this is Hallow-e'en, when the witches are abroad, and the
goblins, who are their servants, are wandering about in all sorts
of disguises, doing harm to the children of men.'

‘Why should I stay here?' said the eldest of the young people.
‘No, I must go and see what the daughter of old Jacob, the rope-
maker, is doing. She wouldn't close her blue eyes all night if I
didn't visit her father before the moon had gone down.'

‘I must go and catch lobsters and crabs' said the second, ‘and
not all the witches and goblins in the world shall hinder me.'

So they all determined to go on their business or pleasure, and
scorned the wise advice of old Peggy. Only the youngest child
hesitated a minute, when she said to him, ‘You stay here, my
little Richard, and I will tell you beautiful stories.'

But he wanted to pick a bunch of wild thyme and some blackberries
by moonlight, and ran out after the others. When they got outside
the house they said: ‘The old woman talks of wind and storm, but
never was the weather finer or the sky more clear; see how
majestically the moon stalks through the transparent clouds!'

Then all of a sudden they noticed a little black pony close
beside them.

‘Oh, ho!' they said, ‘that is old Valentine's pony; it must have
escaped from its stable, and is going down to drink at the horse-
pond.'