as he could
carry if he would go away and never return. Ashpot, however, replied
that the amount he could carry would not be worth having, and that he
could not think of going unless he got as much as the giant could carry.

The giant, glad to get rid of him at any cost, agreed, and, loading
himself with gold and silver and precious stones, he set out with the
boy toward his home. When they reached the outskirts of the farms they
saw a herd of cattle, and the giant began to tremble.

"What sort of beasts are these?" he asked.

"They are my father's cows," replied Ashpot, "and you had better put
down your burden and run back to your mountain, or they may bite you."

The giant was only too happy to get away, so, depositing his load, which
was as big as a small hill, he made off, and left the boy to carry his
treasure home by himself.

So enormous was the amount of the valuables that it was six years before
Ashpot succeeded in removing everything from the field where the giant
had set it down; but he and all his relations were rich people for the
rest of their lives.

NORWEGIAN BIRD-LEGENDS

The Norwegians have several quaint old legends connected with some of
their birds. This is the story of the goldcrest, known in Norway as the
"bird-king":

Once upon a time the golden eagle determined to be publicly acknowledged
as king of the birds, and he called a meeting of every kind of bird in
the world. As many of the birds would come from tropical countries, he
appointed a day in the warmest month; and the place he chose was a vast
tract called Groenfjeld, where every species of bird would feel at home,
since it bordered on the sea, yet was well provided with trees, shrubs,
flowers, rocks, sand, and heather, as well as with lakes and rivers full
of fish.

So on the morning of the great congress the birds began to arrive
in a steady stream, and by noon every description of bird was
represented--even the ostrich, though how he contrived to cross the seas
the story does not say. The eagle welcomed them, and when the last
humming-bird had settled down he addressed the meeting, saying that
there was no doubt that he had a right to demand to be proclaimed their
king. The spread of his wings was prodigious, he could fearlessly look
at the sun, and to whatever height he soared he could detect the
slightest movement of a fly on the earth.

But the birds objected to the eagle on account of his plundering
habits, and t