These directions made the innkeeper’s wife very uneasy. However, she said nothing, and began to roast the cock, while her husband did his best to make the man sleepy with wine, but all in vain. After dinner, which he did not eat without grumbling, for the cock was very tough, the man struck his hand on the table, and said: “Now listen to me. Go and fetch my cock and my basket, at once. Do you hear?” “Your cock, and your basket, Father Grumbler? But you have just—” “MY cock and MY basket!” interrupted he. “And, if you are too deaf and too stupid to understand what that means, I have got something which may help to teach you.” And opening the bag, he cried: “Flack, flick, switch, be quick.” And flack! flick! like lightening a white switch sprang out of the bag, and gave such hearty blows to the innkeeper and his wife, and to Father Grumbler into the bargain, that they all jumped as high as feathers when a mattress is shaken. “Stop! stop! make it stop, and you shall have back your cock and basket,” cried the man and his wife. And Father Grumbler, who had no wish to go on, called out between his hops: “Stop then, can’t you? That is enough for to-day!” But the switch paid no attention, and dealt out its blows as before, and MIGHT have been dealing them to this day, if the Holy Man had not heard their cries and come to the rescue. “Into the bag, quick!” said he, and the switch obeyed. “Now go and fetch me the cock and the basket,” and the woman went without a word, and placed them on the table. “You have all got what you deserved,” continued the Holy Man, “and I have no pity for any of you. I shall take my treasures home, and perhaps some day I may find a man who knows how to make the best of the chances that are given to him. But that will never be YOU,” he added, turning to Father Grumbler. [From Contes Populaires.] The Story of the Yara Down in the south, where the sun shines so hotly that everything and everybody sleeps all day, and even the great forests seem silent, except early in the morning and late in the evening—down in this country there once lived a young man and a maiden. The girl had been born in the town, and had scarcely ever left it; but the young man was a native of another country, and had only come to the city near the great river because he could find no work to do where he was. A few months after his arrival, when the days were cooler, and the people did not sleep so much as usual, a great feast was held a little way out of the town, and to this feast everyone flocked from thirty miles and more. Some walked and some rode, some came in beautiful golden coaches; but all had on splendid dresses of red or blue, while wreaths of flowers rested on their hair.