he castle and become a fine
lady, the eldest daughter somewhat reluctantly consented and the match
was agreed upon.

Some days afterward the bride-to-be happened to pass the castle and
saw the servants washing the linen, when one cried to her:

"How in the world can a fine girl like you be such a fool as to throw
herself away on a man with a horse's head?"

"Bah!" she replied, "he is rich, and, let me tell you, we won't be
married for long, for on the bridal night I shall cut his throat."

Just at that moment a gay cavalier passed and smiled at the farmer's
daughter.

"You are having a strange conversation, mademoiselle," he said. She
coloured and looked somewhat confused.

"Well, sir," she replied, "it is hateful to be mocked by these wenches
because I have the bad luck to be espoused to a seigneur with a
horse's head, and I assure you I feel so angry that I shall certainly
carry out my threat."

The unknown laughed shortly and went his way. In time the night of the
nuptials arrived. A grand _fete_ was held at the chateau, and, the
ceremony over, the bridesmaids conducted the young wife to her
chamber. The bridegroom shortly followed, and to the surprise of his
wife, no sooner had the hour of sunset come than his horse's head
disappeared and he became exactly as other men. Approaching the bed
where his bride lay, he suddenly seized her, and before she could cry
out or make the least clamour he killed her in the manner in which she
had threatened to kill him.

In the morning his mother came to the chamber, and was horrified at
the spectacle she saw.

"Gracious heavens! my son, what have you done?" she cried.

"I have done that, my mother," replied her son, "which was about to be
done to me."

Three months afterward the young seigneur asked his mother to repair
once more to the farmer with the request that another of his daughters
might be given him in marriage. The second daughter, ignorant of the
manner of her sister's death, and mindful of the splendid wedding
festivities, embraced the proposal with alacrity. Like her sister, she
chanced to be passing the washing-green of the castle one day, and the
laundresses, knowing of her espousal, taunted her upon it, so that at
last she grew very angry and cried:

"I won't be troubled long with the animal, I can assure you, for on
the very night that I wed him I shall kill him like a pig!"

At that very moment the same unknown gentleman who had overheard the
f