on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for
supper, and lived happy ever afterwards.



THE MASTER AND HIS PUPIL

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all
the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the
mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and
clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which
was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he
unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it
contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many
angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and
sang in their quires, and what were their several functions, and what
was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons,
how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and
their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and
how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to
be as slaves to man.

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as
servant to the great master, but never was he suffered to look into
the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be,
hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus
for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his
mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and