to call and see me betimes, that we may know each
other well.'

They promised they would, and with great joy they set off for the King
their father's palace, and the Black Thief along with them.

The wicked Queen was standing all this time on the tower, and, hearing
the bells ringing at a great distance off, knew very well it was the
princes coming home, and the steed with them, and through spite and
vexation precipitated herself from the tower and was shattered to
pieces.

The three princes lived happy and well during their father's reign, and
always keeping the Black Thief along with them; but how they did after
the old King's death is not known.(4)

(4) The Hibernian Tales.

THE MASTER THIEF

THERE was once upon a time a husbandman who had three sons. He had no
property to bequeath to them, and no means of putting them in the way of
getting a living, and did not know what to do, so he said that they had
his leave to take to anything they most fancied, and go to any place
they best liked. He would gladly accompany them for some part of their
way, he said, and that he did. He went with them till they came to a
place where three roads met, and there each of them took his own way,
and the father bade them farewell and returned to his own home again.
What became of the two elder I have never been able to discover, but the
youngest went both far and wide.

It came to pass, one night, as he was going through a great wood, that
a terrible storm came on. It blew so hard and rained so heavily that he
could scarcely keep his eyes open, and before he was aware of it he had
got quite out of the track, and could neither find road nor path. But
he went on, and at last he saw a light far away in the wood. Then he
thought he must try and get to it, and after a long, long time he did
reach it. There was a large house, and the fire was burning so brightly
inside that he could tell that the people were not in bed. So he went
in, and inside there was an old woman who was busy about some work.

'Good evening, mother!' said the youth.

'Good evening!' said the old woman.

'Hutetu! it is terrible weather outside to-night,' said the young
fellow.

'Indeed it is,' said the old woman.

'Can I sleep here, and have shelter for the night?' asked the youth.

'It wouldn't be good for you to sleep here,' said the old hag, 'for if
the people of the house come home and find you, they will kill both you
and me.'

'What kind o