So she bent over it to unfasten the shawl end, when—­“Oh my!” All of a sudden it gave a jump, a squeal, and in one moment was as big as a haystack.  Then it let down four great lanky legs and threw out two long ears, nourished a great long tail and romped off, kicking and squealing and whinnying and laughing like a naughty, mischievous boy!

The old woman stared after it till it was fairly out of sight, then she burst out laughing too.

“Well!” she chuckled, “I am in luck!  Quite the luckiest body hereabouts.  Fancy my seeing the Bogey-Beast all to myself; and making myself so free with it too!  My goodness!  I do feel that uplifted—­that GRAND!”—­

So she went into her cottage and spent the evening chuckling over her good luck.

[Illustration:  “Well!” she chuckled, “I am in luck!”]

LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD

Once upon a time there was a little girl who was called little Red Riding-Hood, because she was quite small and because she always wore a red cloak with a big red hood to it, which her grandmother had made for her.

Now one day her mother, who had been churning and baking cakes, said to her: 

“My dear, put on your red cloak with the hood to it, and take this cake and this pot of butter to your Grannie, and ask how she is, for I hear she is ailing.”

Now little Red Riding-Hood was very fond of her grandmother, who made her so many nice things, so she put on her cloak joyfully and started on her errand.  But her grandmother lived some way off, and to reach the cottage little Red Riding-Hood had to pass through a vast lonely forest.  However, some wood-cutters were at work in it, so little Red Riding-Hood was not so very much alarmed when she saw a great big wolf coming towards her, because she knew that wolves were cowardly things.

And sure enough the wolf, though but for the wood-cutters he would surely have eaten little Red Riding-Hood, only stopped and asked her politely where she was going.

“I am going to see Grannie, take her this cake and this pot of butter, and ask how she is,” says little Red Riding-Hood.

“Does she live a very long way off?” asks the wolf craftily.

“Not so very far if you go by the straight road,” replied little Red Riding-Hood.  “You only have to pass the mill and the first cottage on the right is Grannie’s; but I am going by the wood path because there are such a lot of nuts and flowers and butterflies.”

“I wish you good luck,” says the wolf politely.  “Give my respects to your grandmother and tell her I hope she is quite well.”

And with that he trotted off.  But instead of going his ways he turned back, took the straight road to the old woman’s cottage, and knocked at the door.

Rap!  Rap!  Rap!

“Who’s there?” asked the old woman, who was in bed.

“Little Red Riding-Hood,” sings out the wolf, making his voice as shrill as he could.  “I’ve come to bring dear Grannie a pot of butter and a cake from mother, and to ask how you are.”