made by his boys, so he came up and bade them set me free, and gave them all the cane for the base deed which they had in hand.

The next great change in my life was to be sent from the farm. The man of the house had a tame finch, of which he was so fond that he would let it fly out of its cage to be fed from his hand, and it would perch on his head, and sing to him.

One day, when there were but the bird and I in the room, it came down on the ground to pick up the crumbs. When I saw so great a prize in my reach I sprang at it, caught it in my claws, and ate it. Whilst I was in the midst of my meal, who should come in the room but the man who kept the bird! He ran to me with fierce looks, and gave me chase round the room

three times, when at last he caught me. So full of rage was he to lose his pet bird that he would have had me hung, had not the cook, in tears, gone down on her knees to beg for my life. In the end he said he would spare me if I were sent off the farm at once. So they put me in a cart, and sent me to a friend of the cook's, who was on the look out for a cat. Here I spent the rest of my days in peace.

Night 21.

KING KNUT AND THE

WAVES.

(Knut, the King. Gurth and Sweyn pay their court to him.)

Knut. Is it true, my friends, as you tell me from time to time, that there is no king so great as I ?

Gurth.-Nay, there is none so great, my liege; you are the chief of kings! Sweyn.-We are all your slaves, we kiss the dust of your feet.

Gurth.-Ay, more than this; fire, earth, air, and sea are your slaves; all

the land from shore to shore does will, and the sea rolls as you bid it.

your

Knut.-Does the sea in truth heed me? Will that dread sea, whose wild waves now boil in their rage, hear my words?

Gurth.-Yes, for the sea is

yours; it was made but to bear your ships, and to pour the wealth of the whole world at your feet. True, it is fierce to your foes, but it knows you to be its lord. Knut.-Does the tide flow in? Sweyn.-Yes, my liege; I did but now see the swell.

Knut.-Bring me a chair then; set it here on the sands.

Gurth. Where the tide comes up, my good lord?

Knut.-Yes, set it here.

Sweyn (to Gurth).-What can he mean to do?

Gurth (to Sweyn).—Can he be such a fool as to think we speak truth to him?

Knut.-O dread sea! Though thy fierce waves war with the wind, thou art my slave! My lords tell me so. The land on which I sit is mine; I say, then, to thee, touch it not; roll back the fierce, proud swell of thy waves, and let not the spray of them wet the sole of my foot; for lo! I am thy king!

Sweyn (to Gurth).-I trow the sea will pay slight heed to his words.

Gurth. comes in!

See how fast the tide

Sweyn. The next wave will reach the chair on which you sit, my liege; and look, the sea will soon be on us ! (To Gurth) Look! look! the waves send their spray up to the king's

crown.