on which was written the name of the dove. And at last his memory came
back to him, and he declared he would marry the princess and nobody
else. So the next day the wedding took place, and they lived happy till
they died.

(From the Portuguese.)

VIRGILIUS THE SORCERER

Long, long ago there was born to a Roman knight and his wife Maja a
little boy called Virgilius. While he was still quite little, his father
died, and the kinsmen, instead of being a help and protection to the
child and his mother, robbed them of their lands and money, and the
widow, fearing that they might take the boy's life also, sent him away
to Spain, that he might study in the great University of Toledo.

Virgilius was fond of books, and pored over them all day long. But one
afternoon, when the boys were given a holiday, he took a long walk, and
found himself in a place where he had never been before. In front of him
was a cave, and, as no boy ever sees a cave without entering it, he went
in. The cave was so deep that it seemed to Virgilius as if it must run
far into the heart of the mountain, and he thought he would like to see
if it came out anywhere on the other side. For some time he walked on
in pitch darkness, but he went steadily on, and by-and-by a glimmer of
light shot across the floor, and he heard a voice calling, 'Virgilius!
Virgilius!'

'Who calls?' he asked, stopping and looking round.

'Virgilius!' answered the voice, 'do you mark upon the ground where you
are standing a slide or bolt?'

'I do,' replied Virgilius.

'Then,' said the voice, 'draw back that bolt, and set me free.'

'But who are you?' asked Virgilius, who never did anything in a hurry.

'I am an evil spirit,' said the voice, 'shut up here till Doomsday,
unless a man sets me free. If you will let me out I will give you some
magic books, which will make you wiser than any other man.'

Now Virgilius loved wisdom, and was tempted by these promises, but again
his prudence came to his aid, and he demanded that the books should be
handed over to him first, and that he should be told how to use them.
The evil spirit, unable to help itself, did as Virgilius bade him, and
then the bolt was drawn back. Underneath was a small hole, and out of
this the evil spirit gradually wriggled himself; but it took some time,
for when at last he stood upon the ground he proved to be about three
times as large as Virgilius himself, and coal black besides.

'Why, you can't have