ing.

"'Tis Niall come back to claim his father's throne," said the chief
bard. "Long live Niall!"

"Long live Niall!" answered all the others.

The king, white with rage and amazement, turned to the chiefs and nobles
of his court, and cried out:

"Is there none loyal enough to drive that intruder from the banquet
hall?"

But no one stirred, and no answer was given. Then the king rushed
forward alone, but before he could reach the spot where Niall was
standing he was seized by a dozen chiefs and at once disarmed.

During this scene the king's daughter had fled frightened; but Rosaleen,
attracted by the noise, and hearing her brother's name and the cheers
which greeted it, had entered the banquet hall unperceived by anyone.
But when her presence was discovered every eye was dazzled with her
beauty. Niall looked at her for a second, wondering if the radiant
maiden before him could be the little sister he had been separated from
for so many years. In another second she was clasped in his arms.

Then the feast was spread again, and Niall told the story of his
adventures; and when the Prince of the Sunny Valley asked for the hand
of Rosaleen, Niall told his lovely sister to speak for herself. With
downcast eyes and smiling lips she said, "yes," and that very day was
the gayest and brightest wedding that ever took place, and Rosaleen
became the prince's bride.

In her happiness she did not forget the little robin, who was her friend
in sorrow. She took him home with her to Sunny Valleys, and every day
she fed him with her own hands, and every day he sang for her the
sweetest songs that were ever heard in lady's bower.

THE LITTLE WHITE CAT

A long, long time ago, in a valley far away, the giant Trencoss lived in
a great castle, surrounded by trees that were always green. The castle
had a hundred doors, and every door was guarded by a huge, shaggy hound,
with tongue of fire and claws of iron, who tore to pieces anyone who
went to the castle without the giant's leave. Trencoss had made war on
the King of the Torrents, and, having killed the king, and slain his
people, and burned his palace, he carried off his only daughter, the
Princess Eileen, to the castle in the valley. Here he provided her with
beautiful rooms, and appointed a hundred dwarfs, dressed in blue and
yellow satin, to wait upon her, and harpers to play sweet music for her,
and he gave her diamonds without number, brighter than the sun; but he