40 Fairy Tales

he could without complaining. But at last
he came to a stop.

“Teave me, and save thyself, Krawk,’ he
gasped. ‘I can go no further.”

‘What talk is this?” said the raven crossly,
because he was anxious, and because he saw
from Jacob’s face that it was true. ‘‘We
shall be out of the wood in a minute, and
then it will be better walking.”

“T cannot, I cannot;” and even as he
spoke the boy staggered, dropped down on
the frost-bound ground, and there lay.

Krawk was not only in great perplexity
but distress, for he had grown to be
very fond of Jacob, even though he was apt
to scold, and now he hopped round and
round, and poked him with his beak, and
did his best to rouse him. But it was all
useless, and at last finding he could do
nothing, he rose on his great wings, and
gave his hoarse cry for help, which is one
of the dreariest sounds you can imagine.
After he had called he listened, but no cry
came back, and he was just going to call