kicked him; and the cock, who had been awakened by the noise,
crew with all his might.

At this the robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades, and
told the captain that a horrid witch had got into the house, and had
scratched his face with her long bony fingers--that a man with a knife
in his hand had hidden himself behind the door, and stabbed him in the
leg--that a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a
club--and that the devil sat upon the top of the house, and cried
out--

"Throw the rascal up here!"

After this the robbers never dared to go back to the house; but the
musicians were so pleased with their quarters, that they never found
their way to Bremen, but took up their abode in the wood. And there
they live, I dare say, to this very day.

THE FLAMING CASTLE.

Upon a high mountain in the Tyrol there stands an old castle, in which
there burns a fire every night, and the flashes of that fire are so
large that they rise up over the walls, and may be seen far and wide.

It happened once that an old woman in want of firewood was gathering
the fallen twigs and branches upon this castle-crowned mountain, and
at length arrived at the castle door. To indulge her curiosity she
began peering about her, and at last entered, not without difficulty,
for it was all in ruins and not easily accessible. When she reached
the courtyard, there she beheld a goodly company of nobles and ladies
seated and feasting at a huge table. There were, likewise, plenty of
servants, who waited upon them, changing their plates, handing round
the viands, and pouring out wine for the party.

As she thus stood gazing upon them, there came one of the servants,
who drew her on one side, and placed a piece of gold in the pocket of
her apron, upon which the whole scene vanished in an instant, and the
poor frightened old woman was left to find her way back as well as
she could. However, she got outside the courtyard, and there stood
before her a soldier with a lighted match, whose head was not placed
upon his neck, but held by him under his arm. He immediately addressed
the old woman, and commanded her not to tell any one what she had seen
and heard upon peril of evil befalling her.

At length the woman reached home, full of anguish, still keeping
possession of the gold, but telling no one whence she had obtained it.
When the magistrates, however, got wind of the affair, she was
summoned before them, but she woul