uage. At this it was
very much surprised, and more so when the woman told it how she had given
it back its life, and that now in return it must do what she desired.

"Any animal or human being would be willing to promise as much when its
life had been thus restored to it.

"'I will do anything I can for you,' said the marten.

"'I want you to go to your king marten,' said the woman, 'and tell him that
a beautiful lady has heard so many wonderful things about him that she is
very anxious to have a visit from him.'

"This the marten promised to do, and it was not very long before the king
marten came. Of course he had to be very cautious, as he had been warned of
the many who were watching the silly woman.

"Hardly, however, had he time to say much to her before the footsteps of
her husband were heard outside. The instant he opened the door of the
wigwam the king marten ran out, and disappeared in the forest.

"'What was that?' asked the husband.

"'O, dear, that was the marten you trapped. It must have come to life and
escaped,' said the woman, who thus cleverly saved herself and the king
marten.

"The man was suspicious, but as the marten which he had trapped was not to
be found he could not find fault with her, except to say that she ought to
have skinned the marten soon after he had brought it in.

"The king marten, who was a very conceited fellow, had been quite struck
with the beauty of the woman, and so, in spite of his narrow escape, he
resolved to go and see her again. By watching her husband's departure he
managed to have several brief visits, and at length became so infatuated
with her that he tried to coax her to run away with him.

"When she heard this she was very angry, for, with all her foolishness, she
had only acted as she did because of her vanity and love of flattery. Now
that the marten had dared make such a request she resolved that he should
be punished; so one day, when he was sitting beside her and saying a lot of
foolish flattery, she heard the footsteps of her husband approaching, but
did not warn the king marten.

"So the man thus caught the old marten sitting by the side of his wife. At
this he was much annoyed, and as the marten suddenly ran out the man asked
the woman what it meant. So she told him all that the marten had said, and
of his impertinence in asking her to leave him and become the marten's
wife. At this the man was very indignant, and so they arranged to punish
the ma