f the corners of its
eyes. "I will give you three guesses every night to guess my name, and
if you haven't guessed it before the month is up, why"--and That twirled
its tail faster and stuck out its toes further, and smirked and
sniggered more than ever--"you shall be mine, my beauty."

Three guesses every night for a whole month! She felt sure she would be
able for so much; and there was no other way out of the business, so she
just said, "Yes! I agree!"

And lor! how That twirled its tail, and bowed, and smirked, and stuck
out its beautiful toes.

Well, the very next day her husband led her to the strange room again,
and there was the day's food, and a spinning-wheel and a great bundle of
flax.

"There you are, my dear," says he as polite as polite. "And remember! if
there are not five whole skeins to-night, I fear your head will come
off!"

At that she began to tremble, and after he had gone away and locked the
door, she was just thinking of a good cry, when she heard a queer
knocking at the window. She upped at once and opened it, and sure enough
there was the small, little, black Thing sitting on the window-ledge,
dangling its beautiful toes and twirling its tail so that you could
scarcely see it.

"Good-morning, my beauty," says That. "Come! hand over the flax, sharp,
there's a good girl."

So she gave That the flax and shut the window and, you may be sure, ate
her victuals, for, as you know, she had a good appetite, and the King,
her husband, had promised to give her everything she liked to eat. So
she ate to her heart's content, and when evening came and she heard that
queer knocking at the window again, she upped and opened it, and there
was the small, little, black Thing with five spun skeins on his arm!

And it twirled its tail faster than ever, and stuck out its beautiful
toes, and bowed and smirked and gave her the five skeins.

Then That said, "And now, my beauty, what is That's name?"

And she answered quite easy like:

"That is Bill."

"No, it ain't," says That, and twirled its tail.

"Then That is Ned," says she.

"No, it ain't," says That, and twirled its tail faster.

"Well," says she a bit more thoughtful, "That is Mark."

"No, it ain't," says That, and laughs and laughs and laughs, and twirls
its tail so as you couldn't see it, as away it flew.

Well, when the King, her husband, came in, he was fine and pleased to
see the five skeins all ready for him, for he was fond of his pr