ainly at home," and
she ran on farther.

Soon she came upon some thieves who were looking about for something to
steal, and she went up to them and offered to help them, and the thieves
thought she knew of a good place and opportunity, and were glad of her
offer. But Kate walked in front of the houses calling out,

"Good people, what have you for us to steal?"

So the thieves thought to themselves, "This will never do," and wished
themselves quit of her. At last they said to her,

"Just at the end of the village there are some turnips in the parson's
field; go and fetch us some."

So Kate went into the field and began to pull some up, but very lazily,
and never raised herself. Presently came by a man who saw her, and
thought she was some evil thing grubbing for the turnips. So he ran
quickly into the village and said to the parson,

"O parson, some evil creature is grubbing in your turnip-field!"

"Oh dear!" answered the parson, "I have a lame foot, I cannot go to
drive it away."

And the man at once offered to take him on his back, and he did so.

Just as they reached the field Kate got up and stood upright.

"Oh, the devil!" cried the parson, and both took to their heels, and the
parson was able, out of his great fear, to run faster with his lame foot
than the man who had carried him on his back with both legs sound.

THE LITTLE FARMER

THERE was a certain village where lived many rich farmers and only one
poor one, whom they called the Little Farmer. He had not even a cow, and
still less had he money to buy one; and he and his wife greatly wished
for such a thing. One day he said to her,

"Listen, I have a good idea; it is that your godfather the joiner shall
make us a calf of wood and paint it brown, so as to look just like any
other; and then in time perhaps it will grow big and become a cow."

This notion pleased the wife, and godfather joiner set to work to saw
and plane, and soon turned out a calf complete, with its head down and
neck stretched out as if it were grazing.

The next morning, as the cows were driven to pasture, the Little Farmer
called out to the drover,

"Look here, I have got a little calf to go, but it is still young and
must be carried."

"All right!" said the drover, and tucked it under his arm, carried it
into the meadows, and stood it in the grass. So the calf stayed where it
was put, and seemed to be eating all the time, and the drover thought to
himself,

"It