hed the town she went straight to the dwarfs, who were holding
counsel in a wide green place, and said to them, 'Listen, my friends! I
have come to beg you to lend me a black horse, with eyes, a mouth, ears,
bridle and saddle.'

She had hardly spoken when the horse appeared, and mounting on his back
she started for the village where the wedding was to be held.

* * * * *

At first she was so delighted with the chance of a holiday from the work
which she hated, that she noticed nothing, but very soon it struck her
as odd that as she passed along the roads full of people they all
laughed as they looked at her horse. At length she caught some words
uttered by one man to another, 'Why, the farmer's wife has sold her
horse's tail!' and turned in her saddle. Yes; it was true. Her horse had
no tail! She had forgotten to ask for one, and the wicked dwarfs had
carried out her orders to the letter!

'Well, at any rate, I shall soon be there,' she thought, and shaking the
reins, tried to urge the horse to a gallop. But it was of no use; he
declined to move out of a walk; and she was forced to hear all the jokes
that were made upon her.

In the evening she returned to the farm more angry than ever, and quite
determined to revenge herself on the brownie whenever she had the
chance, which happened to be very soon.

It was the spring, and just the time of year when the dwarfs held their
fete, so one day the brownie asked Jegu if he might bring his friends to
have supper in the great barn, and whether he would allow them to dance
there. Of course, Jegu was only too pleased to be able to do anything
for the brownie, and he ordered Barbaik to spread her best table-cloths
in the barn, and to make a quantity of little loaves and pancakes, and,
besides, to keep all the milk given by the cows that morning. He
expected she would refuse, as he knew she hated the dwarfs, but she said
nothing, and prepared the supper as he had bidden her.

When all was ready, the dwarfs, in new green suits, came bustling in,
very happy and merry, and took their seats at the table. But in a moment
they all sprang up with a cry, and ran away screaming, for Barbaik had
placed pans of hot coals under their feet, and all their poor little
toes were burnt.

'You won't forget that in a hurry,' she said, smiling grimly to herself,
but in a moment they were back again with large pots of water, which
they poured on the fire. Then th