs of\nthe child. Good-natured merriment is hushed. School is invested with\na school-consciousness, an insupportable dryness and solemnity which\nprecludes the spontaneous laughter of a normal growth. Discipline is\nenforced by direct didactic teaching or through sarcasm rather than\nencouraged by the fun which has no sting in it.\n\nThere is no writer before the public who has added more to the\nwholesome humor of the age than Mr. Stockton--no writer whose stories\nare so full of pure wit, entirely free from poison, and pointing to\nhealthy, happy action, while probing false sentiment. What child could\nfail to raise his own standard and guard himself against egotism after\nfollowing Arla through her trials in attempting to regulate the Clocks\nof Rondaine? What boy could fail to appreciate the sweetness and quiet\nin the character of the Minor Canon?\n\nEvery school would be the better for such reading. The notes from the\npipes of \u201cOld Pipes\u201d come floating down to me from the happy reading\nlessons of years ago, when my own pupils loved to read the story. What\na happy mood it threw over the school-room! It is the realization of\na long hope that one of my pupils has selected this story as one that\nought to come into an inexpensive school-book where children in general\nmay enjoy it. And why should not children have such reading, and have\nit related to school work? Why should the librarian at the public\nlibrary be the real teacher of reading, the one to whom children go to\nget what they like and want? Why should the public library instead of\nthe school-room be the literary resort for children? Why should not\nthe children, who form the best part of the \u201creading public,\u201d be in\nintimate relation to the literary life of their land? Why should they\nnot get at the man who sings out of his heart because he has something\nto sing? What would it mean to the children of the United States if\nall the reading-books gotten up for commercial purposes were swept out\nof existence and the works of good writers substituted? What would\nit mean to the public? What, to teachers, authors, publishers? To the\nchild it would mean stores and stores of knowledge, contact with the\nbest life agoing, the conservation of his youth, economy of his time.\nTo the public it would mean a more intelligent citizenship, a happier\npeople, the raising of the general taste. To the teacher it would mean\nrelief from the drudgery of trying to make something seem good and\ninteresting that is often poor and inane. To the author it would mean\nan audience of thousands where he is now heard by one. To the publisher\nit would mean the delight of knowing himself to be patriotically\nrelated to the public.\n\nSuccess to the little book, \u201cFanciful Tales\u201d! May it be followed by\ncompanions from the best authors of the country, until there is a\ncomplete set of \u201creading-books,\u201d and the literary life of the land is\nthe common condition of people, and our best writers are as well known\nto the millions as they are now to the few thousands who form the\nreading public.\n\n                                                           MARY E. BURT.\n\n  THE VINES, HOLBROOK, L. I.,\n         July 5, 1894.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: A BEAUTIFUL DRYAD STEPPED QUICKLY OUT.]\n\n\n\n\nFANCIFUL TALES\n\n\n\n\nOLD PIPES AND THE DRYAD\n\n\nA mountain brook ran through a little village. Over the brook there\nwas a narrow bridge, and from the bridge a foot-path led out from the\nvillage and up the hill-side, to the cottage of Old Pipes and his\nmother.\n\nFor many, many years Old Pipes had been employed by the villagers to\npipe the cattle down from the hills. Every afternoon, an hour before\nsunset, he would sit on a rock in front of his cottage and play on his\npipes. Then all the flocks and herds that were grazing on the mountains\nwould hear him, wherever they might happen to be, and would come down\nto the village--the cows by the easiest paths, the sheep by those not\nquite so easy, and the goats by the steep and rocky ways that were\nhardest of all.\n\nBut now, for a year or more, Old Pipes had not piped the cattle home.\nIt is true that every afternoon he sat upon the rock and played upon\nhis pipes; but the cattle did not hear him. He had grown old, and his\nbreath was feeble. The echoes of his cheerful notes, which used to\ncome from the rocky hill on the other side of the valley, were heard\nno more; and twenty yards from Old Pipes one could scarcely tell what\ntune he was playing. He had become somewhat deaf, and did not know\nthat the sound of his pipes was so thin and weak, and that the cattle\ndid not hear him. The cows, the sheep, and the goats came down every\nafternoon as before; but this was because two boys and a girl were sent\nup after them. The villagers did not wish the good old man to know that\nhis piping was no longer of any use; so they paid him his little salary\nevery month, and said nothing about the two boys and the girl.\n\nOld Pipes\u2019s mother was, of course, a great deal older than he was, and\nwas as deaf as a gate--posts, latch, hinges, and all--and she never\nknew that the sound of her son\u2019s pipe did not spread over all the\nmountain-side and echo back strong and clear from the opposite hills.\nShe was very fond of Old Pipes, and proud of his piping; and as he was\nso much younger than she was, she never thought of him as being very\nold. She cooked for him, and made his bed, and mended his clothes; and\nthey lived very comfortably on his little salary.\n\nOne afternoon, at the end of the month, when Old Pipes had finished his\npiping, he took his stout staff and went down the hill to the village\nto receive the money for his month\u2019s work. The path seemed a great deal\nsteeper and more difficult than it used to be; and Old Pipes thought\nthat it must have been washed by the rains and greatly damaged. He\nremembered it as a path that was quite easy to traverse either up or\ndown. But Old Pipes had been a very active man, and as his mother was\nso much older than he was, he never thought of himself as aged and\ninfirm.\n\nWhen the Chief Villager had paid him, and he had talked a little with\nsome of his friends, Old Pipes started to go home. But when he had\ncrossed the bridge over the brook, and gone a short distance up the\nhill-side, he became very tired, and sat down upon a stone. He had not\nbeen sitting there half a minute, when along came two boys and a girl.\n\n\u201cChildren,\u201d said Old Pipes, \u201cI\u2019m very tired to-night, and I don\u2019t\nbelieve I can climb up this steep path to my home. I think I shall have\nto ask you to help me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe will do that,\u201d said the boys and the girl, quite cheerfully; and\none boy took him by the right hand and the other by the left, while\nthe girl pushed him in the back. In this way he went up the hill quite\neasily, and soon reached his cottage door. Old Pipes gave each of the\nthree children a copper coin, and then they sat down for a few minutes\u2019\nrest before starting back to the village.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry that I tired you so much,\u201d said Old Pipes.\n\n\u201cOh, that would not have tired us,\u201d said one of the boys, \u201cif we had\nnot been so far to-day after the cows, the sheep, and the goats. They\nrambled high up on the mountain, and we never before had such a time in\nfinding them.\u201d\n\n\u201cHad to go after the cows, the sheep, and the goats!\u201d exclaimed Old\nPipes. \u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d\n\nThe girl, who stood behind the old man, shook her head, put her hand\non her mouth, and made all sorts of signs to the boy to stop talking\non this subject; but he did not notice her, and promptly answered Old\nPipes.\n\n\u201cWhy, you see, good sir,\u201d said he, \u201cthat as the cattle can\u2019t hear your\npipes now, somebody has to go after them every evening to drive them\ndown from the mountain, and the Chief Villager has hired us three to do\nit. Generally it is not very hard work, but to-night the cattle had\nwandered far.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow long have you been doing this?\u201d asked the old man.\n\nThe girl shook her head and clapped her hand on her mouth as before,\nbut the boy went on.\n\n\u201cI think it is about a year now,\u201d he said, \u201csince the people first felt\nsure that the cattle could not hear your pipes; and from that time\nwe\u2019ve been driving them down. But we are rested now, and will go home.\nGood-night, sir.\u201d\n\nThe three children then went down the hill, the girl scolding the boy\nall the way home. Old Pipes stood silent a few moments, and then he\nwent into his cottage.\n\n\u201cMother,\u201d he shouted, \u201cdid you hear what those children said?\u201d\n\n\u201cChildren!\u201d exclaimed the old woman; \u201cI did not hear them. I did not\nknow there were any children here.\u201d\n\nThen Old Pipes told his mother--shouting very loudly to make her\nhear--how the two boys and the girl had helped him up the hill, and\nwhat he had heard about his piping and the cattle.\n\n\u201cThey can\u2019t hear you?\u201d cried his mother. \u201cWhy, what\u2019s the matter with\nthe cattle?\u201d\n\n\u201cAh, me!\u201d said Old Pipes; \u201cI don\u2019t believe there\u2019s anything the\nmatter with the cattle. It must be with me and my pipes that there is\nsomething the matter. But one thing is certain: if I do not earn the\nwages the Chief Villager pays me, I shall not take them. I shall go\nstraight down to the village and give back the money I received to-day.\u201d\n\n\u201cNonsense!\u201d cried his mother. \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ve piped as well as you\ncould, and no more can be expected. And what are we to do without the\nmoney?\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d said Old Pipes; \u201cbut I\u2019m going down to the village to\npay it back.\u201d\n\nThe sun had now set; but the moon was shining very brightly on the\nhill-side, and Old Pipes could see his way very well. He did not take\nthe same path by which he had gone before, but followed another, which\nled among the trees upon the hill-side, and, though longer, was not so\nsteep.\n\nWhen he had gone about half-way, the old man sat down to rest, leaning\nhis back against a great oak tree. As he did so, he heard a sound like\nknocking inside the tree, and then a voice said:\n\n\u201cLet me out! let me out!\u201d\n\nOld Pipes instantly forgot that he was tired, and sprang to his feet.\n\u201cThis must be a Dryad tree!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cIf it is, I\u2019ll let her out.\u201d\n\nOld Pipes had never, to his knowledge, seen a Dryad tree, but he knew\nthere were such trees on the hill-sides and the mountains, and that\nDryads lived in them. He knew, too, that in the summer-time, on those\ndays when the moon rose before the sun went down, a Dryad could come\nout of her tree if anyone could find the key which locked her in, and\nturn it. Old Pipes closely examined the trunk of the tree, which stood\nin the full moonlight. \u201cIf I see that key,\u201d he said, \u201cI shall surely\nturn it.\u201d Before long he found a piece of bark standing out from the\ntree, which looked to him very much like the handle of a key. He took\nhold of it, and found he could turn it quite around. As he did so, a\nlarge part of the side of the tree was pushed open, and a beautiful\nDryad stepped quickly out.\n\nFor a moment she stood motionless, gazing on the scene before her--the\ntranquil valley, the hills, the forest, and the mountain-side, all\nlying in the soft clear light of the moon. \u201cOh, lovely! lovely!\u201d she\nexclaimed. \u201cHow long it is since I have seen anything like this!\u201d And\nthen, turning to Old Pipes, she said: \u201cHow good of you to let me out!\nI am so happy, and so thankful, that I must kiss you, you dear old\nman!\u201d And she threw her arms around the neck of Old Pipes, and kissed\nhim on both cheeks.\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t know,\u201d she then went on to say, \u201chow doleful it is to be\nshut up so long in a tree. I don\u2019t mind it in the winter, for then I am\nglad to be sheltered, but in summer it is a rueful thing not to be able\nto see all the beauties of the world. And it\u2019s ever so long since I\u2019ve\nbeen let out. People so seldom come this way; and when they do come at\nthe right time, they either don\u2019t hear me or they are frightened and\nrun away. But you, you dear old man, you were not frightened, and you\nlooked and looked for the key, and you let me out; and now I shall not\nhave to go back till winter has come, and the air grows cold. Oh, it is\nglorious! What can I do for you, to show you how grateful I am?\u201d\n\n\u201cI am very glad,\u201d said Old Pipes, \u201cthat I let you out, since I see that\nit makes you so happy; but I must admit that I tried to find the key\nbecause I had a great desire to see a Dryad. But, if you wish to do\nsomething for me, you can, if you happen to be going down toward the\nvillage.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo the village!\u201d exclaimed the Dryad. \u201cI will go anywhere for you, my\nkind old benefactor.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, then,\u201d said Old Pipes, \u201cI wish you would take this little bag of\nmoney to the Chief Villager and tell him that Old Pipes cannot receive\npay for the services which he does not perform. It is now more than a\nyear that I have not been able to make the cattle hear me, when I piped\nto call them home. I did not know this until to-night; but now that I\nknow it, I cannot keep the money, and so I send it back.\u201d And, handing\nthe little bag to the Dryad, he bade her good-night, and turned toward\nhis cottage.\n\n\u201cGood-night,\u201d said the Dryad. \u201cAnd I thank you over, and over, and over\nagain, you good old man!\u201d\n\nOld Pipes walked toward his home, very glad to be saved the fatigue of\ngoing all the way down to the village and back again. \u201cTo be sure,\u201d he\nsaid to himself, \u201cthis path does not seem at all steep, and I can walk\nalong it very easily; but it would have tired me dreadfully to come up\nall the way from the village, especially as I could not have expected\nthose children to help me again.\u201d When he reached home his mother was\nsurprised to see him returning so soon.\n\n\u201cWhat!\u201d she exclaimed; \u201chave you already come back? What did the Chief\nVillager say? Did he take the money?\u201d\n\nOld Pipes was just about to tell her that he had sent the money to the\nvillage by a Dryad, when he suddenly reflected that his mother would be\nsure to disapprove such a proceeding, and so he merely said he had sent\nit by a person whom he had met.\n\n\u201cAnd how do you know that the person will ever take it to the Chief\nVillager?\u201d cried his mother. \u201cYou will lose it, and the villagers will\nnever get it. Oh, Pipes! Pipes! when will you be old enough to have\nordinary common-sense?\u201d\n\nOld Pipes considered that, as he was already seventy years of age,\nhe could scarcely expect to grow any wiser; but he made no remark on\nthis subject, and, saying that he doubted not that the money would\ngo safely to its destination, he sat down to his supper. His mother\nscolded him roundly, but he did not mind it; and after supper he went\nout and sat on a rustic chair in front of the cottage to look at the\nmoonlit village, and to wonder whether or not the Chief Villager really\nreceived the money. While he was doing these two things, he went fast\nasleep.\n\nWhen Old Pipes left the Dryad, she did not go down to the village with\nthe little bag of money. She held it in her hand, and thought about\nwhat she had heard. \u201cThis is a good and honest old man,\u201d she said; \u201cand\nit is a shame that he should lose this money. He looked as if he needed\nit, and I don\u2019t believe the people in the village will take it from one\nwho has served them so long. Often, when in my tree, have I heard the\nsweet notes of his pipes. I am going to take the money back to him.\u201d\nShe did not start immediately, because there were so many beautiful\nthings to look at; but after awhile she went up to the cottage, and,\nfinding Old Pipes asleep in his chair, she slipped the little bag into\nhis coat-pocket, and silently sped away.\n\nThe next day Old Pipes told his mother that he would go up the mountain\nand cut some wood. He had a right to get wood from the mountain, but\nfor a long time he had been content to pick up the dead branches which\nlay about his cottage. To-day, however, he felt so strong and vigorous\nthat he thought he would go and cut some fuel that would be better than\nthis. He worked all the morning, and when he came back he did not feel\nat all tired, and he had a very good appetite for his dinner.\n\nNow, Old Pipes knew a good deal about Dryads; but there was one thing\nwhich, although he had heard, he had forgotten. This was, that a kiss\nfrom a Dryad made a person ten years younger.\n\nThe people of the village knew this, and they were very careful not\nto let any child of ten years or younger go into the woods where the\nDryads were supposed to be; for, if they should chance to be kissed by\none of these tree-nymphs, they would be set back so far that they would\ncease to exist.\n\nA story was told in the village that a very bad boy of eleven once ran\naway into the woods, and had an adventure of this kind; and when his\nmother found him he was a little baby of one year old. Taking advantage\nof her opportunity, she brought him up more carefully than she had done\nbefore, and he grew to be a very good boy indeed.\n\nNow Old Pipes had been kissed twice by the Dryad, once on each cheek,\nand he therefore felt as vigorous and active as when he was a hale man\nof fifty. His mother noticed how much work he was doing, and told him\nthat he need not try in that way to make up for the loss of his piping\nwages; for he would only tire himself out, and get sick. But her son\nanswered that he had not felt so well for years, and that he was quite\nable to work.\n\nIn the course of the afternoon, Old Pipes, for the first time that day,\nput his hand in his coat-pocket, and there, to his amazement, he found\nthe little bag of money. \u201cWell, well!\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cI am stupid,\nindeed! I really thought that I had seen a Dryad; but when I sat down\nby that big oak tree I must have gone to sleep and dreamed it all; and\nthen I came home, thinking I had given the money to a Dryad, when it\nwas in my pocket all the time. But the Chief Villager shall have the\nmoney. I shall not take it to him to-day, but to-morrow I wish to go to\nthe village to see some of my old friends; and then I shall give up the\nmoney.\u201d\n\nToward the close of the afternoon, Old Pipes, as had been his custom\nfor so many years, took his pipes from the shelf on which they lay, and\nwent out to the rock in front of the cottage.\n\n\u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d cried his mother. \u201cIf you will not consent\nto be paid, why do you pipe?\u201d\n\n\u201cI am going to pipe for my own pleasure,\u201d said her son. \u201cI am used to\nit, and I do not wish to give it up. It does not matter now whether\nthe cattle hear me or not, and I am sure that my piping will injure no\none.\u201d\n\nWhen the good man began to play upon his favorite instrument he was\nastonished at the sound that came from it. The beautiful notes of the\npipes sounded clear and strong down into the valley, and spread over\nthe hills, and up the sides of the mountain beyond, while, after a\nlittle interval, an echo came back from the rocky hill on the other\nside of the valley.\n\n\u201cHa! ha!\u201d he cried, \u201cwhat has happened to my pipes? They must have been\nstopped up of late, but now they are as clear and good as ever.\u201d\n\nAgain the merry notes went sounding far and wide. The cattle on the\nmountain heard them, and those that were old enough remembered how\nthese notes had called them from their pastures every evening, and so\nthey started down the mountain-side, the others following.\n\nThe merry notes were heard in the village below, and the people were\nmuch astonished thereby. \u201cWhy, who can be blowing the pipes of Old\nPipes?\u201d they said. But, as they were all very busy, no one went up to\nsee. One thing, however, was plain enough: the cattle were coming down\nthe mountain. And so the two boys and the girl did not have to go after\nthem, and had an hour for play, for which they were very glad.\n\nThe next morning Old Pipes started down to the village with his money,\nand on the way he met the Dryad. \u201cOh, ho!\u201d he cried, \u201cis that you? Why,\nI thought my letting you out of the tree was nothing but a dream.\u201d\n\n\u201cA dream!\u201d cried the Dryad; \u201cif you only knew how happy you have made\nme, you would not think it merely a dream. And has it not benefited\nyou? Do you not feel happier? Yesterday I heard you playing beautifully\non your pipes.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, yes,\u201d cried he. \u201cI did not understand it before, but I see it all\nnow. I have really grown younger. I thank you, I thank you, good Dryad,\nfrom the bottom of my heart. It was the finding of the money in my\npocket that made me think it was a dream.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, I put it in when you were asleep,\u201d she said, laughing, \u201cbecause I\nthought you ought to keep it. Good-by, kind, honest man. May you live\nlong, and be as happy as I am now.\u201d\n\nOld Pipes was greatly delighted when he understood that he was really a\nyounger man; but that made no difference about the money, and he kept\non his way to the village. As soon as he reached it, he was eagerly\nquestioned as to who had been playing his pipes the evening before,\nand when the people heard that it was himself they were very much\nsurprised. Thereupon Old Pipes told what had happened to him, and then\nthere was greater wonder, with hearty congratulations and hand-shakes;\nfor Old Pipes was liked by everyone. The Chief Villager refused to\ntake his money; and although Old Pipes said that he had not earned it,\neveryone present insisted that, as he would now play on his pipes as\nbefore, he should lose nothing because, for a time, he was unable to\nperform his duty.\n\nSo Old Pipes was obliged to keep his money, and after an hour or two\nspent in conversation with his friends he returned to his cottage.\n\nThere was one person, however, who was not pleased with what had\nhappened to Old Pipes. This was an Echo-dwarf who lived on the hills\nacross the valley. It was his work to echo back the notes of the pipes\nwhenever they could be heard.\n\nA great many other Echo-dwarfs lived on these hills. They all worked,\nbut in different ways. Some echoed back the songs of maidens, some the\nshouts of children, and others the music that was often heard in the\nvillage. But there was only one who could send back the strong notes of\nthe pipes of Old Pipes, and this had been his sole duty for many years.\nBut when the old man grew feeble, and the notes of his pipes could not\nbe heard on the opposite hills, this Echo-dwarf had nothing to do, and\nhe spent his time in delightful idleness; and he slept so much and grew\nso fat that it made his companions laugh to see him walk.\n\nOn the afternoon on which, after so long an interval, the sound of the\npipes was heard on the echo hills, this dwarf was fast asleep behind a\nrock. As soon as the first notes reached them, some of his companions\nran to wake him up. Rolling to his feet, he echoed back the merry tune\nof Old Pipes.\n\nNaturally, he was very angry at being thus obliged to give up his life\nof comfort, and he hoped very much that this pipe-playing would not\noccur again. The next afternoon he was awake and listening, and, sure\nenough, at the usual hour, along came the notes of the pipes as clear\nand strong as they ever had been; and he was obliged to work as long\nas Old Pipes played. The Echo-dwarf was very angry. He had supposed,\nof course, that the pipe-playing had ceased forever, and he felt that\nhe had a right to be indignant at being thus deceived. He was so much\ndisturbed that he made up his mind to go and try to find out how long\nthis was to last. He had plenty of time, as the pipes were played but\nonce a day, and he set off early in the morning for the hill on which\nOld Pipes lived. It was hard work for the fat little fellow, and when\nhe had crossed the valley and had gone some distance into the woods on\nthe hill-side, he stopped to rest, and in a few minutes the Dryad came\ntripping along.\n\n\u201cHo, ho!\u201d exclaimed the dwarf; \u201cwhat are you doing here? and how did\nyou get out of your tree?\u201d\n\n\u201cDoing!\u201d cried the Dryad; \u201cI am being happy; that\u2019s what I am doing.\nAnd I was let out of my tree by the good old man who plays the pipes\nto call the cattle down from the mountain. And it makes me happier to\nthink that I have been of service to him. I gave him two kisses of\ngratitude, and now he is young enough to play his pipes as well as\never.\u201d\n\nThe Echo-dwarf stepped forward, his face pale with passion, \u201cAm I to\nbelieve,\u201d he said, \u201cthat you are the cause of this great evil that\nhas come upon me? and that you are the wicked creature who has again\nstarted this old man upon his career of pipe-playing? What have I ever\ndone to you that you should have condemned me for years and years to\necho back the notes of those wretched pipes?\u201d\n\nAt this the Dryad laughed loudly.\n\n\u201cWhat a funny little fellow you are!\u201d she said. \u201cAnyone would think\nyou had been condemned to toil from morning till night; while what you\nreally have to do is merely to imitate for half an hour every day the\nmerry notes of Old Pipes\u2019s piping. Fie upon you, Echo-dwarf! You are\nlazy and selfish; and that is what is the matter with you. Instead\nof grumbling at being obliged to do a little wholesome work, which\nis less, I am sure, than that of any other echo-dwarf upon the rocky\nhill-side, you should rejoice at the good fortune of the old man who\nhas regained so much of his strength and vigor. Go home and learn to be\njust and generous; and then, perhaps, you may be happy. Good-by.\u201d\n\n\u201cInsolent creature!\u201d shouted the dwarf, as he shook his fat little fist\nat her. \u201cI\u2019ll make you suffer for this. You shall find out what it is\nto heap injury and insult upon one like me, and to snatch from him the\nrepose that he has earned by long years of toil.\u201d And, shaking his head\nsavagely, he hurried back to the rocky hill-side.\n\nEvery afternoon the merry notes of the pipes of Old Pipes sounded down\ninto the valley and over the hills and up the mountain-side; and every\nafternoon when he had echoed them back, the little dwarf grew more\nand more angry with the Dryad. Each day, from early morning till it\nwas time for him to go back to his duties upon the rocky hill-side, he\nsearched the woods for her. He intended, if he met her, to pretend to\nbe very sorry for what he had said, and he thought he might be able to\nplay a trick upon her which would avenge him well.\n\nOne day, while thus wandering among the trees, he met Old Pipes. The\nEcho-dwarf did not generally care to see or speak to ordinary people;\nbut now he was so anxious to find the object of his search, that he\nstopped and asked Old Pipes if he had seen the Dryad. The piper had not\nnoticed the little fellow, and he looked down on him with some surprise.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d he said; \u201cI have not seen her, and I have been looking everywhere\nfor her.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou!\u201d cried the dwarf, \u201cwhat do you wish with her?\u201d\n\nOld Pipes then sat down on a stone, so that he should be nearer the ear\nof his small companion, and he told what the Dryad had done for him.\n\nWhen the Echo-dwarf heard that this was the man whose pipes he was\nobliged to echo back every day, he would have slain him on the spot,\nhad he been able; but, as he was not able, he merely ground his teeth\nand listened to the rest of the story.\n\n\u201cI am looking for the Dryad now,\u201d Old Pipes continued, \u201con account of\nmy aged mother. When I was old myself, I did not notice how very old\nmy mother was; but now it shocks me to see how feeble her years have\ncaused her to become; and I am looking for the Dryad to ask her to make\nmy mother younger, as she made me.\u201d\n\nThe eyes of the Echo-dwarf glistened. Here was a man who might help him\nin his plans.\n\n\u201cYour idea is a good one,\u201d he said to Old Pipes, \u201cand it does you\nhonor. But you should know that a Dryad can make no person younger but\none who lets her out of her tree. However, you can manage the affair\nvery easily. All you need do is to find the Dryad, tell her what you\nwant, and request her to step into her tree and be shut up for a short\ntime. Then you will go and bring your mother to the tree; she will open\nit, and everything will be as you wish. Is not this a good plan?\u201d\n\n\u201cExcellent!\u201d cried Old Pipes; \u201cand I will go instantly and search more\ndiligently for the Dryad.\u201d\n\n\u201cTake me with you,\u201d said the Echo-dwarf. \u201cYou can easily carry me on\nyour strong shoulders; and I shall be glad to help you in any way that\nI can.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow then,\u201d said the little fellow to himself, as Old Pipes carried\nhim rapidly along, \u201cif he persuades the Dryad to get into a tree,--and\nshe is quite foolish enough to do it,--and then goes away to bring his\nmother, I shall take a stone or a club and I will break off the key of\nthat tree, so that nobody can ever turn it again. Then Mistress Dryad\nwill see what she has brought upon herself by her behavior to me.\u201d\n\nBefore long they came to the great oak tree in which the Dryad had\nlived, and at a distance they saw that beautiful creature herself\ncoming toward them.\n\n\u201cHow excellently well everything happens?\u201d said the dwarf. \u201cPut me\ndown, and I will go. Your business with the Dryad is more important\nthan mine; and you need not say anything about my having suggested your\nplan to you. I am willing that you should have all the credit of it\nyourself.\u201d\n\nOld Pipes put the Echo-dwarf upon the ground, but the little rogue did\nnot go away. He hid himself between some low, mossy rocks, and he was\nso much like them in color that you would not have noticed him if you\nhad been looking straight at him.\n\nWhen the Dryad came up, Old Pipes lost no time in telling her about\nhis mother, and what he wished her to do. At first, the Dryad answered\nnothing, but stood looking very sadly at Old Pipes.\n\n\u201cDo you really wish me to go into my tree again?\u201d she said. \u201cI should\ndreadfully dislike to do it, for I don\u2019t know what might happen. It is\nnot at all necessary, for I could make your mother younger at any time\nif she would give me the opportunity. I had already thought of making\nyou still happier in this way, and several times I have waited about\nyour cottage, hoping to meet your aged mother, but she never comes\noutside, and you know a Dryad cannot enter a house. I cannot imagine\nwhat put this idea into your head. Did you think of it yourself?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, I cannot say that I did,\u201d answered Old Pipes. \u201cA little dwarf whom\nI met in the woods proposed it to me.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh!\u201d cried the Dryad; \u201cnow I see through it all. It is the scheme of\nthat vile Echo-dwarf--your enemy and mine. Where is he? I should like\nto see him.\u201d\n\n\u201cI think he has gone away,\u201d said Old Pipes.\n\n\u201cNo, he has not,\u201d said the Dryad, whose quick eyes perceived the\nEcho-dwarf among the rocks, \u201cThere he is. Seize him and drag him out,\nI beg of you.\u201d\n\nOld Pipes saw the dwarf as soon as he was pointed out to him; and\nrunning to the rocks, he caught the little fellow by the arm and pulled\nhim out.\n\n\u201cNow, then,\u201d cried the Dryad, who had opened the door of the great oak,\n\u201cjust stick him in there, and we will shut him up. Then I shall be safe\nfrom his mischief for the rest of the time I am free.\u201d\n\nOld Pipes thrust the Echo-dwarf into the tree; the Dryad pushed the\ndoor shut; there was a clicking sound of bark and wood, and no one\nwould have noticed that the big oak had ever had an opening in it.\n\n\u201cThere,\u201d said the Dryad; \u201cnow we need not be afraid of him. And I\nassure you, my good piper, that I shall be very glad to make your\nmother younger as soon as I can. Will you not ask her to come out and\nmeet me?\u201d\n\n\u201cOf course I will,\u201d cried Old Pipes; \u201cand I will do it without delay.\u201d\n\nAnd then, the Dryad by his side, he hurried to his cottage. But when\nhe mentioned the matter to his mother, the old woman became very angry\nindeed. She did not believe in Dryads; and, if they really did exist,\nshe knew they must be witches and sorceresses, and she would have\nnothing to do with them. If her son had ever allowed himself to be\nkissed by one of them, he ought to be ashamed of himself. As to its\ndoing him the least bit of good, she did not believe a word of it. He\nfelt better than he used to feel, but that was very common. She had\nsometimes felt that way herself, and she forbade him ever to mention a\nDryad to her again.\n\nThat afternoon, Old Pipes, feeling very sad that his plan in regard\nto his mother had failed, sat down upon the rock and played upon his\npipes. The pleasant sounds went down the valley and up the hills and\nmountain, but, to the great surprise of some persons who happened\nto notice the fact, the notes were not echoed back from the rocky\nhill-side, but from the woods on the side of the valley on which Old\nPipes lived. The next day many of the villagers stopped in their work\nto listen to the echo of the pipes coming from the woods. The sound was\nnot as clear and strong as it used to be when it was sent back from the\nrocky hill-side, but it certainly came from among the trees. Such a\nthing as an echo changing its place in this way had never been heard of\nbefore, and nobody was able to explain how it could have happened. Old\nPipes, however, knew very well that the sound came from the Echo-dwarf\nshut up in the great oak tree. The sides of the tree were thin, and\nthe sound of the pipes could be heard through them, and the dwarf was\nobliged by the laws of his being to echo back those notes whenever they\ncame to him. But Old Pipes thought he might get the Dryad in trouble if\nhe let anyone know that the Echo-dwarf was shut up in the tree, and so\nhe wisely said nothing about it.\n\nOne day the two boys and the girl who had helped Old Pipes up the hill\nwere playing in the woods. Stopping near the great oak tree, they heard\na sound of knocking within it, and then a voice plainly said:\n\n\u201cLet me out! let me out!\u201d\n\nFor a moment the children stood still in astonishment, and then one of\nthe boys exclaimed:\n\n\u201cOh, it is a Dryad, like the one Old Pipes found! Let\u2019s let her out!\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat are you thinking of?\u201d cried the girl. \u201cI am the oldest of all,\nand I am only thirteen. Do you wish to be turned into crawling babies?\nRun! run! run!\u201d\n\nAnd the two boys and the girl dashed down into the valley as fast as\ntheir legs could carry them. There was no desire in their youthful\nhearts to be made younger than they were, and for fear that their\nparents might think it well that they should commence their careers\nanew, they never said a word about finding the Dryad tree.\n\nAs the summer days went on, Old Pipes\u2019 mother grew feebler and feebler.\nOne day when her son was away, for he now frequently went into the\nwoods to hunt or fish, or down into the valley to work, she arose from\nher knitting to prepare the simple dinner. But she felt so weak and\ntired that she was not able to do the work to which she had been so\nlong accustomed. \u201cAlas! alas!\u201d she said, \u201cthe time has come when I am\ntoo old to work. My son will have to hire someone to come here and cook\nhis meals, make his bed, and mend his clothes. Alas! alas! I had hoped\nthat as long as I lived I should be able to do these things. But it is\nnot so. I have grown utterly worthless, and someone else must prepare\nthe dinner for my son. I wonder where he is.\u201d And tottering to the\ndoor, she went outside to look for him. She did not feel able to stand,\nand reaching the rustic chair, she sank into it, quite exhausted, and\nsoon fell asleep.\n\nThe Dryad, who had often come to the cottage to see if she could find\nan opportunity of carrying out Old Pipes\u2019s affectionate design, now\nhappened by; and seeing that the much-desired occasion had come, she\nstepped up quietly behind the old woman and gently kissed her on each\ncheek, and then as quietly disappeared.\n\nIn a few minutes the mother of Old Pipes awoke, and looking up at the\nsun, she exclaimed: \u201cWhy, it is almost dinner-time! My son will be here\ndirectly, and I am not ready for him.\u201d And rising to her feet, she\nhurried into the house, made the fire, set the meat and vegetables to\ncook, laid the cloth, and by the time her son arrived the meal was on\nthe table.\n\n\u201cHow a little sleep does refresh one,\u201d she said to herself, as she was\nbustling about. She was a woman of very vigorous constitution, and at\nseventy had been a great deal stronger and more active than her son\nwas at that age. The moment Old Pipes saw his mother, he knew that the\nDryad had been there; but, while he felt as happy as a king, he was too\nwise to say anything about her.\n\n\u201cIt is astonishing how well I feel to-day,\u201d said his mother; \u201cand\neither my hearing has improved or you speak much more plainly than you\nhave done of late.\u201d\n\nThe summer days went on and passed away, the leaves were falling from\nthe trees, and the air was becoming cold.\n\n\u201cNature has ceased to be lovely,\u201d said the Dryad, \u201cand the night-winds\nchill me. It is time for me to go back into my comfortable quarters in\nthe great oak. But first I must pay another visit to the cottage of Old\nPipes.\u201d\n\nShe found the piper and his mother sitting side by side on the rock in\nfront of the door. The cattle were not to go to the mountain any more\nthat season, and he was piping them down for the last time. Loud and\nmerrily sounded the pipes of Old Pipes, and down the mountain-side came\nthe cattle, the cows by the easiest paths, the sheep by those not quite\nso easy, and the goats by the most difficult ones among the rocks:\nwhile from the great oak tree were heard the echoes of the cheerful\nmusic.\n\n\u201cHow happy they look, sitting there together,\u201d said the Dryad; \u201cand I\ndon\u2019t believe it will do them a bit of harm to be still younger.\u201d And\nmoving quietly up behind them, she first kissed Old Pipes on his cheek\nand then kissed his mother.\n\nOld Pipes, who had stopped playing, knew what it was, but he did not\nmove, and said nothing. His mother, thinking that her son had kissed\nher, turned to him with a smile and kissed him in return. And then she\narose and went into the cottage, a vigorous woman of sixty, followed by\nher son, erect and happy, and twenty years younger than herself.\n\nThe Dryad sped away to the woods, shrugging her shoulders as she felt\nthe cool evening wind.\n\nWhen she reached the great oak, she turned the key and opened the\ndoor. \u201cCome out,\u201d she said to the Echo-dwarf, who sat blinking within.\n\u201cWinter is coming on, and I want the comfortable shelter of my tree for\nmyself. The cattle have come down from the mountain for the last time\nthis year, the pipes will no longer sound, and you can go to your rocks\nand have a holiday until next spring.\u201d\n\nUpon hearing these words the dwarf skipped quickly out, and the Dryad\nentered the tree and pulled the door shut after her. \u201cNow, then,\u201d she\nsaid to herself, \u201che can break off the key if he likes. It does not\nmatter to me. Another will grow out next spring. And although the good\npiper made me no promise, I know that when the warm days arrive next\nyear, he will come and let me out again.\u201d\n\nThe Echo-dwarf did not stop to break the key of the tree. He was too\nhappy to be released to think of anything else, and he hastened as\nfast as he could to his home on the rocky hill-side.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe Dryad was not mistaken when she trusted in the piper. When the warm\ndays came again he went to the oak tree to let her out. But, to his\nsorrow and surprise, he found the great tree lying upon the ground. A\nwinter storm had blown it down, and it lay with its trunk shattered and\nsplit. And what became of the Dryad no one ever knew.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BEE-MAN OF ORN\n\n\nIn the ancient country of Orn there lived an old man who was called the\nBee-man, because his whole time was spent in the company of bees. He\nlived in a small hut, which was nothing more than an immense bee-hive,\nfor these little creatures had built their honey-combs in every corner\nof the one room it contained, on the shelves, under the little table,\nall about the rough bench on which the old man sat, and even about the\nhead-board and along the sides of his low bed.\n\nAll day the air of the room was thick with buzzing insects, but this\ndid not interfere in any way with the old Bee-man, who walked in among\nthem, ate his meals, and went to sleep, without the slightest fear of\nbeing stung.\n\nHe had lived with the bees so long, they had become so accustomed to\nhim, and his skin was so tough and hard, that the bees no more thought\nof stinging him than they would of stinging a tree or a stone. A swarm\nof bees had made their hive in a pocket of his old leathern doublet;\nand when he put on this coat to take one of his long walks in the\nforest in search of wild bees\u2019 nests, he was very glad to have this\nhive with him, for, if he did not find any wild honey, he would put\nhis hand in his pocket and take out a piece of a comb for a luncheon.\nThe bees in his pocket worked very industriously, and he was always\ncertain of having something to eat with him wherever he went. He lived\nprincipally upon honey; and when he needed bread or meat, he carried\nsome fine combs to a village not far away and bartered them for other\nfood. He was ugly, untidy, shrivelled, and brown. He was poor, and the\nbees seemed to be his only friends. But, for all that, he was happy\nand contented; he had all the honey he wanted, and his bees, whom he\nconsidered the best company in the world, were as friendly and sociable\nas they could be, and seemed to increase in number every day.\n\nOne day there stopped at the hut of the Bee-man a Junior Sorcerer.\nThis young person, who was a student of magic, was much interested\nin the Bee-man, whom he had often noticed in his wanderings, and he\nconsidered him an admirable subject for study. He had got a great deal\nof useful practice by trying to find out, by the various rules and laws\nof sorcery, exactly why the old Bee-man did not happen to be something\nthat he was not, and why he was what he happened to be. He had studied\na long time at this matter, and had found out something.\n\n\u201cDo you know,\u201d he said, when the Bee-man came out of his hut, \u201cthat you\nhave been transformed?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d said the other, much surprised.\n\n\u201cYou have surely heard of animals and human beings who have been\nmagically transformed into different kinds of creatures?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, I have heard of these things,\u201d said the Bee-man; \u201cbut what have I\nbeen transformed from?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is more than I know,\u201d said the Junior Sorcerer. \u201cBut one thing\nis certain: you ought to be changed back. If you will find out what\nyou have been transformed from, I will see that you are made all right\nagain. Nothing would please me better than to attend to such a case.\u201d\n\nAnd, having a great many things to study and investigate, the Junior\nSorcerer went his way.\n\nThis information greatly disturbed the mind of the Bee-man. If he had\nbeen changed from something else, he ought to be that other thing,\nwhatever it was. He ran after the young man, and overtook him.\n\n\u201cIf you know, kind sir,\u201d he said, \u201cthat I have been transformed, you\nsurely are able to tell me what it is that I was.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said the Junior Sorcerer, \u201cmy studies have not proceeded far\nenough for that. When I become a senior I can tell you all about it.\nBut, in the meantime, it will be well for you to try to find out for\nyourself your original form; and when you have done that, I will get\nsome of the learned masters of my art to restore you to it. It will be\neasy enough to do that, but you could not expect them to take the time\nand trouble to find out what it was.\u201d\n\nAnd, with these words, he hurried away, and was soon lost to view.\n\nGreatly disturbed, the Bee-man retraced his steps, and went to his hut.\nNever before had he heard anything which had so troubled him.\n\n\u201cI wonder what I was transformed from?\u201d he thought, seating himself on\nhis rough bench. \u201cCould it have been a giant, or a powerful prince, or\nsome gorgeous being whom the magicians or the fairies wished to punish?\nIt may be that I was a dog or a horse, or perhaps a fiery dragon or\na horrid snake. I hope it was not one of these. But whatever it was,\neveryone has certainly a right to his original form, and I am resolved\nto find out mine. I will start early to-morrow morning; and I am sorry\nnow that I have not more pockets to my old doublet, so that I might\ncarry more bees and more honey for my journey.\u201d\n\nHe spent the rest of the day in making a hive of twigs and straw; and,\nhaving transferred to this a number of honey-combs and a colony of bees\nwhich had just swarmed, he rose before sunrise the next day, and having\nput on his leathern doublet, and having bound his new hive to his back,\nhe set forth on his quest, the bees who were to accompany him buzzing\naround him like a cloud.\n\nAs the Bee-man pressed through the little village the people greatly\nwondered at his queer appearance, with the hive upon his back. \u201cThe\nBee-man is going on a long journey this time,\u201d they said; but no one\nimagined the strange business on which he was bent. About noon he sat\ndown under a tree, near a beautiful meadow covered with blossoms, and\nate a little honey. Then he untied his hive and stretched himself out\non the grass to rest. As he gazed upon his bees hovering about him,\nsome going out to the blossoms in the sunshine, and some returning\nladen with the sweet pollen, he said to himself, \u201cThey know just what\nthey have to do, and they do it; but alas for me! I know not what I may\nhave to do. And yet, whatever it may be, I am determined to do it. In\nsome way or other I will find out what was my original form, and then I\nwill have myself changed back to it.\u201d\n\nAnd now the thought came to him that perhaps his original form might\nhave been something very disagreeable, or even horrid.\n\n\u201cBut it does not matter,\u201d he said sturdily. \u201cWhatever I was that shall\nI be again. It is not right for anyone to keep a form which does not\nproperly belong to him. I have no doubt I shall discover my original\nform in the same way that I find the trees in which the wild bees hive.\nWhen I first catch sight of a bee tree I am drawn toward it, I know not\nhow. Something says to me: \u2018That is what you are looking for.\u2019 In the\nsame way I believe that I shall find my original form. When I see it, I\nshall be drawn toward it. Something will say to me: \u2018That is it.\u2019\u201d\n\nWhen the Bee-man was rested he started off again, and in about an hour\nhe entered a fair domain. Around him were beautiful lawns, grand\ntrees, and lovely gardens; while at a little distance stood the stately\npalace of the Lord of the Domain. Richly dressed people were walking\nabout or sitting in the shade of the trees and arbors; splendidly\nequipped horses were waiting for their riders; and everywhere were seen\nsigns of wealth and gayety.\n\n\u201cI think,\u201d said the Bee-man to himself, \u201cthat I should like to stop\nhere for a time. If it should happen that I was originally like any of\nthese happy creatures it would please me much.\u201d\n\nHe untied his hive, and hid it behind some bushes, and, taking off his\nold doublet, laid that beside it. It would not do to have his bees\nflying about him if he wished to go among the inhabitants of this fair\ndomain.\n\nFor two days the Bee-man wandered about the palace and its grounds,\navoiding notice as much as possible, but looking at everything. He saw\nhandsome men and lovely ladies; the finest horses, dogs, and cattle\nthat were ever known; beautiful birds in cages, and fishes in crystal\nglobes: and it seemed to him that the best of all living things were\nhere collected.\n\nAt the close of the second day the Bee-man said to himself: \u201cThere is\none being here toward whom I feel very much drawn, and that is the\nLord of the Domain. I cannot feel certain that I was once like him, but\nit would be a very fine thing if it were so; and it seems impossible\nfor me to be drawn toward any other being in the domain when I look\nupon him, so handsome, rich, and powerful. But I must observe him more\nclosely, and feel more sure of the matter, before applying to the\nsorcerers to change me back into a lord of a fair domain.\u201d\n\nThe next morning the Bee-man saw the Lord of the Domain walking in\nhis gardens. He slipped along the shady paths, and followed him so as\nto observe him closely, and find out if he were really drawn toward\nthis noble and handsome being. The Lord of the Domain walked on for\nsome time, not noticing that the Bee-man was behind him. But suddenly\nturning, he saw the little old man.\n\n\u201cWhat are you doing here, you vile beggar?\u201d he cried, and he gave him a\nkick that sent him into some bushes that grew by the side of the path.\n\nThe Bee-man scrambled to his feet, and ran as fast as he could to the\nplace where he had hidden his hive and his old doublet.\n\n\u201cIf I am certain of anything,\u201d he thought, \u201cit is that I was never a\nperson who would kick a poor old man. I will leave this place. I was\ntransformed from nothing that I see here.\u201d\n\nHe now travelled for a day or two longer, and then he came to a great\nblack mountain, near the bottom of which was an opening like the mouth\nof a cave.\n\nThis mountain he had heard was filled with caverns and underground\npassages, which were the abodes of dragons, evil spirits, horrid\ncreatures of all kinds.\n\n\u201cAh me!\u201d said the Bee-man with a sigh, \u201cI suppose I ought to visit this\nplace. If I am going to do this thing properly, I should look on all\nsides of the subject, and I may have been one of those horrid creatures\nmyself.\u201d\n\nThereupon he went to the mountain, and, as he approached the opening of\nthe passage which led into its inmost recesses, he saw, sitting upon\nthe ground, and leaning his back against a tree, a Languid Youth.\n\n\u201cGood-day,\u201d said this individual when he saw the Bee-man. \u201cAre you\ngoing inside?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the Bee-man, \u201cthat is what I intend to do.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen,\u201d said the Languid Youth, slowly rising to his feet, \u201cI think I\nwill go with you. I was told that if I went in there I should get my\nenergies toned up, and they need it very much; but I did not feel equal\nto entering by myself, and I thought I would wait until some one came\nalong. I am very glad to see you, and we will go in together.\u201d\n\nSo the two went into the cave, and they had proceeded but a short\ndistance when they met a very little creature, whom it was easy to\nrecognize as a Very Imp. He was about two feet high, and resembled in\ncolor a freshly polished pair of boots. He was extremely lively and\nactive, and came bounding toward them.\n\n\u201cWhat did you two people come here for?\u201d he asked.\n\n\u201cI came,\u201d said the Languid Youth, \u201cto have my energies toned up.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou have come to the right place,\u201d said the Very Imp. \u201cWe will tone\nyou up. And what does that old Bee-man want?\u201d\n\n\u201cHe has been transformed from something, and wants to find out what it\nis. He thinks he may have been one of the things in here.\u201d\n\n\u201cI should not wonder if that were so,\u201d said the Very Imp, rolling his\nhead on one side, and eying the Bee-man with a critical gaze.\n\n\u201cAll right,\u201d said the Very Imp; \u201che can go around, and pick out his\nprevious existence. We have here all sorts of vile creepers, crawlers,\nhissers, and snorters. I suppose he thinks anything will be better than\na Bee-man.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is not because I want to be better than I am,\u201d said the Bee-man,\n\u201cthat I started out on this search. I have simply an honest desire to\nbecome what I originally was.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh! that is it, is it?\u201d said the other. \u201cThere is an idiotic moon-calf\nhere with a clam head, which must be just like what you used to be.\u201d\n\n\u201cNonsense,\u201d said the Bee-man. \u201cYou have not the least idea what an\nhonest purpose is. I shall go about and see for myself.\u201d\n\n\u201cGo ahead,\u201d said the Very Imp, \u201cand I will attend to this fellow who\nwants to be toned up.\u201d So saying he joined the Languid Youth.\n\n\u201cLook here,\u201d said the Youth, \u201cdo you black and shine yourself every\nmorning?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said the other, \u201cit is water-proof varnish. You want to be\ninvigorated, don\u2019t you? Well, I will tell you a splendid way to begin.\nYou see that Bee-man has put down his hive and his coat with the bees\nin it. Just wait till he gets out of sight, and then catch a lot of\nthose bees, and squeeze them flat. If you spread them on a sticky rag,\nand make a plaster, and put it on the small of your back, it will\ninvigorate you like everything, especially if some of the bees are not\nquite dead.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, \u201cbut\nif I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied. Suppose you\ncatch a lot for me.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe subject is changed,\u201d said the Very Imp. \u201cWe are now about to visit\nthe spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is a flower,\u201d said the Languid Youth.\n\n\u201cYou will find him a gay old blossom,\u201d said the other. \u201cWhen he has\nchased you round his room, and has blown sparks at you, and has snorted\nand howled, and cracked his tail, and snapped his jaws like a pair of\nanvils, your energies will be toned up higher than ever before in your\nlife.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo doubt of it,\u201d said the Languid Youth; \u201cbut I think I will begin\nwith something a little milder.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, then,\u201d said the other, \u201cthere is a flat-tailed Demon of the\nGorge in here. He is generally asleep, and, if you say so, you can slip\ninto the farthest corner of his cave, and I\u2019ll solder his tail to the\nopposite wall. Then he will rage and roar, but he can\u2019t get at you, for\nhe doesn\u2019t reach all the way across his cave; I have measured him. It\nwill tone you up wonderfully to sit there and watch him.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery likely,\u201d said the Languid Youth; \u201cbut I would rather stay outside\nand let you go up in the corner. The performance in that way will be\nmore interesting to me.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou are dreadfully hard to please,\u201d said the Very Imp. \u201cI have offered\nthem to you loose, and I have offered them fastened to a wall, and now\nthe best thing I can do is to give you a chance at one of them that\ncan\u2019t move at all. It is the Ghastly Griffin, and is enchanted. He\ncan\u2019t stir so much as the tip of his whiskers for a thousand years. You\ncan go to his cave and examine him just as if he were stuffed, and then\nyou can sit on his back and think how it would be if you should live to\nbe a thousand years old, and he should wake up while you are sitting\nthere. It would be easy to imagine a lot of horrible things he would\ndo to you when you look at his open mouth with its awful fangs, his\ndreadful claws, and his horrible wings all covered with spikes.\u201d\n\n\u201cI think that might suit me,\u201d said the Languid Youth. \u201cI would much\nrather imagine the exercises of these monsters than to see them really\ngoing on.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome on, then,\u201d said the Very Imp, and he led the way to the cave of\nthe Ghastly Griffin.\n\nThe Bee-man went by himself through a great part of the mountain,\nand looked into many of its gloomy caves and recesses, recoiling in\nhorror from most of the dreadful monsters who met his eyes. While\nhe was wandering about, an awful roar was heard resounding through\nthe passages of the mountain, and soon there came flapping along an\nenormous dragon, with body black as night, and wings and tail of fiery\nred. In his great fore-claws he bore a little baby.\n\n\u201cHorrible!\u201d exclaimed the Bee-man. \u201cHe is taking that little creature\nto his cave to devour it.\u201d\n\nHe saw the dragon enter a cave not far away, and, following, looked\nin. The dragon was crouched upon the ground with the little baby lying\nbefore him. It did not seem to be hurt, but was frightened and crying.\nThe monster was looking upon it with delight, as if he intended to make\na dainty meal of it as soon as his appetite should be a little stronger.\n\n\u201cIt is too bad!\u201d thought the Bee-man. \u201cSomebody ought to do something.\u201d\nAnd turning around, he ran away as fast as he could.\n\nHe ran through various passages until he came to the spot where he had\nleft his bee-hive. Picking it up, he hurried back, carrying the hive\nin his two hands before him. When he reached the cave of the dragon,\nhe looked in and saw the monster still crouched over the weeping\nchild. Without a moment\u2019s hesitation, the Bee-man rushed into the cave\nand threw his hive straight into the face of the dragon. The bees,\nenraged by the shock, rushed out in an angry crowd and immediately\nfell upon the head, mouth, eyes, and nose of the dragon. The great\nmonster, astounded by this sudden attack, and driven almost wild by the\nnumberless stings of the bees, sprang back to the farthest corner of\nhis cave, still followed by the bees, at whom he flapped wildly with\nhis great wings and struck with his paws. While the dragon was thus\nengaged with the bees, the Bee-man rushed forward, and, seizing the\nchild, he hurried away. He did not stop to pick up his doublet, but\nkept on until he reached the entrance of the cave. There he saw the\nVery Imp hopping along on one leg, and rubbing his back and shoulders\nwith his hands, and stopped to inquire what was the matter, and what\nhad become of the Languid Youth.\n\n\u201cHe is no kind of a fellow,\u201d said the Very Imp. \u201cHe disappointed me\ndreadfully. I took him up to the Ghastly Griffin, and told him the\nthing was enchanted, and that he might sit on its back and think about\nwhat it could do if it was awake; and when he came near it the wretched\ncreature opened its eyes, and raised its head, and then you ought to\nhave seen how mad that simpleton was. He made a dash at me and seized\nme by the ears; he kicked and beat me till I can scarcely move.\u201d\n\n\u201cHis energies must have been toned up a good deal,\u201d said the Bee-man.\n\n\u201cToned up! I should say so!\u201d cried the other. \u201cI raised a howl, and a\nScissor-jawed Clipper came out of his hole, and got after him; but that\nlazy fool ran so fast that he could not be caught.\u201d\n\nThe Bee-man now ran on and soon overtook the Languid Youth.\n\n\u201cYou need not be in a hurry now,\u201d said the latter, \u201cfor the rules\nof this institution don\u2019t allow the creatures inside to come out of\nthis opening, or to hang around it. If they did, they would frighten\naway visitors. They go in and out of holes in the upper part of the\nmountain.\u201d\n\nThe two proceeded on their way.\n\n\u201cWhat are you going to do with that baby?\u201d said the Languid Youth.\n\n\u201cI shall carry it along with me,\u201d said the Bee-man, \u201cas I go on with my\nsearch, and perhaps I may find its mother. If I do not, I shall give\nit to somebody in that little village yonder. Anything would be better\nthan leaving it to be devoured by that horrid dragon.\u201d\n\n\u201cLet me carry it. I feel quite strong enough now to carry a baby.\u201d\n\n\u201cThank you,\u201d said the Bee-man; \u201cbut I can take it myself. I like to\ncarry something, and I have now neither my hive nor my doublet.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is very well that you had to leave them behind,\u201d said the Youth,\n\u201cfor the bees would have stung the baby.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy bees never sting babies,\u201d said the other.\n\n\u201cThey probably never had a chance,\u201d remarked his companion.\n\nThey soon entered the village, and after walking a short distance the\nYouth exclaimed. \u201cDo you see that woman over there sitting at the door\nof her house? She has beautiful hair, and she is tearing it all to\npieces. She should not be allowed to do that.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said the Bee-man. \u201cHer friends should tie her hands.\u201d\n\n\u201cPerhaps she is the mother of this child,\u201d said the Youth, \u201cand if you\ngive it to her she will no longer think of tearing her hair.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut,\u201d said the Bee-man, \u201cyou don\u2019t really think this is her child?\u201d\n\n\u201cSuppose you go over and see,\u201d said the other.\n\nThe Bee-man hesitated a moment, and then he walked toward the woman.\nHearing him coming, she raised her head, and when she saw the child she\nrushed toward it, snatched it into her arms, and screaming with joy she\ncovered it with kisses. Then with happy tears she begged to know the\nstory of the rescue of her child, whom she never expected to see again;\nand she loaded the Bee-man with thanks and blessings. The friends and\nneighbors gathered around, and there was great rejoicing. The mother\nurged the Bee-man and the Youth to stay with her, and rest and refresh\nthemselves, which they were glad to do, as they were tired and hungry.\n\nThey remained at the cottage all night, and in the afternoon of the\nnext day the Bee-man said to the Youth: \u201cIt may seem an odd thing to\nyou, but never in all my life have I felt myself drawn toward any\nliving being as I am drawn toward this baby. Therefore I believe that I\nhave been transformed from a baby.\u201d\n\n\u201cGood!\u201d cried the Youth. \u201cIt is my opinion that you have hit the truth.\nAnd now would you like to be changed back to your original form?\u201d\n\n\u201cIndeed I would!\u201d said the Bee-man. \u201cI have the strongest yearning to\nbe what I originally was.\u201d\n\nThe Youth, who had now lost every trace of languid feeling, took a\ngreat interest in the matter, and early the next morning started off to\ntell the Junior Sorcerer that the Bee-man had discovered what he had\nbeen transformed from, and desired to be changed back to it.\n\nThe Junior Sorcerer and his learned Masters were filled with delight\nwhen they heard this report, and they at once set out for the mother\u2019s\ncottage. And there by magic arts the Bee-man was changed back into a\nbaby. The mother was so grateful for what the Bee-man had done for her\nthat she agreed to take charge of this baby, and to bring it up as her\nown.\n\n\u201cIt will be a grand thing for him,\u201d said the Junior Sorcerer, \u201cand I am\nglad that I studied his case. He will now have a fresh start in life,\nand will have a chance to become something better than a miserable old\nman living in a wretched hut with no friends or companions but buzzing\nbees.\u201d\n\nThe Junior Sorcerer and his Masters then returned to their homes, happy\nin the success of their great performance; and the Youth went back to\nhis home anxious to begin a life of activity and energy.\n\nYears and years afterward, when the Junior Sorcerer had become a\nSenior and was very old indeed, he passed through the country of\nOrn, and noticed a small hut about which swarms of bees were flying.\nHe approached it, and looking in at the door he saw an old man in a\nleathern doublet, sitting at a table, eating honey. By his magic art he\nknew this was the baby which had been transformed from the Bee-man.\n\n\u201cUpon my word!\u201d exclaimed the Sorcerer, \u201che has grown into the same\nthing again!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nTHE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE\n\n\nCenturies ago, there stood on the banks of a river a little town called\nRondaine. The river was a long and winding stream which ran through\ndifferent countries, and was sometimes narrow and swift, and sometimes\nbroad and placid; sometimes hurrying through mountain passes, and again\nmeandering quietly through fertile plains; in some places of a blue\ncolor and almost transparent, and in others of a dark and sombre hue;\nand so it changed until it threw itself into a warm, far-spreading sea.\n\nBut it was quite otherwise with the little town. As far back as anybody\ncould remember, it had always been the same that it was at the time\nof our story; and the people who lived there could see no reason to\nsuppose that it would ever be different from what it was then. It was\na pleasant little town, its citizens were very happy; and why there\nshould be any change in it, the most astute old man in all Rondaine\ncould not have told you.\n\n[Illustration: ARLA AND THE SACRISTAN.]\n\nIf Rondaine had been famed for anything at all, it would have been for\nthe number of its clocks. It had many churches, some little ones in\ndark side streets, and some larger ones in wider avenues, besides here\nand there a very good-sized church fronting on a park or open square;\nand in the steeple of each of these churches there was a clock.\n\nThere were town buildings, very old ones, which stood upon the great\ncentral square. Each of these had a tower, and in each tower was a\nclock.\n\nThen there were clocks at street corners, and two clocks in the\nmarket-place, and clocks over shop-doors, a clock at each end of the\nbridge, and several large clocks a little way out of town. Many of\nthese clocks were fashioned in some quaint and curious way. In one of\nthe largest a stone man came out and struck the hours with a stone\nhammer, while a stone woman struck the half-hours with a stone broom;\nand in another an iron donkey kicked the hours on a bell behind him.\n\nIt would be impossible to tell all the odd ways in which the clocks\nof Rondaine struck; but in one respect they were alike: they all did\nstrike. The good people of the town would not have tolerated a clock\nwhich did not strike.\n\nIt was very interesting to lie awake in the night and hear the clocks\nof Rondaine strike. First would come a faint striking from one of\nthe churches in the by-streets, a modest sound, as if the clock was\nnot sure whether it was too early or not; then from another quarter\nwould be heard a more confident clock striking the hour clearly and\ndistinctly.\n\nWhen they were quite ready, but not a moment before, the seven bells\nof the large church on the square would chime the hour; after which,\nat a respectful interval of time, the other church clocks of the town\nwould strike. After the lapse of three or four minutes, the sound of\nall these bells seemed to wake up the stone man in the tower of the\ntown-building, and he struck the hour with his hammer. When this had\nbeen done, the other town-clocks felt at liberty to strike, and they\ndid so. And when every sound had died away, so that he would be certain\nto be heard if there was anyone awake to hear, it would be very likely\nthat the iron donkey would kick out the hour on his bell. But there\nwere times when he kicked before any of the clocks began to strike.\n\nOne by one the clocks on the street corners struck, the uptown ones\nfirst, and afterward those near the river. These were followed by the\ntwo clocks on the bridge, the one at the country end waiting until it\nwas quite sure that the one at the town end had finished. Somewhat\nlater would be heard the clock of Vougereau, an old country-house\nin the suburbs. This clock, a very large one, was on the top of a\ngreat square stone tower, and from its age it had acquired a habit of\ndeliberation; and when it began to strike people were very apt to think\nthat it was one o\u2019clock, until after an interval another stroke would\ntell them that it was later or earlier than that, and if they really\nwanted to know what hour the old clock was striking they must give\nthemselves time enough to listen until they were entirely certain that\nit had finished.\n\nThe very last clock to strike in Rondaine was one belonging to a\nlittle old lady with white hair, who lived in a little white house in\none of the prettiest and cleanest streets in the town. Her clock was\nin a little white tower at the corner of her house, and was the only\nstrictly private clock which was in the habit of making itself publicly\nheard. Long after every other clock had struck, and when there was\nevery reason to believe that for some time nothing but half-hours would\nbe heard in Rondaine, the old lady\u2019s clock would strike quickly and\nwith a tone that said, \u201cI know I am right, and I wish other people to\nknow it.\u201d\n\nIn a small house which stood at a corner of two streets in the town\nthere lived a young girl named Arla. For a year or more this young girl\nhad been in the habit of waking up very early in the morning, sometimes\nlong before daylight, and it had become a habit with her to lie and\nlisten to the clocks. Her room was at the top of the house, and one of\nits windows opened to the west and another to the south, so that sounds\nentered from different quarters. Arla liked to leave these windows open\nso that the sounds of the clocks might come in.\n\nArla knew every clock by its tone, and she always made it a point\nto lie awake until she was positively sure that the last stroke of\nthe clock at Vougereau had sounded; but it often happened that sleep\novercame her before she heard the clock of the little old lady with\nwhite hair. It was so very long to wait for that!\n\nIt was not because she wanted to know the hour that Arla used to lie\nand listen to the clocks. She could tell this from her own little\nclock in her room. This little clock, which had been given to her when\nshe was a small girl, not only struck the hours and half-hours and\nquarter-hours, but there was attached to it a very pretty contrivance\nwhich also told the time. On the front of the clock, just below the\ndial, was a sprig of a rosebush beautifully made of metal, and on this,\njust after the hour had sounded, there was a large green bud; at a\nquarter past the hour this bud opened a little, so that the red petals\ncould be seen; fifteen minutes later it was a half-blown rose, and at\na quarter of an hour more it was nearly full blown; just before the\nhour the rose opened to its fullest extent, and so remained until the\nclock had finished striking, when it immediately shut up into a great\ngreen bud. This clock was a great delight to Arla; for not only was it\na very pleasant thing to watch the unfolding of the rose, but it was\na continual satisfaction to her to think that her little clock always\ntold her exactly what time it was, no matter what the other clocks of\nRondaine might say.\n\nArla\u2019s father and mother were thrifty, industrious people, who were\nvery fond of their daughter, and wished her to grow up a thoughtful,\nuseful woman. In the very early morning, listening to the clocks of\nRondaine or waiting for them, Arla did a great deal of thinking; and it\nso happened, on the morning of the day before Christmas, when the stars\nwere bright and the air frosty, and every outside sound very clear and\ndistinct, that Arla began to think of something which had never entered\nher mind before.\n\n\u201cHow in the world,\u201d she said to herself, \u201cdo the people of Rondaine\nknow when it is really Christmas? Christmas begins as soon as it is\ntwelve o\u2019clock on Christmas Eve; but as some of the people depend for\nthe time upon one clock and some upon others, a great many of them\ncannot truly know when Christmas Day has really begun. Even some of\nthe church clocks make people think that Christmas has come, when in\nreality it is yet the day before. And not one of them strikes at the\nright time. As for that iron donkey, I believe he kicks whenever he\nfeels like it. And yet there are people who go by him! I know this, for\nthey have told me so. But the little old lady with white hair is worse\noff than anybody else. Christmas must always come ever so long before\nshe knows it.\u201d\n\nWith these thoughts on her mind, Arla could not go to sleep again. She\nheard all the clocks strike, and lay awake until her own little clock\ntold her that she ought to get up. During this time she had made up her\nmind what she should do. There was yet one day before Christmas; and\nif the people of the town could be made to see in what a deplorable\ncondition they were on account of the difference in their clocks,\nthey might have time to set the matter right so that all the clocks\nshould strike the correct hour, and everybody should know exactly when\nChristmas Day began. She was sure that the citizens had never given\nthis matter proper thought; and it was quite natural that such should\nbe the case, for it was not everyone who was in the habit of lying\nawake in the very early morning; and in the daytime, with all the\nout-door noises, one could not hear all the clocks strike in Rondaine.\nArla, therefore, thought that a great deal depended upon her, who knew\nexactly how this matter stood.\n\nWhen she went down to breakfast she asked permission of her mother\nto take a day\u2019s holiday. As she was a good girl, and never neglected\neither her lessons or her tasks, her mother was quite willing to give\nher the day before Christmas in which she could do as she pleased.\n\nThe day was cool, but the sun shone brightly and the air was pleasant.\nIn the country around about Rondaine Christmas-time was not a very cold\nseason. Arla put on a warm jacket and a pretty blue hood, and started\nout gayly to attend to the business in hand.\n\nEverybody in Rondaine knew her father and mother, and a great many of\nthem knew her, so there was no reason why she should be afraid to go\nwhere she chose. In one hand she carried a small covered basket in\nwhich she had placed her rose-clock. The works of this little clock\nwere regulated by a balance-wheel, like those of a watch, and therefore\nit could be carried about without stopping it.\n\nThe first place she visited was the church at which she and her parents\nalways attended service. It was a small building in a little square\nat the bottom of a hill, and, to reach it, one had to go down a long\nflight of stone steps. When she entered the dimly lighted church, Arla\nsoon saw the sacristan, a pleasant-faced little old man whom she knew\nvery well.\n\n\u201cGood-morning, sir,\u201d said she. \u201cDo you take care of the church clock?\u201d\n\nThe sacristan was sweeping the stone pavements of the church, just\ninside the door. He stopped and leaned upon his broom. \u201cYes, my little\nfriend,\u201d he said, \u201cI take care of everything here except the souls of\nthe people.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, then,\u201d said Arla, \u201cI think you ought to know that your clock is\neleven minutes too fast. I came here to tell you that, so that you\nmight change it, and make it strike properly.\u201d\n\nThe sacristan\u2019s eyes began to twinkle. He was a man of merry mood.\n\u201cThat is very good of you, little Arla; very good indeed. And, now that\nwe are about it, isn\u2019t there something else you would like to change?\nWhat do you say to having these stone pillars put to one side, so that\nthey may be out of the way of the people when they come in? Or those\ngreat beams in the roof--they might be turned over, and perhaps we\nmight find that the upper side would look fresher than this lower part,\nwhich is somewhat time-stained, as you see? Or, for the matter of that,\nwhat do you say to having our clock-tower taken down and set out there\nin the square before the church-door? Then short-sighted people could\nsee the time much better, don\u2019t you think? Now tell me, shall we do all\nthese things together, wise little friend?\u201d\n\nA tear or two came into Arla\u2019s eyes, but she made no answer.\n\n\u201cGood-morning, sir,\u201d she said, and went away.\n\n\u201cI suppose,\u201d she said to herself as she ran up the stone steps, \u201cthat\nhe thought it would be too much trouble to climb to the top of the\ntower to set the clock right. But that was no reason why he should make\nfun of me. I don\u2019t like him as much as I used to.\u201d\n\nThe next church to which Arla went was a large one, and it was some\ntime before she could find the sacristan. At last she saw him in a\nside chapel at the upper end of the church, engaged in dusting some\nold books. He was a large man, with a red face, and he turned around\nquickly, with a stern expression, as she entered.\n\n\u201cPlease, sir,\u201d said Arla, \u201cI came to tell you that your church clock\nis wrong. It strikes from four to six minutes before it ought to;\nsometimes the one and sometimes the other. It should be changed so that\nit will be sure to strike at the right time.\u201d\n\nThe face of the sacristan grew redder and twitched visibly at her\nremark.\n\n\u201cDo you know what I wish?\u201d he almost shouted in reply.\n\n\u201cNo, sir,\u201d answered Arla.\n\n\u201cI wish,\u201d he said, \u201cthat you were a boy, so that I might take you by\nthe collar and soundly cuff your ears, for coming here to insult an\nofficer of the church in the midst of his duties! But, as you are\na girl, I can only tell you to go away from here as rapidly and as\nquietly as you can, or I shall have to put you in the hands of the\nchurch authorities!\u201d\n\nArla was truly frightened, and although she did not run--for she knew\nthat would not be proper in a church--she walked as fast as she could\ninto the outer air.\n\n\u201cWhat a bad man,\u201d she then said to herself, \u201cto be employed in a\nchurch! It surely is not known what sort of a person he is, or he would\nnot be allowed to stay there a day!\u201d\n\nArla thought she would not go to any more churches at present, for she\ndid not know what sort of sacristans she might find in them.\n\n\u201cWhen the other clocks in the town all strike properly,\u201d she thought,\n\u201cit is most likely they will see for themselves that their clocks are\nwrong, and they will have them changed.\u201d\n\nShe now made her way to the great square of the town, and entered the\nbuilding at the top of which stood the stone man with his hammer. She\nfound the doorkeeper in a little room by the side of the entrance.\nShe knew where to go, for she had been there with her mother to ask\npermission to go up and see the stone man strike the hour with his\nhammer, and the stone woman strike the half-hour with her broom.\n\nThe doorkeeper was a grave, middle-aged man with spectacles; and,\nremembering what had just happened, Arla thought she would be careful\nhow she spoke to him.\n\n\u201cIf you please, sir,\u201d she said, with a courtesy, \u201cI should like to say\nsomething to you. And I hope you will not be offended when I tell you\nthat your clock is not quite right. Your stone man and your stone woman\nare both too slow; they sometimes strike as much as seven minutes after\nthey ought to strike.\u201d\n\nThe grave, middle-aged man looked steadily at her through his\nspectacles.\n\n\u201cI thought,\u201d continued Arla, \u201cthat if this should be made known to you,\nyou would have the works of the stone man and the stone woman altered\nso that they might strike at the right time. They can be heard so far,\nyou know, that it is very necessary they should not make mistakes.\u201d\n\n\u201cChild,\u201d said the man, with his spectacles still steadily fixed on her,\n\u201cfor one hundred and fifty-seven years the open tower on this building\nhas stood there. For one hundred and fifty-seven years the thunder and\nthe lightning in time of storm have roared and flashed around it, and\nthe sun in time of fair weather has shone upon it. In that century and\na half and seven years men and women have lived and have died, and\ntheir children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren,\nand even the children of these, have lived and died after them. Kings\nand queens have passed away, one after another; and all things living\nhave grown old and died, one generation after another, many times.\nAnd yet, through all these years, that stone man and that stone woman\nhave stood there, and in storm and in fair weather, by daylight or in\nthe darkness of night, they have struck the hours and the half-hours.\nOf all things that one hundred and fifty-seven years ago were able to\nlift an arm to strike, they alone are left. And now you, a child of\nthirteen, or perhaps fourteen years, come to me and ask me to change\nthat which has not been changed for a century and a half and seven\nyears!\u201d\n\nArla could answer nothing with those spectacles fixed upon her. They\nseemed to glare more and more as she looked at them. \u201cGood-morning,\nsir,\u201d she said, dropping a courtesy as she moved backward toward the\ndoor. Reaching it, she turned and hurried into the street.\n\n\u201cIf those stone people,\u201d she thought, \u201chave not been altered in all\nthese years, it is likely they would now be striking two or three hours\nout of the way! But I don\u2019t know. If they kept on going slow for more\nthan a century, they must have come around to the right hour sometimes.\nBut they will have to strike ever and ever so much longer before they\ncome around there again!\u201d\n\nArla now walked on until she came to a street corner where a cobbler\nhad a little shop. In the angle of the wall of the house, at the\nheight of the second story, was a clock. This cobbler did not like\nthe confined air and poor light of his shop, and whenever the weather\nallowed he always worked outside on the sidewalk. To-day, although it\nwas winter, the sun shone brightly on this side of the street, and he\nhad put his bench outside, close to his door, and was sitting there,\nhard at work. When Arla stopped before him he looked up and said,\ncheerfully:\n\n\u201cGood-morning, Mistress Arla. Do you want them half-soled, or heeled,\nor a patch put on the toes?\u201d\n\n\u201cMy shoes do not need mending,\u201d said Arla. \u201cI came to ask you if you\ncould tell me who has charge of the clock at this corner?\u201d\n\n\u201cI can easily do that,\u201d he said, \u201cfor I am the man. I am paid by the\nyear, for winding it up and keeping it in order, as much as I should\nget for putting the soles, heels, tops, linings, and buckles on a pair\nof shoes.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhich means making them out and out,\u201d said Arla.\n\n\u201cYou are right,\u201d said he, \u201cand the pay is not great; but if it were\nlarger, more people might want it and I might lose it; and if it were\nless, how could I afford to do it at all? So I am satisfied.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut you ought not to be entirely satisfied,\u201d said Arla, \u201cfor the\nclock does not keep good time. I know when it is striking, for it has\na very jangling sound, and it is the most irregular clock in Rondaine.\nSometimes it strikes as much as twenty-five minutes after the hour, and\nvery often it does not strike at all.\u201d\n\nThe cobbler looked up at her with a smile. \u201cI am sorry,\u201d he said, \u201cthat\nit has a jangling stroke, but the fashioning of clocks is not my trade,\nand I could not mend its sound with awl, hammer, or waxed-end. But it\nseems to me, my good maiden, that you never mended a pair of shoes.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, indeed!\u201d said Arla; \u201cI should do that even worse than you would\nmake clocks.\u201d\n\n\u201cNever having mended shoes, then,\u201d said the cobbler, \u201cyou do not know\nwhat a grievous thing it is to have twelve o\u2019clock, or six o\u2019clock, or\nany other hour, in fact, come before you are ready for it. Now, I don\u2019t\nmind telling you, because I know you are too good to spoil the trade of\na hard-working cobbler--and shoemaker too, whenever he gets the chance\nto be one--that when I have promised a customer that he shall have his\nshoes or his boots at a certain time of day, and that time is drawing\nnear, and the end of the job is still somewhat distant, then do I skip\nup the stairway and set back the hands of the clock according to the\nwork that has to be done. And when my customer comes I look up to the\nclock-face and I say to him, \u2018Glad to see you!\u2019 and then he will look\nup at the clock and will say, \u2018Yes, I am a little too soon;\u2019 and then,\nas likely as not, he will sit down on the doorstep here by me and\ntalk entertainingly; and it may happen that he will sit there without\ngrumbling for many minutes after the clock has pointed out the hour at\nwhich the shoes were promised.\n\n\u201cSometimes, when I have been much belated in beginning a job, I stop\nthe clock altogether, for you can well see for yourself that it would\nnot do to have it strike eleven when it is truly twelve. And so, if my\nman be willing to sit down, and our talk be very entertaining, the\nclock being above him where he cannot see it without stepping outward\nfrom the house, he may not notice that it is stopped. This once served\nme very well, for an old gentleman, over-testy and over-punctual, once\ncame to me for his shoes, and looking up at the clock, which I had\nprepared for him, exclaimed, \u2018Bless me! I am much too early!\u2019 And he\nsat down by me for three-quarters of an hour, in which time I persuaded\nhim that his shoes were far too much worn to be worth mending any more,\nand that he should have a new pair, which, afterward, I made.\u201d\n\n\u201cI do not believe it is right for you to do that,\u201d said Arla; \u201cbut even\nif you think so, there is no reason why your clock should go wrong at\nnight, when so many people can hear it because of the stillness.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh, me!\u201d said the cobbler, \u201cI do not object to the clock being as\nright as you please in the night; but when my day\u2019s work is done, I am\nin such a hurry to go home to my supper that I often forget to put the\nclock right, or to set it going if it is stopped. But so many things\nstop at night--such as the day itself--and so many things then go\nwrong--such as the ways of evil-minded people--that I think you truly\nought to pardon my poor clock.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen you will not consent,\u201d said Arla, \u201cto make it go right?\u201d\n\n\u201cI will do that with all cheerfulness,\u201d answered the cobbler, pulling\nout a pair of waxed-ends with a great jerk, \u201cas soon as I can make\nmyself go right. The most important thing should always be done first;\nand, surely, I am more important than a clock!\u201d And he smiled with\ngreat good-humor.\n\nArla knew that it would be of no use to stand there any longer and talk\nwith this cobbler. Turning to go, she said:\n\n\u201cWhen I bring you shoes to mend, you shall finish them by my clock, and\nnot by yours.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat will I, my good little Arla,\u201d said the cobbler, heartily. \u201cThey\nshall be finished by any clock in town, and five minutes before the\nhour, or no payment.\u201d\n\nArla now walked on until she came to the bridge over the river. It was\na long, covered bridge, and by the entrance sat the bridge-keeper.\n\n\u201cDo you know, sir,\u201d said she, \u201cthat the clock at this end of your\nbridge does not keep the same time as the one at the other end? They\nare not so very different, but I have noticed that this one is always\ndone striking at least two minutes before the other begins.\u201d\n\nThe bridge-keeper looked at her with one eye, which was all he had.\n\n\u201cYou are as wrong as anybody can be,\u201d said he. \u201cI do not say anything\nabout the striking, because my ears are not now good enough to hear the\nclock at the other end when I am near this one; but I know they both\nkeep the same time. I have often looked at this clock and have then\nwalked to the other end of the bridge, and have found that the clock\nthere was exactly like it.\u201d\n\nArla looked at the poor old man, whose legs were warmly swaddled on\naccount of his rheumatism, and said:\n\n\u201cBut it must take you a good while to walk to the other end of the\nbridge.\u201d\n\n\u201cOut upon you!\u201d cried the bridge-keeper. \u201cI am not so old as that yet!\nI can walk there in no time!\u201d\n\nArla now crossed the bridge and went a short distance along a country\nroad until she came to the great stone house known as Vougereau. This\nbelonged to a rich family who seldom came there, and the place was in\ncharge of an elderly man who was the brother of Arla\u2019s mother. When his\nniece was shown into a room on the ground floor, which served for his\nparlor and his office, he was very glad to see her; and while Arla\nwas having something to eat and drink after her walk, the two had a\npleasant chat.\n\n\u201cI came this time, Uncle Anton,\u201d she said, \u201cnot only to see you, but to\ntell you that the great clock in your tower does not keep good time.\u201d\n\nUncle Anton looked at her a little surprised.\n\n\u201cHow do you know that, my dear?\u201d he said.\n\nThen Arla told him how she had lain awake in the early morning, and had\nheard the striking of the different clocks. \u201cIf you wish to make it\nright,\u201d said she, \u201cI can give you the proper time, for I have brought\nmy own little clock with me.\u201d\n\nShe was about to take her rose-clock out of her basket, when her uncle\nmotioned to her not to do so.\n\n\u201cLet me tell you something,\u201d said he. \u201cThe altering of the time of day,\nwhich you speak of so lightly, is a very serious matter, which should\nbe considered with all gravity. If you set back a clock, even as little\nas ten minutes, you add that much to the time that has passed. The\nhour which has just gone by has been made seventy minutes long. Now,\nno human being has the right to add anything to the past, nor to make\nhours longer than they were originally made. And, on the other hand,\nif you set a clock forward even so little as ten minutes, you take away\nthat much from the future, and you make the coming hour only fifty\nminutes long. Now, no human being has a right to take anything away\nfrom the future, or to make the hours shorter than they were intended\nto be. I desire, my dear niece, that you will earnestly think over what\nI have said, and I am sure that you will then see for yourself how\nunwise it would be to trifle with the length of the hours which make up\nour day. And now, Arla, let us talk of other things.\u201d\n\nAnd so they talked of other things until Arla thought it was time\nto go. She saw there was something wrong in her uncle\u2019s reasoning,\nalthough she could not tell exactly what it was, and thinking about it,\nshe slowly returned to the town. As she approached the house of the\nlittle old lady with white hair, she concluded to stop and speak to her\nabout her clock. \u201cShe will surely be willing to alter that,\u201d said Arla,\n\u201cfor it is so very much out of the way.\u201d\n\nThe old lady knew who Arla was, and received her very kindly; but when\nshe heard why the young girl had come to her, she flew into a passion.\n\n\u201cNever, since I was born,\u201d she said \u201chave I been spoken to like this!\nMy great-grandfather lived in this house before me; that clock was good\nenough for him! My grandfather lived in this house before me; that\nclock was good enough for him! My father and mother lived in this house\nbefore me; that clock was good enough for them! I was born in this\nhouse, have always lived in it, and expect to die in it; that clock is\ngood enough for me! I heard its strokes when I was but a little child,\nI hope to hear them at my last hour; and sooner than raise my hand\nagainst the clock of my ancestors, and the clock of my whole life, I\nwould cut off that hand!\u201d\n\nSome tears came into Arla\u2019s eyes; she was a little frightened. \u201cI hope\nyou will pardon me, good madam,\u201d she said, \u201cfor, truly, I did not wish\nto offend you. Nor did I think that your clock is not a good one. I\nonly meant that you should make it better; it is nearly an hour out of\nthe way.\u201d\n\nThe sight of Arla\u2019s tears cooled the anger of the little old lady with\nwhite hair. \u201cChild,\u201d she said, \u201cyou do not know what you are talking\nabout, and I forgive you. But remember this: never ask persons as old\nas I am to alter the principles which have always made clear to them\nwhat they should do, or the clocks which have always told them when\nthey should do it.\u201d\n\nAnd, kissing Arla, she bade her good-by.\n\n\u201cPrinciples may last a great while without altering,\u201d thought Arla, as\nshe went away, \u201cbut I am sure it is very different with clocks.\u201d\n\nThe poor girl now felt a good deal discouraged.\n\n\u201cThe people don\u2019t seem to care whether their clocks are right or not,\u201d\nshe said to herself, \u201cand if they don\u2019t care, I am sure it is of no\nuse for me to tell them about it. If even one clock could be made to\ngo properly, it might help to make the people of Rondaine care to know\nexactly what time it is. Now, there is that iron donkey. If he would\nbut kick at the right hour it would be an excellent thing, for he kicks\nso hard that he is heard all over the town.\u201d\n\nDetermined to make this one more effort, Arla walked quickly to the\ntown-building, at the top of which was the clock with the iron donkey.\nThis building was a sort of museum; it had a great many curious things\nin it, and it was in charge of a very ingenious man, who was learned\nand skilful in various ways.\n\nWhen Arla had informed the superintendent of the museum why she had\ncome to him, he did not laugh at her nor did he get angry. He was\naccustomed to giving earnest consideration to matters of this sort, and\nhe listened attentively to all that Arla had to say.\n\n\u201cYou must know,\u201d he said, \u201cthat our iron donkey is a very complicated\npiece of mechanism. Not only must he kick out the hours, but five\nminutes before doing so he must turn his head around and look at the\nbell behind him; and then, when he has done kicking, he must put his\nhead back into its former position. All this action requires a great\nmany wheels and cogs and springs and levers, and these cannot be\nmade to move with absolute regularity. When it is cold, some of his\nworks contract; and when it is warm, they expand; and there are other\nreasons why he is very likely to lose or gain time. At noon, on every\nbright day, I set him right, being able to get the correct time from\na sun-dial which stands in the court-yard. But his works--which I am\nsorry to say are not well made--are sure to get a great deal out of the\nway before I set him again.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen, if there are several cloudy or rainy days together, he goes very\nwrong indeed,\u201d said Arla.\n\n\u201cYes, he truly does,\u201d replied the superintendent, \u201cand I am sorry for\nit. But there is no way to help it except for me to make him all over\nagain at my own expense, and that is something I cannot afford to do.\nThe clock belongs to the town, and I am sure the citizens will not be\nwilling to spend the money necessary for a new donkey-clock; for, so\nfar as I know, every person but yourself is perfectly satisfied with\nthis one.\u201d\n\n\u201cI suppose so,\u201d said Arla, with a sigh; \u201cbut it really is a great pity\nthat every striking-clock in Rondaine should be wrong!\u201d\n\n\u201cBut how do you know they are all wrong?\u201d asked the superintendent.\n\n\u201cOh, that is easy enough,\u201d said Arla. \u201cWhen I lie awake in the early\nmorning, when all else is very still, I listen to their striking, and\nthen I look at my own rose-clock to see what time it really is.\u201d\n\n\u201cYour rose-clock?\u201d said the superintendent.\n\n\u201cThis is it,\u201d said Arla, opening her basket and taking out her little\nclock.\n\nThe superintendent took it into his hands and looked at it attentively,\nboth outside and inside. And then, still holding it, he stepped out\ninto the court-yard. When in a few moments he returned, he said:\n\n\u201cI have compared your clock with my sun-dial, and find that it is ten\nminutes slow. I also see that, like the donkey-clock, its works are not\nadjusted in such a way as to be unaffected by heat and cold.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy--clock--ten--minutes--slow!\u201d exclaimed Arla, with wide-open eyes.\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the superintendent, \u201cthat is the case to-day, and on\nsome days it is, probably, a great deal too fast. Such a clock as\nthis--which is a very ingenious and beautiful one--ought frequently to\nbe compared with a sun-dial or other correct time-keeper, and set to\nthe proper hour. I see it requires a peculiar key with which to set it.\nHave you brought this with you?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, sir,\u201d said Arla; \u201cI did not suppose it would be needed.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, then,\u201d said the superintendent, \u201cyou can set it forward ten\nminutes when you reach home; and if to-morrow morning you compare the\nother clocks with it, I think you will find that not all of them are\nwrong.\u201d\n\nArla sat quiet for a moment, and then she said: \u201cI think I shall\nnot care any more to compare the clocks of Rondaine with my little\nrose-clock. If the people are satisfied with their own clocks, whether\nthey are fast or slow, and do not care to know exactly when Christmas\nDay begins, I can do nobody any good by listening to the different\nstrikings and then looking at my own little clock, with a night-lamp by\nit.\u201d\n\n\u201cEspecially,\u201d said the superintendent, with a smile, \u201cwhen you are not\nsure that your rose-clock is right. But if you bring here your little\nclock and your key on any day when the sun is shining, I will set it to\nthe time shadowed on the sun-dial, or show you how to do it yourself.\u201d\n\n\u201cThank you very much,\u201d said Arla, and she took her leave.\n\nAs she walked home, she lifted the lid of her basket and looked at\nher little rose-clock. \u201cTo think of it!\u201d she said. \u201cThat you should\nbe sometimes too fast and sometimes too slow! And, worse than that,\nto think that some of the other clocks have been right and you have\nbeen wrong! But I do not feel like altering you to-day. If you go fast\nsometimes, and slow sometimes, you must be right sometimes, and one of\nthese days, when I take you to be compared with the sun-dial, perhaps\nyou will not have to be altered so much.\u201d\n\nArla went to bed that night quite tired with her long walks, and when\nshe awoke it was broad daylight. \u201cI do not know,\u201d she said to herself,\n\u201cexactly when Christmas began, but I am very sure that the happy day is\nhere.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo you lie awake in the morning as much as you used to?\u201d asked Arla\u2019s\nmother, a few weeks after the Christmas holidays.\n\n\u201cNo, mother dear,\u201d said Arla; \u201cI now sleep with one of my windows shut,\nand I am no longer awakened by that chilly feeling which used to come\nto me in the early morning, when I would draw the bed-covers close\nabout me and think how wrong were the clocks of Rondaine.\u201d\n\nAnd the little rose-clock never went to be compared with the sun-dial.\n\u201cPerhaps you are right now,\u201d Arla would say to her clock each day when\nthe sun shone, \u201cand I will not take you until some time when I feel\nvery sure that you are wrong.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nTHE GRIFFIN AND THE MINOR CANON\n\n\nOver the great door of an old, old church which stood in a quiet town\nof a far-away land there was carved in stone the figure of a large\ngriffin. The old-time sculptor had done his work with great care, but\nthe image he had made was not a pleasant one to look at. It had a large\nhead, with enormous open mouth and savage teeth; from its back arose\ngreat wings, armed with sharp hooks and prongs; it had stout legs in\nfront, with projecting claws; but there were no legs behind,--the body\nrunning out into a long and powerful tail, finished off at the end with\na barbed point. This tail was coiled up under him, the end sticking up\njust back of his wings.\n\nThe sculptor, or the people who had ordered this stone figure, had\nevidently been very much pleased with it, for little copies of it, also\nin stone, had been placed here and there along the sides of the church,\nnot very far from the ground, so that people could easily look at\nthem, and ponder on their curious forms. There were a great many other\nsculptures on the outside of this church--saints, martyrs, grotesque\nheads of men, beasts, and birds, as well as those of other creatures\nwhich cannot be named, because nobody knows exactly what they were;\nbut none were so curious and interesting as the great griffin over the\ndoor, and the little griffins on the sides of the church.\n\nA long, long distance from the town, in the midst of dreadful wilds\nscarcely known to man, there dwelt the Griffin whose image had been put\nup over the church-door. In some way or other, the old-time sculptor\nhad seen him and afterward, to the best of his memory, had copied his\nfigure in stone.\n\nThe Griffin had never known this, until, hundreds of years afterward,\nhe heard from a bird, from a wild animal, or in some manner which it is\nnot now easy to find out, that there was a likeness of him on the old\nchurch in the distant town.\n\nNow, this Griffin had no idea how he looked. He had never seen a\nmirror, and the streams where he lived were so turbulent and violent\nthat a quiet piece of water, which would reflect the image of any thing\nlooking into it, could not be found. Being, as far as could be known,\nthe very last of his race, he had never seen another griffin. Therefore\nit was that, when he heard of this stone image of himself, he became\nvery anxious to know what he looked like, and at last he determined to\ngo to the old church, and see for himself what manner of being he was.\n\nSo he started off from the dreadful wilds, and flew on and on until\nhe came to the countries inhabited by men, where his appearance in\nthe air created great consternation; but he alighted nowhere, keeping\nup a steady flight until he reached the suburbs of the town which had\nhis image on its church. Here, late in the afternoon, he alighted in a\ngreen meadow by the side of a brook, and stretched himself on the grass\nto rest. His great wings were tired, for he had not made such a long\nflight in a century, or more.\n\nThe news of his coming spread quickly over the town, and the people,\nfrightened nearly out of their wits by the arrival of so strange a\nvisitor, fled into their houses, and shut themselves up. The Griffin\ncalled loudly for some one to come to him; but the more he called, the\nmore afraid the people were to show themselves. At length he saw two\nlaborers hurrying to their homes through the fields, and in a terrible\nvoice he commanded them to stop. Not daring to disobey, the men stood,\ntrembling.\n\n\u201cWhat is the matter with you all?\u201d cried the Griffin. \u201cIs there not a\nman in your town who is brave enough to speak to me?\u201d\n\n\u201cI think,\u201d said one of the laborers, his voice shaking so that\nhis words could hardly be understood, \u201cthat--perhaps--the Minor\nCanon--would come.\u201d\n\n\u201cGo, call him, then!\u201d said the Griffin; \u201cI want to see him.\u201d\n\nThe Minor Canon, who was an assistant in the old church, had just\nfinished the afternoon services, and was coming out of a side door,\nwith three aged women who had formed the week-day congregation. He\nwas a young man of a kind disposition, and very anxious to do good to\nthe people of the town. Apart from his duties in the church, where he\nconducted services every week-day, he visited the sick and the poor,\ncounselled and assisted persons who were in trouble, and taught a\nschool composed entirely of the bad children in the town with whom\nnobody else would have anything to do. Whenever the people wanted\nsomething difficult done for them, they always went to the Minor\nCanon. Thus it was that the laborer thought of the young priest when he\nfound that someone must come and speak to the Griffin.\n\nThe Minor Canon had not heard of the strange event, which was known to\nthe whole town except himself and the three old women, and when he was\ninformed of it, and was told that the Griffin had asked to see him, he\nwas greatly amazed and frightened.\n\n\u201cMe!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cHe has never heard of me! What should he want with\n_me_?\u201d\n\n\u201cOh! you must go instantly!\u201d cried the two men. \u201cHe is very angry now\nbecause he has been kept waiting so long; and nobody knows what may\nhappen if you don\u2019t hurry to him.\u201d\n\nThe poor Minor Canon would rather have had his hand cut off than go\nout to meet an angry Griffin; but he felt that it was his duty to go,\nfor it would be a woful thing if injury should come to the people of\nthe town because he was not brave enough to obey the summons of the\nGriffin. So, pale and frightened, he started off.\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d said the Griffin, as soon as the young man came near, \u201cI am\nglad to see that there is someone who has the courage to come to me.\u201d\n\nThe Minor Canon did not feel very brave, but he bowed his head.\n\n\u201cIs this the town,\u201d said the Griffin, \u201cwhere there is a church with a\nlikeness of myself over one of the doors?\u201d\n\nThe Minor Canon looked at the frightful creature before him and saw\nthat it was, without doubt, exactly like the stone image on the church.\n\u201cYes,\u201d he said, \u201cyou are right.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, then,\u201d said the Griffin, \u201cwill you take me to it? I wish very\nmuch to see it.\u201d\n\nThe Minor Canon instantly thought that if the Griffin entered the town\nwithout the people\u2019s knowing what he came for, some of them would\nprobably be frightened to death, and so he sought to gain time to\nprepare their minds.\n\n\u201cIt is growing dark, now,\u201d he said, very much afraid, as he spoke, that\nhis words might enrage the Griffin, \u201cand objects on the front of the\nchurch cannot be seen clearly. It will be better to wait until morning,\nif you wish to get a good view of the stone image of yourself.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat will suit me very well,\u201d said the Griffin. \u201cI see you are a man\nof good sense. I am tired, and I will take a nap here on this soft\ngrass, while I cool my tail in the little stream that runs near me.\nThe end of my tail gets red-hot when I am angry or excited, and it is\nquite warm now. So you may go; but be sure and come early to-morrow\nmorning, and show me the way to the church.\u201d\n\nThe Minor Canon was glad enough to take his leave, and hurried into the\ntown. In front of the church he found a great many people assembled to\nhear his report of his talk with the Griffin. When they found that he\nhad not come to spread ruin, but simply to see his stony likeness on\nthe church, they showed neither relief nor gratification, but began to\nupbraid the Minor Canon for consenting to conduct the creature into the\ntown.\n\n\u201cWhat could I do?\u201d cried the young man. \u201cIf I should not bring him he\nwould come himself and, perhaps, end by setting fire to the town with\nhis red-hot tail.\u201d\n\nStill the people were not satisfied, and a great many plans were\nproposed to prevent the Griffin from coming into the town. Some elderly\npersons urged that the young men should go out and kill him; but the\nyoung men scoffed at such a ridiculous idea.\n\nThen someone said that it would be a good thing to destroy the stone\nimage so that the Griffin would have no excuse for entering the town;\nand this plan was received with such favor that many of the people\nran for hammers, chisels, and crowbars, with which to tear down and\nbreak up the stone griffin. But the Minor Canon resisted this plan\nwith all the strength of his mind and body. He assured the people that\nthis action would enrage the Griffin beyond measure, for it would be\nimpossible to conceal from him that his image had been destroyed during\nthe night. But the people were so determined to break up the stone\ngriffin that the Minor Canon saw that there was nothing for him to do\nbut to stay there and protect it. All night he walked up and down in\nfront of the church-door, keeping away the men who brought ladders,\nby which they might mount to the great stone griffin, and knock it to\npieces with their hammers and crowbars. After many hours the people\nwere obliged to give up their attempts, and went home to sleep; but\nthe Minor Canon remained at his post till early morning, and then he\nhurried away to the field where he had left the Griffin.\n\nThe monster had just awakened, and rising to his forelegs and shaking\nhimself he said that he was ready to go into the town. The Minor Canon,\ntherefore, walked back, the Griffin flying slowly through the air, at a\nshort distance above the head of his guide. Not a person was to be seen\nin the streets, and they went directly to the front of the church,\nwhere the Minor Canon pointed out the stone griffin.\n\nThe real Griffin settled down in the little square before the church\nand gazed earnestly at his sculptured likeness. For a long time he\nlooked at it. First he put his head on one side, and then he put it on\nthe other; then he shut his right eye and gazed with his left, after\nwhich he shut his left eye and gazed with his right. Then he moved a\nlittle to one side and looked at the image, then he moved the other\nway. After a while he said to the Minor Canon, who had been standing by\nall this time:\n\n\u201cIt is, it must be, an excellent likeness! That breadth between the\neyes, that expansive forehead, those massive jaws! I feel that it must\nresemble me. If there is any fault to find with it, it is that the\nneck seems a little stiff. But that is nothing. It is an admirable\nlikeness--admirable!\u201d\n\nThe Griffin sat looking at his image all the morning and all the\nafternoon. The Minor Canon had been afraid to go away and leave him,\nand had hoped all through the day that he would soon be satisfied with\nhis inspection and fly away home. But by evening the poor young man was\nvery tired, and felt that he must eat and sleep. He frankly said this\nto the Griffin, and asked him if he would not like something to eat. He\nsaid this because he felt obliged in politeness to do so; but as soon\nas he had spoken the words, he was seized with dread lest the monster\nshould demand half a dozen babies, or some tempting repast of that kind.\n\n\u201cOh, no,\u201d said the Griffin; \u201cI never eat between the equinoxes. At the\nvernal and at the autumnal equinox I take a good meal, and that lasts\nme for half a year. I am extremely regular in my habits, and do not\nthink it healthful to eat at odd times. But if you need food, go and\nget it, and I will return to the soft grass where I slept last night\nand take another nap.\u201d\n\nThe next day the Griffin came again to the little square before the\nchurch, and remained there until evening, steadfastly regarding the\nstone griffin over the door. The Minor Canon came once or twice to look\nat him, and the Griffin seemed very glad to see him; but the young\nclergyman could not stay as he had done before, for he had many duties\nto perform. Nobody went to the church, but the people came to the Minor\nCanon\u2019s house, and anxiously asked him how long the Griffin was going\nto stay.\n\n\u201cI do not know,\u201d he answered, \u201cbut I think he will soon be satisfied\nwith regarding his stone likeness, and then he will go away.\u201d\n\nBut the Griffin did not go away. Morning after morning he came to the\nchurch; but after a time he did not stay there all day. He seemed to\nhave taken a great fancy to the Minor Canon, and followed him about\nas he worked. He would wait for him at the side door of the church,\nfor the Minor Canon held services every day, morning and evening,\nthough nobody came now. \u201cIf anyone should come,\u201d he said to himself,\n\u201cI must be found at my post.\u201d When the young man came out, the Griffin\nwould accompany him in his visits to the sick and the poor, and would\noften look into the windows of the school-house where the Minor Canon\nwas teaching his unruly scholars. All the other schools were closed,\nbut the parents of the Minor Canon\u2019s scholars forced them to go to\nschool, because they were so bad they could not endure them all day at\nhome--Griffin or no Griffin. But it must be said they generally behaved\nvery well when that great monster sat up on his tail and looked in at\nthe school-room window.\n\nWhen it was found that the Griffin showed no sign of going away, all\nthe people who were able to do so left the town. The canons and the\nhigher officers of the church had fled away during the first day of the\nGriffin\u2019s visit, leaving behind only the Minor Canon and some of the\nmen who opened the doors and swept the church. All the citizens who\ncould afford it shut up their houses and travelled to distant parts,\nand only the working-people and the poor were left behind. After some\ndays these ventured to go about and attend to their business, for if\nthey did not work they would starve. They were getting a little used to\nseeing the Griffin; and having been told that he did not eat between\nequinoxes, they did not feel so much afraid of him as before.\n\nDay by day the Griffin became more and more attached to the Minor\nCanon. He kept near him a great part of the time, and often spent the\nnight in front of the little house where the young clergyman lived\nalone. This strange companionship was often burdensome to the Minor\nCanon; but, on the other hand, he could not deny that he derived a\ngreat deal of benefit and instruction from it. The Griffin had lived\nfor hundreds of years, and had seen much, and he told the Minor Canon\nmany wonderful things.\n\n\u201cIt is like reading an old book,\u201d said the young clergyman to himself;\n\u201cbut how many books I would have had to read before I would have found\nout what the Griffin has told me about the earth, the air, the water,\nabout minerals, and metals, and growing things, and all the wonders of\nthe world!\u201d\n\nThus the summer went on, and drew toward its close. And now the people\nof the town began to be very much troubled again.\n\n\u201cIt will not be long,\u201d they said, \u201cbefore the autumnal equinox is here,\nand then that monster will want to eat. He will be dreadfully hungry,\nfor he has taken so much exercise since his last meal. He will devour\nour children. Without doubt, he will eat them all. What is to be done?\u201d\n\nTo this question no one could give an answer, but all agreed that the\nGriffin must not be allowed to remain until the approaching equinox.\nAfter talking over the matter a great deal, a crowd of the people went\nto the Minor Canon at a time when the Griffin was not with him.\n\n\u201cIt is all your fault,\u201d they said, \u201cthat that monster is among us. You\nbrought him here, and you ought to see that he goes away. It is only\non your account that he stays here at all; for, although he visits his\nimage every day, he is with you the greater part of the time. If you\nwere not here, he would not stay. It is your duty to go away, and then\nhe will follow you, and we shall be free from the dreadful danger which\nhangs over us.\u201d\n\n\u201cGo away!\u201d cried the Minor Canon, greatly grieved at being spoken to in\nsuch a way. \u201cWhere shall I go? If I go to some other town, shall I not\ntake this trouble there? Have I a right to do that?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said the people, \u201cyou must not go to any other town. There is\nno town far enough away. You must go to the dreadful wilds where the\nGriffin lives; and then he will follow you and stay there.\u201d\n\nThey did not say whether or not they expected the Minor Canon to stay\nthere also, and he did not ask them anything about it. He bowed his\nhead, and went into his house to think. The more he thought, the more\nclear it became to his mind that it was his duty to go away, and thus\nfree the town from the presence of the Griffin.\n\nThat evening he packed a leathern bag full of bread and meat, and early\nthe next morning he set out on his journey to the dreadful wilds. It\nwas a long, weary, and doleful journey, especially after he had gone\nbeyond the habitations of men; but the Minor Canon kept on bravely, and\nnever faltered.\n\nThe way was longer than he had expected, and his provisions soon grew\nso scanty that he was obliged to eat but a little every day; but he\nkept up his courage, and pressed on, and, after many days of toilsome\ntravel, he reached the dreadful wilds.\n\nWhen the Griffin found that the Minor Canon had left the town he\nseemed sorry, but showed no desire to go and look for him. After a few\ndays had passed he became much annoyed, and asked some of the people\nwhere the Minor Canon had gone. But, although the citizens had been\nso anxious that the young clergyman should go to the dreadful wilds,\nthinking that the Griffin would immediately follow him, they were\nnow afraid to mention the Minor Canon\u2019s destination, for the monster\nseemed angry already, and if he should suspect their trick he would,\ndoubtless, become very much enraged. So everyone said he did not know,\nand the Griffin wandered about disconsolate. One morning he looked into\nthe Minor Canon\u2019s school-house, which was always empty now, and thought\nthat it was a shame that everything should suffer on account of the\nyoung man\u2019s absence.\n\n\u201cIt does not matter so much about the church,\u201d he said, \u201cfor nobody\nwent there; but it is a pity about the school. I think I will teach it\nmyself until he returns.\u201d\n\nIt was the hour for opening the school, and the Griffin went inside and\npulled the rope which rang the school-bell. Some of the children who\nheard the bell ran in to see what was the matter, supposing it to be\na joke of one of their companions; but when they saw the Griffin they\nstood astonished and scared.\n\n\u201cGo tell the other scholars,\u201d said the monster, \u201cthat school is about\nto open, and that if they are not all here in ten minutes I shall come\nafter them.\u201d\n\nIn seven minutes every scholar was in place.\n\nNever was seen such an orderly school. Not a boy or girl moved or\nuttered a whisper. The Griffin climbed into the master\u2019s seat, his wide\nwings spread on each side of him, because he could not lean back in his\nchair while they stuck out behind, and his great tail coiled around, in\nfront of the desk, the barbed end sticking up, ready to tap any boy or\ngirl who might misbehave.\n\nThe Griffin now addressed the scholars, telling them that he intended\nto teach them while their master was away. In speaking he tried\nto imitate, as far as possible, the mild and gentle tones of the\nMinor Canon; but it must be admitted that in this he was not very\nsuccessful. He had paid a good deal of attention to the studies of the\nschool, and he determined not to try to teach them anything new, but to\nreview them in what they had been studying; so he called up the various\nclasses, and questioned them upon their previous lessons. The children\nracked their brains to remember what they had learned. They were so\nafraid of the Griffin\u2019s displeasure that they recited as they had never\nrecited before. One of the boys, far down in his class, answered so\nwell that the Griffin was astonished.\n\n\u201cI should think you would be at the head,\u201d said he. \u201cI am sure you have\nnever been in the habit of reciting so well. Why is this?\u201d\n\n\u201cBecause I did not choose to take the trouble,\u201d said the boy, trembling\nin his boots. He felt obliged to speak the truth, for all the children\nthought that the great eyes of the Griffin could see right through\nthem, and that he would know when they told a falsehood.\n\n\u201cYou ought to be ashamed of yourself,\u201d said the Griffin. \u201cGo down to\nthe very tail of the class; and if you are not at the head in two days,\nI shall know the reason why.\u201d\n\nThe next afternoon this boy was Number One.\n\nIt was astonishing how much these children now learned of what they\nhad been studying. It was as if they had been educated over again. The\nGriffin used no severity toward them, but there was a look about him\nwhich made them unwilling to go to bed until they were sure they knew\ntheir lessons for the next day.\n\nThe Griffin now thought that he ought to visit the sick and the poor;\nand he began to go about the town for this purpose. The effect upon\nthe sick was miraculous. All, except those who were very ill indeed,\njumped from their beds when they heard he was coming, and declared\nthemselves quite well. To those who could not get up he gave herbs and\nroots, which none of them had ever before thought of as medicines, but\nwhich the Griffin had seen used in various parts of the world; and most\nof them recovered. But, for all that, they afterward said that, no\nmatter what happened to them, they hoped that they should never again\nhave such a doctor coming to their bedsides, feeling their pulses and\nlooking at their tongues.\n\nAs for the poor, they seemed to have utterly disappeared. All those\nwho had depended upon charity for their daily bread were now at work\nin some way or other; many of them offering to do odd jobs for their\nneighbors just for the sake of their meals--a thing which before had\nbeen seldom heard of in the town. The Griffin could find no one who\nneeded his assistance.\n\nThe summer had now passed, and the autumnal equinox was rapidly\napproaching. The citizens were in a state of great alarm and anxiety.\nThe Griffin showed no signs of going away, but seemed to have settled\nhimself permanently among them. In a short time the day for his\nsemi-annual meal would arrive, and then what would happen? The monster\nwould certainly be very hungry, and would devour all their children.\n\nNow they greatly regretted and lamented that they had sent away the\nMinor Canon; he was the only one on whom they could have depended in\nthis trouble, for he could talk freely with the Griffin, and so find\nout what could be done. But it would not do to be inactive. Some step\nmust be taken immediately. A meeting of the citizens was called, and\ntwo old men were appointed to go and talk to the Griffin. They were\ninstructed to offer to prepare a splendid dinner for him on equinox\nday--one which would entirely satisfy his hunger. They would offer him\nthe fattest mutton, the most tender beef, fish, and game of various\nsorts, and anything of the kind that he might fancy. If none of these\nsuited, they were to mention that there was an orphan asylum in the\nnext town.\n\n\u201cAnything would be better,\u201d said the citizens, \u201cthan to have our dear\nchildren devoured.\u201d\n\nThe old men went to the Griffin; but their propositions were not\nreceived with favor.\n\n\u201cFrom what I have seen of the people of this town,\u201d said the monster,\n\u201cI do not think I could relish anything which was prepared by them.\nThey appear to be all cowards, and, therefore, mean and selfish. As for\neating one of them, old or young, I could not think of it for a moment.\nIn fact, there was only one creature in the whole place for whom I\ncould have had any appetite, and that is the Minor Canon, who has gone\naway. He was brave, and good, and honest, and I think I should have\nrelished him.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh!\u201d said one of the old men very politely, \u201cin that case I wish we\nhad not sent him to the dreadful wilds!\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat!\u201d cried the Griffin. \u201cWhat do you mean? Explain instantly what\nyou are talking about!\u201d\n\nThe old man, terribly frightened at what he had said, was obliged to\ntell how the Minor Canon had been sent away by the people, in the hope\nthat the Griffin might be induced to follow him.\n\nWhen the monster heard this he became furiously angry. He dashed away\nfrom the old men, and, spreading his wings, flew backward and forward\nover the town. He was so much excited that his tail became red-hot, and\nglowed like a meteor against the evening sky. When at last he settled\ndown in the little field where he usually rested, and thrust his tail\ninto the brook, the steam arose like a cloud, and the water of the\nstream ran hot through the town. The citizens were greatly frightened,\nand bitterly blamed the old man for telling about the Minor Canon.\n\n\u201cIt is plain,\u201d they said, \u201cthat the Griffin intended at last to go and\nlook for him, and we should have been saved. Now who can tell what\nmisery you have brought upon us.\u201d\n\nThe Griffin did not remain long in the little field. As soon as his\ntail was cool he flew to the town-hall and rang the bell. The citizens\nknew that they were expected to come there; and although they were\nafraid to go, they were still more afraid to stay away; and they\ncrowded into the hall. The Griffin was on the platform at one end,\nflapping his wings and walking up and down, and the end of his tail was\nstill so warm that it slightly scorched the boards as he dragged it\nafter him.\n\nWhen everybody who was able to come was there, the Griffin stood still\nand addressed the meeting.\n\n\u201cI have had a very low opinion of you,\u201d he said, \u201cever since I\ndiscovered what cowards you are, but I had no idea that you were so\nungrateful, selfish, and cruel as I now find you to be. Here was your\nMinor Canon, who labored day and night for your good, and thought of\nnothing else but how he might benefit you and make you happy; and as\nsoon as you imagine yourselves threatened with a danger--for well I\nknow you are dreadfully afraid of me--you send him off, caring not\nwhether he returns or perishes, hoping thereby to save yourselves. Now,\nI had conceived a great liking for that young man, and had intended, in\na day or two, to go and look him up. But I have changed my mind about\nhim. I shall go and find him, but I shall send him back here to live\namong you, and I intend that he shall enjoy the reward of his labor and\nhis sacrifices.\n\n\u201cGo, some of you, to the officers of the church, who so cowardly ran\naway when I first came here, and tell them never to return to this\ntown under penalty of death. And if, when your Minor Canon comes back\nto you, you do not bow yourselves before him, put him in the highest\nplace among you, and serve and honor him all his life, beware of my\nterrible vengeance! There were only two good things in this town: the\nMinor Canon and the stone image of myself over your church-door. One of\nthese you have sent away, and the other I shall carry away myself.\u201d\n\nWith these words he dismissed the meeting, and it was time, for the end\nof his tail had become so hot that there was danger of its setting fire\nto the building.\n\nThe next morning the Griffin came to the church, and tearing the\nstone image of himself from its fastenings over the great door, he\ngrasped it with his powerful forelegs and flew up into the air. Then,\nafter hovering over the town for a moment, he gave his tail an angry\nshake and took up his flight to the dreadful wilds. When he reached\nthis desolate region, he set the stone griffin upon a ledge of a rock\nwhich rose in front of the dismal cave he called his home. There the\nimage occupied a position somewhat similar to that it had had over the\nchurch-door; and the Griffin, panting with the exertion of carrying\nsuch an enormous load to so great a distance, lay down upon the ground\nand regarded it with much satisfaction. When he felt somewhat rested\nhe went to look for the Minor Canon. He found the young man, weak and\nhalf-starved, lying under the shadow of a rock. After picking him\nup and carrying him to his cave, the Griffin flew away to a distant\nmarsh, where he procured some roots and herbs which he well knew were\nstrengthening and beneficial to man, though he had never tasted them\nhimself. After eating these the Minor Canon was greatly revived, and\nsat up and listened while the Griffin told him what had happened in the\ntown.\n\n\u201cDo you know,\u201d said the monster, when he had finished, \u201cthat I have\nhad, and still have, a great liking for you?\u201d\n\n\u201cI am very glad to hear it,\u201d said the Minor Canon, with his usual\npoliteness.\n\n\u201cI am not at all sure that you would be,\u201d said the Griffin, \u201cif you\nthoroughly understood the state of the case; but we will not consider\nthat now. If some things were different, other things would be\notherwise. I have been so enraged by discovering the manner in which\nyou have been treated that I have determined that you shall at last\nenjoy the rewards and honors to which you are entitled. Lie down and\nhave a good sleep, and then I will take you back to the town.\u201d\n\nAs he heard these words, a look of trouble came over the young man\u2019s\nface.\n\n\u201cYou need not give yourself any anxiety,\u201d said the Griffin, \u201cabout my\nreturn to the town. I shall not remain there. Now that I have that\nadmirable likeness of myself in front of my cave, where I can sit at my\nleisure, and gaze upon its noble features, I have no wish to see that\nabode of cowardly and selfish people.\u201d\n\nThe Minor Canon, relieved from his fears, lay back, and dropped into a\ndoze; and when he was sound asleep the Griffin took him up, and carried\nhim back to the town. He arrived just before daybreak, and, putting the\nyoung man gently on the grass in the little field where he himself used\nto rest, the monster, without having been seen by any of the people,\nflew back to his home.\n\nWhen the Minor Canon made his appearance in the morning among the\ncitizens, the enthusiasm and cordiality with which he was received were\ntruly wonderful. He was taken to a house which had been occupied by one\nof the banished high officers of the place, and everyone was anxious\nto do all that could be done for his health and comfort. The people\ncrowded into the church when he held services, so that the three old\nwomen who used to be his week-day congregation could not get to the\nbest seats, which they had always been in the habit of taking; and the\nparents of the bad children determined to reform them at home, in order\nthat he might be spared the trouble of keeping up his former school.\nThe Minor Canon was appointed to the highest office of the old church,\nand before he died he became a bishop.\n\nDuring the first years after his return from the dreadful wilds the\npeople of the town looked up to him as a man to whom they were bound to\ndo honor and reverence; but they often, also, looked up to the sky to\nsee if there were any signs of the Griffin coming back. However, in the\ncourse of time, they learned to honor and reverence their former Minor\nCanon without the fear of being punished if they did not do so.\n\nBut they need never have been afraid of the Griffin. The autumnal\nequinox day came round, and the monster ate nothing. If he could\nnot have the Minor Canon, he did not care for anything. So, lying\ndown, with his eyes fixed upon the great stone griffin, he gradually\ndeclined, and died. It was a good thing for some of the people of the\ntown that they did not know this.\n\nIf you should ever visit the old town, you would still see the little\ngriffins on the sides of the church; but the great stone griffin that\nwas over the door is gone.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS\n\n\nChristmas was coming, a long time ago, and the boys in a certain\nfar-away school were talking and thinking about it. Eleven of these\nyoungsters, who were all great friends, and generally kept together,\nwhether at work or play, held a secret meeting, at which they resolved\nthat they were tired of the ordinary ways of spending Christmas.\n\n\u201cWe are bored to death,\u201d said one of the older boys, \u201cwith Christmas\ntrees, with Christmas games, with Christmas carols, and with the\nhanging-up of stockings on Christmas Eve. Such things may do very well\nfor children, but we have grown out of them.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s true!\u201d cried the others. \u201cWe\u2019ve grown out of that kind of\nnonsense.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, sir!\u201d exclaimed the smallest boy of all, who was generally known\nas Tomtit. \u201cWe\u2019ve grown out of that.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: THEY WERE MARCHED AWAY TO THE ROBBER\u2019S CASTLE.]\n\n\u201cOf course,\u201d said the biggest boy, who was called by his companions Old\nPluck, because he had never been found to be afraid of anything,\n\u201cthere will be this Christmas childishness at the school, just as\nthere has been always; and I propose that, instead of staying here and\nsubmitting to it, we run away, and have a Christmas to suit ourselves.\u201d\n\n\u201cHurrah!\u201d cried the other boys. \u201cThat\u2019s what we shall do. Have a\nChristmas to suit ourselves.\u201d\n\nHaving made up their minds to this, these eleven boys, on the afternoon\nof the next day but one to Christmas, ran away from school, in order\nthat they might find a place where they would be free to celebrate the\ngreat holiday in whatever way they pleased. They walked as fast as they\ncould, little Tomtit keeping up bravely in the rear, although he was\nobliged to run almost as much as he walked, until they were at a long\ndistance from the school. Night was now coming on, and Old Pluck called\na halt.\n\n\u201cBoys,\u201d said he, \u201cwe will camp at the edge of that forest, and those\nof you who have brought bows and arrows had better look about and see\nif you can\u2019t shoot some birds and rabbits for our supper. The unarmed\nmembers must gather wood to make a camp-fire. But if you are tired,\nTomtit, you needn\u2019t do anything.\u201d\n\n\u201cTired!\u201d exclaimed the little fellow, standing up very straight and\nthrowing out his chest; \u201cI should like to know why I should be tired.\nI\u2019ll go and bring some logs.\u201d\n\nTomtit was very anxious to be considered just as strong and active as\nthe other boys. Every morning he used to get one of his companions to\nfeel the muscles of his arms, to see if they had not increased in size\nsince the day before.\n\nThe camp-fire was burning brightly when the boys with the bows and\narrows returned, stating that they had found it rather too late in the\nday for game, and that it would be better to postpone the shooting\nof birds and rabbits till the next morning. Old Pluck then asked\nthe members of his little company what provisions they had brought\nwith them; and it was found that no one except Tomtit had thought of\nbringing anything. He had in his coat-pocket a luncheon of bread and\nmeat. It was thereupon ordered that Tomtit\u2019s luncheon should be divided\ninto eleven portions, and the little fellow was given a knife with\nwhich to cut it up.\n\nIt was at this time that there came through the forest a band of\nrobbers--five men and a chief. These men, on their way to their\ncastle, had been talking about the approach of Christmas.\n\n\u201cI am getting very tired,\u201d said the chief, \u201cof the wild revelries with\nwhich on great occasions we make our castle ring. It would be a most\nagreeable relief, methinks, if we could celebrate the coming Christmas\nas ordinary people do. The trouble is we don\u2019t know how.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou speak well,\u201d replied one of his followers. \u201cWe would be glad\nenough to have the ordinary Christmas festivities if we did but know\nhow such things are managed.\u201d\n\nThe conversation was cut short at this point by the discovery of a\ncamp-fire at the edge of the wood. Instantly every robber crouched\nclose to the ground, and crept silently to the spot where the boys were\ngathered around Tomtit, watching him as he cut up his luncheon.\n\nIn a few moments the chief gave a whistle, and then the robbers rushed\nout, and each of the men seized two of the larger boys, while the chief\nstooped down and grasped Tomtit by the collar. Some of the boys kicked\nand scuffled a great deal; but this was of no use, and they were all\nmarched away to the robbers\u2019 castle, little Tomtit feeling very proud\nthat it took a whole man to hold him by the collar.\n\nWhen they reached the castle the boys were shut up in a large room,\nwhere they were soon provided with a plentiful supper. Having finished\ntheir meal, they were conducted to the great hall of the castle, where\nthe robber chief sat in his chair of state, a huge fire blazing upon\nthe hearth, while suits of armor, glittering weapons, and trophies of\nmany kinds were hung upon the walls.\n\nThe boys were now ordered to tell their story; and when Old Pluck had\nfinished it, the chief addressed his captives thus: \u201cI am sure that you\nyoung fellows could never have imagined the pleasure you were going to\ngive to me when you determined to run away from school at this happy\nseason.\n\n\u201cMy men and myself have a fancy for a Christmas like that of other\npeople. We want a Christmas tree, Christmas carols and games, and all\nthat sort of festivity. We know nothing about these things ourselves,\nand were wondering how we could manage to have the kind of Christmas\nwe want. But now that we have you boys with us, it will all be\nsimple and easy enough. You shall celebrate Christmas for us in the\nmanner to which you have always been accustomed. We will provide\nyou with everything that is necessary, and we will have a good old\nschool-and-home Christmas. You shall even hang up your stockings, and I\nwill see to it that Santa Claus for the first time visits this castle.\nAnd now, my fine fellows, to bed with you, and to-morrow we will all go\nto work to prepare for a good old-fashioned Christmas.\u201d\n\nThe boys were conducted to a large upper room, where they found eleven\nmattresses spread out upon the floor. They threw themselves upon their\nbeds; but not one of them could close his eyes through thinking of the\ndoleful plight which they were in. They had run away to get rid of the\ntiresome old Christmas doings, and now they were to go through all\nthose very things just to please a band of robbers. The thought of it\nwas insupportable, and for an hour or two each boy rolled and moaned\nupon his mattress.\n\nAt last Old Pluck spoke. \u201cBoys,\u201d he said, \u201call is now quiet below, and\nI believe those rascally robbers have gone to bed. Let us wait a little\nwhile longer, and then slip downstairs and run away. We can surely find\nsome door or window which we can open; and I, for one, am not willing\nto stay here and act the part of a Christmas slave for the pleasure of\nthese bandits.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d exclaimed Tomtit, sitting up in bed, so as to expand his chest,\n\u201cwe will never consent to that.\u201d\n\nThe boys eagerly agreed to Old Pluck\u2019s plan, and in about half an hour\nthey quietly arose and stole toward the stairs. The full moon was\nshining in through the windows, so that they could see perfectly well\nwhere they were going. They had gone a short distance down the great\nstaircase, when Old Pluck, who led the way, heard a slight noise behind\nhim. Turning to inquire what this was, he was told it was the cracking\nof Tomtit\u2019s knees.\n\n\u201cPass the word to Tomtit,\u201d he said, in a whisper, \u201cthat if he can\u2019t\nkeep his knees from cracking he must stay where he is.\u201d\n\nPoor little Tomtit, who brought up the rear, was dreadfully troubled\nwhen he heard this; but he bravely passed the word back that his knees\nshould not crack any more, and the line moved on.\n\nIt was difficult now for Tomtit to take a step, for if he bent his\nknees they were sure to crack. He tried going downstairs stiff-legged,\nlike a pair of scissors; but this he found almost impossible, so he\nmade up his mind that the only thing he could do was to slide down the\nbroad banister. He was used to this feat, and he performed it with much\ndexterity. The banister, however, was very smooth and steep, and he\nwent down much faster than he intended, shooting off at the bottom, and\nlanding on the floor on the broad of his back.\n\nThe boys were now in the great hall, and, seeing a light in the\nadjoining room, they looked into it. There, upon couches made of the\nskins of wild beasts, they saw the six robbers, fast asleep. A happy\nthought now came into the mind of Old Pluck. Stepping back, he looked\naround him, and soon perceived in one corner of the hall a quantity of\nrich stuffs and other booty, bound up into bundles with heavy cords.\nTaking out his knife he quickly cut off a number of these cords and\ngave them to his companions.\n\n\u201cBoys,\u201d he then whispered, \u201cI have thought of a splendid plan. Let us\nbind these robbers hand and foot, and then, instead of doing what they\nwant us to do, we can make them do what we want. That will be ever so\nmuch better fun than running away.\u201d\n\n\u201cGood!\u201d said the boys. \u201cBut suppose they wake up while we are tying\nthem?\u201d\n\n\u201cIf we are truly brave,\u201d said Old Pluck, \u201cwe must just go ahead, and\nnot think of anything like that.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, sir,\u201d said Tomtit, straightening himself and throwing out his\nchest, \u201cwe mustn\u2019t think of anything of that sort.\u201d\n\nThe little fellow was terribly frightened at the idea of going into\nthat room and tying those big, savage men; but if the other fellows did\nit, he was bound to do it too.\n\nThe boys now softly slipped into the room, and as the robbers slept\nvery soundly, it was not long before they were all securely bound hand\nand foot, Old Pluck going around himself to see that every cord was\nwell drawn and knotted. Then, motioning to the boys to follow him, he\nwent into the great hall, and there he ordered his companions to arm\nthemselves.\n\nThis command was obeyed with delight by the boys. Some took swords,\nsome spears, while others bound around their waists great belts\ncontaining daggers and knives. Old Pluck laid hold of a huge\nbattle-axe, while Tomtit clapped on his head the chief\u2019s hat,\nornamented with eagle plumes, and took into his hand a thin, sharp\nrapier, the blade of which was quite as long as himself.\n\nWhen all were ready, the boys re\u00ebntered the other room, and, with\ntheir weapons in their hands, stood over the sleeping robbers. Raising\nhis heavy battle-axe high above the head of the chief, Old Pluck called\nout to him to awake. Instantly every man opened his eyes, and struggled\nto rise. But when they found their hands and feet were tied, and saw\nthe boys with their swords and spears standing over them, and heard Old\nPluck\u2019s loud voice ordering them not to move, every robber lay flat on\nhis back, and remained perfectly still.\n\n\u201cNow, then,\u201d said Old Pluck to the chief, \u201cif you do not promise that\nyou and your men will obey me for the next two days I will split your\nhead with this axe.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am willing to parley with you,\u201d said the chief, \u201cand will listen to\nall you have to say; but for mercy\u2019s sake put down that battle-axe. It\nis too heavy for you, and you will let it drop on me without intending\nit.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said Old Pluck, steadying the great axe as well as he could, \u201cI\nwill hold it over you until we have made our bargain.\u201d\n\n\u201cSpeak quickly, then,\u201d said the chief, his face turning pale as he\nlooked up at the trembling axe.\n\n\u201cAll you have to do,\u201d said Old Pluck, \u201cis to promise that you and your\nmen will do everything that we tell you to do to-morrow and next day.\nYou will not find our tasks at all difficult, and it will be only for\ntwo days, you know.\u201d\n\n\u201cAny sort of a task, if it lasted a year,\u201d said the chief, \u201cwould be\nbetter than having you staggering over me with that battle-axe. I\npromise without reserve for myself and men.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery good,\u201d said Old Pluck, letting down his axe as carefully as he\ncould. \u201cAnd now we will set you free.\u201d\n\nThe men were untied, and the boys went to bed, and the next morning\nall breakfasted together in the great hall. When the meal was over the\nchief pushed back his chair, and addressed the boys.\n\n\u201cNow, then, my young friends,\u201d said he, \u201cwhat is it that you wish me\nand my men to do?\u201d\n\nThen stood up Old Pluck and said, \u201cWe boys, as I told you before, ran\naway from school because we are tired of the old humdrum Christmas; and\nnothing better could have happened to us than to get you fine fellows\ninto our power, as we have done. It will be the jolliest thing in the\nworld for us to see you and your band go through all the wild feats and\nbold exploits which belong to robber life; and we would like you to\nbegin now, and keep it up all day and to-morrow.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut what would you have us do?\u201d asked the chief, somewhat surprised.\n\n\u201cI should like to see you sack a village,\u201d said Old Pluck. \u201cHow would\nthat suit you, boys?\u201d\n\nThe boys all declared that they thought that would do very well, to\nbegin with.\n\nThe chief turned to his lieutenant and said: \u201cIs there any village\nround here that has not been recently sacked?\u201d\n\nThe lieutenant reflected a moment. \u201cThere is Buville,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\nhaven\u2019t been there for six months.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery good,\u201d said the captain, rising; \u201cwe\u2019ll sack Buville.\u201d\n\nIn a short time the robber band, followed by the eleven boys, set out\nfor Buville, a few miles distant. When they came within sight of the\nvillage the chief ordered his company to get behind a hedge which ran\non one side of the road, and thus stealthily approach the place.\n\nAs soon as they were near enough the chief gave a loud whistle, and the\nwhole company rushed wildly into the main street. The robbers flashed\ntheir drawn swords in the sunlight and brandished their spears, while\nthe boys jumped and howled like so many apprentice bandits.\n\n\u201cBuville is ours!\u201d cried the chief. \u201cCome forth, ye base villagers, and\npay us tribute.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome forth!\u201d yelled little Tomtit. \u201cSurrender, and trib!--I mean, pay\ntribute.\u201d\n\nAt this the people began to flock into the street; and presently the\nprincipal man of the village appeared, carrying a sheet of paper and\npen and ink.\n\n\u201cGood-morning, bold sir,\u201d he said, addressing the chief. \u201cAnd what is\nit you\u2019ll have to-day? Shall we begin with flour? How will two barrels\ndo?\u201d\n\nThe chief nodded, and the man wrote down on his paper two barrels of\nflour.\n\n\u201cSugar, hams, and eggs, I suppose?\u201d continued the man.\n\nThe chief assented, and these were written down.\n\n\u201cSundry groceries, of course?\u201d said he. \u201cAnd would you care for any\nrich stuffs?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know that we need any just now,\u201d said the chief; \u201cbut\nyou might throw in enough gold-threaded blue taffeta to make a jerkin\nfor that little codger back there.\u201d\n\n\u201cThree-quarters of a yard of blue taffeta,\u201d wrote the man. And then he\nlooked up and asked: \u201cAnything else to-day?\u201d\n\n\u201cI believe not,\u201d said the chief. And then brandishing his sword, he\nshouted: \u201cBack to your homes, base villagers, and thank your stars that\nI let ye off so easily.\u201d\n\n\u201cHome with ye!\u201d shouted Tomtit, \u201cand keep on star-thanking till we come\nagain.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou need be in no hurry about sending those things,\u201d said the chief to\nthe principal man, as he was about to leave, \u201cexcept the taffeta. I\u2019d\nlike to have that to-day.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery good,\u201d said the other; \u201cI\u2019ll send it immediately.\u201d\n\nAs the robbers and boys departed, the latter were not at all slow to\nsay that they were very much disappointed at what they had seen. It was\ntamer than a game of football.\n\n\u201cThe fact is,\u201d said the chief, \u201cthese villagers have been sacked so\noften that the people are used to it, and they just walk out and pay up\nwithout making any row about it. It\u2019s the easiest way, both for them\nand for us; but I admit that it is not very exciting.\u201d\n\n\u201cI should say not,\u201d said Old Pluck. \u201cWhat I want is \u2018the wild rush and\ndash, the clink and the clank, and the jingly-jank, hi-ho!\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s so!\u201d shouted little Tomtit. \u201c\u2018The clink and the clank, and the\njingly-jank, ho hi!\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cI think we\u2019ll next try a highway robbery,\u201d said Old Pluck, \u201cand stop a\ncompany of travellers on the road. That must be exciting.\u201d\n\nThe boys all shouted their assent to this plan, and the robber chief\nled the way to the nearest high-road.\n\nHere the whole party concealed themselves behind rocks and bushes, and\nwaited patiently for a company of travellers to pass by. It was a long,\nlong time before anybody came, and Tomtit had a sound nap in the shade\nof a hedge.\n\nAt last dust was seen in the distance, and before long five horsemen\ncame riding up. They were all elderly men, and each of them led a mule\nor a horse, loaded with heavy panniers and packages. With drawn swords\nand brandished spears the robbers rushed out, followed by the boys,\nwith yells and shouts. Instantly the elderly men stopped and descended\nfrom their horses.\n\n\u201cWe surrender,\u201d said the leader to the robber chief; \u201cbut we pray you\nwill not pillage us utterly. We are going to seek a new home for our\nfamilies, and for the money we get for the sale of these goods we\nhope to buy the little land we need. If you take these, you leave us\nnothing.\u201d\n\nThe chief turned to Old Pluck, and said: \u201cWell, what shall we do about\nit? Shall we take their goods?\u201d\n\n\u201cIf you set out to do a thing,\u201d said Old Pluck, \u201cI don\u2019t see why you\ndon\u2019t do it. There\u2019s no sense in backing down.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s so!\u201d cried Tomtit, who had just wakened up, and pushed his\nway through the hedge. \u201cNo backing down. Your money or your lives,\ntravellers. Take notice of that.\u201d\n\n\u201cLead away the horses and mules,\u201d said the chief to his men, \u201cand let\nthe travellers go.\u201d\n\nAs they were leaving the scene of this exploit Old Pluck did not feel\naltogether easy in his mind. \u201cThere used to be a good habit among\nrobbers,\u201d he said to the chief, \u201cand that was to give to the poor what\nthey took from the rich. We will go along this road until we meet some\nreally poor people, and we will give them these goods.\u201d\n\nThe robbers and boys, with the loaded horses and mules, walked along\nthe road for nearly an hour, but met with no poor people. At last the\nchief declared that it was time to turn and go back to the castle, if\nthey wanted to be there by dinner-time. The boys were very willing to\ngo to dinner, and the whole party retraced their steps.\n\nWhen they reached the spot where they had robbed the travellers, they\nwere surprised to see the five elderly men sitting by the roadside,\ngroaning mournfully.\n\n\u201cWhat, here yet!\u201d cried the chief. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d\n\n\u201cThere is no use going anywhere,\u201d sadly replied the leader. \u201cWe have\nno money with which to buy even food to eat, and no goods to sell. We\nmight as well die here as in any other place.\u201d\n\n\u201cBoys,\u201d exclaimed Old Pluck, after gazing a few moments on the\nunfortunate group, \u201cI don\u2019t believe we will ever find anybody as poor\nas these travellers now are. Let us give them the goods.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll right!\u201d shouted the boys. And the loaded horses and mules were\ndelivered to their former owners.\n\nAfter dinner the boys began to grumble a good deal at the\ndisappointments of the morning.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve done nothing yet,\u201d cried Old Pluck, \u201cthat is half exciting\nenough, and we are bound to have a good time this afternoon. I go in\nfor burning a town.\u201d\n\n\u201cHurrah!\u201d said the boys. \u201cWe\u2019ll burn a town!\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is a very serious thing,\u201d said the chief. \u201cCan\u2019t you think of\nsomething else?\u201d\n\nOld Pluck looked at him reproachfully. \u201cWe want something serious,\u201d he\nsaid. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve had so far is nothing but child\u2019s play.\u201d\n\nThe chief now saw that if he persisted in his objections he would hurt\nthe feelings of the boys, and so he consented to burn a town. A few\nmiles to the south there was a good-sized town, which the chief thought\nwould burn very well, and thither the boys and robbers repaired,\ncarrying blazing torches and fire-brands.\n\nWhen they reached the town and had made known their purpose the people\nwere filled with alarm. They crowded into the streets and begged the\nrobbers not to burn their houses, their goods, and perhaps themselves\nand their children.\n\nThe chief now took the boys aside, and consulted with them.\n\n\u201cI wish you would consider this matter a little more before you order\nme to set this town in flames. I am told that there is a magazine\nfilled with gunpowder in the centre of the place, and there will be a\nterrible explosion when the fire reaches it.\u201d\n\n\u201cHurrah!\u201d cried the boys; \u201cthat will be splendid.\u201d\n\n\u201cMany of these citizens will lose their lives,\u201d said the chief, \u201cand\nthe rest will be utterly ruined.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, look here,\u201d cried Old Pluck, \u201cthere\u2019s no use of always backing\ndown. I\u2019m tired of it.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well,\u201d said the chief, \u201cbut you yourselves must inform the people\nof your decision.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll do that,\u201d said Old Pluck. \u201cTomtit, you go tell those people that\nthe town has got to burn, and there\u2019s no use talking any more about it.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s so,\u201d said Tomtit. \u201cShe has got to burn.\u201d And with his chest\nthrown out, and his hands in his pockets, the little fellow boldly\nadvanced to the crowd of people.\n\nAs soon as he came near the old men, the women and the children fell on\ntheir knees around him, and with tears and lamentations besought him to\nintercede with the robbers to save their town. Poor little Tomtit was\nvery much moved by their wild grief and despair. Tears came into his\neyes, and his little chest heaved with emotion; but he kept up a brave\nheart, and stood true to his companions.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s no use,\u201d he said, \u201cfor you to be blubbering and crying. Your\nhouses have all got to be burned up, and the powder-magazine has got\nto go off with a big bang, and your furniture and beds will all be\nburned, and the babies\u2019 cradles, and--and--I\u2019m awful sorry for it,\u201d and\nhere the tears rolled down his cheeks; \u201cbut we boys have got to stick\nby each other, and you won\u2019t have any homes, and I expect you will all\nperish--boo-hoo! But it won\u2019t do to back down--boo-hoo-hoo! And the\nlittle babies will die; but the old thing has got to burn, you know.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, look here, Tomtit,\u201d said Old Pluck, who, with the rest of the\nboys, had drawn near, \u201cdon\u2019t you be too hard on these people. I say let\nthe town stand.\u201d\n\nThe boys agreed with one voice. And Tomtit, kicking one of his little\nlegs above his head, shouted in ecstasy: \u201cYes, sir, let the town stand,\nbabies and all.\u201d\n\nAt this the women rushed up to the little fellow, and, seizing him in\ntheir arms, nearly kissed him to death.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d like to know what we are to do next,\u201d sadly remarked Old Pluck.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll tell you,\u201d cried Tomtit. \u201cLet the chief steal a bride.\u201d\n\nThe whole company stopped and looked at Tomtit. \u201cLittle boy,\u201d said\nthey, \u201cwhat do you mean?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, of course,\u201d said Tomtit, \u201cI mean for the chief to seize a fair\ndamsel and carry her off on his horse to be his bride, the wild hoofs\nclattering amid the crags.\u201d\n\n\u201cHoot!\u201d cried all the boys in derision. And the chief said to Tomtit:\n\u201cLittle boy, I know of no fair damsel to steal, and, besides, I do not\nwant a bride.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s pretty hard,\u201d said Tomtit, wiping his eyes with his little\nsleeve. \u201cI\u2019ve done just what you fellows told me to, and now you won\u2019t\norder anything I want to see.\u201d\n\nThat night the boys ordered the robbers to hold high revels in the\ngreat hall. The flowing bowl was passed, and the great flagons were\nfilled high; wild songs were sung, and the welkin was made to ring, as\nwell as the robbers could do it, with jovial glee. The boys watched the\nproceedings for some time, but they did not find them very interesting,\nand soon went to bed.\n\nThe next morning Old Pluck called a meeting of his companions. \u201cBoys,\u201d\nhe said, \u201cthis robber life is a good deal stupider than anything we\nleft behind us. Let\u2019s get back to school as fast as we can, and enjoy\nwhat is left of the Christmas fun. We will all admit that we are sorry\nfor what we have done, and will promise not to run away again; and\nTomtit can go to the master and tell him so.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll be the first one whipped,\u201d ruefully remarked Tomtit; \u201cbut if you\nboys say so, of course I\u2019ll do it.\u201d\n\nThe boys now took leave of the robbers, Tomtit having been first\npresented with the piece of blue taffeta to make him a jerkin. When\nthey reached the school Tomtit told his tale, and he was the only one\nwho was not punished.\n\nThe next year these eleven boys were leaving school for a vacation,\nand on their way home they thought they would stop and see their old\nfriends, the robbers. Much to their surprise, they found everything\nchanged at the castle. It was now a boys\u2019 school; the chief was the\nprincipal, and each of the other robbers was a teacher.\n\n\u201cYou see,\u201d said the principal to Old Pluck, \u201cwe never knew how stupid\nand uninteresting a robber\u2019s life was until we were forced to lead it\nagainst our will. While you were here we learned to like boys very\nmuch, and so we concluded to set up this school.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo you have Christmas trees, and carols, and games?\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, yes,\u201d answered the principal.\n\n\u201cSo do we,\u201d said Old Pluck.\n\n\u201cYes, sir,\u201d exclaimed Tomtit, standing up very straight. \u201cNo more fire\nand tribute for us. We\u2019ve grown out of that kind of nonsense.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS\n\n\nThese suggestions and questions are prepared to aid the child in\ngetting food for thought. Many ethical questions are touched upon in\nthese stories, phases of the great problems of life which each citizen\nmust solve for himself. The school-room is a little community, of\nwhich each child is a unit, and there he should get training for good\ncitizenship. Let him grapple, then, with these questions, for he would\nbetter be striving after a large truth than altogether absorbing a\nlittle one.\n\n\nOLD PIPES AND THE DRYAD\n\n  This story is akin to the Greek and the Latin myths, and will lead\n  you back to the beginnings of literature, to the myth of Daphne and\n  her changing to a laurel-tree, the myth of Dryope, and Virgil\u2019s\n  account of the transformation of Polydore (\u00c6neid, Book III.)--all\n  of which are tree-myths. Conington\u2019s metrical translation of Virgil\n  tells this story very musically.\n\n  These dryad stories have been the inspiration of poets and artists of\n  all ages. I hope you may some day see the beautiful picture of Daphne\n  changing to the laurel-tree that a French artist has painted.\n\n  It will add much to the value of the child\u2019s study of literature if\n  the teacher will read or tell these myths to the children. They\n  may be found in Gayley\u2019s \u201cClassic Myths,\u201d Murray\u2019s \u201cMythology,\u201d\n  Bulfinch\u2019s \u201cMythology,\u201d or any classical dictionary.\n\n  It is easy for us to see that, in this myth of Daphne, the Greek\n  people were telling us, in their poetic way, that the dawn ever flew\n  at the sun\u2019s approach.\n\n  In this story the loving helpfulness of Old Pipes brought back his\n  strength and youth quite as much as the kiss of the Dryad; for are we\n  not always strong and happy when helping others?\n\n  What other pieces of literature teach this lesson?\n\n  Read Lowell\u2019s poem, \u201cRh\u0153cus.\u201d\n\n  Compare the dryad in Stockton\u2019s story with the dryads of the myths.\n\n  How do you think this idea of dryads originated?\n\n  Discuss the character of Old Pipes. Have you ever met another like\n  him in your reading?\n\n  Did the Dryad do right in not returning the money to the villagers?\n\n\nTHE BEE-MAN OF ORN\n\n  This story can be made a starting-point for interesting science\n  lessons. Children can easily observe the habits of bees. In ancient\n  times, when honey was a staple article of food, much was thought\n  and written about the care of bees. Read with the children John\n  Burroughs\u2019 \u201cBirds and Bees,\u201d also bits from Virgil\u2019s \u201cGeorgics,\u201d Book\n  IV.\n\n  Lead the children to discuss the following points:\n\n  Why did the bees not sting the Bee-Man?\n\n  What is it that leads animals to like a person?\n\n  Did his ugly appearance hinder the bees from liking the Bee-Man?\n  Would it hinder you from liking him?\n\n  Do you think the Bee-Man had flowers growing in the little garden\n  outside his hut?\n\n  What kind of flowers? Why?\n\n  Do all flowers with perfume yield honey?\n\n  Which would derive more pleasure from watching the life and habits of\n  bees, a busy person or a lazy one?\n\n  Do bees make weather observations? Virgil says that bees do not go\n  far from the hive when an east wind is blowing.\n\n  What do you think was the Junior Sorcerer\u2019s reason for thinking the\n  Bee-Man had been transformed?\n\n  Do you agree with the Junior Sorcerer in his opinion of the Bee-Man:\n  that he was a \u201cmiserable old man\u201d?\n\n  When the Bee-Man first felt himself drawn toward the Lord of the\n  Domain, what was it that influenced him? Are appearances to be\n  trusted?\n\n  Do you ever meet people who, like the Languid Youth, dislike to face\n  duty alone, and would always rather have someone go with them?\n\n  The Bee-Man shrunk from entering the cavern, yet within it he found\n  that phase of life toward which he was most drawn; so the unpleasant\n  duties of life from which we so often shrink contain the best things\n  that life has in store for us.\n\n  Suppose the Languid Youth had found the baby in the cavern, what\n  would he have done?\n\n  If you had a chance to go back to your babyhood again, do you think\n  you would grow up to be the same person that you are now?\n\n  Which character in this story do you like best? Why?\n\n\nTHE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE\n\n  This story naturally leads to the history of clocks and time-pieces\n  of various kinds, from the crude hour-glass, the burning candle\n  graduated to last a certain time, the water-clock, much the same\n  as the hour-glass, and the dial on which the shadow of the sun is\n  traced, down to the clocks which we have now, and especially those\n  of finest mechanism and beautiful ornamentation.\n\n  The industry of clock-making is a very important one. In the United\n  States it has been built up almost entirely in the last sixty years.\n\n  Many years ago clock movements were made of wood; now they are made,\n  as every child knows, of metal, which is cheaper to manufacture and\n  more durable.\n\n  In the days of the Revolution many clocks were made in Connecticut,\n  using no machinery in their manufacture, but cutting the wheels and\n  teeth with a saw and jack-knife. Then the makers would travel to the\n  more recently settled country and sell these crude wooden clocks for\n  twenty-five dollars apiece.\n\n  A description and pictures of the Strasbourg Clock could be made\n  interesting here.\n\n  In what part of the world do you think Rondaine was?\n\n  What characteristics should you expect to find in the people of a\n  town containing so many clocks?\n\n  What particular occupations should you expect to find these people\n  following?\n\n  For which did the people care more, clocks or time?\n\n  We thought, in the early part of the story, that Arla was the only\n  person in all Rondaine who cared to know the correct time. Do you\n  still think so, after finishing the story?\n\n  Suppose we followed the reasoning of the little old lady with white\n  hair, saying that what was good enough for our grandfathers is good\n  enough for us, how would it affect the world?\n\n  Is there anything in this story that seems improbable, that is, does\n  it seem like a true story?\n\n  What truth does it leave with us?\n\n\nTHE GRIFFIN AND THE MINOR CANON\n\n  Lead pupils to discuss their ideas of griffins before reading the\n  story.\n\n  To what age of literature do griffin and dragon stories belong?\n\n  How could the Griffin know that the stone image was a good likeness\n  of himself?\n\n  What things do you think the Griffin told the Minor Canon about\n  minerals, metals, and the wonders of the world?\n\n  Stop at the point in the story just prior to the sending away of the\n  Minor Canon, and let the children discuss what _they_ would have done\n  under those circumstances.\n\n  Do you agree with the Griffin in his opinion of the only two good\n  things in the town?\n\n  What did the Griffin mean when he said, \u201cIf some things were\n  different, other things would be otherwise\u201d?\n\n  Thus we learn that goodness, bravery, and honesty, even in a griffin,\n  demand for companionship, goodness, bravery, and honesty.\n\n  Ruskin says some very good things about dragons in the first few\n  pages of \u201cThe Queen of the Air.\u201d\n\n  How do the things we see every day affect our characters?\n\n  Some very interesting and profitable comparisons may be made between\n  this story and Hawthorne\u2019s story of the \u201cGreat Stone Face\u201d; and since\n  comparison is such a mind-strengthener, the teacher should never lose\n  such an opportunity.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SCRIBNER SERIES _of_ SCHOOL READING\n\n\nA uniform supplementary reading series, specially edited for use in\nelementary schools and carefully graded in accordance with results\nobtained from actual tests in the class room. The main purpose of\nthis series is to introduce into the class room the best literature,\nparticularly the writings of those contemporary American authors\nwho naturally appeal to young people, and to bring this excellent\nliterature within the reach of all schools by offering the books at\na very moderate price. The volumes are profusely illustrated, and\nhandsomely and durably bound.\n\n  =Fanciful Tales.= By FRANK R. STOCKTON. Edited by JULIA E. LANGWORTHY.\n    Illustrated.\n\n  =Hans Brinker.= By MARY MAPES DODGE. Illustrated.\n\n  =A Child\u2019s Garden of Verses.= By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. Illustrated.\n\n  =Some Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.= By HOWARD PYLE. Illustrated by\n    the author.\n\n  =America First.= By FRANCES NIMMO GREENE. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Hoosier School Boy.= By EDWARD EGGLESTON. Illustrated.\n\n  =Krag and Johnny Bear.= Being the Personal Histories of Krag, Randy,\n    Johnny Bear, and Chink. By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON. Illustrated.\n\n  =Lobo, Rag, and Vixen.= Selections from \u201cWild Animals I Have\n    Known.\u201d By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON. With 4 full-page and many other\n    illustrations from drawings by the Author.\n\n  =Hero Tales Told in School.= By JAMES BALDWIN. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Page Story Book.= Selections for School Reading by THOMAS NELSON\n    PAGE. Edited by FRANK E. SPALDING and CATHERINE T. BRYCE.\n\n  =The van Dyke Book.= Selections for School Reading. By HENRY VAN\n    DYKE. Edited by Professor EDWIN MIMS. A new edition, revised, with\n    an introduction by MAXWELL STRUTHERS BURT. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Howells Story Book.= By WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS. Selected and\n    arranged by MARY E. BURT. Illustrated by MISS HOWELLS.\n\n  =The Eugene Field Book.= Verses, Stories, and Letters for School\n    Reading. By EUGENE FIELD. Edited by MARY E. BURT and MARY L. CABLE.\n    With an Introduction by GEORGE W. CABLE. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Lanier Book.= Selections for School Reading. By SIDNEY LANIER.\n    Edited and arranged by MARY E. BURT, in co-operation with MRS.\n    LANIER. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Cable Story Book.= Selections for School Reading. By GEORGE W.\n    CABLE. Edited by MARY E. BURT and LUCY L. CABLE. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Roosevelt Book.= Selections from the writings of Theodore\n    Roosevelt, with an introduction by ROBERT BRIDGES. Illustrated.\n\n  =Things Will Take a Turn.= By BEATRICE HARRADEN. Illustrated.\n\n  =Around the World in the Sloop Spray.= By Captain JOSHUA SLOCUM.\n    Illustrated.\n\n  =Twelve Naval Captains.= With portraits. By MOLLY ELLIOTT SEAWELL.\n\n  =Poems of American Patriotism.= Chosen by BRANDER MATTHEWS.\n\n  =Children\u2019s Stories of American Literature, 1660-1860.= By HENRIETTA\n    CHRISTIAN WRIGHT.\n\n  =Children\u2019s Stories of American Literature, 1860-1896.= By HENRIETTA\n    CHRISTIAN WRIGHT.\n\n  =Children\u2019s Stories in American History.= By HENRIETTA CHRISTIAN\n    WRIGHT.\n\n  =Children\u2019s Stories in American Progress.= By HENRIETTA CHRISTIAN\n    WRIGHT.\n\n  =Herakles, the Hero of Thebes, and Other Heroes of the Myth.= By MARY\n    E. BURT and ZENAIDE RAGEZIN. Illustrated.\n\n  =Odysseus: The Hero of Ithaca.= By MARY E. BURT. Illustrated.\n\n  =The Boy General.= By MRS. GEORGE A. CUSTER and MARY E. BURT.\n    Illustrated.\n\n  =Don Quixote De La Mancha.= By MIGUEL DE CERVANTES. From the\n    translations of Duffield and Shelton. By MARY E. BURT and LUCY\n    LEFFINGWELL CABLE.\n\n\n\n\n\nTRANSCRIBER\u2019S NOTES:\n\n\n  Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.\n\n  Emboldened text is surrounded by equals signs: =bold=.\n\n  Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.\n\n  Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.\n\n  Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.","title":"Fanciful tales","tradition":"folklore-oral-tradition","translated_text":null,"word_count":30974}