l never be _you_,' he
added, turning to Father Grumbler.

[From _Contes Populaires_.]

_THE STORY OF THE YARA_

Down in the south, where the sun shines so hotly that everything and
everybody sleeps all day, and even the great forests seem silent,
except early in the morning and late in the evening--down in this
country there once lived a young man and a maiden. The girl had been
born in the town, and had scarcely ever left it; but the young man was
a native of another country, and had only come to the city near the
great river because he could find no work to do where he was.

A few months after his arrival, when the days were cooler, and the
people did not sleep so much as usual, a great feast was held a little
way out of the town, and to this feast everyone flocked from thirty
miles and more. Some walked and some rode, some came in beautiful
golden coaches; but all had on splendid dresses of red or blue, while
wreaths of flowers rested on their hair.

It was the first time that the youth had been present on such an
occasion, and he stood silently aside watching the graceful dances and
the pretty games played by the young people. And as he watched, he
noticed one girl, dressed in white with scarlet pomegranates in her
hair, who seemed to him lovelier than all the rest.

When the feast was over, and the young man returned home, his manner
was so strange that it drew the attention of all his friends.

Through his work next day the youth continued to see the girl's face,
throwing the ball to her companions, or threading her way between
them as she danced. At night sleep fled from him, and after tossing
for hours on his bed, he would get up and plunge into a deep pool that
lay a little way in the forest.

This state of things went on for some weeks, then at last chance
favoured him. One evening, as he was passing near the house where she
lived, he saw her standing with her back to the wall, trying to beat
off with her fan the attacks of a savage dog that was leaping at her
throat. Alonzo, for such was his name, sprang forward, and with one
blow of his fist stretched the creature dead upon the road. He then
helped the frightened and half-fainting girl into the large cool
verandah where her parents were sitting, and from that hour he was a
welcome guest in the house, and it was not long before he was the
promised husband of Julia.

Every day, when his work was done, he used to go up to the house, half
hid