at were not good in his life, and our Lord
said: "I will give you as many years of heaven as there are penfuls of
water in the sea, and hell at the end of that." "That is not enough of
heaven," said the man. Then our Lord said: "I will give you as many
years of heaven as there are grains in the sand, and hell after that."
"That is not enough of heaven," said the man. Then our Lord said: "I
will give you as many years of heaven as there are blades of grass on
the earth, and hell after that." "That is not enough of heaven," said
the man. "And I will ask you for this," he said; "give me a year of hell
for all these things you have spoken of: the drops in the sea, and the
blades of grass, and the grains of the sand, and give me heaven in the
end."

'And when the Lord heard that, He said, "I will give you heaven first
and last."

'That is how the Catholic had him saved.'

* * * * *

Another old man says: 'There was a king one time that had a daughter;
and she went out one day in the garden, and there she saw a bird--a
jackdaw it was--and she thought it very nice, and she followed it on.
And at last it spoke to her, and it said: "Will you give me your promise
to marry me at the end of a year and a day?" "I will not," she said; and
she went into the house again.

'After that the king's younger daughter went out, and she saw the bird
and followed it, and it asked her the same thing. And she gave her
promise to marry it at the end of a year and a day.

'And at the end of that time a great coach and horses came up to the
door of the king's house; and the jackdaw came in, and he took the edge
of the young girl's dress in his beak to draw her out of the house. And
she went away in the carriage with him, and they came to a sort of a
castle, and went into it. And there was no one in it; but no sooner did
they come in, than there was a table set out before them, with every
sort of food and drink, and beautiful gold cups and everything grand.
And when they had eaten enough, the bird said, "Don't be frightened at
anything you may see; and whatever happens, don't say one word; for if
you do, you will lose me for ever."

'And then some sort of people came in, and began hitting at the bird and
attacking him, and he keeping out of their way. And at last they got to
him, and began to knock feathers from him. And when the young girl saw
that, she cried out, "Oh, they are destroying you, my poor jackdaw!"