Yule-Tide Stories

stables. When he came there the men were all busied in watering their horses for the night. What in the devil's name dost thou want here?" said one of the men to the old crone as she stopped at the door. "Oh! oh! oh! it is so cold that a poor creature is almost frozen to death," and she shivered and shook all over. “Oh! if I can only get leave to sit inside the stable-door," said she. "Thou shalt get the devil sooner; pack thyself off at once, for if the Amtman finds thee here we shall be made to smart,” Isaid one of them. "The poor old cripple !" said another, who seemed to feel some compassion for her sufferings; "let the old woman sit there, she can do no harm surely." The rest said they would not have her there; but while they were quarrelling and attending to their horses, she stole further and further into the stable, and placed herself behind the door. By and by no one took any more notice of her.

As the night advanced the men thought it rather cold to sit so still on their horses. "Oh! oh! oh! it is infernally cold," said one of them, swinging his arms about to keep himself warm. "I am so cold that I shiver again," said another. "If one had only a little tobacco," said a third. One of them had a small quantity, which he divided with his comrades, there was not much for each; this helped them but for a short time, and then they were as cold as ever. "Oh! oh! oh!" said another, shaking himself. "Oh! oh! oh!" said the old woman, shivering so that her teeth chattered in her head. She then took up the bottle containing pure brandy, and her hands trembled so that the liquor might be heard in the flask, as well as every gulp when she applied it to her mouth. "What hast thou got in the bottle, old crone?" said one of the men. Only a little drop of brandy, my son," said she. "Brandy! what brandy! let me have a drop." "Let me have a drop," cried all the twelve at once. Oh, I have got so little," said the old woman, "there is hardly enough for each to wet his mouth." But they must and would have it. So taking the flask containing the soporific draught she raised it to the mouth of the first man; she trembled no more, but guided the bottle, so that every one got as much as he desired, and the twelfth man had scarcely finished drinking

before the first sat snoring. Thereupon the Master-thief threw away his tatters, and gently lifting each man off his horse set him across the partition between the stalls; then calling in his own eleven men they rode full gallop upon the twelve horses to the Amtman's.

The following morning, when the Amtman went to look after his men some were beginning to awake; some were striking the partitions with their spurs, so that the splinters flew about; some had fallen down, while others remained sitting like fools. Oh! oh!" said the Amtman, “I can see very well who has been here; but you are a set of miserable varlets, who could sit here and let the Masterthief steal the horses from under you!" So they all got_a sound cudgelling for not having kept a better watch. In the course of the day the Master-thief came and related what he had done, and demanded the Amtman's daughter, according to his promise. But the Amtman chatted with him as before, gave him a hundred dollars, and told him he must do something still better. "Do you think," said he, "that you could steal my horse from under me while I am out riding on it?" Yes, that is possible," said the Masterthief. But shall I then have your daughter?" Yes, he would see what he could do, and appointed a day when he would ride out on the esplanade.

The Master-thief lost no time in getting an old worn-out horse, made a rope of osier and broom twigs, bought an old cart and a large cask. He then told a toothless old woman that he would give her ten dollars, if she would place herself in the cask and hold her mouth open over the bunghole, in which he would put his finger-no harm should befall her; he would only drive her a little way,—and if he took his finger out of the hole more than once, she should have another ten dollars. He then dressed himself out in some rags, sooted his face, put on a wig and a beard of goat's hair, so that no one could recognise him; and in this disguise proceeded to the place where the Amtman had already been riding a long time. As he approached, he went so slowly and so gently that he seemed hardly to move from the spot; he crept and crept on, then stood quite still, then crept on a little again; and made so miserable a figure, that the Amtman could not possibly imagine that he

was the Master-thief. On riding close up to him he asked him whether he had seen any one skulking about in the wood. "No," answered the man, he had seen no such person.

Hear now," said the Amtman, "if thou wilt ride into the wood and look well about, whether thou canst find some one lurking there, I will lend thee my horse, and thou shalt have a good drink-money for thy trouble." "No, that I cannot," said the man, for I am going to a wedding with this cask of mead, which I have been to fetch; the bung has fallen out on the way, and so I must hold my finger in the hole all the time." "Do thou only ride off," said the Amtman, "I will take care of both the horse and the cask." After much persuasion he consented, but begged the Amtman to take great care and be quick in putting his finger into the bung-hole the instant he drew his own out. The Amtman promised he would do the best he could, and the Master-thief mounted his horse and rode off. Time went on, and it grew later and later, but no one came back; at length the Amtman grew weary of holding his finger in the bung-hole and drew it out. Now I shall have ten dollars more," cried the old crone in the cask; the Amtman was now at no loss to perceive how matters stood, and returned home accordingly; but he had not proceeded far before one of his men met him with his horse; for the Master-thief had been to his house with it.

The next day he came to the Amtman and demanded his daughter according to promise. The Amtman chatted with him again, gave him two hundred dollars, and said he must yet make one more trial; if he succeeded, he should positively have her.

The Master-thief was not unwilling, but must first hear what it was to be. "Do you think that you can steal the sheet off our bed and the shift off my wife?" said the Amtman. "That shall be done," said the Master-thief,

I shall really then have your daughter."

When night came on, the Master-thief went to the gallows and cut down a thief that was hanging on it, laid him across his back and carried him away. He then got a long ladder, which he placed against the Amtman's window, mounted it, and popped the dead man up and down, ex

actly as if it were some one outside peeping in at the window. There is the Master-thief, wife,' said the Amtman, jogging his wife. Now I will shoot him," added he, taking up a gun he had laid by the side of the bed. "Oh no, do not do that," said his wife. You your. self induced him to come." But I will shoot him, notwithstanding," said he, and lay aiming and aiming. But at one moment the man's head was popped up, so that he could see a little of it, the next it was away again; at length he got a good aim, fired, and the body fell heavily, so that the earth resounded. The Master-thief descended as quickly as

he could.

"Although I am the chief authority here," said the Amtman, "yet people will talk about it, if they see the dead body, and it would be a very unpleasant affair; so I think it will be better for me to go and bury it." Do what you think best, husband," said his wife. The Amtman rose, went down stairs, and no sooner was he gone than the Master-thief rushed into the room, and ran up to the wife. Well, husband," said she, for she thought it was he, “have you quite done now?" 'Yes, I have put him into a hole," answered he, "and raked a little earth over, just to conceal the body; but it is such dreadful weather out, I can do it better another time; give me the sheet to dry myself with, for the body was so bloody, that I am quite wet and dirty." This he got. "You must also let me have your shift," said he, "for the sheet is not enough, I find." Oh! yes, certainly." But now he recollected he had not fastened the door, and that he must go down and do it, before he came to bed again; and so off he went with both shift and sheet. Some time after the right Amtman came. How long you have been fastening the door, husband," said his spouse: "what have you done with the sheet and my shift, which you had to dry the blood on you?" said she. "The Devil take him," cried he, "has he managed this also?"

The next day the Master-thief came and demanded the Amtman's daughter, as he had promised, and he durst not refuse him any longer. He gave him not only his daughter, but also a great deal of money, for he was afraid that the

Master-thief would steal the eyes out of his head if he did not.

The Master-thief lived afterwards well and happy; whether he stole any more I cannot say; but if he did, it was only for his own amusement.

ALL THINK THEIR OWN OFFSPRING THE BEST.

As a fowler one day went into the wood he was met by a snipe, who accosted him with: "Dear friend, do not shoot my young ones.' "Which are they?" asked the sportsman. "The most beautiful that fly in the wood are mine," answered the snipe.

As the man returned, he held in his hand a whole bundle of snipes that he had brought down with his gun. "Alas! alas!" cried the old snipe, "why did you shoot my young ones?" "Were they yours?" asked the sportsman; "I shot the ugliest I could find." Ah! so," answered the snipe, do you not know that all think their own children the most beautiful."

THE BEAR AND THE FOX.

I. WHY THE BEAR HAS A STUMP TAIL.

A BEAR once met a fox sneaking alone with a bundle of fish he had stolen. Where did you get that from?" asked

the bear.

fox.

I have been out angling, Mr. Bruin," answered the

The bear then had a great wish to learn to angle, and asked the fox to tell him how he should manage. 66 It is a very simple art for you," replied the fox, "and is soon learnt; you need only go out on the ice and make a hole, then put your tail down in it, and there hold it for a good long time. You must not mind if it smarts a little, for that will be a sign that the fishes bite. The longer you can hold it under the ice the more fish will catch; and then you must give it a sudden jerk up."

you

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