gladness. On the following day a most gorgeous wedding feast was
held, and as far as we know the Prince and his Bride lived happily for
ever afterwards.

_THE DEAD WIFE_[20]

Once upon a time there were a man and his wife who lived in the
forest, very far from the rest of the tribe. Very often they spent the
day in hunting together, but after a while the wife found that she had
so many things to do that she was obliged to stay at home; so he went
alone, though he found that when his wife was not with him he never
had any luck. One day, when he was away hunting, the woman fell ill,
and in a few days she died. Her husband grieved bitterly, and buried
her in the house where she had passed her life; but as the time went
on he felt so lonely without her that he made a wooden doll about her
height and size for company, and dressed it in her clothes. He seated
it in front of the fire, and tried to think he had his wife back
again. The next day he went out to hunt, and when he came home the
first thing he did was to go up to the doll and brush off some of the
ashes from the fire which had fallen on its face. But he was very busy
now, for he had to cook and mend, besides getting food, for there was
no one to help him. And so a whole year passed away.

At the end of that time he came back from hunting one night and found
some wood by the door and a fire within. The next night there was not
only wood and fire, but a piece of meat in the kettle, nearly ready
for eating. He searched all about to see who could have done this, but
could find no one. The next time he went to hunt he took care not to
go far, and came in quite early. And while he was still a long way off
he saw a woman going into the house with wood on her shoulders. So he
made haste, and opened the door quickly, and instead of the wooden
doll, his wife sat in front of the fire.

Then she spoke to him and said, 'The Great Spirit felt sorry for you,
because you would not be comforted, so he let me come back to you, but
you must not stretch out your hand to touch me till we have seen the
rest of our people. If you do, I shall die.'

[Footnote 20: From the Iroquois.]

So the man listened to her words, and the woman dwelt there, and
brought the wood and kindled the fire, till one day her husband said
to her, 'It is now two years since you died. Let us now go back to our
tribe. Then you will be well, and I can touch you.'

[Illustration: The Indian Finds His