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“‘Honourable master soldier, please to tell me what country is this, and why do the people work so hard?’

“‘Are you a stranger in this place, that you ask such questions?’ answered the soldier.

“‘Yes,’ said Merrymind; ‘I came but the evening before yesterday.’

“‘Then I am sorry for you, for here you must remain. My orders are to let everybody in and nobody out; and the giant with the dust-pannier guards the other entrance night and day,’ said the soldier.

“‘That is bad news,’ said Merrymind; ‘but since I am here, please to tell me why were such laws made, and what is the story of this valley?’

“‘Hold my pipe, and I will tell you,’ said the soldier, ‘for nobody else will take the time. This valley belongs to the lady of yonder castle, whom, for seven times seven years, men have called Dame Dreary. She had another name in her youth—they called her Lady Littlecare; and then the valley was the fairest spot in all the north country. The sun shone brightest there; the summers lingered longest. Fairies danced on the hill-tops; singing-birds sat on all the trees. Strongarm, the last of the giants, kept the pine-forest, and hewed yule logs out of it, when he was not sleeping in