eemed to her too large to give away.

"I will bake a smaller one," she said to herself. She did not glance
toward the stranger, but caught up a wee bit of meal and began to cook
the second cake.

But that also looked too large to give away. She cooked a third cake
that was no larger than a thimble. But when it was done, she shook her
head, for it also was too large to give away. And still the old man
waited patiently in the doorway, watching it all.

Then the old woman gathered up the cakes, large and small, and put
them on a plate. The plate she set on the pantry shelf and then locked
the door.

"I have no food for you," she said to the old man. "My cakes seem very
small when I eat them, but they are far too large to give away. Ask
bread at another door."

The old man's blue eyes flashed with fire as he drew himself up
proudly.

"I have been round the world but never have I met a soul so small. You
have shelter, food, and fire, but you will not share with another.
This is your punishment. You shall seek your scanty food with pain.
You shall bore, bore, bore in hard tree-trunks for your food."

The old man struck his staff on the floor. A strong gust of wind
carried the old woman up the chimney. The flames scorched her grey
clothes black; but her red cap was unharmed.

A woodpecker flew out of the chimney and away to the wood. Rap! rap!
rap! you can hear her tapping her beak on the tree-trunks as she hunts
for food. But always and everywhere, she wears a black coat and a
little red cap. Watch for the woodpecker and see if it is not so.

_The Little Rabbits_[6]

JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS

"Honey," said Uncle Remus to the little boy, "why don' you git some
flesh on yo' bones? If I wuz ole Brer Wolf en you wuz a young rabbit,
I wouldn't git hongry 'nuff fer ter eat you, caze you's too bony."

[Footnote 6: From _Uncle Remus and his Friends_.]

"Did Brother Wolf want to eat the young rabbit, Uncle Remus?" inquired
the little boy.

"Ain't I done tole you 'bout dat, honey? Des run over in yo' min' en
see ef I ain't."

The youngster shook his head.

"Well," said Uncle Remus, "ole Brer Wolf want ter eat de little Rabs
all de time, but dey wuz one time in 'tickeler dat dey make his mouf
water, en dat wuz de time when him en Brer Fox wuz visitin' at Brer
Rabbit's house. De times wuz hard, but de little Rabs wuz slick and
fat, en des ez frisky ez kittens. Ole Brer Rabbit wuz off som'ers, en
Brer Wolf en Bre