"You _are_ a clever man, Jerry, if you made that dancing old
thing--did you?" cried Jack.

"What, made my Ingin? In course I did."

"Phew! why, all the fellows said 'twas a ghost you kept in your
window," said admiring Jack, now outside the house, and looking up at
the window--"why, I half said so myself."

"Well, lad, ghosts are but whims and fancies, and this _individual_
is good solid wood, you see," replied Jerry, looking up, and
chuckling at his own handiwork.

Mab soon stood beside Jack, and Ben came out ready to depart.

"Children," said the old man, as they thanked him and bade him
"good-bye," patting Jowler on the head as he stood by his master,
"children, keep to the good, right, honest truth from this day, even
in fun; the wolves and things ye have conjured up to-day out of
nothing have gone nigh to costing ye dearly, lads. And you little
maiden, take an old man's warning, and look before you leap, as
mayhap I and Jowler may not be anigh next time. And there's a many
leaps to be taken in life, and a many waterfalls and things about
ye."

"Wow, wow, wow!" said Jowler to this, springing up, and licking his
master's hand, and so ends my story of Mab, the wolf, and the
waterfall.

[Illustration: MAB ON HER JOURNEY. (_See p. 299._)]

"WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY."

A TRUE STORY.

This is a very old proverb, and a very true one. Sometimes we forget
it, though, and say "I can't," before we have really tried at all.
Now I should like to tell you the true story of two little Irish
sweeps who had the will to learn to read, and found the way, although
it was a very difficult one.

Some years ago a few kind people made up their minds to try to get
hold of all the chimney-sweeps in Dublin and give them an education.

One day a little fellow came who was asked if he knew his letters.

"Oh, yes," he answered.

"Can you spell?"

"Oh, yes."

"Can you read?"

"Oh, yes."

"What books did you learn from?"

"Please, sir, I never had a book."

"Then who was your schoolmaster?"

"I never went to school at all."

The gentleman stared, for it seemed very strange that a boy should be
able to read and spell, and yet never had a master.

"Then however did you learn?" he asked.

The little boy smiled, and linked his arm in that of a sweep somewhat
older than himself.

"Please, sir, Jim taught me the letters over the shop doors, as we
went to our work, but now I know all the words by hea