e measured
the sea, and sent me correct information as to the number of gallons,
I will at once begin to press out the oil from my beans."

"Indeed," said the mandarin, "since you are so sharp, perhaps you can
penetrate my thoughts. If you can, I will fine you no more. I hold
this pet quail in my hand; now tell me whether I mean to squeeze it to
death, or to let it fly in the air."

"Well," said the woman, "I am an obscure commoner, and you are a famed
magistrate; if you are no more knowing than I, you have no right to
fine me at all. Now I stand with one foot on one side my threshold and
the other foot on the other side; tell me whether I mean to go in or
come out. If you cannot guess my riddle, you should not require me to
guess yours."

Being unable to guess her intention the mandarin took his departure,
and the family lived long in opulence and good repute under its chosen
head.

* * * * *

A DREADFUL BOAR

A poor old woman who lived with her one little granddaughter in a
wood was out gathering sticks for fuel, and found a green stalk of
sugar-cane, which she added to her bundle. She presently met an elf in
the form of a wild Boar, that asked her for the cane, but she declined
giving it to him, saying that, at her age, to stoop and to rise again
was to earn what she picked up, and that she was going to take the
cane home, and let her little granddaughter suck its sap. The Boar,
angry at her refusal, said that he would, during the coming night, eat
her granddaughter instead of the cane, and went off into the wood.

When the old woman reached her cabin she sat down by the door and
wailed, for she knew she had no means of defending herself against the
Boar. While she sat crying, a vender of needles came along and asked
her what was the matter. She told him, and he said that all he could
do for her was to give her a box of needles. This he did, and went on
his way. The old woman stuck the needles thickly over the lower half
of her door, on its outer side, and then she went on crying. Just then
a man came along with a basket of crabs, heard her lamentations, and
stopped to inquire what ailed her. She told him, and he said he knew
no help for her, but he would do the best he could for her by giving
her half his crabs. The old woman put the crabs in her water-jar,
behind her door, and again sat down and cried. A farmer soon came
along from the fields, leading his ox, and he a