y pity, and to beg me not to take away its life.

I was even more surprised and touched at this action than I had been at
the tears of the cow.

"Go," I said to the steward, "take back this calf, take great care of
it, and bring me another in its place instantly."

As soon as my wife heard me speak this she at once cried out, "What are
you doing, husband? Do not sacrifice any calf but this."

"Wife," I answered, "I will not sacrifice this calf," and in spite of
all her remonstrances, I remained firm.

I had another calf killed; this one was led away. The next day the
steward asked to speak to me in private.

"I have come," he said, "to tell you some news which I think you will
like to hear. I have a daughter who knows magic. Yesterday, when I
was leading back the calf which you refused to sacrifice, I noticed
that she smiled, and then directly afterwards began to cry. I asked
her why she did so."

"Father," she answered, "this calf is the son of our master. I smile
with joy at seeing him still alive, and I weep to think of his mother,
who was sacrificed yesterday as a cow. These changes have been wrought
by our master's wife, who hated the mother and son."

"At these words, of Genius," continued the old man, "I leave you to
imagine my astonishment. I went immediately with the steward to speak
with his daughter myself. First of all I went to the stable to see my
son, and he replied in his dumb way to all my caresses. When the
steward's daughter came I asked her if she could change my son back to
his proper shape."

"Yes, I can," she replied, "on two conditions. One is that you will
give him to me for a husband, and the other is that you will let me
punish the woman who changed him into a calf."

"To the first condition," I answered, "I agree with all my heart, and I
will give you an ample dowry. To the second I also agree, I only beg
you to spare her life."

"That I will do," she replied; "I will treat her as she treated your
son."

Then she took a vessel of water and pronounced over it some words I did
not understand; then, on throwing the water over him, he became
immediately a young man once more.

"My son, my dear son," I exclaimed, kissing him in a transport of joy.
"This kind maiden has rescued you from a terrible enchantment, and I am
sure that out of gratitude you will marry her."

He consented joyfully, but before they were married, the young girl
changed my wife into a hind, and it