acorns and nobody tried to punish you
for doing so?"

"No," said she. "The foresters are very kind to the poor, and they
have done nothing to me--the Lord have mercy on my sins!"

With these words she turned about, and there stood he of the grey
cloak, but this time he was without his horse, and carried his head,
which was covered with curling brown hair, under his arm.

The woman shrank from him in alarm, but the spirit said--

"Ye do well to pray to God to forgive you your sins, it was never my
good lot to do so."

Thereupon he related to her how that he had lived about one hundred
and thirty years before, and was called Hans Jagenteufel, as his
father had been before him, and how his father had often besought him
not to be too hard upon poor people, how he had paid no regard to the
advice his father had given him, but had passed his time in drinking
and carousing, and in all manner of wickedness, for which he was now
condemned to wander about the world as an evil spirit.

THE WAITS OF BREMEN.

An honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful hard-working
slave to him for a great many years, but was now growing old, and
every day more and more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired
of keeping him to live at ease like a gentleman, and so began to think
of putting an end to him. The ass, who was a shrewd hand, saw that
some mischief was in the wind, so he took himself slily off, and began
his journey towards Bremen.

"There," thought he to himself, "as I have a good voice, I may chance
to be chosen town musician."

After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the
roadside, and panting as if very tired.

"What makes you pant so, my friend?" said the ass.

"Alas!" said the dog, "my master was going to knock me on the head,
because I am old and weak, and can no longer make myself useful to him
in hunting, so I ran away. But what can I do to earn my livelihood?"

"Hark ye," said the ass, "I am going to Bremen to turn musician. Come
with me, and try what you can do in the same way."

The dog said he was willing, and on they went.

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of
the road, with tears in her eyes, and making a most rueful face.

"Pray, my good lady," said the ass, "what's the matter with you? You
look quite out of spirits."

"Ah, me!" said the cat. "How can a body be in good spirits when one's
life is in danger? Because I am begi