o carry news to the King's army, which was then a
long way off; and so useful was he with his magic boots, that in a short
time he had made money enough to keep himself, his father, his mother
and his six brothers without the trouble of working for the rest of
their lives.

And now let us see what has become of the wicked ogre, whom we left
sleeping on the rock.

When he awoke he missed his seven-league boots, and set off for home
very angry.

On his way he had to cross a bog; and, forgetting that he was no longer
wearing his magic boots, he tried to cross it with one stride. But,
instead, he put his foot down in the middle and began to sink. As fast
as he tried to pull out one foot, the other sank deeper, until at last
he was swallowed up in the black slime--and that was the end of him.

THE THREE BEARS

[Illustration]

There were once three bears who lived together in a little house in the
middle of a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; one was a
Middle-Sized Bear; and the other was a Great, Huge Bear.

And they each had a pot to eat their porridge from: a little pot for the
Little, Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized pot for the Middle-Sized Bear;
and a great big pot for the Great, Huge Bear.

And they each had a chair to sit on: a little chair for the Little,
Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized chair for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a
great big chair for the Great, Huge Bear.

And they each had a bed to sleep in: a little bed for the Little, Small,
Wee Bear; a middle-sized bed for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a great big
bed for the Great, Huge Bear.

[Illustration]

One day they made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into
their porridge-pots, and then went out in the wood for a walk while the
porridge for their breakfast was cooling. And while they were out
walking, a little Old Woman came to the house in the wood and peeped
inside.

First she peeped through the keyhole; then she peeped through the
window. Then she lifted the latch and peeped through the doorway; and,
seeing nobody in the house, she walked in. And when she saw the porridge
cooling on the table she was very pleased, for she had walked a long
way, and was getting hungry.

So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, but that was
too hot. Then she tasted the porridge of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that
was too cold. And then she tasted the porridge of the Little, Small, Wee
Bear, and that was neithe