have fallen half over it, when the queen
sprang forward, seized him in her arms, and flung him into the castle.
Then she commanded her servants to cast Death out of the city, which
they did, with such hard blows that he never dared to show his face
again in the Land of Immortality.

[From Ungarischen Volksmurchen.]

The Stone-Cutter

Once upon a time there lived a stone-cutter, who went every day to
a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for
gravestones or for houses. He understood very well the kinds of stones
wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a careful workman
he had plenty of customers. For a long time he was quite happy and
contented, and asked for nothing better than what he had.

Now in the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and then appeared to
men, and helped them in many ways to become rich and prosperous. The
stone-cutter, however, had never seen this spirit, and only shook his
head, with an unbelieving air, when anyone spoke of it. But a time was
coming when he learned to change his opinion.

One day the stone-cutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich
man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful things, of which he had never
even dreamed. Suddenly his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier,
and he said to himself: 'Oh, if only I were a rich man, and could sleep
in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels, how happy I should
be!'

And a voice answered him: 'Your wish is heard; a rich man you shall be!'

At the sound of the voice the stone-cutter looked round, but could see
nobody. He thought it was all his fancy, and picked up his tools and
went home, for he did not feel inclined to do any more work that day.
But when he reached the little house where he lived, he stood still with
amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a stately palace filled
with splendid furniture, and most splendid of all was the bed, in every
respect like the one he had envied. He was nearly beside himself with
joy, and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.

It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun blazed more
fiercely. One morning the heat was so great that the stone-cutter could
scarcely breathe, and he determined he would stay at home till the
evening. He was rather dull, for he had never learned how to amuse
himself, and was peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going
on in the street, when a little carriage passed by, draw