s a
calf, I assure you----"

"And white as the mayor's shirt," cried the tailor. "It is a marvel
that we escaped and if it had not been that I----"

"I saw it first," said the tinker; "but I stood my ground. I did not
run till the tailor did."

The two would have been willing to talk till morning had not all the
others determined to go to the wood at once and kill the bear.

[Illustration: "A BEAR!" CRIED THE TAILOR.]

"I cannot answer for the safety of the town till it is done," said the
mayor; so every one ran for a weapon as fast as his feet could carry
him.

The mayor brought his long sword that the king had given him, and the
carpenter a hatchet, the blacksmith took his hammer, and the miller's
son a gun; and the rest of the men whatever they could put their hands
on.

The women went, too, with mops and brooms to drive the bear away
should he run toward the town; and one little boy who had waked up in
the stir followed after them with stones in his hands.

They very soon came to the wood, and then the question was who should
go first.

"Let the tinker and the tailor lead the way," said the mayor, "and we
will come close after."

"Oh, no, if you please, your honor," said the tinker and the tailor
speaking at the very same time. "That will never do. We cannot think
of going before you."

"I will go first if the mayor will lend me his sword," said the
shoemaker.

"Aye, aye, let the shoemaker go," cried some.

"No, no, 'tis the mayor's place. The king gave the sword to him," said
others.

"I could kill the bear while you are talking about it," said the
miller's son.

Every one had something to say, but at last it was all settled and the
miller's son with the mayor's sword by his side and his own gun in his
hand was just slipping into the wood when out walked the old white
sheep!

"Baa, baa," she cried, as if to ask, "Pray tell me what the stir's
about. Baa, baa!"

"A sheep, a sheep, a great white sheep!" cried the miller's son; and
then how the people of Wraye did laugh!

They laughed and they laughed and they laughed, so loud and so long
that their laughter was heard all the way to the king's fair and set
the people to laughing there.

But whether the tailor and the tinker laughed or not, I do not know.

THE SONG THAT TRAVELED

One day when all the world was gay with spring a king stood at a
window of his palace and looked far out over his kingdom. And because
his land was fair