THE SEAL. 157

close to the sea-shore, obtained a young seal for the amuse-
ment of his children, who soon became exceedingly fond
of it. Some time after, the farmer, having had a bad year
for his crops, was told by an old woman in the village that
he would never prosper as long as he kept that seal on his
ground. The foolish man giving heed to the superstition sent
away the seal in a boat some distance from land. Towards
evening, as the children were sitting on the sea-shore, what
was their joy on beholding their seal rising out of the water,
and making its way straight back to them again. For some
months they were allowed to retain their pet; but as the
farmer’s prospects did not brighten, he again determined to
get rid of it, and for that purpose, hearing of a ship that
was soon to sail for the Baltic, took the little seal, and gave
it in charge to some sailors, begging them to keep it in the
hold of the ship till they arrived at their destination, and
then to throw it into the sea. This was accordingly done,
but the faithful seal was not to be daunted; ere long, it
reappeared, to the great delight of the children, who begged
their father never to send it away again. The farmer gave
a doubtful assent, for a suspicion still lurked in his mind,
owing to the superstitious words of the old woman, that the
presence of the seal had an evil effect upon his crops; and
with these ideas preying upon his mind, the farmer conceived
the cruel thought of putting out the seal’s eyes with a view
of preventing it from finding its way back, and again sending
it away to sea. Unknown to his children, he carried this
barbarous plan into execution; and they only discovered the
loss of their favourite too late to aid in its recall, as the ship
in which it had been placed had already sailed for Norway.
Some days after the departure of the vessel, a fearful storm
arose. The farmer and his family were glad enough to close
up their shutters, and shut out as much as possible the
wailings of the wind, as it swept in furious gusts round the
house. They had scarcely retired to rest, when a faint and