now." "If you do, I'll get satisfaction from you,"
said Stepney. "You will have to find me for that," she said. "And my
name is Mother Longfield, and my house is at the other end of the
world." And with that she went away; and Stepney followed everywhere
looking for her; and at last he came to a house, and an old witch came
out, and she told him her name was Mother Longfield. "And I've got you
here now in my power," she said, "and you will have to do all the work I
will give you to do."

'So she brought him out then to a stable; and she gave him a fork, and
bade him clear out all the dung and litter that was in it. So he began
the work; but for every forkful he would throw out, two would come in
its place, so that at last there was no room for him in the stable, and
he had to go outside.

'A young girl came up to him then, and she asked what was the matter.
And he told her all that had happened; and she said, "I will help you."
So she took out a little fork, and she went into the stable; and it
wasn't long before she had it sweet and clean, that you could eat your
dinner off the floor.

'He went back then to the house, and the witch was at the door, and she
asked how did he get on. "Very well," he said. "I have the whole stable
cleaned out, sweet and clean." She looked very sharp at him then; and
she said: "Take care did Lanka Pera help you?" But he let on not to hear
her, and made no answer.

'The next day she gave him a hatchet that was as blunt as a blunt knife;
and she told him there was a forest he should cut down before night, or
she would make an end of him. So he went to the forest and began to cut;
but as he cut, it grew thicker and thicker, and the trees that were
saplings in the morning were large trees before afternoon. So when he
saw there was no use going on, he stopped. And then he saw the young
girl again, and she said: "I am come to help you." And she took out a
small hatchet, and began to cut, and before long the whole forest was
levelled down.

'He went back to the house whistling and singing; and he told the witch
he had cut down the forest, and she asked did Lanka Pera help him. But
he said she did not--for she had told him not to let on he had seen her
at all.

'The third day the witch showed him a hill a good way off, and a wild
horse on it; and she said what he had to do was to catch the horse, and
if he did not do that, it was his last day to live.

'So he began hunting the horse, and