rous man.

* * * * *

About the beginning of harvest, there having been a want of meal for
_shearers_' bread in the farmhouse of Bedrule, a small quantity of barley
(being all that was yet ripe) was cut down, and converted into meal. Mrs.
Buckham, the farmer's wife, rose early in the morning to bake the bread,
and, while she was engaged in baking, a little woman in green costume
came in, and, with much politeness, asked for a loan of a capful of meal.
Mrs. Buckham thought it prudent to comply with her request. In a short
time afterwards the woman in green returned with an equal quantity of
meal, which Mrs. Buckham put into the _meal-ark_. This meal had such a
lasting quality, that from it alone the gudewife of Bedrule baked as much
bread as served her own family and the reapers throughout the harvest,
and when harvest was over it was not exhausted.

THE SEAL-CATCHER'S ADVENTURE.

There was once upon a time a man who lived upon the northern coasts, not
far from "Taigh Jan Crot Callow" (John-o'-Groat's House), and he gained
his livelihood by catching and killing fish, of all sizes and
denominations. He had a particular liking for the killing of those
wonderful beasts, half dog half fish, called "Roane," or seals, no doubt
because he got a long price for their skins, which are not less curious
than they are valuable. The truth is, that the most of these animals are
neither dogs nor cods, but downright fairies, as this narration will
show; and, indeed, it is easy for any man to convince himself of the fact
by a simple examination of his _tobacco-spluichdan_, for the dead skins
of those beings are never the same for four-and-twenty hours together.
Sometimes the _spluichdan_ will erect its bristles almost
perpendicularly, while, at other times, it reclines them even down; one
time it resembles a bristly sow, at another time a _sleekit cat_; and
what dead skin, except itself, could perform such cantrips? Now, it
happened one day, as this notable fisher had returned from the
prosecution of his calling, that he was called upon by a man who seemed a
great stranger, and who said he had been despatched for him by a person
who wished to contract for a quantity of seal-skins, and that the fisher
must accompany him (the stranger) immediately to see the person who
wished to contract for the skins, as it was necessary that he should be
served that evening. Happy in the prospect of making a good bargain, and
never susp