en and parents and
guardians would like 'The Grey True Ghost-Story Book.' He knows that the
children would like it well, and he would gladly give it to them; but
about the taste of fond anxious mothers and kind aunts he is not quite
so certain. Before he was twelve the Editor knew true ghost stories
enough to fill a volume. They were a pure joy till bedtime, but then,
and later, were not wholly a source of unmixed pleasure. At that time
the Editor was not afraid of the dark, for he thought, 'If a ghost is
here, we can't see him.' But when older and better informed persons said
that ghosts brought their own light with them (which is too true), then
one's emotions were such as parents do not desire the young to endure.
For this reason 'The Grey True Ghost-Story Book' is never likely to be
illustrated by Mr. Ford.

Contents

The Shifty Lad
The False Prince and the True
The Jogi's Punishment
The Heart of a Monkey
The Fairy Nurse
A Lost Paradise
How Brave Walter Hunted Wolves
The Ring of the Waterfalls
A French Puck
The Three Crowns
The Story of a Very Bad Boy
The Brown Bear of Norway
Little Lasse
'Moti'
The Enchanted Deer
A Fish Story
The Wonderful Tune
The Rich Brother and the Poor Brother
The One-Handed Girl
The Bones of Djulung
The Sea Ring's Gift
The Raspberry Worm
The Stones of Plouhinec
The Castle of Kerglas
The Battle of the Birds
The Lady of the Fountain
The Four Gifts
The Groac'h of the Isle of Lok
The Escape of the Mouse
The Believing. Husbands
The Hoodie-Crow
The Brownie of the Lake
The Winning of Olwen

The Shifty Lad

In the land of Erin there dwelt long ago a widow who had an only son.
He was a clever boy, so she saved up enough money to send him to school,
and, as soon as he was old enough, to apprentice him to any trade that
he would choose. But when the time came, he said he would not be bound
to any trade, and that he meant to be a thief.

Now his mother was very sorrowful when she heard of this, but she knew
quite well that if she tried to stop his having his own way he would
only grow more determined to get it. So all the answer she made was that
the end of thieves was hanging at the bridge of Dublin, and then she
left him alone, hoping that when he was older he might become more
sensible.

One day sh