in the direction of the lady's house, and after
he had gone Jean Malin ran home by another way. He crept into the
house and heard the lady calling to him, but he would not go to her or
show himself. She did not know what had become of him.

The next day Mr. Bulbul came again to the lady's house. He came very
early for he was to have breakfast with her. The lady called Jean
Malin to come and wait on them. He did not want to come, but he was
obliged to. He was so frightened that he darted about the room, first
on one side and then on the other, and did not understand what was
said to him. When the lady asked for water he gave her the toast rack,
and when she asked for toast he brought her a towel. It really was
very provoking.

After Mr. Bulbul had gone the lady called Jean Malin to her. "I am
very angry," said she. "You have acted very stupidly this morning. If
you cannot do better and behave in a sensible manner, I will have to
send you away."

When she said this Jean Malin felt very much hurt. He could hardly
refrain from weeping.

"Mistress, I will tell you why I acted so. I was afraid, and if you
knew what I know, you would be afraid, too, and you would never let
that big man come into your house again."

"What is it that you know and I do not know?" asked the lady.

But Jean Malin would not tell her.

"Very well," said his mistress; "if you will not tell me willingly I
will have you beaten. I will have you beaten until you do tell, so you
had better speak now before they begin."

Jean Malin began to cry. "I did not want to tell you," said he, "but
if I must I must. Dear Mistress, Mr. Bulbul is not a man at all, but
that bull that you sometimes see over in the pasture. He uses magic to
make himself look like a man so as to come to see you, and then he
goes right out and becomes a bull again and eats grass."

The lady began to laugh. "You are either crazy or dreaming," said she.
"Or, more likely still, you are telling me an untruth so as to excuse
yourself and make trouble between him and me."

But Jean Malin insisted that what he told her was true. "I have seen
it, and I know it," said he. "Moreover I will prove it to you. I do
not know how, but I am sure I can prove it."

"Very well," said the lady, "if you prove it I will forgive you and
treat you as my own son, but if you do not I will have you beaten and
sent out of the house as a mischief maker."

After that Jean went away by himself and thought