d, that the black pudding might come off his nose. Well!
there it lay in a dish on the table, and if the goodman and goodwife
didn't ride in a golden coach, or dress in silk and satin, why, they had
at least as fine a black pudding for their supper as the heart of man
could desire.

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 bog-pools, 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 stept, 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 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 greedy
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 gript 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, call