FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   >>  
oon drew out their shadows over the short grass till they were as long as the great stones of Stonehenge. At last they turned the hill, and the fairy ring looked dark under the moon, and the farmer's son blessed himself that they were passing it quietly, when Limping Tim suddenly pulled his cloak from his back, and handing it to his companion, cried, "Hold this for a moment, will you? I'm wanted. They're calling for me." "I hear nothing," said the farmer's son. But before he had got the words out of his mouth, the fiddler had completely disappeared. He shouted aloud, but in vain, and had begun to think of proceeding on his way, when the fiddler's voice cried, "Catch!" and there came, flying at him from the direction of the fairy ring, the bundle of marketings which the fiddler had been carrying. "It's in my way," he then heard the fiddler cry. "Ah, this is dancing! Come in, my lad, come in!" But the farmer's son was not totally without prudence, and he took good care to keep at a safe distance from the fairy ring. "Come back, Tim! Come back!" he shouted, and, receiving no answer, he adjured his friend to break the bonds that withheld him, and return to the right way, as wisely as one man can counsel another. After talking for some time to no purpose, he again heard his friend's voice, crying, "Take care of it for me! The money dances out of my pocket." And therewith the fiddler's purse was hurled to his feet, where it fell with a heavy chinking of gold within. He picked it up, and renewed his warnings and entreaties, but in vain; and, after waiting for a long time, he made the best of his way home alone, hoping that the fiddler would follow, and come to reclaim his property. The fiddler never came. And when at last there was a fuss about his disappearance, the farmer's son, who had but a poor spirit, began to be afraid to tell the truth of the matter. "Who knows but they may accuse me of theft?" said he. So he hid the cloak, and the bundle, and the money-bag in the garden. But when three months passed, and still the fiddler did not return, it was whispered that the farmer's son had been his last companion; and the place was searched, and they found the cloak, and the bundle, and the money-bag and the lad was taken to prison. Now, when it was too late, he plucked up a spirit, and told the truth; but no one believed him, and it was said that he had murdered the fiddler for the sake of his money and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   >>  



Top keywords:

fiddler

 

farmer

 

bundle

 

spirit

 
shouted
 

return

 

companion

 

friend

 

chinking

 

renewed


entreaties

 

warnings

 

picked

 
talking
 
dances
 
purpose
 

crying

 

pocket

 

murdered

 

plucked


therewith

 

hurled

 

believed

 
matter
 

whispered

 

afraid

 
months
 
accuse
 

passed

 
searched

garden
 

hoping

 
follow
 

reclaim

 
disappearance
 

property

 

prison

 
waiting
 

dancing

 

handing


moment

 
pulled
 

suddenly

 

passing

 
quietly
 

Limping

 

calling

 

wanted

 
blessed
 

shadows