went off again planning what she would do, and feeling as rich as
rich, until becoming a bit tired again she stopped to rest and gave a
look round to see if her treasure was safe; and she saw nothing but a
great lump of iron!

"Well! I never!" says she again. "And I mistaking it for silver! I must
have been dreaming. But this is luck! It's real convenient. I can get
penny pieces for old iron, and penny pieces are a deal handier for me
than your gold and silver. Why! I should never have slept a wink for
fear of being robbed. But a penny piece comes in useful, and I shall
sell that iron for a lot and be real rich--rolling rich."

So on she trotted full of plans as to how she would spend her penny
pieces, till once more she stopped to rest and looked round to see her
treasure was safe. And this time she saw nothing but a big stone.

"Well! I never!" she cried, full of smiles. "And to think I mistook it
for iron. I must have been dreaming. But here's luck indeed, and me
wanting a stone terrible bad to stick open the gate. Eh my! but it's a
change for the better! It's a fine thing to have good luck."

So, all in a hurry to see how the stone would keep the gate open, she
trotted off down the hill till she came to her own cottage. She
unlatched the gate and then turned to unfasten her shawl from the stone
which lay on the path behind her. Aye! It was a stone sure enough. There
was plenty light to see it lying there, douce and peaceable as a stone
should.

So she bent over it to unfasten the shawl end, when--"Oh my!" All of a
sudden it gave a jump, a squeal, and in one moment was as big as a
haystack. Then it let down four great lanky legs and threw out two long
ears, nourished a great long tail and romped off, kicking and squealing
and whinnying and laughing like a naughty, mischievous boy!

The old woman stared after it till it was fairly out of sight, then she
burst out laughing too.

"Well!" she chuckled, "I am in luck! Quite the luckiest body hereabouts.
Fancy my seeing the Bogey-Beast all to myself; and making myself so free
with it too! My goodness! I do feel that uplifted--that _GRAND_!"--

So she went into her cottage and spent the evening chuckling over her
good luck.

[Illustration: "Well!" she chuckled, "I am in luck!"]

LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD

Once upon a time there was a little girl who was called little Red
Riding-Hood, because she was quite small and because she always wore a
red cloak with