he escaped with his life, the
thorns among which he fell pierced his eyes out. Then he wandered, blind
and miserable, through the wood, eating nothing but roots and berries,
and weeping and lamenting the loss of his lovely bride. So he wandered
about for some years, as wretched and unhappy as he could well be, and
at last he came to the desert place where Rapunzel was living. Of a
sudden he heard a voice which seemed strangely familiar to him. He
walked eagerly in the direction of the sound, and when he was quite
close, Rapunzel recognised him and fell on his neck and wept. But two
of her tears touched his eyes, and in a moment they became quite clear
again, and he saw as well as he had ever done. Then he led her to his
kingdom, where they were received and welcomed with great joy, and they
lived happily ever after.(23)

(23) Grimm.

THE NETTLE SPINNER

I

ONCE upon a time there lived at Quesnoy, in Flanders, a great lord whose
name was Burchard, but whom the country people called Burchard the Wolf.
Now Burchard had such a wicked, cruel heart, that it was whispered how
he used to harness his peasants to the plough, and force them by blows
from his whip to till his land with naked feet.

His wife, on the other hand, was always tender and pitiful to the poor
and miserable.

Every time that she heard of another misdeed of her husband's she
secretly went to repair the evil, which caused her name to be blessed
throughout the whole country-side. This Countess was adored as much as
the Count was hated.

II

One day when he was out hunting the Count passed through a forest, and
at the door of a lonely cottage he saw a beautiful girl spinning hemp.

'What is your name?' he asked her.

'Renelde, my lord.'

'You must get tired of staying in such a lonely place?'

'I am accustomed to it, my lord, and I never get tired of it.'

'That may be so; but come to the castle, and I will make you lady's maid
to the Countess.'

'I cannot do that, my lord. I have to look after my grandmother, who is
very helpless.'

'Come to the castle, I tell you. I shall expect you this evening,' and
he went on his way.

But Renelde, who was betrothed to a young wood-cutter called Guilbert,
had no intention of obeying the Count, and she had, besides, to take
care of her grandmother.

Three days later the Count again passed by.

'Why didn't you come?' he asked the pretty spinner.

'I told you, my lord, that I have to look