ill take you back to the town."

As he heard these words, a look of trouble came over the young man's
face.

"You need not give yourself any anxiety," said the Griffin, "about my
return to the town. I shall not remain there. Now that I have that
admirable likeness of myself in front of my cave, where I can sit at
my leisure, and gaze upon its noble features and magnificent
proportions, I have no wish to see that abode of cowardly and selfish
people."

The Minor Canon, relieved from his fears, lay back, and dropped into
a doze; and when he was sound asleep the Griffin took him up, and
carried him back to the town. He arrived just before daybreak, and
putting the young man gently on the grass in the little field where
he himself used to rest, the monster, without having been seen by any
of the people, flew back to his home.

When the Minor Canon made his appearance in the morning among the
citizens, the enthusiasm and cordiality with which he was received
were truly wonderful. He was taken to a house which had been occupied
by one of the banished high officers of the place, and every one was
anxious to do all that could be done for his health and comfort. The
people crowded into the church when he held services, so that the
three old women who used to be his week-day congregation could not
get to the best seats, which they had always been in the habit of
taking; and the parents of the bad children determined to reform them
at home, in order that he might be spared the trouble of keeping up
his former school. The Minor Canon was appointed to the highest
office of the old church, and before he died, he became a bishop.

During the first years after his return from the dreadful wilds, the
people of the town looked up to him as a man to whom they were bound
to do honor and reverence; but they often, also, looked up to the sky
to see if there were any signs of the Griffin coming back. However,
in the course of time, they learned to honor and reverence their
former Minor Canon without the fear of being punished if they did not
do so.

But they need never have been afraid of the Griffin. The autumnal
equinox day came round, and the monster ate nothing. If he could not
have the Minor Canon, he did not care for any thing. So, lying down,
with his eyes fixed upon the great stone griffin, he gradually
declined, and died. It was a good thing for some of the people of the
town that they did not know this.

If you should ever