with no one to come nigh her to help her? She sat down on a
stool in the kitchen, and law! how she did cry!

However, all of a sudden she heard a sort of a knocking low down on the
door. She upped and oped it, and what should she see but a small little
black thing with a long tail. That looked up at her right curious, and
that said, "What are you a-crying for?"

"What's that to you?" says she.

"Never you mind," that said, "but tell me what you're a-crying for."

"That won't do me no good if I do," says she.

"You don't know that," that said, and twirled that's tail round.

"Well," says she, "that won't do no harm, if that don't do no good," and
she upped and told about the pies and the skeins and everything.

"This is what I'll do," says the little black thing, "I'll come to your
window every morning and take the flax and bring it spun at night."

"What's your pay?" says she.

That looked out of the corner of that's eyes, and that said, "I'll give
you three guesses every night to guess my name, and if you haven't
guessed it before the month's up you shalt be mine."

Well, she thought she'd be sure to guess that's name before the month
was up. "All right," says she, "I agree."

"All right," that says, and law! how that twirled that's tail.

Well, the next day her husband took her into the room, and there was the
flax and the day's food.

"Now, there's the flax," says he, "and if that ain't spun up this night,
off goes your head." And then he went out and locked the door.

He'd hardly gone when there was a knocking against the window. She upped
and she oped it, and there sure enough was the little old thing sitting
on the ledge.

"Where's the flax?" says he.

"Here it be," says she. And she gave it to him.

Well, come the evening a knocking came again to the window. She upped
and she oped it, and there was the little old thing with five skeins of
flax on his arm.

"Here it be," says he, and he gave it to her. "Now, what's my name?"
says he. "What, is that Bill?" says she. "Noo, that ain't," says he, and
he twirled his tail. "Is that Ned?" says she. "Noo, that ain't," says
he, and he twirled his tail. "Well, is that Mark?" says she. "Noo, that
ain't," says he, and he twirled his tail harder, and away he flew.

Well, when her husband came in, there were the five skeins ready for
him. "I see I shan't have to kill you to-night, my dear," says he;
"you'll have your food and your flax in the morning," say