THE PLAGUE-OMEN.

(FROM THE POLISH.)

A PEASANT, having lost his wife and children by the plague, fled from his desolate hut and sought refuge in the forest.

He wandered about the whole day; towards evening he made a hut of branches, lit a fire, and being tired soon fell asleep. It was already past midnight when he was awakened by a great noise. He jumped up and listened. He could hear, at a distance, merry songs, accompanied by the music of drums and pipes. He was greatly surprised at these rejoicings, especially when he remembered that the Plague was depopulating the country.

The music approached, and the terror-stricken peasant saw Homen* advancing through a wide road. "Homen"

* So written in the original Polish.

consisted of a number of spectres of the most extraordinary shapes and kinds. In the midst of them was a high, black waggon, on the top of which sat the Plague. The ghastly company increased at every step; for almost everything they met on the road changed into a spectre and followed the rest.

The peasant's fire was nearly out,-there remained only a good sized, half-burnt stem. As soon as Homen approached, the fire-brand stood up, spread out two arms from its sides, and the red embers changed into two shining eyes. It joined at once the train of the Plague, and began also to sing.

The peasant was thunderstruck. Almost beside himself with terror, he seized his axe and tried to strike the nearest spectre; but the axe fell from his hands, and was immediately changed into the shape of a tall woman. She shook her dark hair before his eyes, joined the throng, and began also to sing.

Homen passed on; the astonished peasant saw how trees, bushes, even owls, and other night birds, assumed various forms, and swelled the horrible company-the dreadful harbinger of wide-spread death. He fell senseless on the ground.

In the morning, when the warm sun awakened him, he found that all he had brought with him was broken to pieces his goods spoiled, his clothes torn. He knew at

once that it was nothing else than Homen who had done. him so much injury; and thanking Heaven that at least his life was spared, he went further on in search of food and shelter.

STORY OF GOL VOYANSKY.

(FROM THE RUSSIAN.)

A MOUJIK* was once ploughing a field with a miserable, lame mare. The poor beast was greatly tormented by gadflies and gnats. The moujik raised his whip, and with one stroke of the thong killed thirty-three gadflies, and a great number of gnats. The moujik reflected a little, and said to himself:—

"O-ho! I've become a hero. At one blow I've killed thirty-three knights and no end of common soldiers."

The moujik was called Gol (the naked, or needy). Gol began to think himself a great man; he unharnessed his mare, scrambled on to her back, and rode on till he' came to a high road. There he dismounted, cut down a tree, and set it up as a sign-post with the following inscription: "Here passed Gol Voyansky. He en

countered the infidels, and at one blow killed thirty-three knights and a countless multitude of common soldiers. Should any knight pass this way, let him read this inscription, and follow Gol Voyansky." He then remounted his mare and started off afresh.

Soon afterwards, Churila Plenkovich passed by the post, and, having read the inscription, was greatly surprised at the announcement of such astonishing prowess. Although he had never heard of Gol before, he was very anxious to make friends with so valiant a knight. Churila galloped after Gol, and soon overtook him.

"Did not a knight called Gol Voyansky pass this way?" he cried.

"I am Gol," answered the moujik. "And who may you be ?"

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Churila Plenkovich," the young knight replied, with a bow, saying to himself as he did so, "Well, this is something wonderful! A common moujik on a sorry horse! Why, it is really disgraceful to be found in such company!"

"Go on my left side," said Gol.

Churila, full of wonder, did so, staring all the time at our hero and his miserable steed.

Meanwhile Eruslan Lazarevich came to the post, and having also read the inscription, galloped after Gol. He soon came up with him, and seeing his friend Churila,