ld woman left
him, but suddenly returning, she discovered Eric on his knees. As he
rose, she scoffed and jeered him, and asked, "Do you always say your
prayers?" "Yes, always," replied the boy. "Who taught you?" "My mother,
who is dead." The old woman heaved a deep sigh, but the boy did not know
why. Perhaps she used to pray when she was a little girl herself, and
had given up speaking to God, or even thinking of Him, and so had become
wicked; or perhaps she thought of some child of her own whom she had
never taught to pray. She soon went away without speaking a word more,
and Eric was left in darkness. He looked out through the narrow window
of his room, but could see nothing but black clouds rushing over the
sky. Far down he heard a stream roaring, and the wind, which now blew a
gale, came booming over the tree-tops, and howling round the tower.
Every now and then a flash lighted up the forest, and the thunder
crashed in the sky. It was a fearful night!

[Illustration]

Some time after, he heard footsteps at his door, and immediately the man
with the beard entered, and sat down. "Do you know," he asked, "where
your father is?" "No," said Eric; "as I told you, I lost my way in the
forest, and have been wandering all day, and cannot find him; but
perhaps you will send some one to-morrow with me to shew me the way to
his castle, and I am sure my kind, good father will give you a rich
reward." "You are very, very far from your father's house," said the
man, "and I fear you will never see him again; but come with me, and I
shall shew you some beautiful things that will please you." So the man
took Eric by the hand, and, carrying a lamp, he led him into a room that
seemed full of gold and silver, with beautiful dresses, sparkling with
diamonds, and every kind of splendour, and he said, "Stay with me, my
boy, and I will give you all this, for I am a king too, and will make
you my heir." "Oh, no, no," said Eric; "I will never forsake my own
father." The man then said, "If you stay with me, you need never go
to school all day, but may amuse yourself from morning till night, and
have a beautiful pony to ride, and a gun to shoot deer with, and also
fishing-rods, and a servant to attend you, and any kind of meat and
drink you like best. Do stay with me!" "You are very kind," said Eric,
"but I cannot be happy without my father." "Come then with me, my fine
fellow, and I shall shew you something different," said the man, seizing