to return. Then they rode away, and coming
upon a shepherd boy with his sheep, they dressed him like their
brother and brought him home to their father, forbidding their sister
and the maidens, with fearful threats, under any circumstances to
reveal the secret.

After a time word came to the youngest brother in the tower that his
brothers and the shepherd were about to marry those three maidens. On
the day appointed for the eldest brother's wedding he mounted the
white horse and flew down into the midst of the wedding-guests just as
they were leaving the church, and struck his brother lightly upon the
back with his club. The brother fell from his horse and the other flew
back to his watch-tower.

When the second brother's wedding-day came he again flew down upon his
steed, gave the second brother a blow upon the back, so that he fell
from his horse, and again flew away. But when he at last heard that
the shepherd was about to marry the third maiden he again mounted his
steed, flew among the wedding-guests just as they were coming out of
the church, and dealt the bridegroom such a blow upon the head with
his club that the fellow lay dead upon the spot.

In a trice the Prince was surrounded by the wedding-guests, who were
determined that he should not escape this time. He made no attempt to
do so, however, but remained where he was, made himself known as the
King's youngest son, revealed the trick his brothers had played upon
him by means of the shepherd, and told how they had left him in the
watch-tower where he had found his sister and killed the Dragon.

His sister and the maidens bore witness to the truth of his story, and
when the King heard all this he banished the two elder brothers from
his presence, married the youngest to the maiden of his choice, and
decreed that he should be heir to the throne after his own decease.

_The Lucky Coin_

Many years ago there lived in a hermitage a holy monk. From all the
villages around, the people, mostly poor labourers, were in the habit
of coming to him on Sundays and festivals to hear him say mass for
them. These good people used to bring little offerings of food for the
support of the hermit during the week.

One Sunday, after his congregation had departed, the monk perceived a
man, laden with traps and nets for catching birds, crossing the field
before the hermitage. The good monk went out to him.

"Where do you come from?" he inquired; "and what are you g