y he went with it to the inn, and
as soon as the man appeared he cried:

"Up, stick, and bang him!"

At the word the cudgel flew from his hand and battered the old fellow on
the back, rapped his head, bruised his arms, tickled his ribs, till he
fell groaning on the floor; and still the stick belaboured the prostrate
man, nor would Jack call it off till he had got back the stolen ass and
table. Then he galloped home on the ass, with the table on his
shoulders, and the stick in his hand. When he arrived there he found his
father was dead, so he brought his ass into the stable, and pulled its
ears till he had filled the manger with money.

It was soon known through the town that Jack had returned rolling in
wealth, and accordingly all the girls in the place set their caps at
him.

"Now," said Jack, "I shall marry the richest lass in the place; so
to-morrow do you all come in front of my house with your money in your
aprons."

Next morning the street was full of girls with aprons held out, and
gold and silver in them; but Jack's own sweetheart was among them, and
she had neither gold nor silver; nought but two copper pennies, that was
all she had.

"Stand aside, lass," said Jack to her, speaking roughly. "Thou hast no
silver nor gold--stand off from the rest." She obeyed, and the tears ran
down her cheeks, and filled her apron with diamonds.

"Up, stick, and bang them!" exclaimed Jack; whereupon the cudgel leaped
up, and running along the line of girls, knocked them all on the heads
and left them senseless on the pavement. Jack took all their money and
poured it into his true-love's lap. "Now, lass," he exclaimed, "thou art
the richest, and I shall marry thee."

THE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END

Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, though it wasn't in my
time, nor in your time, nor any one else's time, there was a girl whose
mother had died, and her father had married again. And her stepmother
hated her because she was more beautiful than she was. And she was very
cruel to her; she used to make her do all the servant's work, and never
let her have any peace. At last, one day, the stepmother thought to get
rid of her altogether; so she handed her a sieve and said to her:

"Go, fill it at the Well of the World's End and bring it home to me
full, or woe betide you." For she thought she would never be able to
find the Well of the World's End, and, if she did, how could she bring
home a sieve full of wa