what was under it; and he said: "Robin's done this
time"--his own name being Robin. And what was there under the cover but
a robin! So he got great rewards after that, and he settled down and
lived happy ever after.'

* * * * *

Then a red-faced young man said: 'There was a young man one time, and
his name was Stepney St. George, and his people said it was time for him
to get married; and they brought twelve young ladies to stop in the
house, the way he would make a choice among them. And he used to be
talking with them and walking in the garden; and there was one of them
he got to like better than the rest, and the others got jealous of her,
and used to be picking at her. And when Stepney saw that, he brought her
out one day into a field where there was a bull, and he covered with
rings and bells of gold, and a golden door in his side. And he opened
the door and bade her to go in there, where she would be safe from the
other eleven women.

'So she went in and he shut the door; and the others did not know where
was she gone, and they were looking for her in every place. And they
came to where the bull was; and they began looking at him and touching
him, and just by chance one of them touched a bell, and the door opened,
and there was the young lady inside. And they took her out, and brought
her into the house; and she was sitting on the window-seat looking out
at the river. And they pushed her over, and she fell into the water and
was swept away.

'As to Stepney St. George, he was looking for her everywhere, but he
could not find her. And one day he saw a poor travelling woman trying to
cross the river, and she fell into it. And he thought it might be that
way his own young lady was lost.

'And that put it in his mind to build a bridge across the river, and he
got all the men that could be got, and they set to work. And they had a
good bit of it made before night. But in the night all they had made of
it was swept away. And the next day they were building again, and they
sat up to watch it that night. But all the same it was all gone before
morning, and they did not see anyone near it.

'The third night, Stepney St. George himself sat up to watch. And at
last he saw a great black eagle, and it came flying towards the bridge;
and, when it saw him, it called out: "What are you doing building this
bridge to be in my way? I swept it away the last two nights, and I'll
sweep it away again