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has been gathered from the treasury of Arabian and Hindu lore, from the Teutonic storehouses of legend, from Scandinavian sagas, and from the finer modern spirits who have caught the inspiration of the elder masters.

Though the old tales and legends are rarely directly didactic, a deep meaning and moral run through them, and form the sweetness and savor that have kept them so long alive. Yet to select indiscriminately from folk-lore would not be fitting for educational purposes. Hence it is that in the choice of pieces for "The Book of Tales," only such have been taken as combine the noblest sentiment with the finest fancy; while at the same time all the pieces have been subjected to such scrutiny and editorship as guarantee the requisites of purity and propriety of sentiment and technical fitness for class-room reading.

The Editors are indebted to the courtesy of Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co. for permission to use selections from their copy-right editions of American Authors.

WEBSTERIAN MARKS USED IN THIS BOOK. — ā, ē, ī, ō, û, ỹ, long; ă, ě, Ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, ỹ, short; ẽ as in tẽrm; I as in fîrm; oo as in food; oo as in foot; ças s; e, eh, as k; g as j; g as in get; n as in linger; § as z; x as gz.

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hand'some-ly [han'sum-ly], largely, liberally.

ply, to work hard.

pros'per-ous, well-to-do, thriving. thriv'ing, well-to-do, prosperous. service [serv'iss], that which does good to another, a benefit. waist'coat, a vest.

1. THERE was once a shoemaker who worked very hard,' and was very honest. Yet he could not earn enough to live upon, and at last all he had in the world was gone, all except just leather enough to make one pair of shoes. In the evening he cut out the leather, meaning to get up early in the morning to work. His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to God, and fell asleep.

2. In the morning he sat down to his work; but what did he see? The pair of shoes already made! There

they were on his work-bench.

The poor man could

scarcely believe his eyes, and did not know what to say. He took up the shoes to look at them more closely. There was not a false stitch in them: they were just like shoes made for a prize.

3. That day a customer came, and the shoes pleased him so well that he willingly paid a higher price than ́ usual for them. With the money the shoemaker was able to buy leather for two pairs more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early that he might get up betimes next day; but he was saved all the trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was already done. Presently in came customers who paid him handsomely for his goods, so that he bought leather enough for four pairs more.

4. Again he cut out the work over night, and again found it finished in the morning. And so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and prosperous again.

5. One evening about Christmas time, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, "I should like to sit up and watch to-night, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me." The wife liked the idea. So they left a light burning, and hid themselves in the corner of the room behind a curtain that was hung up there, and watched what should happen.

6. As soon as it was midnight, there came two little naked dwarfs. They sat down upon the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping

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