furious dogs, she put out her leg, and teasing them, cried,

"Na goga, noga! Na goga, noga!" (There is my leg, seize it.)

The Plague fell
She threatened

The peasant at once recognised in her the terrible Plague itself. He softly approached the ladder, and pushed it off the rick with all his might. to the ground and the dogs seized her. the peasant with vengeance, and then suddenly disappeared.

The peasant did not die of the plague, but he was never well afterwards; and he would often involuntarily lift up his leg and repeat the cry,

"Na goga noga! Na goga noga!"

These were the only words he could utter.

GOLDEN HAIR.

(FROM THE BOHEMIAN.)

ONCE there lived a king who was so clever that he could understand all that the animals said to one another. Listen how he came to know this. One day an old woman brought him a snake in a basket, and said if he would have it cooked, and would eat it, he would understand what the animals and living creatures, whether on land, in the air, or in the water, said. The king was pleased at the idea of knowing more than any other man, paid the old woman well for her present, and ordered one of his servants to cook the "fish" immediately for dinner.

"But mind," added the king, "you do not taste it; if you do you will answer to me for it with your head."

Irik, the servant, thought it very strange that the king should forbid him so strongly to taste the dish.

H

"As long as I have lived," he said to himself, “I never saw such a fish; it looks more like a snake. Besides, how is a cook to prepare food without tasting it ?"

When the snake was ready he ate a piece of it, just to try its flavour. Suddenly he heard something buzzing round his ears :

"A piece for me! a piece for me!"

Irik looked round, but there was no one near, except a

few flies darting about the kitchen.

hoarse voice outside in the street :

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Then he heard a

'Where are you going to? Where are you going to?" And then various other voices answered,

"To the miller's barley. To the miller's barley."

And looking out of the window he saw a gander with a flock of geese.

"O-ho!" said he to himself, "that's the fish,' is it?" He understood the whole thing at once. He quickly ate another piece, and then, as if nothing had happened, took the dish to the king.

After dinner the king ordered Irik to saddle two horses, and accompany him on a ride. The king went on before, Irik following him. As they rode through a green meadow Irik's horse gave a bound, and said,—

"Ho, ho, brother, I feel so light! I should like to jump over the hills!"

"Ah," said the other horse, "I, too, should like to jump. But I am mounted by an old man, and if I were to jump he would tumble off to the ground like a full sack, and break his neck."

"And let him break it," said Irik's horse, "it does. not matter. Instead of an old you would have a young master."

During this conversation Irik laughed heartily, but quietly, lest the king should hear him. The king well. understood what the horses had said. He turned round, and, seeing Irik laughing, cried,

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, your majesty," Irik excused himself; "only something that came into my mind."

The old king, however, began to suspect him, and being afraid of the horses he returned home.

Upon reaching the palace, the king ordered Irik to pour him out a glass of wine.

"But you will lose your head," added the king, “if you pour either too much or too little.”

Irik took a bottle and began to pour out the wine. Suddenly two birds flew through a window into the room. One was pursuing the other, and the first held three golden hairs in its beak.

"Give them to me!" cried the second, "they are mine!"

"No," answered the first, "they are mine, I picked

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But I saw them falling on the ground when the maiden with the golden locks was combing her hair. Give me at least two of them."

"No, not one."

Hereupon the second bird flew upon the first, and seized the three hairs of gold. Then they began to struggle for them; at last each bird got one of the three hairs in its beak, and the third one fell upon the floor with a ringing sound.

Irik looked at it, and spilt the wine.

"You have forfeited your head!" thundered out the king; "but I will be merciful to you if you find the maiden with the golden locks, and bring her to me for my wife." What was Irik to do? If he would save his life he must go and look for this maiden, although he did not know where to seek her. He saddled his horse, and started at haphazard. He came to a dense forest; near this forest, just by the side of the road, a bush was burning. Some shepherd boys had lighted it. Under the bush was an ants' nest; the sparks were falling upon it, and the ants, carrying their white eggs, were running in all directions.

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"Oh, help, Irik, help!" they cried piteously, or we and our young ones yet unhatched will perish!"