the youth went back into his house and set him down, and watched how
all day long the two toiled apart with mattock and pick, smoothing and
levelling, lifting stones out of the way, and hewing down brambles and
tangled trees. But at night he laid him down and slept: and then those
two ran speedily together, and with fierce looks and eager hands they
dug and howked a grave in the earth. Deep it was, and lay straight
across the road; yet so cunningly placed that it could not be seen till
one was close upon it.

Morning came, and the youth stood at his door again, and saw the way
clear and smooth before him, and the two bowing low, with smiling faces
and fawning hands stretched out.

"Come, good Master!" they cried. "Come, dear youth, and let us bring you
on your way!"

THE SICK CHILD

The sick child sat at his window and looked out on the summer world. He
was sad at heart, for pain racked him, and weakness held him still; but
yet he smiled, because that pleased his mother.

"I am of no use in the world," said the child to himself; "I am of less
worth than yonder broken bough that lies on the ground, for that at
least gives trouble to no one, and by and by it will make a fire to warm
some poor soul. But still I must smile, lest my mother should be sad."

Presently the old field mouse who lived over the way came out of her
house, with a tiny brown velvet bundle in her mouth. It was one of her
eight young ones, and she was taking it to a new place, for the mole who
was their landlord had turned them out. She had taken five of the
little ones to the new house, but now she was weary, and her jaws ached
sadly with holding the heavy little creatures.

"I cannot carry them all!" she said. "The rest must die, since it cannot
be helped."

Just then she looked up, and saw the child smiling at the window.

"Look!" she said to herself. "That child has been watching me. He smiles
with pleasure at the beauty of my young ones, but he has not seen the
prettiest one yet. It will never do to give up now; I must try again,
and let him see that there are eight, all the handsomest of their
family."

So she tried again, and brought all the eight in safety to their new
home.

By and by a horse came along the road, dragging a heavy load. He was
old, and his bones ached, and the collar hurt his neck.

"Why should I not give up," he said to himself, "and refuse to go on? my
master could only beat me, and he does that as it is