ial on the strange girl, and they were going to put her to
death; but she told them how it all happened. And when the jury heard
it, they said there was no blame on her, where she had given two
warnings.

'That's a closure now.'

'And what happened her after that?'

'I don't know what happened her; they let her off that time anyhow.'

'And what became of the bird?'

'How would I know? Didn't I say that's the closure?'

* * * * *

Then a young man said: 'I'll tell you a folk-tale:--

'It was in the good old time when Ireland was paved with penny loaves
and the houses thatched with pancakes; and there was a king had a son,
and the mother died, and he married another wife; and she had three
daughters, and their names were Catherine Snowflake, and Broad Bridget,
and Mary Anne Bold-eyes, that had two eyes in the front of her head, and
another eye in the back of her poll.

'And the stepmother got to be very wicked to the son then; and she used
to be giving everything to the daughters; but he had nothing but
hardship, and all they would give him to eat was stirabout.

'He was out on the fields one day with the cattle, and there was a
little Black Bull there, and it said to him: "I know the way you are
treated," it said, "and the sort of food they are giving you. And
unscrew now my left horn," he said, "and take what you will find out of
it."

'So the young man unscrewed the left horn; and the first thing he took
out was a napkin, and he spread it out on the grass; and then he took
out cups and plates, and every sort of food, and he sat down and ate and
drank his fill. And then he put back the napkin and all into the horn
again, and screwed it on.

'That was going on every day, and he used to be throwing his stirabout
away into the ash-bin; and the servants found it, and they told the
queen that he was throwing away what they gave him, and getting fat all
the same.

'The queen noticed then that he used to be going every day into the
field with the cattle; and she bade her daughter, Catherine Snowflake,
to go and to watch him there to see what would he be doing.

'But that day when he went up to the little Black Bull, it said: "Your
step-sister will be coming to-day to watch you," he said: "and unscrew
now my right horn, and take out a pin of slumber you will find under it,
and when you see her coming, go and play with her for a bit, and then
put the pin of slumber to her ear, and