grains of wheat before them, but the male pigeon
greedily devoured them and continued to abuse his mate.

"You would not have done that to me the day I thatched the stables for you
with the feathers of birds, and no two of them alike," shrieked the female
pigeon.

When some more wheat was laid before them, the male pigeon ate more
greedily than before, and after he had eaten every grain he pushed his mate
off the table. She fluttered to the floor screaming:

"You wouldn't have done that the day you killed me and took my bones to
make steps on the glass tree nine hundred feet high, to get the crow's egg
for the supper of the Giant of Loch Lein--and forgot my little toe, and
made me lame for life!"

The Prince of Erin rose to his feet, red with shame, and turning to the
King of Loch Lein, said:

"When I was younger I roamed about hunting and playing games. Once while
away from home, I lost the key to a valuable chest. After a new key was
made I found the old one. Which of the two keys should be kept, the old one
or the new one?"

The King of Loch Lein looked puzzled, but he answered promptly:

"Keep the old one by all means, for it will fit better and you are more
accustomed to it."

"I thank you for your sound advice," continued the prince with a smile.
"Yellow Lily, the daughter of the Giant of Loch Lein, is the old key to my
heart, and I will wed no other girl. Your daughter, the princess, is the
new key that has never been tried. She is only my father's guest, and no
more; but she will be better for having attended my happy wedding in Erin."

Great astonishment of both royal families and their guests when the prince
took Yellow Lily by the hand and led her to a seat beside him. But when the
musicians began to play a brilliant air, the palace re-echoed from tower to
dungeon with joyous shouts of "Long live the Prince of Erin and his future
bride, Yellow Lily of Loch Lein!"

THE MOUSE, THE BIRD, AND THE SAUSAGE

Once upon a time, a Mouse, a Bird, and a Sausage, entered into partnership
and set up house together. For a long time all went well; they lived in
great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to
their stores. The Bird's duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in
fuel; the Mouse fetched the water, and the Sausage saw to the cooking.

When people are too well off they always begin to long for something new.
And so it came to pass, that the Bird while out one day,