into the flames. As soon as the bird was burned
Steelpacha vanished forever.

So the Prince took his wife and went happily home.

_The Buried Moon_

Long ago in my grandmother's time, the Carland was all in bogs, great
pools of black water, and creeping trickles of green water, and
squishy mools which squirted when you stepped on them.

Well, granny used to say how long before her time the Moon herself was
once dead and buried in the marshes, and as she used to tell me, I'll
tell you all about it.

The Moon up yonder shone and shone just as she does now, and when she
shone she lighted up the bogpools, so that one could walk about almost
as safe as in the day.

But when she didn't shine, out came the Things that dwelt in the
darkness and went about seeking to do evil and harm; Bogles and
Crawling Horrors, all came out when the Moon didn't shine.

Well, the Moon heard of this, and being kind and good--as she surely
is, shining for us in the night instead of taking her natural
rest--she was main troubled. "I'll see for myself, I will," said she,
"maybe it's not so bad as folks make out."

Sure enough, at the month's end down she stepped, wrapped up in a
black cloak, and a black hood over her yellow shining hair. Straight
she went to the bog edge and looked about her. Water here and water
there; waving tussocks and trembling mools, and great black snags all
twisted and bent. Before her all was dark--dark but for the glimmer of
the stars in the pools, and the light that came from her own white
feet, stealing out of her black cloak.

The Moon drew her cloak faster about her and trembled, but she
wouldn't go back without seeing all there was to be seen; so on she
went, stepping as light as the wind in summer from tuft to tuft
between the muddy, gurgling water holes. Just as she came near a big
black pool her foot slipped and she was nigh tumbling in. She grabbed
with both hands at a snag near by, to steady herself with, but as she
touched it, it twined itself round her wrists, like a pair of
handcuffs, and gripped her so that she couldn't move. She pulled and
twisted and fought, but it was no good. She was fast, and must stay
fast.

Presently as she stood trembling in the dark, wondering if help would
come, she heard something calling in the distance, calling, calling,
and then dying away with a sob, till the marshes were full of this
pitiful crying sound; then she heard steps floundering along,
squishing