And after that the shadow suddenly shrank and was still , and they knew that the giant was dead , because they had found his soul . Next day they mounted the two horses and rode home again , visiting their friends the brown otter and the hoary hawk and the slim yellow dog by the way . From ` West Highland Tales . ' A French Puck Among the mountain pastures and valleys that lie in the centre of France there dwelt a mischievous kind of spirit , whose delight it was to play tricks on everybody , and particularly on the shepherds and the cowboys . They never knew when they were safe from him , as he could change himself into a man , woman or child , a stick , a goat , a ploughshare . Indeed , there was only one thing whose shape he could not take , and that was a needle . At least , he could transform himself into a needle , but try as he might he never was able to imitate the hole , so every woman would have found him out at once , and this he knew . Now the hour oftenest chosen by this naughty sprite -LRB- whom we will call Puck -RRB- for performing his pranks was about midnight , just when the shepherds and cowherds , tired out with their long day 's work , were sound asleep . Then he would go into the cowsheds and unfasten the chains that fixed each beast in its own stall , and let them fall with a heavy clang to the ground . The noise was so loud that it was certain to awaken the cowboys , however fatigued they might be , and they dragged themselves wearily to the stable to put back the chains . But no sooner had they returned to their beds than the same thing happened again , and so on till the morning . Or perhaps Puck would spend his night in plaiting together the manes and tails of two of the horses , so that it would take the grooms hours of labour to get them right in the morning , while Puck , hidden among the hay in the loft , would peep out to watch them , enjoying himself amazingly all the time . One evening more than eighty years ago a man named William was passing along the bank of a stream when he noticed a sheep who was bleating loudly . William thought it must have strayed from the flock , and that he had better take it home with him till he could discover its owner . So he went up to where it was standing , and as it seemed so tired that it could hardly walk , he hoisted it on his shoulders and continued on his way . The sheep was pretty heavy , but the good man was merciful and staggered along as best he could under his load . ` It is not much further , ' he thought to himself as he reached an avenue of walnut trees , when suddenly a voice spoke out from over his head , and made him jump . ` Where are you ? ' said the voice , and the sheep answered : ` Here on the shoulders of a donkey . ' In another moment the sheep was standing on the ground and William was running towards home as fast as his legs would carry him .
But XXXXX he went , a laugh , which yet was something of a bleat , rang in his ears , and though he tried not to hear , the words reached him , ` Oh , dear !
From So ago as by in into of than that