immediately into a black shaggy dog, and showing his teeth.

The wicked boy grew furious with rage, the widow was terrified for her son and screamed, "Strike the monster dead!" Yanechek took aim and threw the axe at the dog. But the Water Demon had sharp eyes, and sprang aside, and the axe fell on the nine-fold bast rope and cut it in two. The dog, freed from his strong fetters, flew past Yanechek on to the oaken table where stood the shepherdess's water-jug. The water in this jug, during all the time of Dorothy's absence, as she sat watching among the bushes, and when she was tapping at the silver jars, had not quite dried up. There was still one drop of water at the bottom. On this drop the dog set his paw, and in an instant his former young and vigorous form returned. Then he overturned the jug, and that single drop of water became a strong flood, like a summer torrent among the mountains, and quickly filled the room with its fast flowing waters. In those waters the wicked Yanechek and his weak-minded, indulgent mother were drowned. Full of terror and despair, both mother and son called loudly for help as the water rose and bubbled up to their very throats. The Water Demon, a fiendish smile upon his lips, walked on the top of the rolling waves and stretched out his icy-cold. hands to Dorothy and Yanechek. As soon as he had

caught hold of them he dived with them into the deep, took them to his cold hall, and there imprisoned the two unhappy souls each under a narrow jar.

For many years afterwards a dark, deep pool was to be seen on the spot where the shepherdess Dorothy's hut once stood, and the people living near would tell travellers the story of the unhappy mother and of her son Yanechek.

SPIRIT TREASURES.

(FROM THE RUSSIAN.)

I.

A CERTAIN farmer had two houses,-one in which he lived with his family in summer time, the other a winter house, provided with an oven, and called istopka. The farmer took a fancy one day to sleep in the istopka alone. He went there and lay down-it was a bright moonlight night-but, being unable to sleep, he lay with his eyes. open staring at the walls. Suddenly the figure of a man rose up from beneath the floor, walked heavily across it, and as it moved made a noise like a purse full of money. It walked straight towards the farmer. The farmer crossed himself, said a prayer, and began to whisper, "Chur! Chur!"* It was fortunate that he thus protected himself. The spectre passed the farmer by, and went into the yard; there it stayed some time, when it returned to the room. Again the farmer crossed himself,

* A word used to exorcise spirits.

and whispered, "Chur, Chur!" Just at this moment the cock crowed, and the spectre instantly disappeared somewhere beneath the floor.

The farmer went home and related all that he had seen. He and his family considered the matter of the apparition over, and came to the conclusion to consult some "wise-man" about it. The next day they found a wise-man, and told him all the story.

"Ah!" said the wise-man, "you have lost a famous chance, countryman."

"Listen, and I will tell you. When the spectre again rises from beneath the floor, and approaches you, permit it to do so. When it is within two steps of you, seize it three times by the head, repeating each time, Amen! Amen! crumble thou into pieces.'

The farmer did as he was told. The spectre crumbled into old copper money of five-copeck pieces.* The

* About twopence.

money altogether was worth more than two hundred and fifty roubles.*

II.

A moujik used once to sleep in a deserted room. Sometimes, just as he was about to fall asleep, a cat of a reddish colour would jump up from he knew not where, and run about the room. The cat shone like gold, and when its tail came into contact with anything hard it made a ringing noise like that of small money. The moujik took council with the wise-men about this apparition. Their answer was,

"Catch the cat by the tail, and before it can escape from your hands, call out three times, "Amen! Amen! crumble thou into pieces!"

The moujik followed the advice. At the third repetition of the words the cat crumbled into gold pieces of five roubles each.

III.

In a certain village the moujiks had noticed that, for several years past, and as they had heard, for at least a century before, in the spring, when the rain came on or the snow melted, a hole that was in the back grounds becoming full of water there would appear a duck

*About £32.

M