whenever I put my hand in my pocket, there is nothing more left to want.'

And so he handed over the goose to the other, and received the grindstone in exchange.

"Now," said the knife-grinder, taking up a heavy common stone that lay near by, "here is another proper kind of stone that will stand a good deal of wear, and that you can hammer out your old nails upon. Take it with you, and carry it carefully."

66

Hans lifted up the stone, and carried it off with a contented mind. I must have been born under a lucky star!" cried he, while his eyes sparkled for joy. "I have only to wish for a thing, and it is mine!

After awhile he began to feel rather tired as he had been on his legs since daybreak. He also began to feel rather hungry, as in the fulness of his joy at getting the cow he had eaten up all he had. At last he could scarcely go on at all, and had to make a halt every moment; for the stones weighed him down unmercifully, and he could not help wishing that he did not feel obliged to drag them along. And on he went at a snail's pace until he came to a well; there he thought he would rest, and take a drink of the fresh water. He placed the stones carefully by his side at the edge of the well; then he sat down, and as he stooped to drink, he happened to give the stones a little push, and they both fell into the water with a splash. And then Hans, having watched them disappear, jumped for joy, and thanked his stars that he had, without any effort of his own, been so lucky as to get rid of the stones that had weighed upon him so long.

"I really think," cried he, "that I am the luckiest man under the sun.”

So he went on, void of care until he reached his mother's house.

THE CAT AND MOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP.

A Cat having made acquaintance with a Mouse, professed such great love and friendship for her, that the Mouse at last agreed that they should live and keep house together.

"We must make provision for the winter," said the

Cat, "or we shall suffer hunger, and you, little Mouse, must not stir out, or you will be caught in a trap."

So they took counsel together, and bought a pot of fat. And then they could not tell where to put it for safety; but after long consideration the Cat said there could not be a better place than the church, for nobody would steal it there; and they would put it under the altar, and not touch it until they were really in want. So this was done, and the little pot placed in safety. But before long the Cat was seized with a great wish to taste it.

"Listen to me, little Mouse," said he ; "I have been asked by my cousin to stand godfather to a little son she has brought into the world. He is white with brown spots; and they want to have the christening to-day. So let me go to it, and you stay at home and keep house." "Oh, yes, certainly," answered the Mouse; pray go by all means. And when you are feasting on all the good things, think of me; I should so like a drop of the sweet red wine!"

But there was not a word of truth in all this. The Cat had no cousin, and had not been asked to stand godfather. He went to the church, straight up to the little pot, and licked the fat off the top; then he took a walk over the roofs of the town, saw his acquaintances, stretched himself in the sun, and licked his whiskers as often as he thought of the fat; and then, when it was evening, he went home.

"Here you are at last," said the Mouse; "I expect you had a merry time!"

"Oh, pretty well," answered the Cat.

“And what name did you give the child?" asked the Mouse.

"Top-off,'" answered the Cat, dryly.

"Top-off!" cried the Mouse; that is a singular and wonderful name! Is it common in your family?" "What does it matter?" said the Cat. "It's not any worse than Crumb-picker,' like your godchild."

66

After this the Cat was again seized with a longing. 'Again I must ask you," said he, one day, "to do me a favor, and keep house alone for a day. I have been asked a second time to stand godfather; and as

the little one has a white ring round its neck, I cannot well refuse."

So the kind little Mouse consented; and the Cat crept along by the town wall until he reached the church, and going straight to the little pot of fat, devoured half of it.

"Nothing tastes so well as what one keeps to himself," said he, feeling quite content with his day's work. When he reached home the Mouse asked what name had been given to the child.

"Half-gone," answered the Cat. cried the Mouse.

"Half-gone!

"I never heard such a name in my life; I'll bet it is not to be found in the calendar."

Soon after that the Cat's mouth began to water again for the fat.

"Good things always come in threes," said he to the Mouse; "again I have been asked to stand godfather. The little one is quite black, with white feet, and not any white hair on its body. Such a thing does not happen every day; so you will let me go, won't you?" "Top-off,'Half-gone,'" murmured the Mouse; "they are such curious names, I cannot but wonder at them!"

"That's because you are always sitting at home," said the Cat, "in your little gray frock, and hairy tail, never seeing the world, and fancying all sorts of things."

So the little Mouse cleaned up the house and set it all in order. Meanwhile the greedy Cat went and made an end of the little pot of fat.

"Now all is finished, one's mind will be easy," said he, and came home in the evening, quite sleek and comfortable.

The Mouse asked at once what name had been given to the third child.

"What an un

"It won't please you any better than the others," answered the Cat. "It is called 'All-gone.'" "All-gone!'" cried the Mouse. heard-of name! I never met with anything like it. What can it mean?" And, shaking her head, she curled herself round and went to sleep.

After that the Cat was not again asked to stand godfather. When the winter had come, and there was nothing more to be had out of doors, the Mouse began to think of their store.

"Come, Cat," said she, "we will fetch our pot of fat. How good it will taste, to be sure!"

"Of course it will," said the Cat; "just as good as if you stuck your tongue out of the window."

So they set out, and when they reached the place they found the pot, but it was standing empty.

"Oh, now I know what it all meant!" cried the Mouse; "now I see what sort of a partner you have been! Instead of standing godfather, you have devoured it all up; first 'Top-off,' then 'Half-gone,' then-"

"Will you hold your tongue ? screamed the Cat. "Another word and I'll devour you too!"

And the poor little Mouse having "All-gone" on her tongue, out it came; and the Cat leaped on her, and made an end of her.

And that is the way of the world.

WHY BEANS HAVE A BLACK SEAM.

There lived in a certain village a poor old woman who had collected a mess of beans, and was going to cook them. So she made a fire on her hearth, and in order to make it burn better she put in a handful of straw. When the beans began to bubble in the pot, one of them fell out and lay, never noticed, near a Straw which was already there; soon a red-hot Coal jumped out of the fire and joined the pair.

The Straw began first, and said—

"Dear friends, how do you come here?"

The Coal answered, "I jumped out of the fire, by great good luck, or I should certainly have met my death; I should have been burned to ashes."

The Bean said, “I too have come out with a whole skin; but, if the old woman had kept me in the pot, I should have been cooked into a soft mess, like my comrades."

"Nor should I have met with a better fate," said the Straw. The old woman has turned my brothers into

fire and smoke; sixty of them she took up at once and deprived of life. Very luckily I managed to slip through

her fingers."

"What had we better do now?" said the Coal.

"I think," answered the Bean, "that as we have been so lucky as to escape with our lives, we will join in goodfellowship together; and lest any more bad fortune should happen to us here, we will go abroad into foreign lands."

The proposal pleased the two others, and forthwith they started on their travels. Soon they came to a little brook, and as there was no stepping-stone, and no bridge, they could not tell how they were to get across. The Straw was struck with a good idea, and said—

"I will lay myself across, so that you can go over me as if I were a bridge."

So the Straw stretched himself from one bank to the other, and the Coal, who was of an ardent nature, quickly trotted up to go over the new-made bridge. When, however, she reached the middle, and heard the water rushing past beneath her, she was struck with terror and stopped, and could get no further. So the Straw began to get burned, broke into two pieces, and fell into the brook; and the Coal slipped down, hissing as she touched the water, and gave up the ghost.

The Bean, who had prudently remained behind on the bank, could not help laughing at the sight; and not being able to contain herself, went on laughing so excessively that she burst. And now she would certainly have been undone forever, if a tailor on his travels had not by good luck stopped to rest himself by the brook. As he had a compassionate heart, he took out needle and thread, and stitched her together again.

The Bean thanked him in the most elegant manner; but as he had sewn her up with black thread, all beans since then have a black seam down their bellies.