braided tresses of water-weed just rose and fell like boats at rest upon a tide, flies glittered on the top of the water, and the fish would not put their noses up to catch them, but dozed against the cool white stones and shining pebbles. Jack had watched for many days, and he felt tired and sleepy, and wished for the tinkling of a merry shower, to wake him up with its pretty chimes. Presently he began to wonder what he had been wishing for, and at last he neither wished nor wondered.

"He was roused by the touch of a gentle fin, and the voice of Ann Chovey whispered to him that the giant was at his post; he started up, and saw in the water a ghastly reflection of the monster bending above it from the drooping branch, with hungry eyes and mouth prepared to strike. Jack was hidden by the feathery tufts of grass that waved over from the bank, but, unseen himself, he could see all that passed.

"A pretty little fish, whose scales were of silver grey, dotted with sparkles of red, came gliding by over the smooth and sandy bed, quite unconscious of the terror that hung between the peaceful water and the quiet sky. Jack longed to warn him, but knew not how to do so. The victim came nearer and nearer, the delicate tufts of green lying in the water quivered as he passed over them. Jack tried to shut his eyes, but horror kept them wide open in spite of himself. There was a swoop, a darkening of the air, a splash, a red stain upon the ripple, and then a horrible sight: we will not dwell upon it.

"The giant was attracted by a slight movement made by Ann Chovey on the opposite side of the water, and he disengaged the poor speared fish from his dreadful mouth, and held it down in the shallow stream while he stared in the direction of Ann Chovey's hidingplace. It was only for a moment, but in that flash of time the spell that had bound Jack's faculties, and frozen his very life, was gone, he rushed rather than swam through the water, and leaped at the throat of the giant. Though he was a small fish, he had wide jaws and very sharp teeth; he took a large bite, and closed on it with a snap. The monster, unable to strike at him with his mouth, flapped his great fins and rose in the air, leaving the dead fish in the water, and only trying to get rid of Jack. The dreadful air blew on Jack like sheets of ice, that burns the skin it freezes; he shivered and yet he was scorching, he was dying of too much life, he could not breathe because air was engulfing him and drowning him, he felt his senses going but he held on, he grated his teeth together to make sure that they were meeting firmly in the giant's throat. He swayed in the air, there was a plunge, the water-that was Jack's life-was flowing round him again, it woke him from a dream of darkness, it made him live, and know, and remember. He recalled what Ann Chovey had told him, that though water was needful to the giant he could only live a very little time in it, and he pulled hard at the monster's head to get him down in the stream. He grew weaker as he bled more, but he struggled so desperately that the water was beaten into

foam, which flew about like snow when the wind scatters it. At last Jack could drag his head completely under water, and a strange quiet fell upon the stream, as the last circle made by the last struggle rounded itself off to nothing.

"It was long before the fishes would believe that their enemy was dead. Ann Chovey was the first to congratulate the victor, who by this time was thoroughly exhausted, and could with difficulty open his stiffened jaws, which had closed so bravely on his gigantic foe. The stream was at peace for ever after, fishes grew and multiplied, and Jack was made their prince to reward him for this deed of daring."

"I like your story," said Harry, "but I don't like him; let us go further down the stream."

CHAPTER XIII.

H

THE INVISIBLE BUTCHER.

"L was a LAMB, soft and white as a dream."

ARRY turned away from the running stream into a meadow in which a flock of sheep were browsing; some of these had twin lambs beside them, and the rest had one lamb each; only one sheep was quite alone. Although he was so small, she looked at him wistfully and spoke to him, but as he had not been introduced to her, he did not understand the meaning of her "Baa!" Suddenly the absent expression went out of her eyes, and he turned to see why she looked towards the gate with a glance of startled pleasure. L had just opened it, and he and a lamb were coming through. She was the prettiest lamb that Harry had ever seen, snow-white, with a fleece that was beginning to grow thick, and had been washed and tended with the greatest care. He stretched out his hands towards her, and she came up to him at once, and stooped to touch him with her soft nose.

"She seems to know me," he exclaimed to L

"It is because she is used to human beings," he replied; "she was taken away from the fold to be the playmate of a little child, and her name is Pet; I will introduce you, and then you will be able to understand both her speech and her mother's."

"Do you like living with human beings?" asked Harry.

"Very much," said Pet; "they are so kind and good, and they live in such beautiful folds, not like the one my mother sleeps in, but warm, and dry, and clean; there is only one fault to be found with their folds, and that is that the floors, although delightfully soft to lie upon, are not good to eat."

"Don't they feed you well?" asked the Sheep, anxiously.

"Very well indeed; I have everything that I could possibly wish for. I wonder why you dislike human beings so much, mother."

"I wonder at that too," remarked Harry.

"For one thing, they have taken my lamb away from me," said the Sheep, "though I suppose it is for her own good; for another thing, they are altogether cruel and horrible."

"Why do you say that?" inquired Pet.

"Because-because-come nearer to me, Pet, and I will whisper. Do you know what mutton is ?"

"I know it is something that human beings eat," said Pet, "but I don't know what it is made of; do you?" The Sheep shuddered.