time, Destiny spoke to his
guest. "Why did you come here?" asked he.

The poor man told him the whole story of his wretchedness, and how he
had come to ask Destiny himself why he had given him such a bad
fortune.

"You saw what I was the first night, when I scattered guineas, and
what followed," replied Destiny. "Such as I am on the night that a man
is born, such will that man be all his life. You were born on a night
of poverty; you will always be poor. Your brother, on the contrary,
came into the world on a lucky night; he will always be fortunate.
But, since you have taken so much trouble to find me, I will tell you
how to help yourself. Your brother has a daughter by the name of
Miliza, who is as fortunate as her father. Take her for your wife when
you return home, but be careful always to say that all that you have
belongs to her."

The poor man thanked Destiny again and again, and set out for home. As
soon as he arrived he went straight to his brother's house and said,

"Brother, give me Miliza for a wife; you see that I am all alone in
the world."

"I am willing," answered his brother; "Miliza is yours."

The bridegroom carried Miliza to his house. He soon became very rich,
but he always took good care to say, "All that I have belongs to
Miliza."

One day, however, as he was admiring his wheat, which was the most
beautiful that ever was seen, a stranger passed by and asked, "Whose
wheat is this?"

"It is mine," answered he, without thinking. But scarcely had he
spoken when, behold! the wheat took fire, and the flames spread all
over the field. Without stopping to put it out, he ran after the
traveler, crying, "Stop, sir, I was mistaken; it belongs to Miliza, my
brother's daughter."

The fire went out at once of its own accord. He had learned a good
lesson which he never forgot, and from that time thenceforth he was
fortunate, thanks to Miliza.

The Twelve Months

_A Bohemian Tale_

[Illustration:]

There was once a woman who was left a widow with two children. The
elder, who was only her stepdaughter, was named Dobrunka; the younger,
who was as wicked as her mother, was called Katinka. The mother
worshiped her daughter, but she hated Dobrunka, simply because she was
as beautiful as her sister was ugly. Dobrunka did not even know that
she was pretty, and she could not understand why her stepmother flew
into a rage at the mere sight of her. The poor child was obliged to do
all the work o