;
"only look at that ugly dwarf; there he stands, and will no doubt drive
away all my customers; nay, he even dares to ridicule my misfortune,
telling me that he is my son, my own James, the impudent fellow."

At this her neighbours rose, and began as much abuse as possible,
(every one knows that market women understand this well,) and
reproaching him with making light of poor Jane's misfortune, who seven
years ago had had her beautiful boy kidnapped, with one accord they
threatened to fall upon him and tear him to pieces, unless he took
himself off immediately.

Poor James did not know what to make of all this. Indeed it seemed to
him that he had that very morning, as usual, gone to market with his
mother, had helped her to lay out her fruit, and had afterwards gone
with the old woman to her house, eaten some soup, slept a little while,
and had now come back; and yet his mother and her neighbours talked of
seven years, calling him at the same time an ugly dwarf. What then was
the change that had come over him? Seeing, at length, that his mother
would no longer listen to any thing he said, he felt the tears come in
his eyes, and went sorrowfully down the street towards the stall where
his father sat in the daytime mending shoes.

"I am curious to see," he thought to himself, "whether he, too, will
disown me? I will place myself in the doorway and talk to him." And
having come there he did so and looked in.

The cobbler was so busily engaged at work that he did not see him; but
happening to cast a look towards the door, he dropped shoe, twine, and
awl on the ground, and cried, with astonishment, "For Heaven's sake
what is that?"

"Good evening, master," said the little dwarf, stepping inside the
booth. "How fare you?"

"Badly, badly, my little gentleman," replied James's father, to his
utter amazement; for he, too, did not seem to recognise him. "I have
to do all the work myself, for I am alone and now getting old, and yet
I cannot afford to keep a journeyman."

"But have you no son to assist you in your work?" inquired the dwarf
further.

"Indeed I had one, whose name was James, and he now must be a handsome,
quick lad, twenty years old, who might effectually assist me. Ah! what
a pleasant life I should lead! Even when he was twelve years old he
showed himself quite handy and clever, and understood a great deal of
the business. He was a fine engaging little fellow; he would soon have
brought me plen