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A WINTER NOSEGAY.

Being Tales for Children at Christmastide.

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    LONDON:
    W. SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & ALLEN,
    PATERNOSTER SQUARE.
    1881.




    LONDON:
    PRINTED BY WOODFALL & KINDER,
    MILFORD LANE, STRAND, W.C.




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CONTENTS.


    THE MAN IN THE MOON, AND HOW HE GOT THERE          1

    CAT AND DOG STORIES                               13

    A FORTUNE IN AN EMPTY WALLET                      45




The Man in the Moon.

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THE MAN IN THE MOON.


ONCE upon a time, long before people were able to learn what they wanted
to know from printed books, long before children had pretty pictures to
tell them tales, there lived an old student with his pupil. Together
they spent all the day in poring over musty old books and papers, trying
to find out why the sun was hot; and in the night-time they might always
be seen gazing at the sky, counting how many stars there were there.
They were very curious folk, and wanted to know the reasons for all
sorts of out-of-the-way things that everybody else was content to know
the mere facts of, such as why birds have two wings and not three, why
crocodiles have no fins, seeing that they can swim in the water, and
many other matters that would not interest sensible beings. They always
had at their side a young owl, and a serpent, toothless and blind with
age; for they thought that youthful observation and aged craftiness were
most suitable companions for them in their labours. If at any time old
Fusticus, for so the old student was named, got dispirited in his work,
or felt inclined to give it up as a hopeless task, he had but to turn
round in his chair, and there behind him sat his owl, who seemed to say,
as he cocked his head on one side, "Never despair, success only comes
after long perseverance!" Or if he stuck fast at any point, and could
make no progress, one glance at the old serpent made him think, "Snakes
wait whole days and nights on watch for their prey; why should I give
in?" And, strange to say, with a little more attention and care, he
always did get over his smaller difficulties.

But at last old Fusticus got weary of his long studies, as he seemed
never to find an answer to any one of the questions he had set himself;
and he was about to give them up altogether, when he came across a
curious passage in the old tome in which he was reading. For a long time
he could not make it out at all, but after deep thought and
consultation with his pupil, he discovered that it was a spell, by which
he could call up the Spirit of Darkness, whom he could compel to grant
him any three wishes that he might demand. The only condition was that
he should give to the Spirit of Darkness whatever he should ask of him.

Old Fusticus thought and thought a long time over this discovery, and at
last decided to make use of it. So one day he repeated the charm he had
learnt from the book, and when he had finished the last word, to his
amazement, for he did not quite believe it was all true, there stood
before him the Spirit of Darkness! He was not at all like what he had
imagined he would have been; for he had not a hideous face, nor a tail,
but was dressed in the costume of a court gentleman, with a sword at his
side and a cocked hat in his hand. He had, too, a pigtail, ruffles and
all complete!

"Sire," he said to Fusticus, "what is your will? You have summoned me to
you by a power not your own--you know the condition on which you use
that power. What is your wish?"

"My wish you shall soon learn, or rather my three wishes. But what is it
that you demand in return?"

"All that I ask is now--nothing! All that I want