ame forward and bent down to the ground
before the dwarfs, who came crowding round, and laughed heartily at his
comical appearance with his two big cheeks.

'What dost thou want?' they asked; and Hok Lee proceeded to tell them of
his fresh misfortunes, and begged so hard to be allowed one more trial
at dancing that the dwarfs consented, for there is nothing they love so
much as being amused.

[Illustration]

Now, Hok Lee knew how much depended on his dancing well, so he plucked
up a good spirit and began, first quite slowly, and faster by degrees,
and he danced so well and gracefully, and made such new and wonderful
steps, that the dwarfs were quite delighted with him.

They clapped their tiny hands, and shouted, 'Well done, Hok Lee, well
done; go on, dance more, for we are pleased.'

And Hok Lee danced on and on, till he really could dance no more, and
was obliged to stop.

Then the leader of the dwarfs said, 'We are well pleased, Hok Lee, and
as a recompense for thy dancing thy face shall be cured. Farewell.'

With these words he and the other dwarfs vanished, and Hok Lee, putting
his hands to his face, found to his great joy that his cheeks were
reduced to their natural size. The way home seemed short and easy to
him, and he went to bed happy, and resolved never to go out robbing
again.

Next day the whole town was full of the news of Hok's sudden cure. His
neighbours questioned him, but could get nothing from him, except the
fact that he had discovered a wonderful cure for all kinds of diseases.

After a time a rich neighbour, who had been ill for some years, came,
and offered to give Hok Lee a large sum of money if he would tell him
how he might get cured. Hok Lee consented on condition that he swore to
keep the secret. He did so, and Hok Lee told him of the dwarfs and their
dances.

The neighbour went off, carefully obeyed Hok Lee's directions, and was
duly cured by the dwarfs. Then another and another came to Hok Lee to
beg his secret, and from each he extracted a vow of secrecy and a large
sum of money. This went on for some years, so that at length Hok Lee
became a very wealthy man, and ended his days in peace and prosperity.

From the Chinese.

_THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS_

Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house
of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and
one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear. T