(f) I HE

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Poor fellow,” saad the fairy, = vour soul sosull sleeping: but whatever you may be, Iowill not ungrateful. I 1t had not heen for vou 1 should have fallen into the hands of a crusl genie, my bitter enemy i1t had not been for vou 1 should have hecome a snake for a hundred yvears o it s to vou 1 owe one hundred vears of vouth and beauty, In future, Zerbing all vour wishes shall be gratified, and vou shall have reason to bless the water fary.”

She then made three eireles in the air with her wand, and entered the pool with a step so licht that the surface was not ceven ruffled. The reeds howed thenr heads at the approach their Queen, and the water-lilies opened their loveliest buds ;s the trees and even the wind seemed to participate o the joy of the Fury. She raised her wand for the last time, and the sparkling waters parted to receive their young Sovercign, who slowly sank, illu- minating the depths like a colden shatt of light. Then the surface grew dlm and shadowy, and stlence reigned onee more.,

The sun had reached its height wood-cutter awoke rom s slumbers. e quiety resumed his task of cutting down the tree he had been workimg at i the moming. "'he hatchet struck the woodwith great foree,

e

ol

when the

until the blows rang agam and the per- spiration ran - down

Zerbin's Tace, but all

his cfforts were In Valin,

“Tla!” he sad. Jooking at blunted his hatchet, @ wh al |)1L\ no instrument has heen mvented that can o ocut wood hike butter. Twish T had

one like that.”

He drew back two steps, and swinging his hatehet above his head, he Tet it tatl with such force that he Jost his balance, and fell forward on his face with outstretched are,

"By Bacchus 7 he exclanmed, was crooked.”

Iy adh

STRAND

MAGALZINE.

But Zerbin was soon reassured, for at the same mstant the tree fell, and so o close to him that he narrowly escaped being crushed.

“What a fine blow ! he ernede 2 That s o wonderful help. How beautifully at s cut. Ater all, there s not another wood- cutter to equal myself.”

Upon which he gathered together the branches that he had cut m the morning,

and taking a cord he had fastened round his waist, he sat astride upon the bundle to dhraw the ends closer l()”cthc

“What a pity it s, he said, that have not four legs hke horses. ] prance mto Salerno ke a handsome

should cavalier

who rides at his Tasure. How dehghtiul that would be.” At the same moment the fagot rose and

bevan to trot at a good pace. Without show- g the least astonishment, our worthy Zerbin

let himself he carred lll(mu by this new

steed, pitying as he went those wretehed

creatures who had to walk for lack of a lacol.

I,

’; [N the time ol which

YOI~ we speak there ex-

Y isted o the contre of

Salerno a large

sipuare, on o owhieh

stood the Kimg’s palace. s evervone aware, this mon- arch was the famous Ning Honeybee. Iovery afternoon the King's daughter Aleh might - have been sceen seated pensively upon the halcony. In vain her attendants en- deavoured to divert her Dy their songs, thenr tales, or thar Hatteries Alelr was absorbed 1 her own thoughts. IFor three vears the King had been trving to wed her to some of the bharons ol the neigh hourhood, but Prin- ANelr retused all SUTLOTS, t[mn the alternoon ol which we speak, Aleli, vet more dreaniy than usual, was startled by the ~udden apparivon of Zerbm rviding s Tagot

IS

CUSS

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