Old Sappy stopped beside the well and looked up at the ugly black bird over his head, and ruffled his feathers as if he were shivering. The bird overhead perked its head down side-wise, and gave a croak and said: “It’s nearly time!” “Time for what? Time for what?” croaked all the owls together. “Time to put the bodies in the well!” said the ugly bird. [Illustration: AROUND THE WALLS WAS A ROW OF GRAY OWLS] “What shall we do first?” said the owls together. “Get me another body for the well!” said the bird overhead. “There are only two bodies!” sang out the owls. “I see another, I see another!” said the bird on the branch. Then the bird in the tree began to croak and grumble to itself, and old Sappy stared at Merrimeg and said: “What must she do?” “She must come to the well!” said all the owls together. “How must she come?” “She must walk! She must walk!” “Who’ll take off her shoes?” said old Sappy. “We will, we will!” cried all the owls together, and they all ran towards her, opening their beaks and squawking as they crowded in around her feet. But Merrimeg kicked out right and left and scattered them in every direction. She found herself standing before the well and the ugly black bird overhead gave an angry screech. “What shall we do with her?” said old Sappy. “The riddle! The riddle!” screamed the ugly black bird overhead. “The riddle! The riddle!” sang out all the owls together. “Answer the riddle!” said old Sappy. But as he said it he gave a slow wink with his right eye. “Answer the riddle, and answer it right! Or else,--or else,--off come your shoes, off come your shoes!” “What is the riddle?” cried all the owls. “This is the riddle, and answer it right,” said old Sappy. “What is it that has no feet and runs away on four feet and is chased by the same four feet, and lives on food and drink and never eats nor drinks?” “What is it? What is it?” croaked all the owls. “Kitten-tails!” said Merrimeg, sobbing with fright as she said it. The black bird overhead gave a piercing scream, spread its wings, and tried to fly away. But before it could fly, while it was flapping and struggling, a change came over it, and in its place was a horrible little old woman, hanging on to the branch and kicking and screaming, and trying to keep from falling down out of the tree. She was much heavier than the bird had been, and the branch was not strong enough to bear her; it snapped in half under her, and down she fell, still kicking, directly into the opening of the well. She was gone. Merrimeg heard a splash far down in the well, and at the same time the green walls disappeared, and the well-opening was covered over, and the green marble floor turned into soft green moss, raised in the middle like a roof, and the owls flew away among the trees.