handed down from the savage days of the people with whom the tales originated, as the expression of portions of their thought when they had as yet only attained to such a degree of civilisation as exists among savages of the present day. Strange and grotesque as some of the national stories are, they may be regarded as embodying the fragments of some of man's most primitive beliefs; and recognising this, it will be impossible to dismiss the folk-tale as unworthy of careful consideration, nor may it be regarded as unfitted to afford us, if studied aright, very much more than merely such amusement as may be derived from its quaint incident and grotesque plot. C. J. T. GAFFER DEATH. There was once a poor man who had twelve children, and he was obliged to labour day and night that he might earn food for them. When at length, as it so happened, a thirteenth came into the world, the poor man did not know how to help himself, so he ran out into the highway, determined to ask the first person he met to be godfather to the boy. There came stalking up to him Death, who said-- "Take me for a godfather." "Who are you?" asked the father. "I am Death, who makes all equal," replied the stranger. Then said the man-- "You are one of the right sort: you seize on rich and poor without distinction; you shall be the child's godfather." Death answered-- "I will make the boy rich and renowned throughout the world, for he who has me for a friend can want nothing." Said the man-- "Next Sunday will he be christened, mind and come at the right time." Death accordingly appeared as he had promised, and stood godfather to the child. When the boy grew up his godfather came to him one day, and took him into a wood, and said-- "Now shall you have your godfather's present. I will make a most famous physician of you. Whenever you are called to a sick person, I will take care and show myself to you. If I stand at the foot of the bed, say boldly, 'I will soon restore you to health,' and give the patient a little herb that I will point out to you, and he will soon be well. If, however, I stand at the head of the sick person, he is mine; then say, 'All help is useless; he must soon die.'" Then Death showed him the little herb, and said-- "Take heed that you never use it in opposition to my will." It was not long before the young fellow was the most celebrated physician in the whole world. "The moment he sees a person," said every one, "he knows whether or not he'll recover."