dden transformation. Still he
held his prize fast, and kept calling to him, while he administered to
him a few smart slaps--

"Be quiet, be quiet, my little man! If crying was to do the business, we
might look for heroes in swaddling-clothes. We'll just take you with us
a bit, and see what you are good for."

The little fellow trembled and shook in every limb, and then began to
whimper most piteously, and begged of the farmer to let him go.

"No, my lad," replied the farmer, "I will not let you go till you tell
me who you are, and how you came here, and what trade you know that
enables you to earn your bread in the world."

At this the little man grinned and shook his head, but said not a word
in reply, only begging and praying the more to get loose. The farmer
thought he must now entreat him if he would coax any information out of
him. But it was all to no purpose. He then adopted the contrary method,
and whipped and slashed him, but just to as little effect. The little
black thing remained as dumb as the grave, for this species is the most
malicious and obstinate of all the underground folk.

The farmer now got angry, and said--

"Do but be quiet, my child. I should be a fool to put myself into a
passion with such a little brat. Never fear, I shall soon make you tame
enough."

So saying, he ran home with him, and clapped him into a black sooty iron
pot, and put the iron lid upon it, and laid on the top of the lid a
great heavy stone. Then he set the pot in a dark, cold room, and as he
was going out, said to him--

"Stay there, now, and freeze till you are black! I'll engage that at
last you will answer me civilly."

Twice a week the farmer went regularly into the room and asked his
little black captive if he would answer him now, but the little one
still obstinately persisted in his silence. The farmer had, without
success, pursued this course for six weeks, at the end of which time his
prisoner at last gave up. One day, as the farmer was opening the room
door, of his own accord he asked him to come and take him out of his
dirty, gloomy dungeon, promising that he would now cheerfully do all
that was wanted of him.

The farmer first ordered him to tell him his history. The black one
replied--

"My dear friend, you know it just as well as I do, or else you never
would have had me here. You see I happened by chance to come too near
the cross, a thing we little people may not do, and then I was held
fast, a