When at last he had finished, he ran to the hay-cock and began to dress himself; but he could not find his stockings, and after looking about for some time he was obliged to put on his clothes without them, and he was going to put his boots on his bare feet, when, walking to the other side of the hay-cock, he saw a little old woman about as large as himself. She had a pair of spectacles on, and she was knitting. She looked so sweet-tempered that Jack asked her if she knew anything about his stockings. "It will be time enough to ask for them when you have had your breakfast," said she. "Sit down. Welcome to our town. How do you like it?" [Illustration: JACK'S NEW FRIEND. "She had a pair of spectacles on, and she was knitting."--PAGE 82.] "I should like it very much indeed," said Jack, "if there was anybody in it." "I'm glad of that," said the woman. "You've seen a good deal of it; but it pleases me to find that you are a very honest boy. You did not take anything at all. I am honest too." "Yes," said Jack, "of course you are." "And as I am pleased with you for being honest," continued the little woman, "I shall give you some breakfast out of my basket." So she took out a saucer full of honey, a roll of bread, and a cup of milk. "Thank you," said Jack, "but I am not a beggar-boy; I have got a half-crown, a shilling, a sixpence, and two pence; so I can buy this breakfast of you, if you like. You look very poor." "Do I?" said the little woman, softly; and she went on knitting, and Jack began to eat the breakfast. "I wonder what has become of my stockings," said Jack. "You will never see them any more," said the old woman. "I threw them into the river, and they floated away." "Why did you?" asked Jack. The little woman took no notice; but presently she had finished a beautiful pair of stockings, and she handed them to Jack, and said,-- "Is that like the pair you lost?" "Oh no," said Jack; "these are much more beautiful stockings than mine." "Do you like them as well?" asked the fairy woman. "I like them much better," said Jack, putting them on. "How clever you are!" "Would you like to wear these," said the woman, "instead of yours?" She gave Jack such a strange look when she said this, that he was afraid to take them, and answered,-- "I shouldn't like to wear them if you think I had better not." "Well," she answered, "I am very honest, as I told you; and therefore I am obliged to say that if I were you I would not wear those stockings on any account." "Why not?" said Jack; for she looked so sweet-tempered that he could not help trusting her. "Why not?" repeated the fairy; "why, because when you have those stockings on, your feet belong to me." "Oh!" said Jack. "Well, if you think that matters, I'll take them off again. Do you think it matters?"