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Siegfrid and Handa.

able to get more in time, so that he will shrink and vanish.”

The Hare shook its head. “You are going too fast,” it said. “The shoes cannot be drawn from the children’s feet as long as a single person in the village is wearing the boots and shoes made by the old man. So the first thing you must do will be to get all the shoes from every one in the village, and put them all into a heap, and burn them all together.”

“But how can I do that?” asked Siegfrid. “The people will never give me their boots to burn, and if I tell them all you tell me they will not believe me.”

“Let us go and ask the Owl,” said the Hare. “He flies about at night when ‘there is no one to see. Perhaps he would steal them for you and bring them here.” So Siegfrid and the Hare started off together to find the Owl. He was sitting on a bough half asleep, for it was yet light, so he had not quite waked up, and Siegfrid had to throw a bit of wood at him to wake him. He looked very cross when he opened his eyes and heard what they wanted, but he said,—

“I will do it for you if you will pay me. If

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