30 Fairy Tales

he was to keep fast hold of the rope which
held the boy all the time that he pretended
to be sound asleep, which, as he was very
lazy, suited him exactly.

She saw that the rope was secured, and
then she went into the house, and the man
began to snore before she reached it. It
was not above a minute when Jacob heard
the soft strong swish of wings, and the raven
swooped down on the branch of a tree a little
way above his head. He looked quite crest-
fallen and miserable, for he had never ceased
to reproach himself; and bruised as Jacob
was, he could hardly help smiling at the
dejected droop of his tail feathers.

“Hest!” he called eagerly. ‘“O Krawk,
thou art good not to have left me!”

“Tt was my fault,” cried the raven. “I
never meant more than to give thee a little
fright, but I should have remembered thou
wast only a fledgling, and had _ patience.
How does this shameless woman. treat
threes.

“Nay, I would not listen,” said the boy