ng, the great old root was safe on the hearth, and soon
began to crackle and blaze with the red embers. In high glee, the
cobblers sat down to their beer and bacon. The door was shut, for there
was nothing but cold moonlight and snow outside. But the hut, strewn
with fir branches, and decked with holly, looked cheerful as the ruddy
blaze flared up and made their hearts glad.

"Long life and good fortune to ourselves, brother!" said Spare. "I hope
you will drink that toast, and may we never have a worse fire on
Christmas--but what is that?"

Spare set down the drinking-horn, and the brothers listened in great
surprise, for out of the blazing root they heard "Cuckoo! cuckoo!" as
plain as ever the spring bird's voice came over the moor on a May morn.

"It is something bad," said Scrub, very much frightened.

"Maybe not," said Spare.

And out of the deep hole at the side which the fire had not reached flew
a large grey cuckoo, and alighted on the table before them. Much as the
cobblers had been surprised at first, they were still more so when the
bird began to speak.

"Good gentlemen," said the cuckoo, "what season is this?"

"It's Christmas," replied Spare.

"Then a merry Christmas to you!" said the cuckoo. "I went to sleep in
the hollow of that old root last summer, and never woke till the heat of
your fire made me think it was summer again. But now, since you have
burned my lodging, let me stay in your hut till the spring comes
round--I only want a hole to sleep in, and when I go on my travels next
summer you may be sure I will bring you some gift for your trouble."

"Stay, and welcome," said Spare, while Scrub sat wondering if it were
something bad or not. "I'll make you a good warm hole in the thatch. But
you must be hungry after that long sleep. There is a slice of barley
bread. Come, help us to keep Christmas!"

The cuckoo ate up the slice, drank some water from the brown jug--for it
would take no beer--and flew into a snug hole which Spare scooped for it
in the thatch of the hut.

Scrub said he was afraid the bird wouldn't be lucky. But as it slept on,
and the days passed, he forgot his fears. So the snow melted, the heavy
rains came, the cold grew less, and the days became longer; and one
sunny morning the brothers were awakened by the cuckoo shouting its own
cry to let them know the spring had come.

"Now," said the bird, "I am going on my travels over the world to tell
men of the spring. There is no