E-text prepared by Sigal Alon, Fox in the Stars, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 21014-h.htm or 21014-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/1/0/1/21014/21014-h/21014-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/1/0/1/21014/21014-h.zip) The Editha Series WONDER-BOX TALES by JEAN INGELOW With Illustrations by Diantha W. Horne H. M. Caldwell Co. Publishers New York & Boston Copyright, 1902 By Dana Estes & Company All rights reserved [Illustration: "'TO BE SURE I CAN,' REPLIED THE LARK."] CONTENTS The Ouphe of the Wood The Fairy Who Judged Her Neighbors The Prince's Dream The Water-lily A Lost Wand LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "'To be sure I can,' replied the Lark" "So he sat down as close to the fire as he could, and spread out his hands to the flames" "Coming home on top of it, driving the four gray horses himself" "While she was fitting on her shoes, she saw the Lark's friend" "Then he reclined beside the chafing-dish and inhaled the heavy perfume" "'I could not do so,' he replied, 'only that as I go on I keep lightening it'" "Lived on the borders of one of the great American forests" "The next moment a beautiful little creature stood upon his hand" "'Oh, don't go,' cried Hulda. 'I am going up-stairs to fetch my wand'" "The pedlar had now sunk up to his waist" WONDER-BOX TALES THE OUPHE[1] OF THE WOOD "An Ouphe!" perhaps you exclaim, "and pray what might that be?" [Footnote 1: _Ouphe_, pronounced "oof," is an old-fashioned word for goblin or elf.] An Ouphe, fair questioner,--though you may never have heard of him,--was a creature well known (by hearsay, at least) to your great-great-grandmother. It was currently reported that every forest had one within its precincts, who ruled over the woodmen, and exacted tribute from them in the shape of little blocks of wood ready hewn for the fire of his underground palace,--such blocks as are bought at shops in these degenerate days, and called in London "kindling." It was said that he had a silver axe, with which he marked those trees that he did not object to have cut down; moreover, he was supposed to possess great riches, and to appear but seldom above ground, and when he did to look like an old man in all respects but one, which was that he always carried some green ash-keys about with him which he could not conceal, and by which he might be known. Do I hear you say that you don't believe he ever existed? It matters not at all to my story whether you do or not. He certainly does not exist now. The Commissioners of Woods and Forests have much to answer for, if it was they who put an end to his reign; but I do not think they did; it is more likely that the spelling-book used in woodland districts disagreed with his constitution.