road, who rose up quickly
and went towards him, saying, "Friend, why do you look so sorrowfully on
the world?"

"Sorrowful or not," said the poor brother, "it goes well enough with me!
I brought my rich brother three fish for a present, and he didn't even
give me a drink in return!"

"But you perhaps got something else?" asked the old man.

"Oh, yes, 'many thanks,'" said he; "that's your something else!"

The old man answered, "Give me your 'many thanks,' and you shall become
a rich man."

"Take it, and welcome," said the poor brother.

Then the old man instructed him as follows:--"Go home, look for Poverty
under the stove, and throw it into the river, and you shall see how it
will fare with you."

Then he went his way, and the poor brother returned home. He found
Poverty under the stove, seized it, and flung it into the river.

After this, everything which he undertook succeeded with the poor
brother, and it was a real marvel to see how he got on. His fields grew
fine harvests, and his barns and stables were soon more imposing than
his rich brother's.

When the rich brother saw it, he grew envious, and wanted to know how
the other had got wealthy. He was always teasing him to know how it was,
and at last the other got tired of it, and said, "How did I get rich? I
dragged Poverty out from under the stove, and threw it in the water.
That's how it was!"

"That's how it was," cried the rich brother. "Wait a bit! your sort
shan't outdo me!"

So he went to the river and fished for Poverty, from whom he supposed
that his poor brother had received everything. He fished and fished, and
would do nothing else, till at length he held Poverty fast.

While he inspected and examined it at home, it slipped through his
fingers and hid under his stove, and nobody could get it out again.

After this everything went worse and worse with the rich brother, till
he became at last quite poor, and remained so.

* * * * *

This story, which I have not abridged, is a well-known Sclavonic legend.
It is probably connected with the story of the three apes which forms
the introduction to that of "Khaleefeh the Fisherman," in the _Thousand
and One Nights_.

SECTION XIII

_PLAGUE-LEGENDS_

The plague continued to rage in Eastern Europe long after it had
disappeared from the West, and down to a very recent period.
Consequently we find plague-legends, which have almost died out in the
Briti