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LONG years ago, in the far-off days, before the scream of the steam-engine and the rush of the motor had made the little people called fairies shy of showing themselves, a poor farmer named Andrew Strong rented a few acres of barren ground in the neighborhood of the ancient city of Chester.

Andrew had a wife and family, and they all did what they could to try and make a living. But as none of his children were old enough to help him in his work, and as all his poor wife could do was to milk their one cow, carry the eggs to market, and mind the children, that was but little. The ground was poor, too, and yielded but a scanty and stubborn crop, so, work as hard as they could, they had much difficulty in paying their rent.

Things got worse and worse, and, at last, a bad year came, in which everything seemed to go wrong. Their little crop of oats, that had cost poor Andrew such labor and care to grow, was spoiled. Two quarters of rent were due, too, and Andrew found he had not enough even to pay half of it. "Margery," said he, sorrowfully, to his wife, "whatever are we to do now?"

His poor wife, who starved and pinched that her children might have enough, and who, in spite of her heavy heart, kept a smiling face, said cheerfully: "Well, Andrew, we must sell the cow, that 's all; and as Thursday is fair day,

you must go to-morrow, that the poor beast may have a rest before the fair, so that you may get a good price for her."

Seeing tears in his wife's eyes, he exclaimed: "Margery, dear heart, you always look on the bright side of things, and I believe you are right, after all, so I won't be sorry that we have to sell the cow, and I'll go to-morrow with her."

So off he went with the cow next morning, his wife charging him not to sell her except for the best price he could possibly get.

It was an early June morning, clear and bright, and the fresh foliage, the dancing stream, and the sweet songs of a thousand birds dispelled the gloom in poor Andrew's heart, and made him hope again. By and by, he came to the top of a hill-"Bottle Hill," as it is called now, but that was not the name of it then-and just as he stood watching a lark falling, with sweet melody, from the sky, he suddenly became aware of a little man standing beside him. Rather startled, as he had seen nobody about a minute before, Andrew turned round and wished him "Good-morrow." "Good morning," said the stranger, who had a queer little squeak in his voice, like a rusty hinge. From his size, Andrew expected to see the chubby face of a boy, but, instead, he saw an old, wrinkled, yellow face, for all the world like a shriveled apple, and two little, restless, red eyes. The little man had a sharp nose, and long white hair, too, and Andrew did not greatly like the dwarf's company, and he drove his cow somewhat faster. But the little old man kept up with him, not walking like other men, but gliding over the rough ground like a shadow, without noise or effort. Andrew's heart trembled within him, and he wished that he did not have to mind the cow, so that he might run away. In the midst of his fears, VOL. XXXIX.-78.

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however, he was again addressed by his fellowtraveler, with, "Where are you going with the cow, honest man?"

"To Chester fair," said Andrew, trembling at the shrill and piercing tones of the voice. "And to sell her?" asked the stranger. "To be sure I am."

"Will you sell her to me?"

Andrew started. He was afraid to have anything to do with the little man, and he was more afraid to say no.

"What will you give for her?" at last said he. "I tell you what, I'll give you this bottle," said the dwarf, pulling a bottle from under his coat.

Andrew looked at him and the bottle, and, in spite of his terror, he could not help bursting into a laugh.

"Laugh if you will," said the dwarf, "but I tell you this bottle is better for you than all the money you will get for the cow at the fair; aye, than a thousand times as much."

Andrew laughed again. "Do you think," said he, "I am such a fool as to give my good cow for a bottle-and an empty one, too? No, no, not I."

"You had better give me the cow and take the bottle-you 'll not be sorry for it."

"Why, what would Margery say? I'd never hear the end of it; and how would I pay the rent, and what would we all do without a farthing of money?"

sir," said Andrew. "And if I were sure the bottle was as good as you say, though I always liked a full bottle better than an empty one, I 'd give you the cow."

"Never mind," said the dwarf, hastily, "but let me have the cow; take the bottle, and when you go home, do exactly what I direct."

Still Andrew hesitated.

"Well, then, good-by to you; I can stay no longer. Once more, take it, and be rich; refuse it, and beg for your life, and see your wife and children dying for want. That 's what will happen to you, Andrew Strong!" said the little man. "Maybe 't is true," said Andrew, still hesitating. He did not know what to do; he could hardly

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"ANDREW SUDDENLY BECAME AWARE OF A LITTLE MAN STANDING BESIDE HIM."

"I tell you this bottle is better for you than money: take it, and give me the cow. I ask you for the last time, Andrew Strong." Andrew started. "How does he know my name?" thought he.

The stranger proceeded: "Andrew, I know you, and have a regard for you; therefore do as I warn you, or you may be sorry for it. How do you know but that there will be many cattle at the fair, or you will get a bad price, or, maybe, you might be robbed when you are coming home? -but what more need I say to you when you are determined to throw away your luck!"

help believing the dwarf, and, at length, in a fit of desperation, he seized the bottle. "Take the cow," said he, "and if you are playing me false, the curse of the poor will be on you!"

"I care neither for your curses nor your blessings, but I have spoken the truth, and that you will find to-night, if you do what I tell you." "And what 's that?"

"When you go home, never mind if your wife is angry, but keep quiet yourself and make her sweep the room clean, set the table in the middle "Oh, no! I would not throw away my luck, of the room, and spread a clean cloth over it;

then put the bottle on the ground, saying these words: 'Bottle, bottle, do your duty,' and you will see what will happen."

"And is this all?" said Andrew.

"No more," said the stranger. "Farewell, Andrew Strong-you are a rich man."

"Heaven grant it," said he, as the dwarf moved after the cow, and Andrew retraced the road toward his farm; but when he turned his head to look after the strange little man, both cow and dwarf had disappeared.

His head in a whirl, he went homeward, muttering prayers and holding fast the bottle.

"Whatever would I do if it broke?" thought he. “Ah, but I 'll take care of that." So putting it into his bosom he hurried on, anxious to prove his bottle, and doubtful of the reception he should meet with from his wife. Balancing his fears with his hopes, his anxieties with his expectations, he reached home in the evening, to the surprise of Margery, who was sitting over the fire in the big chimney.

"What, Andrew, are you back already! Surely you did not go all the way to Chester. Where is the cow? Did you sell her?-How much money did you get for her?-What news have you?Tell me all about it!"

"Stop, Margery! If you 'll give me time, I 'll tell you everything. If you want to know where the cow is, that 's more than I can tell you, for a dwarf-I mean a stranger-went off with her." "Oh, then you sold her; and where 's the money?"

"Wait, Margery, and I 'll tell you all about it." "But what is that bottle under your waistcoat?" said his wife, spying its neck sticking out.

"Be quiet now, till I tell you," and putting the bottle on the table, with a rather uneasy expression, he said: "That 's what I got for the cow." His poor wife was thunderstruck. "Is that all! And what good is that? Oh, I never thought you could do such a thing! What will we do for the rent? And what will the poor children do for something to eat?" And the poor woman began to cry.

"Come, come, Margery dear," said Andrew, "can't you hearken to reason? Did n't I tell you how the little old man, or whatsomever he was, met me-no, he did not meet me, but was there beside me-on the hill, and how he made me sell the cow, and told me the bottle was the only thing for me-"

"Yes, indeed, the only thing for you, you foolish man!" said his wife, seizing the bottle to hurl it into the fire. But he caught it, and quietly (for he remembered the dwarf's advice) loosened his wife's grasp and placed the bottle again in his

So

bosom. Poor Margery sat down, crying, while Andrew told her his story. His wife could not help believing him, especially as she had almost as much faith in fairies as her husband had. she got up without saying a word and began to sweep the floor with a bunch of heath; then she tidied up everything, and spread the clean cloth on the table (for she had only one), and Andrew, placing the bottle on the ground, said, “Bottle, bottle, do your duty!"

"Look, look, Mammy!" said his chubby eldest son, a boy about five years old, "look here! look there!" and he sprang to his mother's side, as two tiny little fellows rose like light from the bottle, and in an instant covered the table with plates and dishes of silver and gold, full of the choicest food that was ever seen, and when all was done, went into the bottle again. Andrew and his wife looked at it all with much astonishment; they had never seen such plates and dishes before, and did not think they could ever admire them enough; the very sight of them almost took away their appetites; but, at length, Margery said: "Come and sit down, Andrew, and try and eat a bit surely you ought to be hungry after such a good day's work."

"So after all the old man told me the truth about the bottle," said Andrew, in great delight. They all made a hearty meal. After they had finished, they waited awhile to see if the two little fairies would carry away the plates and dishes again; but no one came. So they went to bed, not, indeed, to sleep, but to settle about selling all the fine things they did not want, so as to buy all they did want. Andrew went to Chester and sold his plate, and bought a horse and cart, and lots of fine things for his wife and children and himself.

They did all they could to keep the bottle a secret, but, at last, their landlord found it out.. For, noticing how fine Andrew's wife and children had now become, and the many handsome things they had in their house, he came to Andrew one day, and asked him where he got all his money from-"surely not from the farm!" He bothered and bothered so much that, at last, Andrew told him of the bottle. His landlord offered him a great deal of money for it, but Andrew would not give it, till, at last, the landlord offered to give him all his farm forever; and Andrew, who was very rich, thinking he would never want any more money, gave him the bottle. But Andrew was mistaken. He and his family spent money as if there was no end of it; and to make the story short, they became poorer and poorer, till at last they had nothing left but one cow, as before, and Andrew drove her before him to sell

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startled and rejoiced by the same well-known voice, "Well, Andrew Strong, I told you you! would be a rich man."

"Indeed I was, sir, sure enough, but I am not rich now. But, sir, have you another bottle, for I want it now as much as I did long ago; so if you have it, here is the cow for it."

"And here is the bottle," said the little old man, smiling, and with a queer look in his little red eyes, "you know what to do with it." "Oh, then I do, indeed."

"Well, farewell forever, Andrew Strong."

looking after the dwarf and the cow, so anxious was he to bring home the bottle. Well, he arrived with it safely enough, and called out in great glee as soon as he saw his wife, "Oh, Margery dear, sure enough I 've another bottle!"

"Bless us all, have you? Then you 're a lucky man, Andrew; that 's what you are!"

In an instant she had put everything right, and Andrew, looking at his bottle, exultingly cried out, "Bottle, bottle, do your duty."

In a twinkling, two great stout men with big cudgels issued from the bottle (I do not know

how they found room in it), and belabored poor Andrew and his wife and the children till they lay on the floor roaring for mercy, when in they went again.

Andrew, as soon as he had sufficiently recovered, got up slowly and looked about him; he thought and thought, and at last he lifted up his wife and children; and leaving them to recover as best they might, he took the bottle under his coat, and went to his landlord, who was giving a great feast to his friends. Andrew got a servant to tell him he wanted to speak to him, and at last he

came out.

"Well, Strong, what do you want now?"

"Nothing, sir, only I have another bottle."

"Ah ha! Is it as good as the first?"

"See for yourself; if you like, I will show it to you before all the ladies and gentlemen."

"Come along then." So saying, he brought Andrew into the great hall, where he saw his old bottle standing high up on a shelf. "Perhaps," thought he to himself, "I may have you again by and by."

"Now," said his landlord, with a smile of anticipation, "show us your bottle." Andrew set it on the floor, and uttered the words. In a moment, the landlord was tumbled on the floor, ladies and gentlemen, servants, and all were running and roaring, and sprawling, and kicking, and shrieking. Plates, cups, and dishes were knocked about in every direction, until the landlord gasped out, "Stop those two monsters, An

"Give it down to him, give it down to him, before we are all killed!" roared out the landlord. Andrew put the old bottle into his bosom; in jumped the two men into the new bottle, and he carried both the bottles home. I need not lengthen my story by telling how he got richer than ever, how his son married his landlord's only daughter, how he and his wife died when they were very old, and how some of their servants, fighting for the possession of the bottles, broke them both. But still the hill keeps the name

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"THE LANDLORD GASPED OUT, 'STOP THOSE TWO MONSTERS, ANDREW STRONG!'"'

drew Strong, I say, or I 'll have you hanged!" "They never shall stop," said Andrew, "till you make me a gift of my own bottle up there."

of "Bottle Hill," and so it will be always to the end of the world; and so it ought, for it is a strange story.

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