there tied up in a sack.

Simon replied that the king of the country had insisted on giving him
one of his daughters as a wife, but that he had refused the honour
because he was too old and too frail. The simple-minded shepherd, who
believed his story implicitly, asked him, 'Do you think the king of the
country would give his daughter to me?'

'Yes, certainly, I know he would,' answered Simon, 'if you were tied up
in this sack instead of me.' Then getting out of the sack, he tied the
confiding shepherd up in it instead, and at his request fastened it
securely and drove the sheep on himself.

An hour had scarcely passed when the three rogues returned to the place
where they had left Simon in the sack, and without opening it, one of
them seized it and threw it into the river. And so the poor shepherd was
drowned instead of Mr. Simon!

The three rogues, having wreaked their vengeance, set out, for home. On
their way they noticed a flock of sheep grazing not far from the road.
They longed to steal a few of the lambs, and approached the flock, and
were more than startled to recognise Mr. Simon, whom they had drowned in
the river, as the shepherd who was looking after the sheep. They asked
him how he had managed to get out of the river, to which he replied:

'Get along with you--you are no better than silly donkeys without any
sense; if you had only drowned me in deeper water I would have returned
with three times as many sheep.'

When the three rogues heard this, they said to him: 'Oh, dear Mr. Simon,
do us the favour to tie us up in sacks and throw us into the river that
we may give up our thieving ways and become the owners of flocks.'

'I am ready,' answered Simon, 'to do what you please; there's nothing in
the world I wouldn't do for you.'

So he took three strong sacks and put a man in each of them, and
fastened them up so tightly that they couldn't get out, and then he
threw them all into the river; and that was the end of the three rogues.
But Mr. Simon returned home to his faithful Nina rich in flocks and
gold, and lived for many a year in health and happiness.

Kletke.

KING KOJATA (From the Russian)

There was once upon a time a king called Kojata, whose beard was so
long that it reached below his knees. Three years had passed since his
marriage, and he lived very happily with his wife, but Heaven granted
him no heir, which grieved the King greatly. One day he set forth
from his capital, in