Soon there was proclamation made that the man who killed the dragon was to be found, and to be made son of the king and husband of the princess; for that, everyone should come up to the king’s town and try on the shoe which the princess had pulled from off the foot of the strange champion, that he whom it fitted should be known to be the man.  On the day set, there was passing of coaches and chaises, of carriages and wheelbarrows, people on horseback and afoot, and Billy’s master was the first to go.

While Billy was watching, at last came along a raggedy man.

“Will you change clothes with me, and I’ll give you boot?” said Billy to him.

“Shame to you to mock a poor raggedy man!” said the raggedy man to Billy.

“It’s no mock,” said Billy, and he changed clothes with the raggedy man, and gave him boot.

When Billy came to the king’s town, in his dreadful old clothes, no one knew him for the champion at all, and none would let him come forward to try the shoe.  But after all had tried, Billy spoke up that he wanted to try.  They laughed at him, and pushed him back, with his rags.  But the princess would have it that he should try.  “I like his face,” said she; “let him try, now.”

So up stepped Billy, and put on the shoe, and it fitted him like his own skin.

Then Billy confessed that it was he that killed the dragon.  And that he was a king’s son.  And they put a velvet suit on him, and hung a gold chain round his neck, and everyone said a finer-looking boy they’d never seen.

So Billy married the princess, and was the prince of that place.

THE LITTLE HERO OF HAARLEM[1]

[Footnote 1:  Told from memory of the story told me when a child.]

A long way off, across the ocean, there is a little country where the ground is lower than the level of the sea, instead of higher, as it is here.  Of course the water would run in and cover the land and houses, if something were not done to keep it out.  But something is done.  The people build great, thick walls all round the country, and the walls keep the sea out.  You see how much depends on those walls,—­the good crops, the houses, and even the safety of the people.  Even the small children in that country know that an accident to one of the walls is a terrible thing.  These walls are really great banks, as wide as roads, and they are called “dikes.”

Once there was a little boy who lived in that country, whose name was Hans.  One day, he took his little brother out to play.  They went a long way out of the town, and came to where there were no houses, but ever so many flowers and green fields.  By-and-by, Hans climbed up on the dike, and sat down; the little brother was playing about at the foot of the bank.

Suddenly the little brother called out, “Oh, what a funny little hole!  It bubbles!”

“Hole?  Where?” said Hans.