young man of a kind disposition, and very
anxious to do good to the people of the town. Apart from his duties
in the church, where he conducted services every week-day, he visited
the sick and the poor, counselled and assisted persons who were in
trouble, and taught a school composed entirely of the bad children in
the town with whom nobody else would have any thing to do. Whenever
the people wanted something difficult done for them, they always went
to the Minor Canon. Thus it was that the laborer thought of the young
priest when he found that some one must come and speak to the
Griffin.

The Minor Canon had not heard of the strange event, which was known
to the whole town except himself and the three old women, and when he
was informed of it, and was told that the Griffin had asked to see
him, he was greatly amazed, and frightened.

"Me!" he exclaimed. "He has never heard of me! What should he want
with me?"

"Oh! you must go instantly!" cried the two men. "He is very angry now
because he has been kept waiting so long; and nobody knows what may
happen if you don't hurry to him."

The poor Minor Canon would rather have had his hand cut off than go
out to meet an angry griffin; but he felt that it was his duty to go,
for it would be a woful thing if injury should come to the people of
the town because he was not brave enough to obey the summons of the
Griffin. So, pale and frightened, he started off.

"Well," said the Griffin, as soon as the young man came near, "I am
glad to see that there is some one who has the courage to come to
me."

The Minor Canon did not feel very courageous, but he bowed his head.

"Is this the town," said the Griffin, "where there is a church with a
likeness of myself over one of the doors?"

The Minor Canon looked at the frightful creature before him and saw
that it was, without doubt, exactly like the stone image on the
church. "Yes," he said, "you are right."

"Well, then," said the Griffin, "will you take me to it? I wish very
much to see it."

The Minor Canon instantly thought that if the Griffin entered the
town without the people knowing what he came for, some of them would
probably be frightened to death, and so he sought to gain time to
prepare their minds.

"It is growing dark, now," he said, very much afraid, as he spoke,
that his words might enrage the Griffin, "and objects on the front of
the church can not be seen clearly. It will be better to wait until
morning,