its trunk glowing with a sweet, warm fire, its branches covered with
lights and heavy with delicious fruit. He laughed with joy, while the
old woman softly wept. Even the horse saw the fine sight, for he
whinnied his pleasure.

Then the knight dismounted and turned to lift the old woman down, when
suddenly she threw back her hood, and straightened herself; and there,
smiling into his eyes, was his own love, the Lady Beatrice. "O my true
Knight," she cried. "For the sake of a stranger thou didst brave death.
Now with thy love shalt thou live."

Then Sir Godfrey cried out with joy and took her in his arms and kissed
her many times, while from behind the Tree came running all the
true-hearted nobles and peasants who had been able to see its wonders,
and they all circled Sir Godfrey and the Lady Beatrice while they
plighted their troth. Then all ate the fruit, and made merry in the rosy
warmth until the Christmas morning dawned, when they went back in the
sunshine to celebrate the marriage of Sir Godfrey and the Lady Beatrice,
who lived happily ever afterwards; for how otherwise could it be with
lovers that had together beheld the Tree in the Dark Wood?




THE CAT THAT WINKED


Once there was an old woman who lived on the edge of the Dark Wood in a
small cottage all covered with thick thatch and over the thatch grew a
honeysuckle vine; but at the gable where the chimneys clustered, the