221

LIFE'S SECRET _A Story of Bengal_ 251

DAME PRIDGETT AND THE FAIRIES 278

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

He took out his pipe and blew a tune. Frontispiece

Seeing no one, the creature dropped on its knees and
bellowed, "Beau Madjam!" 29

She sat down beside the hearth and took off her head. 127

Then the demon flew out through the window and away
through the night. 169

The Princess took the cup and drank. 191

The Rajah brought the girl down, while the crows
circled about his head. 241

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TALES OF FOLK AND
FAIRIES

THE MEESTER STOORWORM

A STORY FROM SCOTLAND

There was once a lad, and what his real name was nobody remembered,
unless it was the mother who bore him; but what every one called him
was Ashipattle. They called him that because he sat among the ashes to
warm his toes.

He had six older brothers, and they did not think much of him. All the
tasks they scorned to do themselves they put upon Ashipattle. He
gathered the sticks for the fire, he swept the floor, he cleaned the
byre, he ran the errands, and all he got for his pains were kicks and
cuffs and mocking words. Still he was a merry fellow, and as far as
words went he gave his brothers as good as they sent.

Ashipattle had one sister, and she was very good and kind to him. In
return for her kindness he told her long stories of trolls and giants
and heroes and brave deeds, and as long as he would tell she would sit
and listen. But his brothers could not stand his stories, and used to
throw clods at him to make him be quiet. They were angry because
Ashipattle was always the hero of his own stories, and in his tales
there was nothing he dared not do.

Now while Ashipattle was still a lad, but a tall, stout one, a great
misfortune fell upon the kingdom, for a Stoorworm rose up out of the
sea; and of all Stoorworms it was the gr