saw Jorindel she was very angry, screaming with rage, and spitting poison and gall at him; but she could not come nearer than two paces to him. He went away from her to the birds, but alas! there were so many nightingales, how should he be able to find his Jorinda? While he was thinking what to do, he saw that the fairy had secretly taken down one of the cages, and was making the best of her way off with it. He flew to her, touched the cage with the flower, and also the old fairy, which deprived her of all power of enchantment,and his Jorinda stood before him. She threw her arms round

his neck and looked as beautiful as ever.

Then he touched all the other birds with the flower, so that they became pretty modest maidens again; and he took his Jorinda home with him, where they lived happily together for many years.

THE GENOESE MERCHANT AND THE CAT.

THERE was once a Genoese merchant, who, as he was at sea, was carried by fortune to a very distant island, where there had never been any Christian; and a great king reigned there, who, when he heard of the ship, wondered much, and, having spoken with the owner one morning, invited him to dinner and when they sat down to table, a wand was put into the hands of each, and of the merchant among the rest, at which he wondered greatly; and when the bread and the other meats were set on the table, more than a thousand mice presented themselves with great noise, so that if they would defend the victuals, it was necessary to employ the wands.

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The Genoese was astonished at all this, and he asked whence this great multitude of mice came. He was told that the whole island was full of them, and that if it were not for that curse, there would not be a happier realm than it; for all the precious things of the world grew there, and were found there, such as gold, silver, metals of every kind, wheat, wine, corn of every sort, fruits, wax, silk, and every good thing that the earth produces; but these animals destroyed every thing, and it was necessary to keep the bread, the clothes, and all other things, hung in the air, from those hooks in the roofs. "Then," said the merchant, "your majesty has had me to dine with you this morning, and I will take the liberty to return of myself to-morrow." And going back to the ship, he put next morning a cat in his sleeve, and returned to the city; and when they sat down at the table with those same wands in their hands, and the bread and victuals came, the mice ran in hundreds as usual; and then the captain opened his sleeve, and the cat in an instant jumped among the mice with such dexterity and ferocity, that in a little time she killed more than a hundred of them, and all the rest fled away in terror. The agility and ferocity of so small an animal appeared a wonderful thing to the king and all the bystanders; and he asked particularly where she was bred, what she fed on, and how long she lived. The captain told him all, and added, "Sire, I will present your majesty with two pair of these cats, which, if they are taken proper care of, will fill the whole kingdom with cats in a few years." He sent for them to the ship, and gave them to the king, who thought this a gift which could not be compensated. So having consulted with his barons, and reckoning that he had brought the salvation of

the whole kingdom, he gave him, between gold, silver, and jewels, the value of more than 200,000 ducats. The merchant, thus grown rich, returned to Genoa, where in a few days the fame of his good fortune spread, and several thought of trying their luck by going to that country,—though it was a long way off, and the voyage dangerous,—and taking thither the same kind of animals. There was among them one of a lofty mind, who resolved to take thither other merchandise than cats, though he was advised against it by the first; and he brought with him to present to the king, garments of brocade, of gold, of silver, furniture for beds, for horses, and other things, and various sweetmeats, and presents of great value, to the amount of more than 10,000 crowns. The king joyfully accepted the rich present; and after several banquets and caresses, he consulted with his wise men what he should give the merchant in return. One said one thing, and one said another. The king thought every thing of little worth; and being liberal and great-minded, he resolved to give him part of the most valuable things he had; and he presented him with one of those cats, as a thing most precious. The unlucky merchant returned to Genoa in very ill humour. But the other said to him, "As you would not act by my advice, you bought, out of thirst of gain, what you did not understand, and you never will get back one-half of your money."

The foregoing Italian story is one of the numerous legends of fortune-making cats, which, far from being peculiar to London, are to be traced in nearly every part of the known

world. Mr. Keightly, in his amusing and valuable work, “Tales and Popular Fictions,” has given no less than six or seven different stories, all turning upon the same point, including our nursery friend "Whittington," which is too well known to be inserted here. With regard to the latter, indeed, it is difficult to imagine how this adventure came to be fastened upon him, for the Lord Mayor's real history is tolerably well known, and it seems quite clear that he never was the poor boy which the legend supposes. The figure of Whittington, however, with his cat in his arms, stood over the archway of the old prison in Newgate-street, taken down in 1780. Several of the stories above alluded to are of an older date than our English one.

FREDERICK AND CATHERINE.

THERE was once a man called Frederick; his wife's name was Catherine, and they had not long been married. One day Frederick said to her, "Kate! my dear, I am going to work in the fields; when I come back I shall be both hungry and thirsty, so let me have a nice bit of roast meat, and a good draught of ale."—" Very well," said she, "it shall all be ready for you." When dinner-time drew nigh, Catherine took a sausage from the chimney corner, and put it with some butter on the fire to fry. The sausage soon began to look brown, and to crackle in the pan; and while she stood by with

* To this gentleman's two publications, the "Tales and Fictions," above referred to, and "Fairy Mythology," 2 vols, the present collector is much indebted. Those who wish to pursue the subject of popular traditions, are recommended to possess themselves of both works.