and handkerchief began to run with increased speed after him. She was just upon the point of catching the poor peasant, when he threw the looking-glass at her feet. At the sight of the looking-glass, the like of which she had never seen before, the girl checked herself, picked it up, and looked in it. Seeing her own face, she fancied there was another girl looking at her. While she was thus occupied the man ran so far that she could not possibly overtake him. When the girl saw that further pursuit was useless, she turned back, and the peasant, joyful and unhurt, reached his home. Once within doors he showed the hair to his wife and children, and told them all that had happened to him; but his wife only laughed at the story. The peasant, however, took no heed of her ridicule, but went to a neighbouring town to sell the hair. He was soon surrounded by a crowd of people, and some merchants began to bid for his prize. One merchant offered him one gold piece, another two, for the single hair, and so on, until the price rose to a hundred gold pieces. Meanwhile the king, hearing of the wonderful red hair, ordered the peasant to be called in, and offered him a thousand gold pieces for it. The man joyfully sold it for that sum.

What wonderful kind of hair was this after all? The king split it carefully open from end to end, and in it was found the story of many marvellous secrets of

nature, and of things that had happened since the creation of the world.

Thus the peasant became rich, and henceforth lived happily with his wife and children. The child he had seen in his dream was an angel sent down from heaven to succour him, and to reveal to mankind the knowledge of many wonderful things which had hitherto remained unexplained.

STORY OF

VASILISA WITH THE GOLDEN TRESS,

AND OF IVAN THE PEA.

(FROM THE RUSSIAN.)

MANY years ago there lived a very celebrated czar. He had two sons and a beautiful daughter. This daughter lived in a high tower until she was twenty years of age. She was much beloved by the czar and czarina, and was a great favourite with her nurses and waiting-women. But not a single prince or knight had seen her, as she was never allowed to leave the tower, or to breathe the air of freedom. Her name was Vasilisa with the Golden Tress.

Vasilisa had many handsome dresses and rich jewels, but she was weary of them; the tower was confined, and sad and oppressed, she sighed for a change of scene. She had long, thick hair, of a golden hue, which was

plaited into a single tress reaching to her feet: hence she was called Vasilisa with the Golden Tress.

News flies quickly over the wide world. Many czars, hearing of the princess's beauty, sent ambassadors to her father with offers of marriage. The czar was in no hurry; but when the proper time arrived, he sent messengers to all parts of the world to announce that the Princess Vasilisa would select a husband, and he therefore invited czars and princes to his court. Then he went to the tower, and told the beautiful Vasilisa what he had done.

The princess was greatly pleased, and looking through the golden bars of her chamber on to the beautiful garden full of flowers, she asked permission to go there with her maids to play.

"Father," she said, "I have never seen God's world, nor walked on the grass, nor among the flowers; nor have I ever seen your royal palace. Allow me to play in the garden with my nurses and maids."

The czar gave his permission at once. The beautiful Vasilisa descended from the high tower, and went into the courtyard; the door was opened, and the princess found herself in a green meadow which gradually rose to a steep hill; the hill was covered with trees, and the meadow with many coloured flowers. The princess plucked the lovely flowers as she went on, and ran a

little in advance of her attendants. All at once there arose a strong wind, such as was neither known nor heard of before, such a wind as was never remembered by the oldest people,-it blew a perfect hurricane. In a moment the wind lifted the princess up and carried her away. The attendants screamed; some ran away in terror, others looked helplessly around them, and saw how the wind bore the beautiful Vasilisa with the Golden Tress out of their sight. It carried her over many countries and deep rivers, through three kingdoms into a fourth, which belonged to a terrible dragon. The women ran into the palace, and falling on their knees before the czar, cried piteously,

"Have mercy, and do not punish us! The wind has carried away our light-the beautiful Vasilisa with the Golden Tress-we know not whither!" And they told him all that had happened. The czar was very angry with them, and deeply grieved at the loss of his daughter; nevertheless, he forgave them all. On the following morning the foreign princes arrived, and seeing what grief was depicted on the czar's countenance, they enquired the cause of it.

"Woe is me!" cried the unhappy czar, "the wind has carried away my dear daughter Vasilisa with the Golden Tress, and I know not whither she has gone!" And he told them all that had happened.