Part 22 (1/2)

As she found she could get no help from her husband the woman took a large knife and cut the cords which bound the sacks on to the animals'

backs. They fell at once to the ground, and out poured a rain of gold pieces, till the little courtyard shone like the sun.

'A treasure!' gasped the woman, as soon as she could speak from surprise. 'A treasure!' And she ran off to tell her husband.

'Get up! get up!' she cried. 'You were quite right not to go to the forest, and to await Fortune in your bed; she has come at last! Our mules have returned home laden with all the gold in the world, and it is now lying in the court. No one in the whole country can be as rich as we are!'

In an instant the wood-cutter was on his feet, and running to the court, where he paused, dazzled by the glitter of the coins which lay around him.

'You see, my dear wife, that I was right,' he said at last. 'Fortune is so capricious, you can never count on her. Run after her, and she is sure to fly from you; stay still, and she is sure to come.'

[_Traditions Populaires de l'Asie Mineure._]

_THE ENCHANTED HEAD_

Once upon a time an old woman lived in a small cottage near the sea with her two daughters. They were very poor, and the girls seldom left the house, as they worked all day long making veils for the ladies to wear over their faces, and every morning, when the veils were finished, the mother took them over the bridge and sold them in the city. Then she bought the food that they needed for the day, and returned home to do her share of veil-making.

One morning the old woman rose even earlier than usual, and set off for the city with her wares. She was just crossing the bridge when, suddenly, she knocked up against a human head, which she had never seen there before. The woman started back in horror; but what was her surprise when the head spoke, exactly as if it had a body joined on to it.

'Take me with you, good mother!' it said imploringly; 'take me with you back to your house.'

At the sound of these words the poor woman nearly went mad with terror. Have that horrible thing always at home? Never! never! And she turned and ran back as fast as she could, not knowing that the head was jumping, dancing, and rolling after her. But when she reached her own door it bounded in before her, and stopped in front of the fire, begging and praying to be allowed to stay.

All that day there was no food in the house, for the veils had not been sold, and they had no money to buy anything with. So they all sat silent at their work, inwardly cursing the head which was the cause of their misfortunes.

When evening came, and there was no sign of supper, the head spoke, for the first time that day:

'Good mother, does no one ever eat here? During all the hours I have spent in your house not a creature has touched anything.'

'No,' answered the old woman, 'we are not eating anything.'

'And why not, good mother?'

'Because we have no money to buy any food.'

'Is it your custom never to eat?'

'No, for every morning I go into the city to sell my veils, and with the few s.h.i.+llings I get for them I buy all we want. To-day I did not cross the bridge, so of course I had nothing for food.'

'Then _I_ am the cause of your having gone hungry all day?' asked the head.

'Yes, you are,' answered the old woman.

'Well, then, I will give you money and plenty of it, if you will only do as I tell you. In an hour, as the clock strikes twelve, you must be on the bridge at the place where you met me. When you get there call out ”Ahmed,” three times, as loud as you can. Then a negro will appear, and you must say to him: ”The head, your master, desires you to open the trunk, and to give me the green purse which you will find in it.”'

'Very well, my lord,' said the old woman, 'I will set off at once for the bridge.' And wrapping her veil round her she went out.

Midnight was striking as she reached the spot where she had met the head so many hours before.