he worst."

Tales, in many parts of Europe, which represent the fairies as
exceedingly solicitous about their salvation, and as _inquiring of
priests_ and others concerning their own spiritual prospects, for the
most part with an unfavourable answer, tend to fix upon them a
reproachful affinity with the spirits of darkness.

* * * * *

II. That the powerful fairies, who have appeared to us, from childhood
upwards, as irresistible dispensers of good and evil to our kind, should
_need aid_ of any sort from us, is an unexpected feature of the fairy
lore, which breaks by degrees upon the zealous and advancing inquirer.

The two excellent brothers Grimm, in the most elaborate and
comprehensive collection,{L} probably, of national traditions that
Europe possesses, have furnished us with various instances. We select a
very few. In the following graceful Alpine pastoral, the need of human
help attaches to an exigency of life or death:--

GERMAN TRADITIONS.

No. CCXX. _The Queen of the Snakes._

"A herd maiden found upon the fell a sick snake lying and almost
famished. Compassionately she held down to it her pitcher of milk. The
snake licked greedily, and was visibly revived. The girl went on her
way; and it presently happened that her lover sued for her, but was too
poor for the proud wealthy father, who tauntingly dismissed him till the
day when he too should be master of as large herds as the old herdsman.
From this time forwards had the old herdsman no luck more, but sheer
misfortune. Report ran that a fiery dragon was seen passing o' nights
over his grounds; and his substance decayed. The poor swain was now as
rich, and again sued for his beloved, whom he obtained. Upon the
wedding-day a snake came gliding into the room, upon whose coiled tail
there sat a beautiful damsel, who said that it was she to whom formerly
the kind herd maid had, in strait of hunger, given her milk, and, out
of gratitude, she took her brilliant crown from her head, and cast it
into the bride's lap. Thereupon she vanished; but the young couple
throve in their housekeeping greatly, and were soon well at ease in the
world."

Since fairies, like ourselves, are mortal, TWO LIVES may be understood
as at stake in the following:--

No. LXVIII. _The Lady of Alvensleben._

"Some hundred years ago, there lived at Calb, in the Werder, an aged
lady of the house of Alvensleben, who feared God, was gracious to the
pe