again if the two Princes be slain for his sake
and his body smeared with their blood."

The Queen told this dream to the King, and they were terrified at it,
but thought it only a dream. But twice again the same dream came to
the Queen on the following two nights; and then she said to her
husband the King,

"John the True gave his life for us; I feel we ought to give our
children for him."

The King at last agreed to the terrible sacrifice, and the heads of
the two Princes were cut off, and the statue of John smeared with
their blood, when it came to life and John the True lived again.

But when he learned how he had been brought to life again, he asked
to have the bodies of the Princes brought to his chamber, and, going
to the bridal chamber, scraped from the floor some of the dragon's
blood that had fallen there, and went back into his chamber and closed
the door.

Shortly after, the King and the Queen heard the voices of their sons
calling out for them; and when the door was opened there they were
alive again.

So the King and the Queen and the Princes lived together in all joy,
with their faithful servant John the True.

[Illustration: The Wounded Dragon]

[Illustration: The Witch]

JOHNNIE AND GRIZZLE

There was once a poor farmer who had two children named Johnnie and
Grizzle. Now things grew worse and worse for the farmer till he could
scarcely earn enough to eat and drink. All his crops went to pay rent
and taxes. So one night he said to his wife,

"Betty, my dear, I really do not know what to do; there is scarcely
anything in the house to eat, and in a few days we shall all be
starving. What I think of doing is to take the poor lad and lassie
into the forest and leave them there; if somebody finds them they will
surely keep them alive, and if nobody finds them they might as well
die there as here; I cannot see any other way; it is their lives or
ours; and if we die what can become of them?"

"No, no, father," said the farmer's wife; "wait but a few days and
perhaps something will turn up."

"We have waited and have waited and things are getting worse every
day; if we wait much longer we shall all be dead. No, I am determined
on it; to-morrow the children to the forest."

Now it happened that Johnnie was awake in the next room and heard his
father and his mother talking. He said nothing but thought and thought
and thought; and early next morning he went out and picked a large
number o