on
falling in golden clearness over the fields and farms just waiting for
spring,

"To serve the present age
My calling to fulfill,

she whispered to herself. "Good-night, dear ones all, good-night," she
said a little later climbing up the tower stair to her new room.

"God bless you, middle daughter," said her father's deep tones.

Soft, hushed footsteps pattered after the girl, step by step. She
thought herself all alone as she shut the door, but presently a cold
nose was thrust against her hand, a furry head rubbed her knee. Fido,
the pet fox-terrier, had determined for his part to share the
tower-room.

The Golden Bird.[2]

BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

In times gone by there was a king who had at the back of his castle a
beautiful pleasure garden, in which stood a tree that bore golden
apples. As the apples ripened they were counted, but one morning one was
missing. Then the king was angry, and he ordered that a watch should be
kept about the tree every night. Now the king had three sons, and he
sent the eldest to spend the whole night in the garden; so he watched
till midnight, and then he could keep off sleep no longer, and in the
morning another apple was missing. The second son had to watch the
following night; but it fared no better, for when twelve o'clock had
struck he went to sleep, and in the morning another apple was missing.
Now came the turn of the third son to watch, and he was ready to do so;
but the king had less trust in him, and believed he would acquit himself
still worse than his brothers, but in the end he consented to let him
try. So the young man lay down under the tree to watch, and resolved
that sleep should not be master. When it struck twelve something came
rushing through the air, and he saw in the moonlight a bird flying
towards him, whose feathers glittered like gold. The bird perched upon
the tree, and had already pecked off an apple, when the young man let
fly an arrow at it. The bird flew away, but the arrow had struck its
plumage, and one of its golden feathers fell to the ground; the young
man picked it up, and taking it next morning to the king, told him what
had happened in the night. The king called his council together, and all
declared that such a feather was worth more than the whole kingdom.

"Since the feather is so valuable," said the king, "one is not enough
for me; I must and will have the whole bird."

So the eldest son set off, and, relying on hi