s?'

'With all my heart,' said the tailor, 'if you are sharp about it. But
just let me look at your paws. Dear me, your nails are terribly long; I
must really cut them first.' Then he fetched a pair of stocks, and the
bear laid his paws on them, and the tailor screwed them up tight.
'Now just wait whilst I fetch my scissors,' said he, and left the bear
growling away to his heart's content, whilst he lay down in a corner and
fell fast asleep.

When the Princess heard the bear growling so loud that night, she made
sure he was roaring with delight as he worried the tailor.

Next morning she rose feeling quite cheerful and free from care, but
when she looked across towards the stables, there stood the tailor in
front of the door looking as fresh and lively as a fish in the water.

After this it was impossible to break the promise she had made so
publicly, so the King ordered out the state coach to take her and the
tailor to church to be married.

As they were starting, the two bad-hearted other tailors, who were
envious of the younger one's happiness, went to the stable and unscrewed
the bear. Off he tore after the carriage, foaming with rage. The
Princess heard his puffing and roaring, and growing frightened she
cried: 'Oh dear! the bear is after us and will certainly catch us up!'
The tailor remained quite unmoved. He quietly stood on his head, stuck
his legs out at the carriage window and called out to the bear, 'Do you
see my stocks? If you don't go home this minute I'll screw you tight
into them.'

When the bear saw and heard this he turned right round and ran off as
fast as his legs would carry him. The tailor drove on unmolested to
church, where he and the Princess were married, and he lived with her
many years as happy and merry as a lark. Whoever does not believe this
story must pay a dollar.

Grimm.

THE GOLDEN MERMAID

A powerful king had, among many other treasures, a wonderful tree in his
garden, which bore every year beautiful golden apples. But the King was
never able to enjoy his treasure, for he might watch and guard them as
he liked, as soon as they began to get ripe they were always stolen.
At last, in despair, he sent for his three sons, and said to the two
eldest, 'Get yourselves ready for a journey. Take gold and silver with
you, and a large retinue of servants, as beseems two noble princes, and
go through the world till you find out who it is that steals my golden
apples, and, if