bird standing at his side; he turned to his friends, but a
flock of great awkward flapping creatures stood in their place. He put
up his hands to cover his face, but they were no more hands, only the
ends of wings; and when he tried to speak, a noise such as he had
never heard before seemed to come from his throat, which had suddenly
become narrow and slender. Already the water had risen to his waist,
and he found himself sitting easily upon it, while its surface
reflected back the image of a black swan, one of many.

* * * * *

Never again did the swans become men; but they are still different
from other swans, for in the night-time those who listen can hear them
talk in a language that is certainly not swan's language; and there
are even sounds of laughing and talking, unlike any noise made by the
swans whom we know.

The little Bunyip was carried home by its mother, and after that the
waters sank back to their own channels. The side of the pool where she
lives is always shunned by everyone, as nobody knows when she may
suddenly put out her head and draw him into her mighty jaws. But
people say that underneath the black waters of the pool she has a
house filled with beautiful things, such as mortals who dwell on the
earth have no idea of. Though how they know I cannot tell you, as
nobody has ever seen it.

[From _Journal of Anthropological Institute_.]

_FATHER GRUMBLER_

Once upon a time there lived a man who had nearly as many children as
there were sparrows in the garden. He had to work very hard all day to
get them enough to eat, and was often tired and cross, and abused
everything and everybody, so that people called him 'Father Grumbler.'

By-and-by he grew weary of always working, and on Sundays he lay a
long while in bed, instead of going to church. Then after a time he
found it dull to sit so many hours by himself, thinking of nothing but
how to pay the rent that was owing, and as the tavern across the road
looked bright and cheerful, he walked in one day and sat down with his
friends. 'It was just to chase away Care,' he said; but when he came
out, hours and hours after, Care came out with him.

Father Grumbler entered his house feeling more dismal than when he
left it, for he knew that he had wasted both his time and money.

'I will go and see the Holy Man in the cave near the well,' he said to
himself, 'and perhaps he can tell me why all the luck is for othe