MACMILLAN AND CO.,Limited
LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO
DALLAS · SAN FRANCISCO
THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA,Ltd.
TORONTO [3]
ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON
1912
[4]
INTRODUCTION
Many of the stories in this volume were told by an oldman who said he had more and better learning nor the scholars.“The like of them,” he declared, “do be filled withconceit out of books, and the most of it only nonsense; ’tismyself has the real old knowledge was handed down from the ancienttimes.” The spread of education and cheap literature robbed himof audience: the boys read of adventure by land and sea, the girlsinterested themselves in the fate of heroes with marble-whitecomplexion and coal-black moustache. But it happened that the old mantook a contract to break stones for lime, and a child with aninsatiable desire for information came to watch him at work. “Ipromise you will walk the world, like a Queen of [6]ancient days, renowned for learning andwit,” he assured her, delighted to find a listener at last. Thechild was only seven years old, and could not remember all she heard,so most of his lore died with him.
“The King’s Daughter of France,” “The DarkOath,” and “Nallagh’s Chi