, he began with the island that was nearest, and
here in the forest he suddenly saw standing before him the iron tree,
its boughs covered with shining leaves like the one he carried about
him.

'But what sort of a tree is it, and how did it get here?' he asked of
the attendants he had with him. No one could answer him, but as they
were about to pass out of the forest a little boy went by, and the king
stopped and inquired if there was anyone living in the neighbourhood
whom he might question.

'Seven girls live in a hut down there,' replied the boy, pointing with
his finger to where the sun was setting.

'Then go and bring them here, and I will wait,' said the king, and the
boy ran off and told the sisters that a great chief, with strings of
jewels round his neck, had sent for them.

Pleased and excited the six elder sisters at once followed the boy, but
the youngest, who was busy, and who did not care about strangers, stayed
behind, to finish the work she was doing. The king welcomed the girls
eagerly, and asked them all manner of questions about the tree, but as
they had never even heard of its existence, they could tell him nothing.
'And if we, who live close by the forest, do not know, you may be sure
no one does,' added the eldest, who was rather cross at finding this was
all that the king wanted of them.

'But the boy told me there were seven of you, and there are only six
here,' said the king.

'Oh, the youngest is at home, but she is always half asleep, and is of
no use except to cut wood for the fire,' replied they in a breath.

'That may be, but perhaps she dreams,' answered the king. 'Anyway, I
will speak to her also.' Then he signed to one of his attendants, who
followed the path that the boy had taken to the hut.

[Illustration: HOW THE IRON TREE BOWED DOWN AND THE GIRL GAVE OF ITS
LEAVES AND FLOWERS TO THE KING]

Soon the man returned, with the girl walking behind him. And as soon as
she reached the tree it bowed itself to the earth before her, and she
stretched out her hand and picked some of its leaves and flowers and
gave them to the king.

'The maiden who can work such wonders is fitted to be the wife of the
greatest chief,' he said, and so he married her, and took her with him
across the sea to his own home, where they lived happy for ever after.

From 'Folk Lore,' by A. F. Mackenzie.

_THE SEA KING'S GIFT_

THERE was once a fisherman who was called Salmon, and his Christ