"Leave them alone," said Witling. will not suffer them to be hurt."

"I

At last the three brothers came to a stone castle, where, in the stables, many horses were standing, all of stone. Now it was an enchanted castle, and on a table of stone were written the three things which must be done to free the castle from its enchantment.

The first thing was to find a thousand pearls that lay under the moss in the woods. But if at sunset a single pearl were missing, the seeker must be turned into stone.

So the eldest brother went into the woods and looked under the moss all day, but he found only two hundred pearls; and he was turned into stone. Then the next brother went out to look for the pearls. He found five hundred and was turned into stone.

Then it was Witling's turn to look under the moss, and as he looked, up came the king of the ants with five thousand helpers, and soon the pearls were all in a heap.

The second thing to do, said the table of stone, was to get a key which had fallen into the lake. When Witling came to the lake,

the ducks

whose lives he had

saved came swimming to

wards him. Then one of them dived below, and when she had found the key she brought it and put it in his hand.

Then came the third thing to do, and this was not so easy. When the key was put

into the lock, the door opened, and there three beautiful princesses lay asleep. Witling must choose the youngest and loveliest. They looked just alike. But one of them had eaten a little honey before she went to sleep. As Witling stood looking at them, the queen-bee which he had saved came flying in. She went straight to the sweet lips of the youngest and loveliest princess.

Then Witling knew which one to choose, and the castle was freed from its enchantment. The princesses woke up; the stone horses and the two brothers became alive again; and everybody in the castle was glad.

Some time after that, Witling married the lovely princess, and became the master of the great castle.

"He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all."

- COLERIDGE.

Spring and daisies came apace, Grasses hid my hiding-place. Grasses run like a green sea O'er the lawn up to my knee.

Under grass alone he lies,
Looking up with leaden eyes,
Scarlet coat and painted gun,
To the stars and to the sun.

When the grass is ripe like grain, When the scythe is stoned again, When the lawn is shaven clear, Then my hole shall reappear.

I shall find him, never fear,
I shall find my grenadier;
But for all that's gone
I shall find my soldier dumb.

and come,

He has lived, a little thing,
In the grassy woods of spring,
Done, if he could tell me true,
Just as I should like to do.

He has seen the starry hours,
And the springing of the flowers,
And the fairy things that pass
In the forests of the grass.