Page:Round the Yule Log.djvu/186

 THE LAD AND THE NORTH WIND. Once upon a time there was an old woman who had a son, and as she was very weak and feeble, she sent her son across the yard to the storehouse to fetch the meal for the porridge for dinner. But when he got outside on the steps, the north wind came rushing past, took the meal out of his bowl, and away it flew through the air. The lad went back to the storehouse to fetch more, but when he came out on the steps the north wind came whistling past again, and away went the meal ; and when the lad went back the third time for the meal, the north wind played him the same trick over again. The lad got angry at this, and thought it wasn't right of the north wind to behave in this manner, so he made up his mind to give the north wind a call, and ask him for his meal. Well, the lad started off, but it was a long way, and he walked and walked — and came at last to the north wind. " Good day," said the lad, " and thanks for calling to see me yesterday." "Good day," answered the north wind, — his voice was hoarse and gruff, — " no^thanks required. What do you want ? " " Oh," said the lad, " I was only going to ask you to be good enough to let me have back that meal you took from me on the steps, because we haven't much, and if you arc going on in this way, and take what little we have, we shall starve." " I haven't got any meal," said the north wind, " but since you are so hard up, you shall have a table-cloth, which will provide you with every- thing you wish, if you only say, ' Cloth, spread yourself and serve up all kinds of Bne dishes 1 ' "